Rae cuts hours in anticipation of move

Rae, the restaurant in the Cira Centre that was dark Thanksgiving weekend, has reopened but only for weekday lunch, happy hour and private dining -- and only for now.

Closing time is now 7 p.m.

Chef-owner Daniel Stern, who also owns Gayle in Queen Village, said in a statement that Rae would shut down at the Cira Centre "in late December." (Talk on the street is that Rae will wrap by Christmas.)

The restaurant will move to the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place next fall, as I reported several weeks ago.

Here's Stern's complete statement: "2009 will be a very exciting year for us. In preparation for some new concepts, we have closed Rae for dinner effective December 1. We will continue to serve lunch through late December 2008 and we will continue to offer private dining options. We will be reopening Rae in a new location in Center City in late 2009 and we will be opening a new concept in the Rae space at the Cira Centre in spring 2009."

Here's Rae's bar menu, offered 4:30 to 7 p.m. weekdays.