All the new restaurant openings to watch in Philly and the suburbs

The table was set around New Year’s when I counted 75 restaurants poised to open in 2024.

A couple weeks into spring, we have seen nearly a dozen newcomers, such as A Taste of Spain dishing tapas and paella; Banh, with northern Vietnamese cuisine; Kampar and its Malaysian menu; MLBB Hot Pot’s skewers; and the upmarket Taste & Sea in Glen Mills. More than 30 others are planning to open before the start of summer.

Some of the more thrilling openings are happening in the suburbs: James Beard-nominated chef Dionicio Jiménez and Mariangeli Alicea Saez of Cantina La Martina in Kensington are opening La Baja, a BYOB in Ambler, while the crew from Center City’s Pub & Kitchen and Trattoria Carina are opening the stylish Carina Sorella in Bryn Mawr. An upscale Indian BYOB called Haldi Fine Indian Cuisine is coming to Mount Laurel, where it will replace another upscale Indian BYOB, Monsoon.

Several restaurants are approaching the finish line after long delays. Mulherin’s Pizzeria, the East Market offshoot of Fishtown’s Wm. Mulherin’s Sons, was announced in July 2021; opening is penciled in for this month. BlackHen, the chicken shop from Amina’s Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon in Old City, is a week or two from opening; that one was announced in January 2023. The Filipino-inspired Baby’s Kusina & Market, for which Raquel and Tam Dang bought their Brewerytown building in September 2022, does not have a definite date, though it has been hosting friends and family.

AVANA (2200 Ben Franklin Parkway): In addition to BlackHen, Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon are repurposing the short-lived Hadley in the east tower of Park Towne Place for a 200-seat American restaurant whose name is Swahili for “beautiful flower.”

Baby’s Kusina & Market (2816 W. Girard Ave.): Chef Raquel Villanueva Dang and Tam Dang, who’d been popping up as Tita Emmie’s, are readying a modern Filipino kitchen and market.

Bastia (Susquehanna Avenue and Belgrade Street): Chef Tyler Akin (Le Cavalier in Wilmington) is behind this coastal Mediterranean-inspired all-day cafe inside the forthcoming Anna & Bel boutique hotel in Fishtown. It’s looking like May.

BlackHen (120 Chestnut St.): Felicia Wilson says April 19 is the target for her fried chicken shop, which will have 40 seats.

Brooklyn Dumpling Shop (3400 Lancaster Ave.): April 11 is the opening of this chain’s second Philly location.

Brunchaholics (38-40 S. 19th St.): Aaron Anderson’s fast-growing brunch chain, now in Fishtown, Cherry Hill, and Chester, is looking at May for a Rittenhouse location.

DaMò Pasta Lab (100½ S. 21st St.): On April 11, Monica Fenocchio and Danilo D’Eugenio open the second location of their charming pasta shop. It’s the former Rione.

Get a Gato (638 Christian St.): Jackie Starker, who owns Amelie’s Bark Shop, is behind the South Philadelphia cat cafe opening catty-corner (or is that kitty corner?) from John’s Water Ice. I’m told that the soft opening is soon, though it more likely will be a cuddly opening.

Gouldsburger’s Express (Two Penn Center, 100 N. 18th St.): This grill, an offshoot of Gouldsburger’s in Haddonfield, is targeting April 19.

Han Dynasty (110 Chestnut St.): In early May, Han Chiang plans to move the flagship of his Chinese restaurant empire down the block, from 123 Chestnut St. into a more compact space at 110 Chestnut St.

Jim’s Steaks (400-402 South St.): May 1 is the target for the landmark’s reopening after a fire and expansion.

Kilimandjaro (4223 Chestnut St.): Senegalese-born chef Youma Ba’s West African restaurant at this location was demolished for a new, mixed-use building. In the meantime, she opened Youma, a cozy 12-seater, seven blocks away. She’ll keep Youma and add this new version of Kilimandjaro, due to open in May.

Little Walter’s (2049 E. Hagert St.): Chef Michael Brenfleck, most recently executive chef at Spice Finch after turns at Distrito, Tinto, Village Whiskey, and the Feliz restaurants, will honor his family’s Polish roots in his takeover of the long-closed Erica’s Sports Bar in East Kensington. “Late spring” is the target.

Mamajuana Cafe (1000 Frankford Ave.): Fire, lights, music — it’s like a party at this gigantic pan-Latin clublike bar-restaurant near the Fillmore in Fishtown that grand-opens April 18.

Masala Kitchen (3404 Sansom St.): The casual Indian restaurant with two Center City locations (and late-night hours) expands to University City.

Miles Table, Mike Lynch’s bruncherie at 1620 South St. and at the Bok Building has a third location teed up for late April: It’s the former Mercer Cafe at 2619 E. Westmoreland St. in Port Richmond. Same format.

Mulherin’s Pizzeria (1175 Ludlow St.): This pizzeria offshoot of Fishtown hit Wm. Mulherin’s Sons in East Market (next to Iron Hill Brewery) has an open kitchen and a something-for-everyone menu.

Picnic (2421 Martha St.): The crew from Defined Hospitality and pizza whisperer Joe Beddia aren’t sharing much about their new Kensington restaurant, which is coming together in the former Weisbrod & Hess Brewery.

Queen & Rook (123 South St.): The popular Queen Village game cafe plans a move around the corner to larger quarters: the former Pietro’s Coal-Fired Pizza. It’s targeting May.

Rhythm & Spirits (1617 JFK Blvd.): The Atlantic City bar/Italian restaurant/chocolatier sets up at Suburban Station. Soft opening is due in late May or early June.

The Slice and Schmear Shop (1700 S. 10th St.): L.A.-style scooped bagels and pizza are the draws of this corner spot in South Philadelphia from Bar 1010′s Aakash Patel; the bagels have gotten some fairly spicy online reaction since its announcement. Due in May.

Society Hill Hotel (301 Chestnut St.): Pizza and American fare will be on the menu at this handsome barroom attached to the old 15-room hotel in Old City, being refurbished top to bottom by Mike Cangi and Brian Linton.

Yanaga Kappo Izayaka (637 N. Third St.): Peripatetic “sushi whisperer” Kevin Yanaga has taken over the former Abbaye in Northern Liberties with a Japanese bar with a cool menu balancing kitchen dishes (hambagu, Napolitan) with rolls. The opening is due next week.

The Daisy Tavern (1100 E. Hector St., Conshohocken): The popular bar-restaurant Goat’s Beard, with locations in Wayne and Manayunk, is expanding to Spring Mill Creative Campus in May.

La Baja (9 Main St., Ambler): James Beard nominee chef Dionicio Jiménez and Mariangeli Alicea Saez of Cantina La Martina in Kensington are branching out to Ambler with 30-seat BYOB serving a fusion of Mexican border dishes with Mediterranean and Asian flavors. Target is late May.

Ross & Co. (58 S. York Rd., Hatboro): Bob Ross and his family from Gypsy Blu in Ambler are expanding their bar-restaurant into a shuttered Bernie’s Pub location in downtown Hatboro.

Haldi Fine Indian Cuisine (4180 Dearborn Circle, Mount Laurel): Amarnath Gunda’s South Jersey restaurant debut, later this month, will be an upscale Indian BYOB replacing the shuttered Monsoon in Village at Cambridge Crossing.

Memories in Margate (9518 Amherst Ave, Margate): Teddy Sourias is behind the relaunch of Jerry Blavat’s nightclub, around Memorial Day.

Pizza Pazza (139 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield): Endrit Bodi, owner of Verona Ristorante, is taking over for Pizza Crime in mid-April.

Saddlehill Cellars (1407 White Horse Rd, Voorhees): Chef Daniel Stern oversees the tasting room that’s part of this winery tucked into the middle of South Jersey suburbia, Opens Thursday.

Umile Trattoria (211 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield): David Murray and Walter Gouldsbury III of the nearby Crumb and Gouldsburger’s are readying their pizza-focused trattoria for an April 19 opening in the former Earth Eats Cafe.