How to get into Philly’s most exclusive bar | Let’s Eat

One of my most-asked reader queries is: “How do I get a membership at Palizzi Social Club?” Today, I share a solid answer. (Alas, I don’t know of a sure-fire way to score a res at Royal Sushi’s omakase counter.)

Also in this edition:

— Mike Klein

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Palizzi Social Club, the South Philly destination that serves potent gimlets and tender braciola in speakeasy-style surroundings, will open its membership rolls for the first time in two years, and 100 slots are up for grabs starting opening Thursday. Read on to find out how you can join.

This shrimp saganaki appetizer, all hot and bubbly from the oven at Apricot Stone, is a “showstopper,” says critic Craig LaBan. The creator, Konstantinos Pitsillides (ex-Kanella Grill and Kanella South) who is consulting at the Armenian BYOB in Northern Liberties, is one of Craig’s favorite chefs right now.

John Donohue, a former New Yorker editor and cartoonist, set out to sketch every restaurant in New York. Bedatri Choudhury writes that he’s turned his pen to Philadelphia restaurants, and you can see his work in an exhibition.

Many food trucks in North Philadelphia operate overnight, serving affordable Dominican and Mexican food to people who work the graveyard shift. But the owners fear that a newly enforced 11 p.m. curfew may put them out of business.

The monthly book club meetings at Binding Agents, Philly’s cookbook store, are more than food for thought, writes Esra Erol. They’re food-filled soirées where home cooks are invited to bring a dish from the featured book.

Here are your first looks inside two high-profile Mexican restaurants opening in the next week and a half.

La Jefa, a Guadalajara-inspired all-day cafe/restaurant/bar from the Suro family open morning through late night, located behind the recently revived Tequilas, opens Friday at 1605 Latimer St., near Rittenhouse Square. (It’s that alley street behind Tequilas, between Locust and Spruce.) Above is co-owner Dan Suro setting a table.

Amá (101 W. Oxford St., at the corner of Front Street), opening next Wednesday on the Fishtown-Kensington line, is a luxe bar-restaurant marking the ownership debut of chef Frankie Ramirez (ex-Enoteca Tredici, Parc, LMNO), with his wife, Verónica, and partners Roberto Medina and Crisalida Mata (La Catrina in Media, Spasso Italian Grill in Media, Agave Mexican Cuisine in Chadds Ford). Ramirez has an 8-foot charcoal- and wood-fired grill; the menu is tight (16 items) and seasonal.

🍦 Three scoop shops are opening soon. Friday is Weckerly’s premiere at 1600 Spruce St. in Rittenhouse from 6-9 p.m. with free scoops and limited-edition pint koozies for the first 50 in line, comp Mother’s Day flowers (while supplies last), and the debut of a sandwich flavor, Saffron Rosewater Pistachio. The debut of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ Bryn Mawr location (840 W. Lancaster Ave.) is May 14 with free scoops from 6-10 p.m. and swag for the first 50 people in line. Malai Philly, an offshoot of the South Asian-inspired ice cream shop from Brooklyn, will start dipping discounted $3 scoops at noon May 17 at 260 S. 18th St., south of Rittenhouse Square. The first 100 customers will receive a Malai tote bag. Philly’s signature flavor is Cinnamon Honeybun, inspired by Tastykake’s Honey Buns.

Griddle & Rice. Last week, Craig reviewed the Makassar-style dishes at Indo Spice in South Philadelphia. Now, here come Yeni Lie and Mohammad Holil with this casual Indonesian counter-service spot in a former pizzeria at 22nd and Jackson Streets in West Passyunk.

The couple have cooked professionally for years — even owning a Chinese restaurant in Bucks County. But it was the food inspired by their native Madura, an island off of East Java, that they loved creating for community gatherings.

Backed by family members, including their daughter Amalia Utama, they are offering American-style breakfast sandwiches and baked goods alongside a short list of Indonesian specialties and a long line of drinks including coffees (the unfiltered kopi tubruk drip), teas, matcha, smoothies, and Southeast Asian-style creations like Milo dinosaur and teh tarik.

There’s snug seating in a black-and-white-tiled area, as well as counter seating along a rail in the window. Chicken congee ($13, shown at top) is a meal-and-a-half worth of creamy rice porridge topped with shredded chicken, fried shallots, fried peanuts, scallions, crackers, curry chicken broth, and scattered cakwe (the deep-fried dough).

There’s meatball soup ($14), bakmi ayam (yellow noodles topped with diced chicken, $14), nasi uduk ($14, the coconut rice-fried chicken platter), and sate skewers of chicken ($15) and lamb ($16, shown above).

Griddle & Rice, 2151 S. 22nd St. Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.

Chef Yun Fuentes — a partner in Bolo, the Puerto Rican restaurant near Rittenhouse Square, an Inquirer 76 establishment and a semifinalist last year and this year for James Beard Awards — is among the Beard Foundation’s lineup of TasteTwenty chefs, its annual selection of ones to watch in the industry. Fuentes, a New Yorker who previously ran Douglas Rodriguez’s kitchen at Alma de Cuba and came to Philadelphia nearly two decades ago to work for Jose Garces at Amada and Village Whiskey, will represent Philadelphia in the national Taste America series, which launches in Los Angeles on July 29. Fuentes’ Philadelphia event will be a tasting; the date is TBD. For his review, Craig found “infectious” energy at Bolo, alongside tasty cocktails and stylish digs.

The first 100 customers at the new Polly’s Ice Cream & Espresso (715 Fetters Mill Square, Huntingdon Valley) will get a free Famous 4th Street Cookie ice cream sandwich on May 8 (starting at 1 p.m.) as owner Julia Bailey, 23, marks World Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day. Bailey named the shop after her grandmother, who died of ovarian cancer at age 58 in 1992. Donations and a portion of sales will be given to the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation, a local nonprofit, and to Huntingdon Valley Fire Co.

Taste of Mt. Airy, thrown by the Mt. Airy Community Development Corp., will celebrate the group’s 45th anniversary from 7-10 p.m. May 17 by assembling local restaurants and musicians Reverend Chris & the Lower 19119 playing New Orleans jazz and swing inside the carriage house at Cliveden Trust. Tickets ($100 and $125pp) are here.

Ralph’s (760 S. Ninth St.) will mark its 125th anniversary on June 17 by opening all three floors for appetizer samplings, Live Sinatra-era music, tasting portions of Ralph’s entrees with wine pairings, desserts, and swag. Tickets ($125pp) are here.

Kampar, doing the pop-up circuit during fire repairs, will take over Oyster House (1516 Sansom St.) from 5-10 p.m. Monday. The oyster bar will become a Malaysian-style street stall, or mamak stall, with assorted lauk (rendang, curries, and other dishes enjoyed with rice, choice of two) and the famous nasi lemak. Cocktails will be open to walk-ins and pay-as-you-go, but access to the stall ($30) will be available only through preorder.

Wilt’s Berries, a chocolate-covered berry specialist modeled after Turnips at Borough Market in London, will set up at Reading Terminal Market at the end of May, filling the space vacated in March by the outgoing Kismet Bialys. The founders also own the city’s Brooklyn Dumpling Shop locations.

Burtons Grill & Bar, a favorite among the gluten-aware crowd, is now about six weeks out in the former Chili’s at 312 W. Lancaster Ave. in Wayne, the first location in Pennsylvania. It’s a 150-seater with 24 at the bar and 24 outside.

Twisties, the landmark tavern on the bay in Strathmere, is for sale. Amy Rosenberg writes that the owners want its Shore cult legacy to continue.

Jeppson’s Malört has just arrived in Pennsylvania’s Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores. Where did the bitter liqueur make its reputation?

A) Chicago’s dive bars

B) The Long Bar & Terrace at Raffles Boston

C) Killer Shrimp restaurant in Marina Del Rey

D) Pharmarium in Stockholm

Find out if you know the answer.

Citizens Bank Park sold Yards beer since at least 2009, when I first had season tickets, but I haven’t seen it available anywhere this season. Can you get to the bottom of it? — Dan P.

Sharp eye, Dan. Yards isn’t part of the lineup at the ballpark this season. My contact at Aramark, the concessionaire, says it assesses the offerings each year and makes changes based on assorted factors. The goal is to keep the selection fresh and give fans a good mix to choose from, Aramark said, adding that it now offers Garage Beer (the brand backed by Jason and Travis Kelce), Wrexham Lager, and Alc-A-Chino coffee cocktails.

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