Manayunk name game: Sona and Somo
Kildare's and Rubb are getting new life.
Two new restaurants are coming soon to Manayunk, a block apart, and their names may cause pause.
At the site of the former Kildare's (4417 Main St.), Damien Given and partners are putting the finishing touches on a total revamp called Sona Pub & Kitchen. Given, a former manager in Kildare's owner Dave Magrogan's orbit, says he plans "a new kind of Irish" establishment. That is, it will have an "essence" of Irish cooking but won't be an "Irish Irish" menu. He also will not aim at the college crowd. Cocktails, 30 beers on tap (half crafts), and 60 beer bottles will make up the drink list.
At the site of the short-lived Rubb BBQ (4311 Main St.), designer James Morrissey is working on Somo, a stylish but affordable bistro with a bar.