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Table Talk: Updated market-cafe keeps farm charm

Guillermo Tellez and Rob Boone, veterans of Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and the top hands in Striped Bass' kitchen at the end of its run, have surfaced in Chester County after buying the old Northbrook Orchards and installing a market/cafe. Their wives, Christine Boone and Leslie Tellez, work with them.

Guillermo Tellez and Rob Boone, veterans of Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and the top hands in Striped Bass' kitchen at the end of its run, have surfaced in Chester County after buying the old Northbrook Orchards and installing a market/cafe. Their wives, Christine Boone and Leslie Tellez, work with them.

Northbrook MarketPlace (1805 Unionville-Wawaset Road, West Chester, 610-793-1210) is set up in a two-story space in an old barn. They've kept Northbrook's familiar farm stuff and added a smokehouse for barbecue as well as a moderate-priced regional American menu. They serve lunch seven days a week and dinner every night except for Sunday. There's prepared food available to go, and doors open at 6:30 a.m. for light breakfast, including the farm's famous cider doughnuts.

Starting July 8, they plan to offer fixed-price dinners ($65 a person, reservations required) at their 24-seat chef's table upstairs.

What's new

Braddock's Tavern (39 S. Main St., Medford, 609-654-1604) has been bought out of bankruptcy by a new team that's taken the Medford mainstay into, well, the 20th century. It's now

Braddock's Restaurant

, and owners Brad Scott, Tom Doyle and Bob Wagner are freshening the decor as well as the dinner and pub/lunch menus at Braddock's; new chef is Scott Bergman, formerly at Beau Steak & Seafood. It's open for lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. Prices have gone down; dinner entrees range from $19 to $36.

Bonefish Grill has opened an outpost in Newtown Square: 4889 West Chester Pike, 610-355-1784.

What's coming

Cooper's Brick Oven Wine Bar

- Bruce Cooper's more casual operation next to his Jake's in Manayunk - is now about three weeks out. Cooper says Jake's will be tweaked a bit in the process. Jake's tiny bar, in the window on Main Street, will move next door into Cooper's, and the former bar area will be turned into casual Jake's seating. Jake's menu will be steered away from entrees toward appetizers and what Cooper calls "in-between plates." See the menus at

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.

Distrito, the Jose Garces Mexican opening in a few weeks at 3945 Chestnut St., will have Tim Spinner (from Garces' Amada) as chef de cuisine. Kevin Sbraga, formerly chef at the Grill at the Ritz-Carlton, is now director of culinary operations for Garces' holdings, known as Garces Restaurant Group.

TJ Smith's, billed as a family-friendly bar and grill, is being targeted for September at 1585 Easton Rd. in Warrington, representing a total renovation of the former Luigi's. Owner Mike Smith, who owns Dolce Carini and Friends Bar & Grill in Newtown, plans plenty of plasmas for the bar (20 beers on tap) and a diverse menu including salads, burgers, steaks, seafood, sandwiches and pizzas.

This one's a ways out: The partners at Catelli in Voorhees is in the early stages of planning a second operation in the new Voorhees Town Center. The current Catelli will become more casual, says co-owner Linda Rosanio.

Changes

July 27 will be the finale for

Melograno

, at 22nd and Spruce streets. Giancarlo Demontis and Rosemarie Tran, who have lost their lease, plan a move to 2010 Sansom St. in September. Chef David Katz will move in with

Mémé

- say it like "may-may." Concept is to be determined; he's applying for a liquor license with an eye toward serving beer and wine.

Tomorrow night marks the finale after six years for Twenty21 in Two Commerce Square. Owner Sue Mahoney had planned to renovate, but financing fell through.