Superstar Chef Rick Bayless Opening Philly Cafe

The Daily Pennsylvanian is reporting that Chicago's favorite chef, Rick Bayless, is opening a restaurant in the ARCH Building, which is currently being overhauled at 36th and Locust Walk. Bayless, who made his bones with high-end Mexican food in the 1980s, is bringing his brand to the East Coast for the first time with this new Philly spot in University City.

The DP didn't name which Bayless restaurant is popping up here (he owns Frontera Grill, Frontera Fresco, XOCO, and Topolobampo), but The Insider says the smart money is on Tortas Frontera, one of his casual brands. Interestingly enough, the DP piece says that the new spot is "an entirely new concept," so we'll have to wait and see what Bayless brings to Philly.

When Bayless isn't slinging hash in his restaurants, he's on TV teaching people about Mexican cuisine on shows like PBS' Mexico: One Plate at a Time, or kicking serious butt as the season 1 champion of Top Chef Masters. As for the timeline of his Philly restaurant, expect it to open in the early days of 2014.

· Famed Chef to Open Mexican Eatery at Penn [The Daily Pennsylvanian]
· Rick Bayless to Open Mexican Cafe [The Insider]