Dry January ideas worth a toast | Let’s Eat

In the olden days, when you wished to observe dry January, you stayed out of bars and avoided your wine rack. Now, the number of nonalcoholic options is impressive — in bars and in retail stores — and we’re here to guide you.

Also in this edition:

— Mike Klein

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Kiki Aranita, a professed celebrator of “dry martini January,” gathered some of her snobbiest friends last week to taste-test nonalcoholic spirits, wines, and spritzes. They were as surprised as anyone at what’s out there.

🍸 Where are the best spots on the region’s sober-curious circuit? Hira Qureshi tracked down bars, stores, and events, and gathered tips for mindful booze-free drinking.

🍹 For those who want a cozy bar — all of which deal in nonalcoholic drinks, too, Earl Hopkins, has 10 chill experiences.

The Phillies’ first preseason game is six weeks away, and star Bryce Harper is spending some of his downtime making videos on TikTok. Banana bread, sure. But Gabriela Carroll thinks his iced vanilla latte recipe is a big swing and a miss: It calls for raw milk.

The Sixers have scuttled plans to open an arena in Chinatown. Restaurateurs are cautiously optimistic, while in South Philly, news of a new arena was cheered by Chickie’s & Pete’s owner Pete Ciarrocchi and novice restaurateur “Skinny” Joey Merlino.

Late-night burgers are on the way to Fishtown from New York’s 7th Street Burger out of New York, which wants to be the In-N-Out of the East Coast. Like the burgers themselves, 7th Street is a smash, having gone from one shop in the East Village to 19 locations in less than four years. Know that 7th Street keeps the prices low ($6.50 for a single, $9.50 for a double), the menu very small, and the hours late. Read up on my findings, and I’ll also tell you that Harlem Shake is preparing to open in University City, too.

🍔 Good Vibes Dope Burgers premieres Friday inside Fishtown’s Bottle Bar East (1308 Frankford Ave.). Menu includes smashburgers, sandwiches, and fries.

A Taste of Philly is the new big seller at Pizzata Pizzeria & Birreria (1700 E. Passyunk Ave.). They call it a “connect-four calzone”: Attached around a tomato-pie center are Philly’s signature sandwiches — cheesesteak, Italian hoagie, sausages/peppers/onions, and roast pork and broccoli rabe. Feeds three or four people for $25.

The chefs at Paffuto (1009 S. Eighth St.) are serving soup-filled panzerotti — a clever approach to the calzone-like turnovers — over the next four weeks during lunchtime from Wednesday to Sunday. Starting today is French onion. Week 2 (Jan. 22) is broccoli cheddar. Week 3 (Jan. 29) is Italian wedding. Week 4 (Feb. 5) is grilled cheese and tomato. They’re $15 each.

Emmett, the Levantine/Mediterranean restaurant from chef Evan Snyder and Julian van der Tak at 161 W. Girard Ave., has set a Jan. 28 opening date, and reservations are up on OpenTable. More backstory is here.

What’s shaking in the hand-pie business? Little Susie’s Coffee & Pie, which launched five years ago in Port Richmond before expanding to Old City and South Philadelphia, is prepping three more locations. Kensington (1772 N. Front St.) is a few weeks out, owner Daniel Martino told me, and next in line are Fairmount (a former insurance agency at 2206 Fairmount Ave.) and Queen Village (new construction at 408 Fitzwater St., next to the new Good Good Chocolates).

Some news out of Delco: Lansdowne, awaiting the redevelopment of the Lansdowne Theater, has a bar-restaurant on the way across the street. Backstage Tap & Grille, at 22 N. Lansdowne Ave., will be an offshoot of Conshohocken Brewing Co., under Conshy cofounder Andy Rosen. Chef Dan Brodeur (ex-Daniel’s in Conshohocken, Brodeur’s on State Street in Media) plans what he calls upscale pub food. Conshy’s beer, Pennsylvania-distilled spirits, and local wines will be offered.

The Rook, marking its fifth anniversary in Manayunk, announced on its socials that it’s headed to Wildwood this spring with a second location, promising a “Philly-inspired menu with a seafood shore twist” at the former Good Night Irene’s, 2708 Pacific Ave.

Tommy’s Tavern & Tap out of North Jersey, whose closest locations to the Philly area are in Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel, has its name on a liquor application for the recently shuttered J. Alexander’s on Mall Boulevard outside of King of Prussia Mall. This would be the first Pennsylvania location for Tommy Bonfiglio, who advertises his bars as “proud partners” with the New York Giants. (Insert Saquon Barkley comment here.)

The Cage. Spiro Karolidis' 16 Pat’s Select pizzerias have been humming along for decades in Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and Maryland. Meanwhile, the second generation was getting a bit bored.

Niko Karolidis, 30, grew up in the business, went to Widener University for hospitality management, lived in Greece and Spain, and “I was finding it hard to get a good cocktail,” he said.

Six years ago, he and the family converted the Pat’s location in Warrington, Bucks County, into a restaurant and cocktail bar called the Cage.

Subtle it is not. The interior channels Rainforest Cafe, with hanging artificial plantings to diffuse the spotlights, cage light fixtures, wicker fans, wire cage seating, and a long bar beneath trees.

A second location came along in fall 2023 in a former Bertucci’s in Audubon, Montgomery County, to serve the East Norriton/King of Prussia area. Earlier this month, the Huntingdon Valley Bertucci’s became the third Cage.

The menu is all over the place (as is the website). There’s a Greek app called feta from Fira ($16) featuring sesame-crusted feta with lemon tahini sauce, Greek honey, and sourdough crostini; pastas (shrimp ravioli in a brandy blush sauce, $25), and a few entrees such as a half huli huli barbecue chicken served atop a crispy coconut rice cake with roasted pineapple chutney (shown above, at $28). There’s also an extensive gluten-free menu that includes the feta appetizer and Korean tacos ($19 for three).

Over-the-top cocktails, listed in a bound, illustrated catalog, include the Cyclops, which mixes amaro, aperol, rum, rose, yuzu, and house-made clove syrup; its smoke-bubble top resembles an eye that pops.

Happy hour is 4-6 p.m. weekdays; there’s weekend brunch.

The Cage, 2190 E. County Line Rd., Huntingdon Valley. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America culinary series will return to Philadelphia with a walk-around tasting at 7 p.m. March 25 at Cescaphe’s Grand Belle at the Bellevue, Broad and Walnut Streets. Chef Randy Rucker of Little Water and River Twice will host. Tickets ($200/$250) are on sale and the list of chefs is available here.

Bitchin’ Kitten Brewery, the cat-themed brewery at 58-B E. Bridge St. in Morrisville, will release a batch of Girl Scout cookie-inspired beers starting at noon Thursday. Flavors are Cinnamon Roll Winter Warmer, Lemon Sour Ale, Chocolate Stout with Caramel & Toasted Coconut, and Peanut Butter Brown Ale. Beer sales will benefit Troop 2888, who will be at the brewery selling cookies on the first day of cookie sales in the region.

Taste of Phoenixville will gather more than 20 restaurants and breweries on Thursday to support Good Samaritan Services, which helps those facing homelessness in Chester and Lancaster Counties. Start time is 5 p.m. for VIP, 6 p.m. for everyone else at Franklin Commons, 400 Franklin Ave., Phoenixville. Tickets start at $150pp via TasteofPhoenixville.com.

Roaster’s Daughter will serve samples of its espresso martini to those 21 and over as a toast to Ben Franklin starting at 6 p.m. Friday at the Fine Wine & Good Spirits store at 1112 Chestnut St. A costumed historian will talk about Franklin on the 319th anniversary of his birth.

On Sweetgreen’s opening day at 1359 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown on Jan. 21, the chain will donate one meal to the anti-hunger group Philabundance for every meal purchased.

Philly’s Middle Child restaurants have been dealt a setback by a federal judge in their trademark lawsuit against an unrelated Middle Child restaurant in Las Vegas.

Center City District Restaurant Week starts Sunday with about 100 restaurants offering deals. Which of these restaurants is making its CCDRW debut?

A) Banh Mi & Bottles

B) Buddakan

C) Dear Daphni

D) Fork

Find out if you know the answer.

Another restaurant week: New Hope & Lambertville Restaurant Week is on through Jan. 27, with 20-plus restaurants from both sides of the Delaware River offering specially priced prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menus. Details are here.

What’s going on at Kook Burger & Bar? Is it done? — Jodi A.

Owners say Kook, which opened two years ago at 21st and Market Streets as an offshoot of a location from Brigantine, N.J., is closed as they focus on their Black Turtle Coffee shops while “preparing Kook for potential new ownership through a sale.” In late 2023, Braeden Anderson, Selena Gabrielle, and Victor Alegria opened a Black Turtle location at 21st and Chestnut Streets and later added one at 129 S. 18th St., near Rittenhouse Square.

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