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Friday, May 29, 2009
What's inside that Oyster House?

The frenzied final days of construction and staff training are underway at the Oyster House, the seafooder formerly known as the Sansom Street Oyster House at 1516 Sansom St. (SSOH, under different ownership, closed last year.)

Since I first tipped the info on this project back on Jan. 8, the facade has been shrouded in plywood.

Opening is scheduled for dinner Thursday 6/4, with lunch to follow in about two weeks. I'll have the full story in "Table Talk" on Thursday, but for now, here are some high points:

  • Owner is Sam Mink, working with his father, David, who opened Sansom Street Oyster House in 1976. This is a generational thing: David Mink's father, Sam, got into the seafood biz in 1947 when he bought Kelly's on Mole Street, which was closed in 1969 to make way for the Centre Square project. (Fellow Philly history buffs: That block of Mole came in off of Market Street between 15th and 16th. It is now beneath Centre Square II, the tower closest to 16th.) Kelly's then briefly moved into 1620 Ludlow St., now beneath One Liberty Place.
     
  • Brett Webber Architects gutted the interior, and about the only original stuff is some wainscoting. Milk-glass cocktail rail (saved from Kelly's) will be installed in the front windows.The look is wide open, vaguely industrial (thanks to exposed steel), with a white-subway-tiled-backed drinking bar and oyster bar toward the front. The white bar and oyster bar tops are made from marble landscaping salvaged from Independence Mall. Whitewashed brick walls are adorned with 200 pieces from the Mink family's collection of oyster plates. Tables were made from 19th-century oak salvaged from the roof of the Academy of Music.
     
  • No sidewalk plans. Windows will not fling open.
     
  • Moderate prices.

 A working menu (no prices yet) follows.

 

(Projected opening date has been corrected.)


Posted by Michael Klein @ 10:13 AM  Permalink | File Under: TableTalk | 6 comments
Comments   
Posted 11:39 AM, 05/29/2009
andy
Can't wait. I miss that place as it used to be. The Minks are the best. Andy
Posted 04:09 PM, 05/29/2009
CS
This used to be our favorite seafood restaurant for years, but the quality and service slipped and we haven't been there since 2004.
Posted 07:55 PM, 05/29/2009
Cellar Rat
From 2000 until 2008 the previous owner rode the coattails of the Mink family while slowly and painfully circling the drain. Food and service were both atrocious. If you went in 2004 then you didn't really get a clue what that restaurant once was and will (hopefully) be again. Treat yourself to a return visit...
Posted 10:26 AM, 06/01/2009
sarnell
Can't wait!! I'm looking forward to slurping down a dozen at the raw bar soon.....
Posted 10:42 AM, 06/03/2009
dvw2010
What, no fried shrimp/combo platter???
Posted 10:35 AM, 06/04/2009
epices6
Glad to read that Oyster House is reopening today. With father and son Mink in charge, it will be a worthy addition to the Philadelphia restaurant scene.
6 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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