The Most Anticipated Philly Restaurant Openings, Spring/Summer 2016

Perla

Address: 1535 S. 11th Street

Major Player: Lou Boquila

What to Expect: Philly's first mainstream Filipino restaurant will be a 30-seat BYOB with a tasting menu-only dining experience. Chef Lou Boquila is pulling inspiration from the food of his youth, naming his first restaurant after his mother, Perla.

Projected Opening: Mid-to-late summer 2016

Cheu Noodle Bar (Fishtown)

Address: 1420 Frankford Avenue

Major Player: Ben Puchowitz, Shawn Darragh

What to Expect: The Cheu boys are at it again, and this time, they're looking to the north for their third restaurant. Come late summer, the super-popular, intentionally-inauthentic ramen bar will get a twin inside the old Bicycle Stable on Frankford Avenue. A similar concept but with a much larger space.

Projected Opening: Late summer 2016

Essen Bakery

Address: 1437 East Passyunk Avenue

Major Player: Tova du Plessis

What to Expect: An eensy Jewish bakery by one of Philly's greatest pastry chefs, serving up challah and rye breads, babkas, rugelach, cakes, and cheesecakes, as well as ready-to-eat sandwiches.

Projected Opening: Late-March, Early April 2016

Banh Mi and Bottles

Address: 712-714 South Street

Major Player: Tuan Phung

What to Expect: Exactly what the name suggests, Banh Mi and Bottles will serve Vietnamese street food and over 200 varieties of craft beer — many of which will be food friendly.

Projected Opening: May 2016

Stockyard Sandwich Co.

Address: 1541 Spring Garden Street

Major Player: Will Lindsay and Mike Metzger

What to Expect: Expert, farm-driven sandwiches are en route for Spring Garden. Lindsay and Metzger met each other working in some of Philly's best kitchens, establishing relationships with local farms so that when they open their sandwich spot on Spring Garden, local product is showcased in all the ways a sandwich allows.

Projected Opening: Beginning of April 2016

Tiki

Address: 102 South 13th Street

Major Player: Jason Evenchik

What to Expect: Evenchik has a simplistic approach when naming his bars. His wine bar—Vintage; his dive bar—Bar; his garage bar—Garage; his Mexican restaurant—La Casa de tu Madre (okay, that one's a little off-kilter). This summer he's opening a tiki bar on 13th Street, in a space with a rooftop deck. And guess what it'll be called? That's right — Tiki.

Projected Opening: May 2016

South Helm

Address: 100 Morris Street

Major Player: Kevin D'Egidio and Michael Griffiths

What to Expect: D'Egidio and Griffiths opened Helm much to the delight of the entire city. The locally-focused BYOB proved that location matters less than honest-to-goodness food. That being said, they're doing it again, this time in Pennsport at Front and Morris Streets. And they're going with the same concept: an easy-eating BYOB keeping local producers in mind.

Projected Opening: April 2016

ROOT

Address: 1206 Frankford Avenue

Major Player: Greg Root, Nick Kennedy, Nathalie Richan

What to Expect: This collaboration wine bar and restaurant is backed by some serious talent: Greg Root, coming off a 13-year tour as Stephen Starr's Director of Restaurants; Kennedy, whose resume comes stacked with top-notch New York restaurants (sous at Jean Georges, executive sous at Del Posto, and CDC of all Scott Conant restaurants);

and Richan, co-owner of the highly-regarded Philly bruncherie, Café La Maude. The restaurant will be a place for the neighborhood to unwind, enjoy a glass of wine, and food to pair, be it a snack or a full-coursed dinner.

Projected Opening: Late March-early April 2016

Brewery ARS

Address: 1927-1929 West Passyunk Avenue

Major Player: Sean and Andy Arsenault

What to Expect: The Arsenault twins have found a home on West Passyunk where the brothers plan to open their brewery/brewpub. And in this grand landscape of Philly-brewed beer, where the IPA reigns king, the two will shift their focus to saisons, and Philly is all the better for it.

Projected Opening: Late summer 2016

Jaxon

Address: 701 N. 3rd Street

Major Player: Tony Schiro, Ed Conwell, Doug Dreisbach

What to Expect: Schiro returns to the Philly scene (his previous restaurant closed after 17 successful years) with a locally-focused, chalkboard menu'd BYOB in Northern Liberties. It'll be food strictly of the season, cooked by two young and talented chefs, Ed Conwell and Doug Dreisbach.

Projected Opening: March-early April 2016

Fishtown Social

Address: 1525 Frankford Avenue

Major Player: Vanessa Wong, Nick Brydels

What to Expect: Less-so a restaurant and more-so a wine bar, Fishtown Social has a wine list designed by a Court of Master Sommeliers Level 2 certified sommelier in Nick Brydels. To complement, an unfussy selection of classic wine snacks: charcuterie, olives, nuts, and popcorn.

Projected Opening: March 10

Wm. Mulherin's Sons

Address: 1355 N. Front Street

Major Player: Chris Painter, John Taus, Jonah Fliegelman, Nathan Winkler-Rhoades

What to Expect: Chris Painter resurfaces in Fishtown and wherever the ROOST Apartment Hotel brand decides to open (now a partner at Method Hospitality, an offshoot of the ROOST brand). Manning the kitchen and wood-fire oven more personally, chef-about-town John Taus, with the help of Fliegelman and Winkler-Rhoades (of Pitruco and Enjay's Pizza fame). "Fishtown Italian" is the name of their game, with of course, a full bar and extensive wine program to match.

Projected Opening: March-Early April 2016