Thought it was hard getting in to Mawn before? | Let’s Eat
El Chingón opens in Fishtown, the Pub in Pennsauken plans a vacation (again), and an NYC restaurant is not coming to Philly after all.
Right off the plane from the James Beard Awards, winning chef Phila Lorn said he had a very specific plan for his medal.
Also in this edition:
Live más: Mexican hit El Chingón has opened a new location.
The Pub is going dark: Just for the summer, though.
Deal goes sour: A high-profile restaurant deal has been ditched. Read on for this and other news.
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Mawn chef-owner Phila Lorn woke up in a Chicago hotel room yesterday next to his wife and business partner, Rachel. On the nightstand were the remains of a wild night — and one very special James Beard medal. I caught up with him to talk about the award, life, and what it all means.
🏅 The Inquirer’s Craig LaBan has won the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award from the foundation. He says he’ll frame his medal and hang it in his office, next to the one he won in 2000. Go browse through his award-winning work.
No matter what you call it — chao (Vietnamese), jook (Korean), shi fan (Mandarin), arroz caldo (Filipino), rice porridge — congee is a dish that will start your day off right. Kiki Aranita, who grew up eating it at cafes in Hong Kong, shares her Philly favorites in a map.
🗺️ Our picks for 18 extremely satisfying burgers.
🗺️ Where to eat in Cherry Hill. And not just at the mall.
Yards Brewing Co. has announced a new partnership with two breweries; the deal will expand beer production at its massive location at Fifth and Spring Garden Streets. The deal is framed as a win-win for Yards and the breweries.
As development transforms Fishtown and Kensington, the team behind the local Forin cafes decided to jump into the restaurant business. But rather than join the dinner-house fray, they have gone a different way at the cool, new Percy, which dishes brunch with a side of late-night.
El Chingón, the South Philly home of cemitas, tacos, and other creative Mexican foods, has branched out to Fishtown. Soon, chef Carlos Aparicio will add a jardín de agave next door for drink pop-ups.
Scoop
Philly has been getting a ton of out-of-town restaurant investment, with such projects as Adda and Medium Rare coming in. But one deal, to bring the “Jew-ish” diner Gertie to Northern Liberties, has fallen apart.
Restaurant report
Harper’s Garden. Avram Hornik’s genteel Rittenhouse-area indoor/outdoor restaurant has gone Italian. He brought in as a consultant Drew DiTomo (Meetinghouse in Kensington), who in turn lured chef Chris Keyser home from California to serve as executive chef. (Back in 2014, Keyser was opening executive sous chef at the Vetri-owned Lo Spiedo at the Navy Yard and most recently was executive chef at Union in Pasadena, Calif.)
Hornik says he’s been seeing a trend toward simplicity and familiarity. “It’s food that everyone likes to eat, it’s affordable, and it focuses on local, seasonal ingredients,” he said.
Besides the red-gravy favorites, like the ricotta and spinach ravioli shown below, there’s a full brunch menu, sandwiches, and entrees like the grilled hanger steak (shown at top) with arugula and fennel. Nothing is over $28, and happy hour dishes, such as ricotta bruschetta, shrimp scampi, and bufala mozzarella, are $7 each.
In addition, Hornik has replaced a section of the patio seating — the wintertime igloos — with a seasonal outdoor bar that seats 22, surrounded by high top seating for 20.
Harper’s Garden, 31 S. 18th St. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-midnight Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-midnight Saturday, and 11:30 a.m.-midnight Sunday.
Briefly noted
Libertee Grounds opens its beer garden for a second season today on Eakins Oval on the Parkway near the Art Museum. Lineup: Asian fusion food, frozen drinks, and (starting July 9) a Philly-themed mini golf course. Hours: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday.
Federal Donuts’ Conshohocken location (next to the Saladworks in Plymouth Square at 200 Ridge Pike) opens Friday with comped cups of FedNuts Minis with any purchase through June 27, plus commemorative T-shirts for the first 100 customers on opening day.
Frankie’s Summer Club, a summertime pop-up from the creators of Bok Bar, debuts Friday in the courtyard of the Frank Furness Building (355 S. 15th St., at Pine). Lindsey Scannapieco and Scout Ltd. bought the former University of the Arts-owned Hamilton and Furness Buildings in Center City, and as part of a redo, they’re activating the space to serve wine, ice cream, and snacks in partnership with chef Michael Ferreri, who runs Irwin’s at the Bok. It’s aimed at 21-plus, though kids under 12 can attend. Hours starting June 20: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday, 4-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2-8 p.m. Sunday.
Fifi’s Fry & Co., the French fry pop-up from chef Nick Elmi and Fia Berisha, launches 3-9 p.m. Saturday at the Landing Kitchen, their riverside restaurant in Bala Cynwyd. In the high-low mashup, they’ll pair wines and cocktails with fried, hand-cut russets topped with bougie ingredients such as sustainably sourced caviar, cured egg yolk, and yogurt powder. Berisha says she and Elmi will reprise Fifi’s in July as they work on establishing a trailer or truck to use for events and festivals.
Cyrenity Sips Winery has launched two new brands — Aurora’s Vines and KiRae Wines — and will showcase them at a rooftop event noon-4 p.m. Saturday at Indy Hall (709 N. Second St.). The $40 general admission includes sampling from all three brands as well as from Huntingdon Valley’s Mermaid Spirits; tickets are here. In fall 2022, Shakia Williams opened Cyrenity in a Hatboro storefront, where she bottles, retails, and hosts tastings.
Muzzy’s Shack (555 W. Street Rd., Warminster) will grand-open Sunday with free food (smash burgers and hot chicken) from 4-7 p.m.
Night Kitchen Bakery & Cafe (7725 Germantown Ave.) will mark its 44th anniversary (25 years under Chestnut Hill community fixtures Amy Edelman and John Millard) with a party from 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 27. It’s free; RSVP here.
Birdhouse Gelato and the Underbite Bites, the gelateria/bakery combo at 806 S. Sixth St. in Bella Vista, have extended weekend hours to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Keeping things on brand, Birdhouse’s Aspen Simone is starting the Philadelphia Pigeon Tour, a 90-minute walk teaching bird-watching, urban ecology, and what Simone calls “the history of the pigeon-human relationship.” The debut tour takes wing at 10 a.m. Saturday and homes back to the shop for treats. Register here.
🎭 On the boards locally:
Theater Exile’s production of Glitter in the Glass is a nimble, nerdy, and funny play that tries to answer some very tough questions, writes Gauri Mangala.
Quintessence Theatre Group is staging the world premiere of the play adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room. Gauri praises the “excellent choreography and interesting stagecraft.”
❓Pop quiz
Where did Inquirer critic Craig LaBan enjoy this steak au poivre?
A) The Saloon
B) Ponderosa
C) Mary
D) Prime Rib
Find out if you know the answer, and dig into our roundup of Philly’s finest steaks at the same time.
Ask Mike anything
What’s happening at Craftsman Row Saloon? Is it closed? — Claudia M
The bar on Eighth Street near Jewelers Row, from the owners of Drury Beer Garden in Washington Square West, is not offering conventional walk-in bar service during the summer. It’s open for private events, and will segue into a Nightmare Before Christmas holiday theme after Labor Day.
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