Food notes: Mexican in Phoenixville; more Di Bruno's; gone to the dogs
Norristown's Michoacana expands, and so does the gourmet retailer in Ardmore.
No bones about it. The Living Room at the Hilton Inn at Penn (3600 Sansom St.) will host a discussion, book-signing and cooking demo surrounding the book The Culinary Canine: Great Chefs Cook for Their Dogs – And So Can You! at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1. Author Kathryn Levy Feldman and photographer Sabina Louise Pierce, who spent years tracking down and interviewing chefs who cook for their dogs, will be there. It's sponsored by Penn Bookstore and chef Eileen Watkin of Penne Restaurant. See my article on the project.
Norristown's homespun Taqueria La Michoacana has spawned a more refined (though boldly decorated) sibling in downtown Phoenixville. It's Hacienda La Michoacana, in the former 101 Bridge at 101 Bridge St. (610-415-1972).
Chef Mike Stollenwerk has decided to hang onto the restaurant space at 1708 Lombard St. that now houses Fish, which he will relocate to 13th and Locust Streets in December. Following the move, he intends to revamp it as a neighborhood bistro called Brick American Eatery, his rep says, describing it as "casual, comfortable, accessible price points." It will have a liquor license. As for 13th and Locust Streets: Police Officer Dan Faulkner was gunned down on the Locust Street sidewalk in 1981, and Stollenwerk intends to donate a bicycle to the Philadelphia Police on Dec. 9, the anniversary of the slaying.
Di Bruno Bros. will expand its newest location, in the Ardmore Farmers Market at Suburban Square, by picking up a sixth stall. It opened in April with five stalls across two aisles of the market. Opening date for the expansion is slated for the first week in December.
So Fun! Frozen Yogurt, which debuted in Easton last spring, will open its second location in mid-December, at 315 E. Lancaster Ave. in Wayne, next to the Five Guys in Wayne Shopping Center. If the name sounds familiar, that is because owner Dick Oelbaum's background is in apparel: he's president of the Pennsylvania region for 20 Casual Corner women's stores and So Fun Kids stores.
Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel again made the top of the Forbes Five-Star list (formerly the Mobil). Lacroix at the Rittenhouse was the only four-star property in Philadelphia.
On this day, Black Friday, note that Pennsylvania General Store, in Reading Terminal Market, will ship four tons of chocolate-covered pretzels during this holiday season from its Manayunk warehouse.