Craft & Claw Replacing Mad River in Old City

There were cheers throughout the Philly food scene when Old City's Mad River had shuttered. And they'll probably even get louder when Craft & Claw opens in its place, bringing tons and tons of crab legs paired up with local craft beer.

"I love crab legs, like, I really love crab legs, and it's not easy to find them in the city," owner Max Tucker told Eater. "So, for all of those people lamenting the lack of crab legs, we're on the way."

Tucker, who found serious critical success (3 1/2 stars out of 4) at his Baltimore spot Bond Street Social, is bringing that food-first philosophy to his new concept in Old City. Tucker has hired chef Nick Fabian from Anastasi Seafood, one of the few places to get great fresh seafood in the city.

"We're going to have all kinds of crab, all of it sourced daily from the Italian Market. Snow, Dungeness, Alaskan King, Bluepoint, all kinds. And local craft beer," said Tucker. He added that they're going for an "upscale casual" vibe, but it's going to be completely focused on the food. Tucker doesn't have a target date set for opening just yet, as they are still in the development phase.

· All Craft & Claw Coverage [~EPHI~]