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Michael Klein: Exciting scene west of Broad and South

Husband-and-wife team Evan Malone and Jill Weber, who own Jet Wine Bar at 1525 South St., have crossed the street to go the bistro route.

Husband-and-wife team Evan Malone and Jill Weber, who own Jet Wine Bar at 1525 South St., have crossed the street to go the bistro route.

Rex 1516 (1516 South St., 267-319-1366) has a faded-mansion look (distressed woodwork, wrought-iron chandeliers, antique mirrors, wooden paneling from the old Rittenhouse Club), Southern-inspired cooking from Alabama transplant Regis Jansen (ex-1601), an in-house pastry chef (Shamus Moriarty, formerly of Farmers' Cabinet), and a bar list from manager Heather Rodkey (ex-Adsum, Rouge). It's open for lunch, dinner, and late night daily. More photos and menu are at www.philly.com/rex1516. [Ed. note: Opening has been delayed; it could open as soon as Friday, March 2.]

Rex 1516 is part of a growing scene on South Street west of Broad. June should see Magpie Artisan Pie Bakery & Boutique, a vintage/modern 20-seater (plus 8 at the counter) at 1622 South St. Former ad exec Holly Ricciardi will sell sweet and savory pies; a specialty will be Pie Fries - pie-crust strips served with fruit sauces for dipping.

Other options include The Quick Fixx, a casual newcomer at 1511 South; The Cambridge, a bar opening this spring at 1508 South; and a second Honey's Sit N Eat, at 21st and South, also up for spring. Two other projects - one on the 1400 block, the other on the 1500 block - are under wraps.

Hot-dogging it

Robert Amar (ex-Fare) has gone to wieners with Underdogs (132 S. 17th St., 215-665-8080), a hot-dog shop in the subterranean space that previously housed Argan. Amar sources his dogs locally; Dietz & Watson makes his regulars, and the hot sausage and kielbasa, for example, come from Czerw. It's open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, till 4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Photos: www.philly.com/underdogs.

Briefly noted

Marlo Fioravanti Dilks and Jason Dilks have rolled out their third location of their Neapolitan-style pizzeria, SLICE and it's their largest yet. It's in Tower Square Shopping Center, 137 Egg Harbor Rd., Sewell (856-302-5099).

The General Lafayette Inn on Germantown Pike in Lafayette Hill is back on the market. Sovereign Bank, which acquired the property in a foreclosure, is asking $1.35 million. Last operating as a brewpub, it closed in September 2010. Broker Kevin Barmann of Keller Williams says the package includes the restaurant, brewery equipment, liquor license, five-bedroom bed and breakfast, two parcels of land, and the cottage.

The crew from Le Castagne is hoping for a spring opening of an Italian restaurant called Spiga at 1305 Locust St., which for many years was Girasole.

Marcos Decotiis (La Stanza) is taking over the short-lived Sticks & Stones space at 1909 E. Passyunk Ave. with a Franco-American bar called Noir. He said it's about a month out.