spotlight on local produce and meats, which has always been one of our passions at Maia, alongside some award-winning local beers.”
The temperature may be cooling, but the restaurant scene heats up this fall with a slew of new openings all over town (and beyond), including three swank new steakhouses and the return of two Chinese icons.
Alison Two: Alison Barshak (of the central Montgomery County fave Alison at Blue Bell) is penciling in late September for her high-style New American (424 S. Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington).
Butcher & Singer: This swank steakhouse from Stephen Starr, a luxe retooling of Striped Bass, is planned for the third week of November (1500 Walnut St.).
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle: With locations in New York, Vegas and elsewhere, this meatery chain comes to Philly in mid-November, taking over a former law firm in the heart of Center City (111 S. 15th St.).
El Camino Real: This “Mexican border bar” from Owen Kamihira (Bar Ferdinand) will specialize in tacos and Texas barbecue when it opens in Northern Liberties’ former Deuce space in late September (1040 N. Second St.).
Du Jour Market & Café: No sooner did this casual spot debut in Center City’s Symphony House than plans were announced for another outpost to open in Commerce Square in late fall (2001 Market St.).
Earth Bread + Brewery: Hearth-baked flatbreads and brews, from the couple who founded Heavyweight Brewing, will be touching down in a Mount Airy storefront in late September (7136 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-6666).
Fiesta Acapulco: Gabriel Bravo (of Italian Market’s La Lupe) is looking at late September for this Mexican seafood BYO (1122 S. Ninth St.).
Ho Sai Gai: The Chinatown favorite reopens its long-closed second location in late September (10th and Race Sts.).
Izakaya: The Academy House dining space that briefly housed the ambitious but ill-fated Kaizan is due to reopen in October with a more casual Japanese drinking concept (1420 Locust St.).
Izumi: A casual sushi spot from the team at South Philly’s Paradiso is opening down the street in late September (1601 E. Passyunk Ave.).
Joe's Peking Duck Original 1984: Quirky chef/culinary figure Joe Poon sets up shop in Old City, and the ducks come out September 28th (108 Chestnut St.).
Mémé: Rustic New American fare in minimalist surroundings is the promise from chef David Katz (ex Restaurant M) when he opens shop September 21st (2201 Spruce St.).
Pickled Heron: This white-tablecloth American bistro in Fishtown, featuring house made charcuterie, is slated for late November (2218 Frankford Ave.).
Sticks & Stones: East Passyunk, the stretch of South Philly known for its Italian restaurants, is getting more than its share of gastropubs, including this October arrival from the owner of the former Felicia’s (1909 E. Passyunk Ave.).
Union Trust: What promises to be Center City’s only homegrown steakhouse will fill a former bank building (with a soaring ceiling) near Washington Square – projected opening is October 15th (717-719 Chestnut St.).
"Under the new Clean Indoor Air Act, which was 15 years in the making, restaurants will be required to prohibit smoking. But smaller bars and taverns, where on-premises food sales don't exceed 20 percent of total revenue, can ask the state Health Department for an exception to the smoking ban." via Post Gazette
