Saturday, May 18, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013

The Latest Dish to close

Fluid nightclub isn't the only thing that is closing.

2 comments

The Latest Dish to close

POSTED: Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 3:29 PM
The Latest Dish and Fluid on South Fourth Street. MICHAEL KLEIN / Philly.com

Fourth and South Streets was a different place in October 1996 when The Latest Dish opened with the nightclub Fluid above it on Fourth between South and Bainbridge.

"There was much less competition and activity in that part of town," said Tony Schiro, who opened Latest Dish/Fluid with a since-departed partner. "Things now..."

His voice trailed off.

Schiro says the finale for both will be April 6, as the lease is up. 

The closing of Fluid was lamented yesterday by Questlove of the Roots.

To me, the Dish was a next-generation Judy's Cafe - to invoke the name of the casual drop-in spot around the corner that closed in 2005: comfy surroundings (copper tables, open kitchen),  easygoing bar, decent food - especially the seitan meatloaf, Vietnamese rolls and the crunchy-topped mac and cheese whose secret is a mixture of Fontina and smoked Gouda.

Schiro said he hoped to resurface Latest Dish/Fluid elsewhere.

2 comments
Comments  (2)
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:56 PM, 02/19/2013
    Maybe if the menu had changed since 1996 they would have had an easier time competing.
    BarryG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:10 PM, 02/20/2013
    It was also a next generation Latest Dish. I remember the original from the 1970s.
    Sterrybeagle


About this blog
Michael Klein, the editor/producer of philly.com/Food, writes about the local restaurant scene in his Inquirer column "Table Talk." Have a question? Email it! See his Inquirer work here. Reach Michael at mklein@philly.com.

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