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Friday, July 10, 2009
Ansill closes

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.

Posted by Michael Klein @ 6:23 PM  Permalink | File Under: TableTalk | 12 comments
Comments   
Comment removed.
Posted 07:25 PM, 07/10/2009
linda dubin garfield
the restaurant business is tough, even in booming times. today it is even harder.
Posted 10:36 PM, 07/10/2009
J H
Sad to see this one go...didn't he close Pif because he wanted to concentrate on Ansill?
Posted 08:08 AM, 07/11/2009
MBW
I eat my lunch from a sack.
Posted 12:00 PM, 07/11/2009
BarryG
JH: Ostensibly yes, but it seemed like he had always been struggling, what with the ridiculous deals he always ran, like the happy hour, buy one get one dinners, industry discounts, etc.
Posted 01:20 PM, 07/11/2009
transientone
The sign on the door actually reads closed for the summer. My wife and I were frequent visitors when we were actually home and not traveling. We sensed something was up when the wine inventory diminished to almost nothing over the past month or so and they adopted a BYOB policy for Monday through Friday, where as in the past it was only Tuesday's. We discussed the possibility of the business failing but hoped it would hang on through the typically tough summer. The combination of the poor economy and the fact that the restaurant biz is weak in the summer must have taken it's toll. We are very disappointed and hope it is as indicated on the door temporary.
Posted 04:17 PM, 07/11/2009
phoodtales
This is really surprising because the restaurant always seemed busy when I was there. I will definetely miss their happy hour. I guess times are getting tough for everyone.
Posted 06:44 PM, 07/11/2009
Nognig
What an overrated bore of a restaurant. Now will someone please bring back Judy's?
Posted 07:28 AM, 07/13/2009
kyle19125
Ansill never received the support/credit it deserved. As much as this city loves to crow about it's restaurant scene, it's still basically a two horse town in terms of high-end restaurants...Stephen Starr's and Jose Garces's empires. The rest of the better restaurants are left to fight for whatever attention span remains from the city's fixation on these two. Philadelphia can call itself a "restaurant city" when a place like Ansill isn't forced to stand on it's head for attention with discounts/coupons and special offers...then ultimately close due to lack of interest. Not while Disney-like mini-chain restaurants prosper.
Posted 11:00 PM, 08/03/2009
rickstine
We really hope David & Crew can come back. Since 2001, David has introduced to Philly some extraordinary but simple French dishes. Whether it be mussels in rosemary or chicken with fiddlehead ferns, he found a way to excite our palates. Philadelphia, this guy is the best chef in town - he is inventive and true to form - understands complimentary flavors and textures. Sure, there are some wonderful celebrity chefs. But for my money, I'll sit at David Ansill's table. Let's make sure there is one for us to enjoy!
Posted 10:32 AM, 08/14/2009
kalina
I loved Ansill. I hope someone comes up with something similar and just as good.
Posted 11:41 AM, 08/18/2009
Baba Booey
I like turtles.
12 comments
About Michael Klein
Michael Klein chronicles local people, places and things (in easy-to-digest portions) three days a week in his Inquirer column "INQlings." He also covers the restaurant scene in his Thursday Food column, "Table Talk." See his work at http://is.gd/5Ozz7
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