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As the sleepy summer season winds down, restaurant openings are already kicking into high gear in Philly. A couple of high-profile newcomers — Nicole Marquis' Bar Bombon and Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran's Bud and Marilyn's — are officially out of the gates, and the pace of openings will only pick up as we head into fall. Here's the lowdown on seven upcoming projects already creating a ton of buzz around town.
Stargazy
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Location: 1838 E. Passyunk Ave.
From: Sam Jacobson (Sycamore, Southwark, Leila's Bistro)
The Situation: Chef Sam Jacobson's British bakery is ready to go on East Passyunk (he even did a one-day-only soft opening last week), so all that's left is a few days' wait. Brace for traditional savory pies (in rotating meat and veggie varieties), mash, and eels, plus desserts and other baked goods, from sausage rolls to banoffee tart. Tea is free; coffee you'll need to pay for. Full hours are listed here, but they're not set in stone — the shop will close earlier if it sells out, and may open early for football fans who want to gather to watch matches on the shop's TV. (Jacobson notes he'll be ready to go when Premier League action gets underway at 7:45 a.m. local time on Saturday.)
Projected Opening: Friday, August 28
Image credit: Stargazy/Facebook
Hungry Pigeon
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The in-progress space, photographed last week.
Location: 743 S. Fourth St.
From: Scott Schroeder (South Philly Tap Room, American Sardine Bar) and Pat O'Malley (Balthazar Bakery)
The Situation: All-day service and convivial vibes are the aim for this upcoming neighborhood restaurant from longtime friends Schroeder and O'Malley. During the day, pastry chef O'Malley's baked goods will play a central role with cafe-style service. Dinner will shift to table service, emphasizing good wine on tap and a menu that draws on American diner influences and encourages family-style dining. (And, yeah, there'll be pigeon pie.)
Projected Opening: Late fall
Image courtesy of Hungry Pigeon
Double Knot
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Location: 120 S. 13th St.
From: Michael Schulson (Sampan, Independence Beer Garden, et al.)
The Situation: The newest project from Schulson promises a number of different experiences tucked into one bi-level space: The ground level (shown in the rendering above) will host a coffee shop and curio shop by day, which will transition to a bar by night, while the larger lower level will be home to a restaurant specializing in robatayaki and sushi. The project's design is in the hands of Kate Rohrer of Rohe Creative and Boxwood Architects.
Projected Opening: Late fall
Image credit: Rohe Creative
Coeur
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Location: 824 S. Eighth St.
From: Leigh Maida, Brendan Hartranft, and Brendan Kelly (Memphis Taproom, Local 44, Strangelove's)
The Situation: Something new is on the way (from some very familiar faces) in just a few weeks at the Eighth and Christian space that used to house the Mildred and, before that, James. This time around, the Memphis Taproom team is going French, pulling inspiration from Montreal and focusing on heartfelt, bistro-style cooking. Of course there will be beer, as you'd expect from this crew, but this new concept will also bring a heavier focus on wine. (Meanwhile, they're also hard at work on Clarkville in West Philly, though an opening date is not yet set over there.)
Projected Opening: September 15
Image credit: @beerg0ggles/Instagram
Buckminster's
Location: 1200 S. 21st St.
From: Michael and Jeniphur Pasquarello (Kensington Quarters, Bufad, et al.)
The Situation: A full bar and globally inspired, seasonal small plates will star at this upcoming neo-bistro for Point Breeze. Leading the kitchen is chef Rob Marzinsky (Fitler Dining Room), who spent the past few months traveling through Vietnam, Thailand, and Australia (including a brief stint at world-renowned Attica in Melbourne) and promises to bring some of what he learned on his travels to the new menu.
Projected Opening: Late fall
Bar Hygge
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The in-progress space, photographed in July.
Location: 1720 Fairmount Ave.
From: Tom Baker, Peggy Zwerver (Earth Bread + Brewery)
The Situation: Another brewpub is on the way from the owners of Mt. Airy's Earth Bread + Brewery, with the brewery slated to go by the name of Brewery Techne, and the dine-in portion taking its striking name from a Danish term meaning something like "cozy camaraderie." (The concept calls to mind the Dutch term "gezelligheid" that kept coming up when Noord was opening.) House brews will be served in the pub as well as sold at other bars around town; the menu will focus on scaleable dishes designed to share. Brewing will precede the opening of the restaurant, beginning as early as just a few weeks from now.
Projected Opening: Late fall
Image credit: Facebook
