Stephen Starr says he's always wanted to do a French bistro.

What about Blue Angel, which he ran near Washington Square from 1999 to 2003? "That room was long and narrow," Starr says. "It was hard to get the scale I wanted."

Come Monday, he will get all the scale he ever wanted - and on one of Rittenhouse Square's prime corners. The 230-seat Parc (227 S. 18th St., 215-545-2262) has more than double Blue Angel's footprint. Parc's 80 seats on the sidewalk along 18th and Locust Streets will be one of the larger outdoor operations in Center City.

Shawn Hausman, who designed Starr's last Philly opening (October 2004's Continental Mid-town), went to French antiques shops for millwork (doors, wall panels and moldings) from former bistros and installed a 50-foot solid-zinc bar on the 18th Street side, which is the lounge. The place, beneath the Parc Rittenhouse, has a well-worn look from the tiles, chairs and frosted glass.

It'll be open daily for lunch through late night. Since Monday is Bastille Day, the first day will have French entertainment.

Chef Dominique Filoni (ex-Savona and Bianca in the burbs, plus the Four Seasons in Washington) is doing a traditional menu (duck confit, cod, boeuf bourguignon, steak frites) with assorted sandwiches. Most dinner entrees are in the low 20s (tops is the New York strip for $28). There's also a signature burger, with Gruyere and caramelized onions, and pommes frites on the side. Filoni is backed in the kitchen by Dakota Weiss, whom Starr found at L.A.'s Sunset Towers.

"I look at this like a diner, a place people can go to three or four times a week," Starr says.

 

Another from Garces

Jose Garces, whose Amada and Tinto are packing them in and whose Distrito is looking for a July 21-ish opening, will take over 707, the short-lived New American restolounge at 707 Chestnut St. The concept: Asian and Latin cuisine, named Chifa after the cuisine itself, which was created in Peru when Chinese immigrants moved to Lima. The restaurant will open early next year. Garces will take his team of chefs and interior designer for one week to both Peru and China in preparation for this restaurant. He says the restaurant will be "a marriage of the cuisines from the two countries. Some of the featured menu items will be seviche, dim sum, noodle dishes and empanadas."

 

What's coming

Besides Parc, Stephen Starr is gunning for July 28 openings of Teplitzky's (coffee shop) and Chelsea Prime (steak house) in Atlantic City's Chelsea. Starr also has an agreement of sale on the Broad Street Diner at Broad and Ellsworth Streets. He said he's undecided on that concept.

Tiffin Store, the popular Indian sit-downer/delivery service at 710 W. Girard Ave., will take over the former Hamlet Bistro (7105 Emlen St.) in West Mount Airy. Owner Munish Narula is aiming for a July 18 opening of the dining room, and his well-dressed delivery drivers will begin serving Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill. After a few weeks, he said, the area will expand to East Falls and Manayunk.

Gunawan Wibisono and his crew from his Japanese BYOB Zento at 138 Chestnut St. are about to sign a lease for a larger offshoot on Ninth Street just north of South Street, which has been Mimosa and ChrisStevens. He expects to open in September.

 

Briefly noted

Molcajete Mixto at Eighth and Christian Streets in Bella Vista has given way to Paxia, also a homespun Mexican BYOB (746 Christian St., 215-413-0171). Owners are Dionicio Jimenez (who plans to remain chef/partner at Society Hill's Xochitl) and his brother-in-law, Ismael Torrez, a native of Mexico City, doing entrees for $15 to $25. It's open for dinner nightly except for Tuesdays; brunch is served on weekends. Decor is the same.

Pita Pocket Falafel & Grille at 16th and Chancellor is closed.

Duling-Kurtz House & Country Inn in Exton has named Joshua Taggart, previously at Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, Dilworthtown Inn and Rae, as executive chef.

 

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Contact columnist Michael Klein at 215-854-5514 or mklein@phillynews.com. For restaurant news, see his blog at http://go.philly.com/foodanddrinq.