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Lorraine: A corner bar for the new Francisville

Two brothers are following the new residential development off Broad and Ridge.

"It's going to explode," Chris Lardani was saying the other night at the bar that he and his brother, Jimmy, opened this summer.

He's referring to Francisville, a slice of North Philadelphia just off of Broad Street and Ridge Avenue. Happens to be a block away from the Divine Lorraine Hotel, whose renovation plans are moving forward.

Hence, the name of the bar, Lorraine, at 1502 Brown St.

The brothers, who have years of experience in the bar business, are bullish on the neighborhood, which looks like a construction zone what with all the residential development.

They envision Lorraine simply as "a corner place to hang out," Chris Lardani says. They took the former Brown Ridge Cafe, which had been renovated recently, and scooped out the kitchen to allow easy passage between the barroom and a nifty backyard that faces Ridge Avenue.

Food trucks can pull up to a few picnic tables set out under strings of lights. Otherwise, you're on your own for food.

Four beers on tap (supplemented by a solid bottle list) usually include something from Neshaminy Creek. It's hard to beat the $2 PBRs at happy hour.

In these days before Temple University returns, it's open Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.