Citing the economy, David Ansill has closed Ansill, his ambitious, Euro-style foodie-centric bistro at Third and Bainbridge Streets in Queen Village.

It opened in February 2006 as an offshoot of Pif, his now-closed French bistro in South Philly.

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Miga, a moderately upscale Japanese-Korean mix, is in the soft-opening phase at 211 S. 15th St. in the former ¡Pasión! space and directly across from the new Max Brenner chocolateria.

Owner Sam Cho has assorted business interests in Center City, mostly as a silent partner. (He owns a piece of Alfa on Walnut Street, for example).

Miga's big draw, aside from the stylish, white-tablecloth atmospherics left over from ¡Pasión, is the neatness of tabletop barbecue, which starts today. Cho has obtained electric, smokeless barbecue grills on which servers will cook meats to order. Not all tables are so equipped; Cho's assistant Kim Gould tells me that they're trying the grills in one dining room under the eyes of city health officials to see if additional ventilation is required.

Gould also stresses that this cooking is not fusion but "authentic Korean food like you'd find in Korea." That is, a spell-checker's nightmare: bulgogi, manduguk, chigae, jap che, naeng myun. Dinner entrees for now run pretty much from $10 to $19. Lunch dishes top out at $15.

For the next few weeks, there's a temporary menu. Miga awaits sushi and its liquor license. It's now giving away cocktails made with soju, the firewater made of distilled rice.

It's open for lunch and dinner Mondays through Saturdays. Phone is 215-732-1616.

The South Philly storefront that formerly housed the venerable Shank's & Evelyn's luncheonette (932 S. 10th St.) will get a new restaurant, perhaps late this summer or early fall.

Carlo Nigro, whose family has an assortment of businesses (real estate, auto body), is mum on the name and concept. The Nigros bought the building last year.

Meanwhile, Shank's appears to be several weeks from resurfacing on 15th Street near Sansom in Center City.

The Stephen Starr-operated snack stand in Franklin Square will open at lunchtime Monday (7/13).

It was to open today, but workers need a couple more days.

And the name, says Starr, will be SquareBurger.

Check out the menu below, which rocks that "Shake Shack" theme that everyone keeps talking about.

It includes hamburgers and cheeseburgers (not square, by the way), plus a "Philly dog" (all-beef frank wrapped in kosher salami), fries, and floats and shakes and sundaes. And yes, a "Summer Love Salad" including greens, plum tomato, cucumber, yellow corn, green beans, red peppers and either basil ranch or vinaigrette dressing.

Seasons 52, the wine bar/grill from Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden) that's been a hit at the Cherry Hill Mall, will open a second location next spring in King of Prussia.

It'll fill the space on Gulph Road near Mall Boulevard last occupied by Bennigan's.

Channel 6ABC’s Rick Williams, who played the King last year in Moorestown Theater Company’s production of The King and I, is back onstage this summer.

He's playing “Lumiere” in Beauty and the Beast, which opens next Thursday (July 16) and runs for eight performances. His wife, Jocelyn, plays Babette in some performances. Info: www.moorestowntheatercompany.org.

As seen through a window at the Widener Building, Jack Nicholson (left) grins at an actress during a scene with Paul Rudd. (Photo: HughE Dillon / PhillyChitChat.com)

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Jack Nicholson and Paul Rudd have been going to work each day this week in Center City, as they star as father and son in the untitled James L. Brooks comedy that just started shooting here.

This week's work is out of sight in the Widener Building, but nearby office workers know where to look.

The cast and crew will be here into the fall, and another casting call has been announced:

They're looking for "foreign diplomats": men and women, all ethnicities, ages 35-60, who own their own national dress (i.e. saris, kufi caps, kaffiyehs, thawbs, turbans, etc.) SAG and non-union actors will be considered. Heery Casting asks applicants to email a .jpg photo of yourself wearing this national costume to howdoyouknowcasting@gmail.com. Include your phone number.

(Post corrected.)

Scott Stein, one of the partners in Pearl and its restaurant partner Akoya (1904 Chestnut St.), has confirmed that the operation has shut down after 16 months.

Last month, the days of operation were scaled back and the restaurant was listed on hiatus.

"Conceptually, having a fine dining restaurant on one floor and a luxury lounge on another is challenging," Stein wrote in an e-mail. "However, the lounge took off from day one but the restaurant was inconsistent and fell into the Friday and Saturday night category and the business model was not working. We rebranded the first floor Akoya, much more approachable pricing and had a lot of positive feedback but the stigma with the masses was we are a lounge with good food. ... I would like to thank a great staff on behalf of myself, David [his father] and Sean [his brother] who had to deal with drama and false rumors on a daily basis. Most of our staff was with us since we opened."

The corporation behind Little Pete's, the previous occupant of the space, still owns the bricks.
 

Heidi Strobel Hamels uncorking a fastball at a foundation benefit in May. It was clocked at 46 m.p.h. (Photo: HughE Dillon / PhillyChitChat.com)

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife, Heidi Strobel Hamels, will be featured on "E! True Hollywood Story: Baseball Wives," which premieres at 10 o'clock tonight. Also on the show will be Jorge and Laura Posada (Yankees),  Scott and Carrie Proctor (Marlins), David and Ashley Eckstein (Padres), Josh and Katie Hamilton (Rangers) and Casey Daigle (Astros) and his wife Jennie Finch.

E! cameras followed the Hamelses around town. And even on the road.

To show just how tough the life of a baseball wife is, Strobel says she was taped driving a U-Haul truck from their spring training home in Clearwater, Fla., to their pad at Two Liberty Place.

The Hamelses will be in St. Louis on Monday for a celeb poker tournament sponsored by their foundation.