Posted on Wed, Nov. 21, 2007
Downtown Media now has a downtown restaurant.
Win and Sunita Somboonsong, who also own Newtown Square's Teikoku and Mikado, Thai Pepper in Ardmore, and Flavor in Wayne, just opened
Azie at State and Orange Streets (610-566-4750), the former West End Saloon.
Azie's cosmopolitan vibe starts at the bar, already packed with lawyers and other Delaware County high rollers sucking up sake. Colorful, smart-looking dining rooms are accented with inlaid stone and mosaic tiles. ("Like
The Brady Bunch house, but updated," as my nostalgist daughter explained.) A clear bubble light fixture in the second-floor private dining room dangles through an opening to light up the entryway. There's also a roof deck for warmer weather.
The Somboonsongs' corporate chef, Takao Iinuma - a Japanese culinary teacher who assisted Masaharu Morimoto in the
Iron Chef America series and who sous-chefed for Morimoto in Philadelphia - has rolled out a global menu that starts in Japan (awesome roll section) and ventures west through China and Thailand. Kazuyuki Mitsui, who worked at Morimoto, is executive chef.
It's open weekdays for lunch (entrees: $14 to $18) and Mondays through Saturdays for dinner (entrees: $14 to $25).
New and on the way
Pat Bombino's (767 S. Ninth St., 215-238-6555) - open for about a week in the former Meze space at Ninth and Catharine - is positioning itself as old-time South Philly Italian. Chef/owners Al Paris and Matthew DiNatale are serving such rustic dishes as grappa-cured salmon and beef Brasato in a comfy-elegant dining room decorated in browns, golds and burnt oranges. Entrees are $12 for spaghetti and meatballs to $32 for lobster and artichoke. It's open Tuesdays through Saturdays for dinner; Saturdays and Sundays for a $14.95 fixed-price brunch, and from 3 to 7 p.m. Sundays for what they call Sunday gravy (family-style dinners). It's BYOB, though they're offering wine storage.
The Ugly American - just love that name - is aiming for a Nov. 29 public opening at Front and Federal Streets, in the former La Vigna.
Bistro La Minette will fill the building on Sixth Street near Bainbridge that now sports a gigantic Dalmatian mural. Chef-owner Peter Woolsey, a veteran of Washington Square, Striped Bass and Le Mas Perrier (after a few years in Paris at Lucas Carton), is aiming for March to debut what he calls his "city French bistro."
Briefly noted
Patrice Rames has retooled the menu at his Old City spot
Patou. Gone are the South of France/Mediterranean dishes in favor of the heartier, brasserie dishes he does at his other restaurant, Bistro St. Tropez (e.g. cassoulet, bouillabaisse, braised rabbit).
Northeast Philadelphia's
Grey Lodge Pub has added Sunday brunch.
New general manager at the
Pop Shop in Collingswood: Danny Fleischmann, last at Chef's Market in Philly after a long history in Center City (Ritz-Carlton, Marabella's and the old Moshulu).
Mad River, the Old City bar-grill, is looking at the historic former fire station at 1528 Sansom St.
Contact columnist Michael Klein at 215-854-5514 or mklein@ phillynews.com. Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/ michaelklein, http://go.philly.com/foodanddrinq and http://go.philly.com/zahav.
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