Fountain Porter coming to South Philly
It will replace 1601 at 10th and Tasker.
Fountain Porter coming to South Philly
Michael Klein, Philly.com
That neon glow at 10th and Tasker Streets in South Philly is a taste of the neighborhood's next bar, due to open just after Labor Day.
It's Fountain Porter at 1601 S. 10th St., which was a search-engine-non-optimized bar called 1601 before it closed in spring 2011.
Fountain Porter operating partner Evan Clancy (a former GM at South Philly Tap Room) describes his joint as an old-school, owner-run corner bar with 20 drafts, affordable wine, and a menu to be determined. "Nothing pretentious." He's partnered with Scott Pawlicky. Both work at the Kite & Key in Franklintown. (Though K&K's Jim Kirk has an ownership interest in Fountain Porter, Clancy emphasizes this is a separate operation - vibe, concept, purchasing, etc. "It's a different ballgame down here.")
Clancy and Pawlicky contracted with neon god Len Davidson on the nifty window signs, which Clancy is firing up for a couple hours each day.
Clancy acknowledges that he'll have competition in the neighborhood, home of taps such as POPE, Cantina Los Caballitos, and Watkins Drinkery. "It's good to have options," Clancy said. "South Philly has enough population to sustain all of these kinds of operations."
The Fountain part of the name is a nod to the Singing Fountain a block away at 11th, Tasker and Passyunk.
Incidentally, that bustling corner is also the proposed site of a recently announced gastropub called Fountainhead, 1537 S. 11th St., backed by Birra's Gordon Dinerman. For what it's worth, the Fountain Porter name has been on the books since last fall and Clancy and Pawlicky registered the FountainPorter.com domain back on Nov. 30.
Fountainhead appears to be dead due to neighbor opposition.— BarryG- Will there be locally sourced ferns? Was thinking that these hipsters have merged the old man bar and fern bar concepts. These places look like old man bars (minus the cigarette stench and pickled hard boiled egg jar) but are as pretentious as the fern bar of the 1970s. Waiting for their ironic treatment of the TGIF/Ruby Tuesday concept (perhaps with 40 oz glasses of light beer and organic-local salad bar.) There will be a nostalgia market for fake nostalgia any day now. (oops, this already exists).— bobcitydoc
- @bobcitydoc: The place isn't even open yet and you're already complaining about hipsters? Calm down this bar is going to be awesome!— rando1844
- I bet bobcitydoc is a self-loathing hipster.— Bob Sackamento
- Looks like Fountain Porter will be a classic bar were the only thing old fashioned will be good manners and the tendency to treat patrons like personal quests. To my way of thinking that would be a welcome change in any Philadelphia neighborhood. It will be the new best place for anyone with an adventurous yet unpretentious palate and a sense of fun.— JayneQ
