Zahav duo planning to open a restaurant in Kensington

The summertime buzz has had Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook planning to open a spinoff of Zahav, their popular, Israeli-inspired restaurant, in Fishtown.

Close.

The location appears to be a former warehouse at 1301 N. Howard St., on the corner of Thompson Street, placing it in Kensington. It's down the block from Lost Bread Co. and just a block or two from the Fishtown's restaurant-rich Front Street and Frankford Avenue corridors.

At a meeting of South Kensington Community Partners last month, the motion to allow a zoning variance passed, 27-0.

Last week, a liquor-license transfer was posted on the property, identifying the applicant as Elwolf LLC, which was created in May by a business associate of Cook and Solomonov's, whose restaurant empire also includes Abe Fisher, Dizengoff, Goldie, The Rooster, and Federal Donuts. The city Zoning Hearing Board last week approved the erection of two signs on the property.

OCF Realty's blog Naked Philly speculates about the new tenant, while a commenter asserted that Cook and Solomonov had told the SKCP audience about a Zahav-like restaurant they called "Laser Wolf."

The true name of "Elwolf" may come from the annals of Broadway.

Lazar Wolf was the wealthy butcher who fancied Tzeitel, the daughter of milkman Tevye, in Fiddler on a Roof.

A meat-centric restaurant, perhaps? Tradition?

We may have to await a few sunrises and sunsets for the answer. Cook N Solo's rep, typically tight-lipped, said there was no info to share.