Bistros, delis, and even a Jawn: New restaurants that marked the summer of 2023

Philadelphia experienced a hot summer in 2023, not just in temperature, but in the restaurant scene.

During the last several months, while you may have been seeking respite in the Poconos or at the Jersey Shore, we have seen the debuts of a polished bistro or two, a few brunch spots, a sexy bar, a nightlife destination, and new delis in the burbs.

Here’s a sampling. (For more info, sign up for The Inquirer’s “Let’s Eat” newsletter, which dispenses up-to-the-minute info each Wednesday afternoon.)

Alice (901 Christian St.): Seasoned chef Dave Conn, an alum of the Jose Garces orbit, has the hit of the summer with a sunny bistro in the Italian Market featuring cocktails and refined American cuisine from a charcoal grill.

Blue Point Grill (3 West Rd., Newtown): Jack Morrison, who owns a collection of restaurants and markets in Princeton (including Kristine’s, Witherspoon Grill, and Nassau Street Seafood & Produce Co.), has spawned a second Blue Point Grill across the river in Bucks County. In a departure from the usual chain restaurants in the burbs, this stylish seafood destination replaces a Corner Bakery Cafe; it also has a full bar and raw bar.

Bar Jawn (4247 Main St.): David Lee of Manayunk’s popular Pizza Jawn has taken over Manayunk Tavern, upgrading the food (and yes, there’s pizza).

The Borscht Belt (2124 S. Eagle Rd., Newtown): Mike Dalewitz and chef Nick Liberato have relocated their old-time Jewish deli-restaurant to the Village at Newtown shopping center with a full-service deli counter, a wide range of retro candies and baked goods, and Catskills-inspired Jewish soul food.

Cafe Lift (1124 Spring Garden St.): The popular bruncherie has moved into airy, new corner digs a few blocks from the original in what used to be known as the Loft District.

Cafe Carmela (2975 Philmont Ave., Huntingdon Valley): Black-and-white photos ring the dining room at this family-friendly eastern Montgomery County offshoot of the popular Northeast Philadelphia Italian BYOB. Go for all the red gravy specialties.

Casablanca Mediterranean Grill (947 Federal St.): After the closing of Bitar’s, former employee Walid Baruki and his brother Talal — who ran Casablanca Moroccan Cuisine in Bryn Mawr — have kept the Middle Eastern vibe with a cozy restaurant and market.

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood (2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill): The luxe-seafood chain, also in King of Prussia, has opened in Cherry Hill Mall.

El Fuerte de Loreto (1412 S. Fifth St.): Restaurant veteran Ricardo Sandoval wanted to open a restaurant. “We’re Mexican, but there’s a lot of Mexican places around,” he said. “We were like, why don’t we open a brunch spot?” And he has, in a former chicken shop in Southwark.

Eleven Eleven (727 S. Second St.): Rainford Miles and Banesha Whitney offer brunch at their corner spot in Queen Village, named after “11:11, make a wish” and featuring a ring light, if the mood for a selfie strikes.

Eatwell (106 Chestnut St.): This BYOB offshoot of the original in Irvington, N.J., pairs two Nigerian-born cousins, chef Aisha Wahab and Stephen Oyelakin — in a BYOB serving West African cuisine. It’s joined a busy block with the newish Amina next door at 104 Chestnut, Han Dynasty moving down the street into 110 Chestnut in October, and a chicken shop called BlackHen on the way to 120 Chestnut.

Elma (431 E. Girard Ave.): James Nardone, who was popping up as Nardone Pasta Co., creates tasting menus at his 12-seat BYOB in Fishtown.

Enswell (1528 Spruce St.): This sumptuous collab between Rival Bros. Coffee and New Liberty Distillery is an all-day coffee bar-slash-cocktail bar with a small-plate menu.

Gaucho’s Prime (220 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia): Two alums of Fogo de Chão are behind this stylish southern Brazilian steak house with the requisite salad bar.

Harvest Seasonal Grill (1100 Bethlehem Pike, North Wales): Dave Magrogan’s suburban farm-to-table grill and wine bar has moved across the road into much roomier quarters.

Kichi Omakase (112 S. 12th St.): Sushi and fast: A 15-course BYOB omakase in an hour for $95.

Liberty Kitchen (1400 N. Front St.): The Kensington/Fishtown sandwich shop has more seating and a wider menu in its new location.

The Jersey G.O.A.T. Grill + Public House (645 Berlin-Cross Keys Rd., Sicklerville): A smart-looking pub, with 36 taps, from Alisha and Jason Miller of Racks Pub & Grill, in a former Tilted Kilt.

Lucky Well Incubator (990 Spring Garden St.): Lucky Well’s Chad Rosenthal has converted the Spring Garden location into an incubator, bringing in three chefs with nascent concepts to join the barbecue: Marcos Espinoza (serving Navajo fry bread as Shiprock), Rob Miskell (with pastas, as Sauce Boy), and Jacob Trinh (launching as Nuớng Vietnamese Wood Fire Grill).

Manny’s Deli Shop (4003 Welsh Rd., Willow Grove): Rob Woloshin and brothers Jeremy and Chase Thomas have opened a counter-service offshoot of their Southampton deli-restaurant.

Meetinghouse (2331 E. Cumberland St.): The former Memphis Taproom gets new life as a pub.

Martorano’s Prime (1001 N. Delaware Ave.): South Philly native Steve Martorano, who moved to Florida and greater restaurant glory, has set up a luxe Italian restaurant at the Rivers Casino in Fishtown.

Osteria Ama (1905 Chestnut St.): Genti Mataj’s Italian BYOB, with locations in West Chester and Chadds Ford, has added a handsome dining room, full of hanging plants and clad in wood, near Rittenhouse Square. Menu includes pastas and pizzas.

Pizzeria Salvy (1800 Arch St.): Marc Vetri returns to the pizza game with a snazzy eatery in the concourse beneath the Comcast Technology Center. Get the meatballs.

Pod (3636 Sansom St.): After giving up on the Korean stylings at KPod, Stephen Starr has revived his University City restaurant, giving it a Japanese focus.

Poison Heart (931 Spring Garden St.): From Andrea Jenkins, this spot joins a list of intimate new bars — including Superfolie, Next of Kin, and Le Caveau — with this takeover of the former W/N W/N in Spring Arts. It’s sultry, low-lit, and offers creative cocktails, and a tight and light menu.

» READ MORE: 13 secret bars in Philly

Post Haste (2519 Frankford Ave.): This East Kensington bar takes a local approach to its food and drinks, sourcing everything on this side of the Mississippi.

Rosemary (25 E. Hinckley Ave. Ridley Park): There’s a downtown vibe going on at Philip Breen’s family-friendly bar-restaurant in Delaware County.

Terrain (2100 Lower State Rd., Doylestown): Lifestyle brand Urban Outfitters has added to its cafe collection with a location on the campus of Delaware Valley University in Central Bucks.

Tonalli (100 Morris St.): Odilón Sandoval honors his hometown of San Mateo Ozolco with pizzas, tacos, and large plates in a casual Mexican BYOB on a Pennsport corner.

Töska (7136 Germantown Ave.): The Osmanollaj brothers, whose family left Kosovo in 2000 and who also own the M2O Burgers mini-chain, have set up a brewery, restaurant, and pizzeria in Mount Airy’s former Earth Bread + Brewery.

Vinyl (215 S. 15th St.): Actual old-fashioned nightlife has come to the heart of Center City with the opening of this sleek venue offering live music, light bites, cocktails, and happy hours in the long-ago Applebee’s and Bookbinder’s Sea Food House.

Zahav (237 St. James Place): A solution for anyone trying to land a reservation at Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook’s Society Hill landmark: a new patio welcoming walk-ins and offering an à la carte menu.