RESTAURANT OPENINGS ENRICH THE PHILADELPHIA REGION IN 2002
A Slew of New Treasures Add To The City’s Culinary Wealth

PHILADELPHIA, December 11, 2002 – 2002 was another exciting dining year for Philadelphia, a city that takes its food seriously. The New York Times recently wrote that "A restaurant renaissance has put Philadelphia on the food map," and it came as no surprise to residents of the region. Running the gamut from splashy cocktail emporiums to quiet dinners, 2002 brought with it an abundance of new eateries. Below is a sampling of some of the most noteworthy gems:

Unless otherwise noted, all restaurants are located in Philadelphia.

New and Noteworthy

• Shaking up the hotel restaurant world, Chef Jean Marie Lacroix left his James Beard award-winning post at the Four Seasons to open another first-class hotel eatery. Overlooking Rittenhouse Square, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse offers his tasting menu of cutting edge French flavors. 210 W. Rittenhouse Square, (215) 790-2533
   

• Stephen Starr proved that even eight’s a charm with his latest eatery, Jones, where the shaggy 70s décor and unfussy menu focus on the simplest comforts: macaroni and cheese, brisket and ice cream sandwiches. This restaurant is Starr’s third venture on Chestnut Street – Jones joins neighboring siblings The Blue Angel and Morimoto. 700 Chestnut Street, (215) 223-5663
   

• Newcomer Cadence is The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ answer to dinner and a show. A minimalist dining room is the setting for French-inspired fusion fare, from cassoulet to tagine, available before performances only for the theatergoing crowd. 300 S. Broad Street, (215) 670-2388, www.kimmelcenter.org
   

• The Latin food boom found a new home on Pine Street with Mixto, the long-awaited second restaurant from the owners of North Philadelphia’s Tierra Columbiana. Enormous portions of paella, skirt steak and plantains are served in a cozy, modern setting. 1141 Pine Street, (215) 592-0363
   

• Bringing creative homemade pasta – made in full view of the dining room – to University City, Penne showcases fine Italian cuisine. For students of the vineyard, the new tenant at the Inn at Penn also features an extensive wine bar and suggestions for pairing wine with entrees. 3611 Walnut Street, (215) 823-6222
   

• Chef Bruce Lim of Ciboulette and Susanna Foo brings his flair for fusion cooking to Red Chopstix. A sibling to Lim’s Jersey shore restaurant of the same name, his new outpost deftly harmonizes French technique with Asian ingredients. 1511 Locust Street, (215) 546-0600
   

• Developer Tony Goldman has lit up 13th Street with the bright, glamorous facade of Trust, a bustling bar and restaurant specializing in Mediterranean tapas, creative dinner entrees and signature cocktails with battery-operated ice cubes. 121-127 S 13th Street, (215) 629 1300
   

• Sophistication and wine appreciation meet at Vivo Enoteco. Wayne’s newest wine bar, replete with Mondrian-styled windows and projected footage from Fellini films, serves contemporary Italian tapas with appetizers and small entrees. 110 N. Wayne Avenue, Wayne, (610) 964-8486, www.vivoenoteca.com
   

• Polynesian, French, Mediterranean and Spanish cuisines share the menu at the aptly named World Fusion. The dinner-only restaurant joins Old City’s bustling dining scene in the former Rococo. 123 Chestnut Street, (215) 629-1100

BYOBs

Philadelphia, as noted in a recent New York Times article, has become known for its BYOBs. In every neighborhood, small eateries are emerging, reviving the pleasures of going out without giving up intimacy. The undeniable appeal of creative food in a cozy setting makes this growing citywide phenomenon more than a trend.

• Joining nearby Ernesto’s and La Viola in the Rittenhouse Square Italian renaissance, Bellini Grill is an airy, golden-hued dining room serving panini, pasta, meat and fish entrees – and if that’s not enough choice, the kitchen also makes dishes to order. 220 S. 16th Street, (215) 545-1191
   

• Among the newly arrived spate of Italian BYOBs near Rittenhouse Square, Caffe Casta Diva brings its own homey charm and handmade pasta to the table. The quiet, 23-seater invites diners looking for a personal experience. 227 S. 20th Street, (215) 496-9677
   

• Named for a snack of toast and jam, Tartine is a charming, corner nook for classic, pared-down French favorites. The daily changing menu may feature entrees like mussels, steak frites and troute meuniere – dishes whose simplicity matches the paper-covered tables and clean decor. 701 S. 4th Street, (215) 592-4720
   

• Tucked on the outer edge of Old City, Radicchio is an Italian trattoria care of Luigi Basile, the owner of Vorhees’ Laceno Grill. Lively, authentic flavors seep into veal saltimbocca, risotto and whole fish filleted tableside. 314 York Avenue, (215) 627-6850

The Chain Link

As Philadelphia opens its own outposts of national chains, the region has gained the best of what other cities are offering.

• King of Prussia welcomed the region’s first Bamboo Club, an upscale contemporary Asian restaurant with an extensive wine list. Entrees ring the Pacific Rim with tempura, sizzling Saigon Beef and Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Chicken. Allendale Road,
  near Route 202, King of Prussia, (610) 265-0660, www.thebambooclub.com
   

• Family-style dining is taken up a notch and out by a few heapings at Buca di Beppo. After conquering the suburbs with its Sinatra-festooned walk-through kitchens, the Southern Italian chain arrived in Philadelphia with plenty of pasta and pepperoni to spare. 258 S. 15th Street, (215) 545-2818, www.bucadibeppo.com
   

• A new Morton’s of Chicago rolled up to the Court at King of Prussia. The steakhouse, famous for its cart-style menu presentation of fresh steak, lobster and fish entrees, brings high-end family and business dining to the mall. 500 Mall Boulevard, King of Prussia, (610) 491-1900, www.mortons.com
   

• The opening of new luxury apartment complex The Phoenix brought with it an outpost of New York’s Tír na Nóg, whose Gaelic name means "land of eternal youth." The fare is more contemporary American than Irish, with codfish over corn and bacon risotto and pan-seared duck breast served with goat cheese-stuffed mission figs, and 24 different draughts tap the Emerald Isle and beyond. 16th & Arch Streets, (267) 514-1700, www.tirnanognyc.com

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to generating awareness of and visitation to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

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Note to Editors: For story angles and photographic images of Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside, visit www.gophila.com/pressroom.  

December 2002

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