Table Talk: An Italian BYOB, 'but no veal parm'

Six years after opening Augusto's in Warminster, chef Augusto Jalon has ventured into Huntingdon Valley for his second restaurant.

Tavolo (2519 Huntingdon Pike, 215-938-8401), also an upper-end BYOB, occupies the onetime dentist's office between Philmont Avenue and Byberry Road last held by Stefano's.

While Augusto's cuisine is global, Tavolo's takes advantage of the Ecuadoran-born chef's Italian resumé: Il Cantuccio, La Veranda, and Il Pastaio.

"But no veal parm and that sort of stuff," says Jalon, whose menu highlights include housemade pastas (goat cheese ravioli, gnocchi, and the Piemontese staple tajarin, from $16.50 to $19) and entrees (chicken breast with mascarpone polenta; veal chop with prosciutto and formaggio di Parma; whole fish; and Black Angus filet, with entree prices starting at $21). See the menu at http://go.philly.com/tavolo.

It's open nightly. Lunch will start next month, and Sunday brunch is on the burner for next year.

Toto and Claire Schiavone, who own Moonstruck in Fox Chase, have inked a deal for a second restaurant. They're planning

Beccofino

in the space in Blue Bell's Village Square shopping center that was Bourbon. Beccofino will be an Italian concept that Toto Schiavone says will create a farmhouse kitchen atmosphere centered on a woodburning oven in the middle of the dining room. He says 95 percent of the food will come out of the oven. Chef will be Moonstruck's Donna Ewanciw. He wants to open around Valentine's Day.

Beck's Cajun Cafe is set to open Monday across from Di Nic's and Tootsie's Salad Express in Reading Terminal Market (215-592-0505). Beck is Bill Beck, who from 1996 to 1999 owned Pompano Grille and Bohemian Bistro Lounge at what is now a bank building at Fifth and Bainbridge Streets. He promises muffalettas, to-order beignets, eggs royal, fried oyster po' boys, and chicken, andouille and shrimp gumbo.

Jayson Grossberg says he's pulled the plug on Alphabet Soup, his BYOB in Audubon, Camden County. He and wife Alix just had their second daughter, and, he says, "I didn't want my kids to be 16 years old and look back and say, 'I only saw them one night a week.' In the end, I wanted to be with my family more." He'll do catering. Building is for sale.

Elevation Burger

(50 E. Wynnewood Rd. in Wynnewood) is feeling blue, as in Nittany Lions. On the week leading to the Penn State-Ohio State game (Nov. 2 to 7), it will give a free order of "Stick It to Ohio State Fries" to anyone showing a Penn State transcript or pay stub, or carrying or wearing anything that supports the Lions.

Brian Lofink has left Maytson (37 S. 19th St.), where he'd been cochef with Ben Puchowitz. He's now at Sidecar Bar & Grille at 22d and Christian Streets.

Cedric Barberet is the new executive pastry chef at Le Bec-Fin. His resumé includes the same title at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla..