Archive: September, 2009
Michael Klein, Philly.com
El Camino Real, the border bar in Northern Liberties, has hired a chef to replace Jennifer Zavala, who left last month on the eve of her debut on Bravo's Top Chef, from which she was booted after the premiere. She's now at Xochitl.
New guy is Dustin Chalermkittichai, most recently sous chef at Rouge on Rittenhouse Square. He starts on Liberties Walk full time on Oct. 6. Owner Owen Kamihira says he'll increase the variety of smoked meats and will broaden the scope of the Mexican side of the menu.
Chalermkittichai has had a taste of travel. Listed in his bio is a turn at Maze, the Gordon Ramsay joint in London, plus Arzak in Spain, New York's Waverly Inn and Aix, and the Standard Hollywood.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Tigre Hill, who's been working seemingly forever on a documentary about Police Officer Daniel Faulkner's slaying and the conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal, has released a trailer.
He's hoping to screen "The Barrel of a Gun" to coincide with the 28th anniversary of Faulkner's slaying in December.
In an interview at the outset of the project, Hill intimated that the documentary would not be pro-Mumia. The trailer's opening frame of Ed Asner, an unabashed Mumia supporter, may be misleading.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Michael Smerconish of WPHT (1210) will have former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the studio Tuesday at 8 a.m. for an interview.
"Who better to assess the situation then the former head of the country now presumably harboring the Taliban?" Smerconish asks, rhetorically.
Good backgrounder here.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson starts a radio show next Monday night (9/28) from aloft Philadelphia Airport Hotel on 950ESPN.
The one-hour show (7 to 8 p.m.), with Harry Mayes and Brian Seltzer, will air every other week during the NFL season from the w xyz Bar in front of an audience. The hotel is on Island Avenue, a half-mile from Philadelphia International Airport.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
WPHT has confirmed the death last night of Steve Friedman, the human version of IMDB known to radio listeners and cinephiles as "Mr. Movie."
The Harrisburg native, who was 62, hosted a call-in show on 1210 that aired Saturday nights. He previously was on WWDB. He's survived by his wife, Michell Muldoon, and teenage daughter, Darragh.
He'd been fighting kidney failure since 2004. He'd been in and out of the hospital for some time, and had been on dialysis awaiting a transplant. The death, though, was unexpected, according to his friends. No cause of death was announced.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
IndieWire is reporting that the North American rights to Don Argott’s movie about the Barnes Foundation -- “The Art of the Steal” -- have been acquired by Rainbow Media for its new theatrical and video-on-demand label Sundance Selects.
The film drew cheers (but no awards) in its premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival; its U.S. premiere at the 2009 New York Film Festival is next week.
IndieWire reported a bidding situation among four buyers; Argott's rep was Philly lawyer Justin Wineburgh of Cozen O'Connor.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
What's on the Philly-area dining horizon?
- Con Murphy's. The Irish pub at the Windsor (17th and the Parkway): hoping for October 19.
- Sticks & Stones. Former Felicia's owner Nick Miglino says he's nearing the finish line on this eclectic pub at 1909 E. Passyunk: mid-October. (2009, allegedly)
- Grey Social: Lounge at 132 Chestnut St.: late October.
- Jolly's Dueling Piano Bar. Jolly Weldon's piano bar at 2006 Chestnut St.: late October (grand opening on Oct. 30).
- Chew Man Chu. Noodle/dumpling bar replacing Du Jour at Broad and Pine: October 28.
- Tiffin. The Indian eatery's next locations: Elkins Park Square in Elkins Park (October 29) and in Wynnewood Shopping Center (December).
- Avenida. The light-priced Latin in Mount Airy: early November (waiting for liquor license).
- Rubb. Matt Levin's barbecue joint in Manayunk: early November
- agiato. Chef Joe Scarpone's casual Le Pain Quotidien-like bistro at 4359 Main St. in Manayunk: early November.
- Hawthornes. A cafe-slash-gourmet deli-slash-brunch-spot-slash-bottle shop at 11th and Fitzwater: early November.
- Zavino. Steve Gonzalez's pizza/wine bar at 13th and Sansom: early November.
- Percy Street Barbecue. The Zahav/Xochitl gang's barbecue place at Ninth and South: November
- R2L. Daniel Stern's project in Two Liberty Place: November.
- Pickled Heron. This couple-run bistro in Fishtown, which I first wrote about in August 2008: November.
- 943, the long, long-delayed Italian-Argentine BYOB in the Italian Market: late November.
- The new Dmitri's at 944 N. Second St. in Northern Liberties: November-December.
- Sampan. Michael Schulson's stylish Asian on 13th near Sansom: November-December
- Zama. Hiroyuki "Zama" Tanaka's Japanese restaurant on 19th Street just north of Rittenhouse Square: November/December.
- Sang Kee: A University City outpost: November-December.
- Garces Trading Company. The state store's partnering with a Jose Garces cafe, at 1111 Locust: November/December.
- Barbuzzo: Mediterranean (with bar) from Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney of Bindi/Lolita at 13th and Sansom: December.
- Ulysses Voyage: L.A.-bred Greek restaurant coming to the former Deux Cheminees space: December.
- Amuse. The brasserie at the new Le Meridien at 1421 Arch St.: TBD.
- Amís. A small Italian from Marc Vetri at 13th and Waverly Streets: "right after New Year's."
- Harvest. Dave Magrogan of Kildare's high-end, low-cal American grill in Chadds Ford: January.
- Beccofino: Moonstruck's new spot in Blue Bell: mid-February.
Check back here periodically for more... Last update: Oct. 15.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Soul, the Creole BYOB on Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill, is gone after eight months.
Owners Angie Brown and her daughter Samantha Johnson opened shortly before their debut on the springtime NBC reality series The Chopping Block.
Brown says a producer approached her about doing a TV series. So she had a choice: A shot at fame or continuing in the restaurant business. (You can't have both, apparently.)
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Law Abiding Citizen -- a thriller shot here earlier this year and starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler -- will be the opening film at the 18½ Philadelphia International Film Festival.
Director F. Gary Gray is tentatively scheduled to attend the Oct. 15 screening at the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theater.
In LAC -- which opens nationwide the next day -- Butler plays a sociopath who exacts revenge on the DA (Foxx) who sprung the killers of his wife and daughter.
Michael Klein, Philly.com
The wood fires are burning at Second and Lombard Streets, as Stephen Starr's crew prepares for the Sept. 29 opening of Pizzeria Stella. (This may be a build-out speed record for the notoriously fussy Starr, as he's opening only five months after signing the deal.)
Workers-- under Starr culinary director Chris Painter and Stella chef Shane Solomon -- are refining the pizzamaking, learning how the dough behaves under certain conditions. The search for a pizzaiolo seems to have been suspended.
They're going for an assortment of Neapolitan pies, basing the recipes on months of research. (You need to read Rick Nichols' story about one of Starr's two long-distance fact-finding tours.)
