Table Talk: Dad opens Miles Table, named for Miles

The stretch of South Street from Broad Street west into Grays Ferry has been growing as a food destination, what with such recent arrivals as the Cambridge, Magpie Artisan Pie Boutique, Sawatdee, and the Quick Fixx, and with the second location of Honey's Sit 'n Eat opening shortly at 21st and South Streets.

Saturday will see the debut of Miles Table at 1620 South St. (267-318-7337), a cozy, neighborhood-friendly spot from Michael Lynch, whose business Catering by Miles counts for much of the reason people want to join Lombard Swim Club, where he's the exclusive caterer.

Lynch began his culinary career at Gallo's Seafood, the mainstay near Pennypack Circle in the Northeast. He then worked at Culinary Concepts and Buddakan.

Miles Table, a 30-seater (named after his son, who turns 5 in April), has counter service. Menu includes oatmeal, eggs, breakfast sandwiches, smoked fish, and bagels for breakfast (served all day), and Cobb salad, Caesar salad, chicken cutlet sandwich, burger, pasta, pizza, and fish of the day for the rest of the day (starting at 11 a.m.).

White tablecloths and original artwork from owner Felice Saldutti set a peaceful vibe at da Ludovica, a new 30-seater in an ever-changing restaurant location at 15 Limekiln Pike (off Mount Carmel Avenue) in Glenside (215-886-1715) that is named after Saldutti's mother. Chef Chris Molitor, formerly of the now-closed Trinacria in Blue Bell, is proudest of his caramelle (savory ravioli that look like wrapped candies). Molitor hits the basics in his six entrees (two chicken dishes for $16, two veals for $19, a $26 branzino, and a $32 filet). It's cash only and dinner only.

Brian Nagele inherited a spiffy, Italian-made pizza oven when he took over the Piazza at Schmidts space that was a gently used, short-lived Italian restaurant called Apollinare. Now that he has refashioned the place into a bar called Kings Oak, he has carved out the space near the oven into a small pizzeria called Pizza Bar (1001 N. Second St.).

Jon Myerow and partners, who pair beer, wine, cheese, and snacks at the three Tria locations, are going into the pizza business at 2005 Walnut St., former site of Rum Bar. Tria Taproom will pair pizza and beer. He hopes to open this summer.

Chestnut Square, under construction at 3200 Chestnut St. on Drexel's campus, will get the second location of Zavino, the pizzeria/wine bar at 13th and Sansom Streets. Also, Hiroyuki "Zama" Tanaka, who owns Zama near Rittenhouse Square, has settled on coZara as the name of his izakaya/Japanese small-plater destined for the project, due to open in August or September, joining branches of Shake Shack and Joe Coffee. Both Shake Shack and Joe Coffee are planning additional satellites: Shake Shack in King of Prussia (summer) and Joe Coffee (late March at 1845 Walnut St.).

Critics may have loved 943, Pascual "Pat" Cancelliere's Italian/Argentine BYOB at 943 S. Ninth St. in the Italian Market, but critics don't pay the bills. It closed Feb. 13. Cancelliere said he would take time off and get a job. Those who have a Groupon deal can get a refund through Groupon. . . . Gone after at least a decade is Kingdom of Vegetarians at 129 N. 11th St. in Chinatown.

Caesars Entertainment properties in Atlantic City - Caesars, Harrah's Resort, Showboat, and Bally's, and even the beach - will host the four-day Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, beginning July 25 with events taking place throughout the weekend. Rocco DiSpirito, Robert Irvine, and the Neelys are among the celebrities announced so far. Tickets, which have sold out for the four previous festivals, will go on sale March 8, via www.acfoodandwine.com.

George and Vasiliki Tsiouris' modern Greek spot Opa on Sansom Street was named one of the best new Greek restaurants in the country by Details mag.

Plaudits keep rolling in for Vedge, Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby's vegan destination on Locust Street. In the March issue of GQ, critic Alan Richman (also a former Philadelphia Bulletin writer) has named it to his list of the dozen best new restaurants in the nation. "I had no idea so much flavor could be delivered without butter, cream, milk, eggs, and other kitchen staples," he wrote, adding: "The customers looked, I have to say, like regular folks. None of the men were pale and languid. None of the women wore a belt made from a garden hose."