Little Water, the sequel to River Twice, is ‘a coastal love letter’

Chef Randy Rucker grew up fishing on the bay systems of Galveston, Texas, “since I was a wee little sprout,” he said the other day. After he met Wynnewood-born Amanda Highbloom in Houston, “I kind of dragged her along to the beach a few times and she got the bug, too.”

The couple lived the traveling life, first in Texas, then in Martha’s Vineyard and Mystic, Conn., before moving to Philadelphia in 2019 to settle down and open River Twice, a 2024 Beard semifinalist across from the Singing Fountain on East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia. They are now married with a child and a second on the way.

On Oct. 25, they will open their second restaurant, Little Water, near Rittenhouse Square.

The corner space at 261 S. 20th St., previously home to Twenty Manning, Carolina’s, and 20th Street Cafe, is “such an institution of a place,” Amanda Rucker said.

Randy Rucker described Little Water’s theme as “a coastal love letter to all the small bodies of water that we’ve lived on together.” The menu, he said, is “not just about the ocean, but about the ecosystem from where the land and the water meet and come together.”

» READ MORE: All about the Ruckers

Like River Twice — where Inquirer critic Craig LaBan found “gastronomic preciousness” as well as “genuine rustic oomph” in its four-course, prix fixe menus — Little Water will share the ethos of sustainability, local sourcing, and seasonal ingredients while serving à la carte.

To wit, Rucker’s menu: swordfish Milanese, a take on fish and chips, with the swordfish given a potato chip crust ($32); Lancaster County chicken brined with shio koji, roasted on the bone, and plated as a half a bird with feet on, then glazed with lovage honey, and served with sweet potato purée ($37); a share plate of squid ink rice — Maratelli rice from Blue Moon Acres with sofrito and squid ink finished with Peconic escargot, lime zest, and lardo melting on top ($27); peekytoe crab hash brown, a creamy peekytoe crab salad mixed with celeriac and Meyer lemon zest served atop a crispy hash brown topped with Maine uni ($32). The splurges are a grande plateau ($115) and Golden Ossetra caviar service ($65).

Lunch, which will start shortly after opening, will include gumbos, po’boys, and salads. “We want to make it accessible, fun and neighborhood-driven,” he said.

Amanda Rucker, who like her husband will be shuttling between both restaurants, envisions the vibe as “that serendipity of being on vacation, stumbling across a lively restaurant, meeting strangers at the bar — a fun and relaxed atmosphere.”

The bar — 12 seats, about a sixth of the restaurant— will be a first for the couple in Philadelphia. (River Twice opened as a BYOB but bought a license. Because of limited space, staff serves wines by the glass, batched cocktails, and craft beers at the counter and tables.) The restaurant also will have a small raw bar in the rear.

Maggie Cook, who worked at River Twice before heading to Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago, is Little Water’s general manager and wine director; Ben Spirk, last at Vernick Fish, is beverage director. Sample drinks: The Ocean Water is a cross between the Japanese Mizuwari and the Rusty Nail, cutting the scotch with coconut water that has a blue hue from spirulina, evoking the ocean, and Henlopen sea salt from the Delaware coast, adding a sea flavor. The Juice Box Negroni is made with gin aromatized by local Concord grapes, with a tang from sorrel and balanced by a bitter aperitif.

Amanda Rucker, working with contractor Tom Giordano of Til Mar Design, opted for light hues and pastels to pick up the natural light from the windows on the 20th and Manning Street sides.

One important note for fans of the Mother Rucker, the burger that helped put River Twice on the map: It will remain on East Passyunk Avenue. “The Mother Rucker burger was developed and has become beloved at River Twice,” Randy Rucker said. “It belongs there.” He’s working on another signature dish for Little Water.

Hours, starting Oct. 25, will be 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.