Mid-August is a fine time to hit the pause button on the Philly-area restaurant scene to offer a look ahead.
Here is some of what I'm hearing. Much is plotted out on a map:
Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar: The chain's third location, at the Shoppes at English Village (1460 Bethlehem Pike, North Wales), opens Sunday, Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. The restaurant will open for dinner only for the first week, and then offer lunch beginning on Monday, Aug. 26.
Declan's Well: Bar coming to 3131 Walnut St. in late August.
Little Nonna's: The Marcie Turney-Valerie Safran homespun Italian at 1234 Locust St. is aiming for the end of August.
Shifty's Taco: The Brewerytown taqueria (drool over the menu here) expects to emerge from city regulatory purgatory by the end of August.
Peppercorn: The spiffy redo of georges' in Wayne hopes to go by the end of August.
Bistro Siggie: Siggie Wilson's French bistro in central Montgomery County is staffing and might be good to go by the end of August.
Bar Lucca: Brian Pieri's Tuscan-style Italian at the old Totaro's in Conshohocken might be good to go by the end of August.
Pizzeria Vetri: The pizza oven at the Vetri Family's parlor at 1939 Callowhill St. is about to be fired; it's aiming to open Sept. 6.
Ocean Prime: The lavishly appointed seafood/meatery at 15th and Sansom Streets says it will open Sept. 9.
Boot & Saddle: The South Philly bar is to reopen Sept. 9.
The Lucky Well: Next Food Network Star contestant Chad Rosenthal opens in Ambler in September.
Taqueria Feliz: The casual offshoot of Cantina Feliz and La Calaca Feliz in Manayunk awaits its liquor license; I'll guess September.
Carmel Bar: Radnor gets a Florida-based wine bar sometime in September.
Royal Cracovia: The massive European in Magnolia says September.
Restaurant Cerise: Euro BYOB in Bryn Mawr is targeting September.
The Chestnut Square project - Shake Shack, coZara, Zavino - is up for mid- to late-October. So is the Shake Shack at King of Prussia.
The Roman pizzeria from the Nomad guys: After extensive renovations, it is expected to open at 1305 Locust St. in October.
Han Dynasty: The Old City branch is to move down the block, into 123 Chestnut St., in late summer or early fall.
Looking farther out for ...
HipCityVeg: The University City location, 214 S. 40th St., is up for fall.
The Farm & Fisherman: Cherry Hill's market/restaurant version of Center City BYOB has just picked up the services of chef Todd Fuller (most recently at Collingswood's Treno) as a partner. Opening is aimed at fall.
Di Bruno's: The grocer's fifth location - at Ninth and Sansom Streets (not "Chestnut," as you're reading elsewhere) - is aiming at fall.
Fairmount Grocery: The Francisville restaurant/grocery is on target for fall.
Barren Hill Tavern: The revival of General Lafayette Inn is moving ahead slowly.
Mainland Inn: revival of the Central Montco destination under Le Bec Fin alum Steve Eckerd is still a ways off.
Tria Taproom: the Tria crew's pizzeria at 2005 Walnut St. is moving ahead slowly.
The Cuban diner from Jose Garces (not its name, silly.): Garces' conversion of Chifa into something more casual - and he told me that he's planning a rum bar and a speakeasy-like lower-level lounge - should open this fall.
Volver: Garces' atelier at the Kimmel Center, where he plans to cook several nights a week - is up for fall.
Good Stuff Eatery. Spike Mendelsohn's Center City burger spot is targeting winter.
Osteria: The Moorestown Mall outpost is up for late fall.
Avance: Justin Bogle's progressive American opens at 1523 Walnut St. later this year.
B-Side Social Club: Michael Pasquarello's whole-animal restaurant/butchery in Fishtown is targeting the end of the year
Townhouse: This chain out of Chicago is expected to open at Commerce Square in 2014.
Estia Taverna and Pietro's: These Radnor siblings are six to nine months out.