40 new Philadelphia-area restaurants show no slowdown in the dining scene

Two Brooklyn imports. A solo restaurant from a noted Mexican chef. A street-level soup-and-sandwich spot with a demonstration kitchen upstairs. An atelier for a pasta maker. A bar from two of the city’s most well-known publicans. An Italian destination in Montgomery County. A coffee bar-slash-cocktail bar from a distiller. Two new bar-restaurants in Conshohocken. Even a few BYOBs.

As the Philadelphia-area dining scene arises from the doldrums of the pandemic, dozens of new restaurants are on the books to open in the next 60 to 90 days.

Three new BYOBs are due in the next two weeks. Cozy BYOBs had suffered over the last two years as few were able to handle occupancy restrictions and the switch to takeout and delivery that helped keep larger restaurants in business.

After some restaurateurs closed their doors, a new crop is ready to step in, serving menus free of fussy tweezer food.

The Brooklyn imports include Other Half Brewing Co., which opens Feb. 18 in the former Goose Island space at 1002 Canal St. in Fishtown, across from the Punchline and Fillmore. Eventually, OH will brew 20 varieties on-site. The other import will be pizza destination Paulie Gee’s, which just started teasing the location of its Philly music-themed slice shop. It could open as soon as this spring.

Mish Mish, from former Philadelphia Magazine food editor Alex Tewfik, takes the recently vacated Noord space at 1046 Tasker St. on Feb. 18 for what he’s calling a “vintage Mediterranean” bistro. It will operate as a BYOB until the liquor license goes through.

Bomba Taco & Bar, a cantina from Paladar Restaurant Group, opens its second Pennsylvania location on Feb. 18 at Village at Newtown (2801 Eagle Rd.). It’s the sister concept of Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar.

Cantina La Martina, named after the Irma Serrano song, will mark the solo restaurant debut of veteran chef Dionicio Jimenez, whose last day at El Rey in Rittenhouse after a decade will be this weekend. He is taking over the old Somerset Bar at 2800 D St. in Kensington for a Mexican restaurant that eventually will have a bar. Debut will be Feb. 22. Lunch and dinner are planned daily.

Human Robot, the Kensington brewery, will do a preopening day (billed as a pop-up) on Feb. 22 at its forthcoming brewpub (dubbed The Haus) at 208 York Rd. in Jenkintown. Opening is now set for March 3.

Fond, the longtime bistro across from the Singing Fountain at 11th Street and East Passyunk Avenue, has closed, and founders Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki Styer are moving The Dutch, their bruncherie, into that space with a liquor license. The Dutch, formerly at Fourth and Cross Streets in Pennsport, will open Feb. 23 with chef Kevin Watters as a partner. (Lee Styer said they intend to turn the now-shuttered Dutch location into a sandwich-and-dessert spot.) Incidentally, Watters will host a sit-down version of his popular Mom Mom’s Soul Food pop-ups on Feb. 28 at the new spot (1537 S. 11th St.). It’s a $50 four-course meal including deviled eggs, cornbread mac and cheese with braised short rib, fried chicken, collard greens, candied yams, and strawberry shortcake beignets. They’ll do seatings at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; reserve via info@thedutchphilly.com. It’s in honor of Watters’ grandmother Lillian Lewis, and a cut of proceeds will go to Everybody Eats Philly.

Homemade by Bruno, from self-taught chef Janine Bruno, is getting close to opening her studio for her signature gelato and pasta just off 15th and Wharton Streets in South Philadelphia. She’ll host group pasta-making classes and other private culinary events; follow her on Instagram.

Char & Stave Coffee will be an all-day coffee and cocktail bar from Bluebird Distilling founder Jared Adkins at 21 Rittenhouse Place in Ardmore, mere yards from Tired Hands Beer’s Fermentaria. Expect barrel-aged coffee beans, coffee drinks, and whiskey cocktails.

Dom & Mia’s is being built out as a family-friendly bar-restaurant at 145 Saxer Ave. in Springfield, Delaware County, a former bank building. The names are a tribute to cofounder Steve and Jenna DeVito’s children, who died due to complications of premature birth. The DeVitos are partnered with Matt White.

Homeroom will be a modern neighborhood coffee shop and brunch spot from chef Henry Morgan (formerly at Dizengoff, Abe Fisher, and Merkaz) in the former Green Bean Coffee at 358 Righters Mill Road in Gladwyne.

Sooo Trucking Delicious, Aminah McDaniel and Angel King’s Southern-style soul-food truck (parked at 5200 Grays Ave. in Southwest Philly), comes in from the cold with a cafe at 1112 Locust St. in Washington Square West.

Tresini (504 N. Bethlehem Pike, Ambler) will be a top-to-bottom redo of the old Ristorante San Marco, in Spring House. Vetri alumnus Brad Daniels and partners promise a stylish Italian bar and restaurant.

Wilder (2009-11 Sansom St.) is the long-in-development restaurant, bar, and event space from chef Brett Naylor (formerly of Oyster House and Mission Taqueria) and artist Nicole Barrick, with chef Bob Truitt. Wilder’s first and second floors will be set up for dining (with an exhibition kitchen serving pizza and crudo on the first floor), while the third floor will seat private dining.

Nonna & Pop’s, a redo of Mr. Joe’s Cafe by Vinny and Joe Termini in honor of parents Vince and Barbara, is planned across the street from the Termini Bakery at 1514 S. Eighth St.

Broth Thyme brings chef Michael Kanter, a former saucier at Le Bec-Fin (and chef at a host of restaurants over the years), to 102 S. 13th St. in Washington Square West. The first floor will feature soups and sandwiches, while the second floor and roof deck from the previous occupant, Tiki, will come online later to be used for cooking demos and private parties. Kanter had a similar business in Doylestown until 2020.

Umami Izakaya will be an underground Japanese bar from Alan Su of Nom Nom Ramen, in the space at 725 Walnut St. that was Six Feet Under.

Marianne’s Cafe marks the return of chef Marianne Cuneo-Powell, who ran Voorhees’ A Little Cafe, to the day-to-day restaurant world. She’ll be working out of the former Longshore, a short-lived bruncherie at Route 70 and Cropwell Road in Marlton.

Amina (104 Chestnut St.) marks the bar-restaurant debut of Felicia Wilson, who is working with chef/partner Darryl Harmon (formerly of Water Works). The Southern menu will include African ingredients. The interior will feature designs representing female African warriors.

The Jim, a bar from Fergus Carey and Jim McNamara (Fergie’s Pub, The Goat) and restaurateur Tony Rim (1225 Raw, The Foodery), takes over the former JC Chinese at Eighth and Morris Streets. (”Honey, I’m going to The Jim.” Hilarity ensues.)

Liberty Point will be Philadelphia’s largest restaurant — at 1,400 outdoor seats — and a new phase in the redevelopment of Penn’s Landing. It will operate year-round at Independence Seaport Museum.

El Chingon sets up chef Carlos Aparicio in a corner restaurant at 1524 S. 10th St., where he’ll specialize in Mexican cemitas.

Fayette Street Oyster House & Grille installs veteran restaurateur Peter Dissin (Pinefish in Center City) at the old Tierra Caliente (128 Fayette St., Conshohocken) with steaks and seafood.

Daniel’s, replacing the Lucky Dog Gastropub (16 E. First Ave., Conshohocken), marks a return to the restaurant business for Daniel and Debbie Brodeur, who used to have Brodeur’s in downtown Media more than a decade ago.

Raising Cane’s, the chicken-finger fast-food chain, is targeting early April at 3925 Walnut St. near the University of Pennsylvania, and summer on Cecil B. Moore Avenue near 12th Street on the Temple University campus.

The Cauldron Magical Pub, easily the most ambitious newcomer on this list, is under construction at 1305 Locust St. It will be a fantasy-themed bar where patrons will get a robe to wear and mix their own cocktails. Expect lots of fire, smoke, and magic.

MaGerk’s, the sports bar, replaces an Applebee’s at 174 Eagleview Blvd, Exton.

Pietramala will be a vegan restaurant at 614 N. Second St. in Northern Liberties from chef Ian Graye, who works for Blackbird (which closes on that site Feb. 20) and who ran pop-ups as Moto Foto.

Marc Vetri is on track with his unnamed steak house at Bryn Mawr Village (915 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr).

The Pullman will take the former Tango space at the Bryn Mawr train station (39 Morris Ave., Bryn Mawr). It will be a bar-restaurant inspired by old-fashioned railcar dining, complete with piano lounge.

Thirsty Dice, the Fairmount board game cafe, will spin off a second location, with a liquor license, at 1 Ardmore Place in Ardmore.

DIG, a vegetable-forward fast-casual eatery, will open its second Philadelphia location at 140 S. 36th St. in University City.

Tabachoy, Chance Anies’ Filipino cart, heads to brick-and-mortar, with a shop at 1300 Federal St.

Royal Tavern is due to return to 937 E. Passyunk Ave.

The Franklin (the former Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.) will open in a new home at 1715 Rittenhouse Square.

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Two massive projects — Bankroll Club, with a Stephen Starr restaurant in the former Boyd Theater at 1910 Chestnut St., and Barstool Sports Bar at 1213 Sansom St., themed to the media company — plan to link the worlds of sports betting and socialization.

Designer/restaurateur Owen Kamihira (El Camino Real) has a bead on 702 N. Second St. in Northern Liberties for a still-unnamed Japanese American izakaya. It’ll be a tribute to what he believes would have been such a place back in his parents’ hometown of Yakima, Wash., in the 1930s. He points to the simple lunches formerly served at Sagami in Collingswood as one point of reference.