Philadelphia Food & Drink Story Ideas: Fall 2019

Philadelphia has delicious stories to tell. Here are some of the restaurants, chefs, dishes and drinks on our radar right now:

NOTABLE OPENINGS:

Now Open:

• Dock Street South – Philly craft beer pioneer debuted a Point Breeze outpost in a smartly renovated, high-ceilinged warehouse with onsite brewing and canning. The all-day operation begins with coffee and cafe fare, then segues into Mediterranean-style sandwiches, small plates and rotisserie chicken, through dinner. 2118 Washington Avenue, (215) 337-3103, dockstreetbeer.com/dock-street-south-point-breeze
• Forsythia – Chef Christopher Kearse departed his East Passyunk Will BYOB in favor of grander Old City digs. Elegant Forsythia has a full liquor license, loads more space—and Kearse’s ever-beautiful, flavorful, French-influenced cuisine. 233 Chestnut Street, (215) 644-9395, forsythiaphilly.com
• The Refectory – The Zavino Hospitality Group serves up a 158-seat, family-friendly American grill in Radnor, Villanova University’s first on-campus dining destination. 862 Lancaster Avenue, zavinohospitalitygroup.com

November:

• Merkaz – Steve Cook and Mike Solomonov’s next venture: soulful, fast-casual Israeli street foods—like the mixed grill pitas popular in Tel Aviv—in Midtown Village. 1218 Sansom Street, cooknsolo.com
• Rosalie – Marty Grims of the White Dog gives the Main Line an upscale, casual restaurant Italian destination in the historic Wayne Hotel. 139 Lancaster Avenue, fearlessrestaurants.com

December:

• Laser Wolf – Kensington gets in on the CookNSolo action with an Israeli-style shipudiya (skewer house), whose name plays off that of Lazar Wolf, the village butcher in Fiddler on the Roof. 1301 N. Howard Street, cooknsolo.com

2020:

• Rex – Graduate Hospital’s popular American Southern dining haven moves behind the façade of the historic Royal Theater. Opening in winter 2020, Rex will have seating for more than 260, private dining, a bottle shop and a stage. 1524-34 South Street, (267) 319-1366, rex1516.com
• Sor Ynez – Jill Weber and Evan Malone head into Kensington’s new NexFab Studios in spring 2020 with an ambitious Mexican concept helmed by new culinary director Lucio Palazzo. Sor Ynez will highlight ingredients and herbs indigenous to Mexico and Central America.

HOTEL DINING NEWS:

Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center:

• Jean-Georges Philadelphia – Vongerichten’s two top-floor concepts in the city’s tallest building consist of an eponymous destination for locally inspired haute cuisine (and stunning views from morning to evening), and JG SkyHigh, a polished, relaxed cocktail and small-plate experience. 1 N. 19th Street, (215) 419-5059, fourseasons.com
• Vernick Fish – This sleek, seafood-focused sibling to chef Greg Vernick’s beloved Vernick Food & Drink has a generous raw bar and larger plates in blackened fluke with bacon-cherry relish, and plancha-grilled Pocono trout with couscous and crab salad. 1876 Arch Street, (215) 419-5055, vernickfish.com

Pod Hotel Philly:

• El Café – The specialty coffee shop offers Mexican drinking chocolate, Stumptown java, clever breakfast tacos, Mexican baked goods and aguas frescas. Open.
• Condesa – Chefs Nick Kennedy, Alberto Sandoval and Jerome Skaggs celebrate the diversity of Mexican regional cuisine in a 140-seat ground-floor concept featuring hand-pressed volcanic stone-ground heirloom masa tortillas. Open (dinner only). 1830 Ludlow Street, condesaphilly.com
• El Techo – The 11th floor dining and drinking spot offers laid back taqueria vibes and a retractable glass roof. Open mid-October.

FOOD & DRINK CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

• October 13, Old City Fest: The nation’s most historic neighborhood throws a block party that shows off its restaurants, galleries and heritage sites up and down 3rd Street and Arch Street.
• October 13-19, Philly Vegan Restaurant Week: A plant-based accompaniment to traditional Restaurant Week, this promo gets restaurants cooking up special dishes and/or prix-fixe options, with a portion of proceeds supporting Pottstown non-profit Misfit Manor.
• November 28, Cacia’s Turkey Bake: The venerable deep South Philly baker opens its massive, brick-lined bread oven to roast customers’ turkeys, hams, lambs, etc. The line begins forming at 5 a.m.; cost is $24 per item. 1526 Ritner Street, (215) 334-1340, caciabakery.com
• March 7, 2020, Philly Craft Beer Festival: Forbes Traveler called this one-day event “one of the top 10 beer festivals in America.” Held in tents at The Navy Yard, the hoppin’ affair features 75 national and international breweries, food trucks and a VIP session that presents some very rare brews. (631) 940-7290
• March 29-April 6, 2020, Philly Wine Week: Philadelphia’s ever-expanding celebration of the grape features 200-plus events in 60-some restaurants and bars across the city. The event kicks off with the Opening Corks celebration on March 29.

PROFILE: Melanie Diamond-Manlusoc, chef/co-owner, Flow State CoffeeBar
Michigan native Melanie Diamond-Manlusoc immediately felt at home when she moved to Philly in 2016. “Detroit hustle is very similar to East Coast grit,” said the pastry chef, who, with wife Liz Diamond-Manlusoc, came to open a welcoming cafe and coworking space with their friend Maggie Lee, a Philadelphia native. At Flow State, Melanie applies the skills she sharpened in Michelin-starred kitchens in Chicago to Cakesicles (made with her own gelato and the best house-made sipping chocolate) and to Filipino Fridays, when her desserts reflect her heritage. “This is a culmination of everything,” she says of the Kensington coffee bar. “I am an Italophile, a Michigander and a Filipino, all in one.” 2413 Frankford Avenue, (267) 702-0280, flowstatecoffeebar.com

TREND WE LOVE: The Board Game Cafe
As more people look for creative ways to unplug from a day-to-day life dominated by glowing screens, Philly’s creative gathering spaces tout the analog pleasures of board games and other tabletop diversions. Thirsty Dice (1642 Fairmount Avenue, (215) 765-2679, thirstydice.com), which pairs local craft brews with a selection of more than 800 gaming options, leads the charge, but they’ve got competition from Roxborough’s Basement Board Game Cafe (6109 Ridge Avenue, (267), 335-4767, thebasementboardcafe.com) and Queen Village’s Queen & Rook Game Café (607 S. 2nd Street, (215) 995-0043, queenandrookcafe.com) as well as forthcoming concept, University City’s The Board & Brew (3200 Chestnut Street, theboardandbrew.com).

DON’T MISS FALL DISH: Schweinshaxe
When it comes to classic autumn dishes, you can’t do much better than schweinshaxe, the house specialty of German-born chef Valentin Bay of Brauhaus Schmitz. The crispy-skinned pork shank, hearty, rib-sticking comfort cooking at its finest, is the star of this plate, but the accompanying kartoffelknödel (potato dumplings), sauerkraut and deeply flavorful Dunkel lager jus make it a meal. 718 South Street, (267) 909-8814, brauhausschmitz.com

DRINK FOR THIS FALL: Vigo
Renowned for its Bluecoat Gin and Vieux Carré Absinthe, Philadelphia Distilling recently jumped into the amaro business with Vigo, a dark, bitter, complex Italian-style digestivo whose baking-spice aromas, dark fruit notes and oaky undertones make it ideal for fall sipping. Vigo stands up on its own, but visitors to the distillery’s elegant cocktail bar can also try it as part of a simple, satisfying autumnal spritz, topped with sparkling wine from Kutztown’s Pinnacle Ridge. 25 E. Allen Street, (215) 671-0346, philadelphiadistilling.com

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