A new Philly restaurant with ‘wow’ factor | Let’s Eat

Bolts of lightning from the ceiling, a Ferris wheel behind the bar for top-shelf pours, and the idea of a glamorous night out: Here’s a first look at the new Mr. Edison at the Bellevue.

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Also in this edition:

— Mike Klein

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Jeffrey Chodorow has opened splashy restaurants all over the world. Here’s his latest, Mr. Edison, opening Thursday in his hometown. And it’s a dazzler.

The new documentary McGillin’s: Philadelphia’s Oldest Bar showcases the Center City taproom and its 166 years of memories. “Everyone has a McGillin’s story,” Mike Newall writes in his feature, which shares a few of them. You can watch the movie on PBS Passport.

Here’s some McGillin’s lore: If it’s McGillin’s Olde Ale House, why does the sign spell it “Old”? Pub historian Irene Levy Baker explains: It opened in 1860 as Bell in Hand, and the original wooden hand holding a bell still hangs inside. Founder “Pa” McGillin ran it until his death in 1901, when Catherine “Ma” McGillin took over. For the 50th anniversary in 1910, she renamed it McGillin’s Old Ale House — which regulars were calling it anyway (presumably because it was old even back then). The “e” was added in the 1990s for effect, but since the neon sign is a reproduction of the earlier version, it still reads “Old.”

Center City’s newest bar is The Monto (above), which opened Saturday at 226 Market St. in Old City under the stewardship of Fergus “Fergie” Carey and Jim McNamara. Alas, there’s a bit of drama unfolding. N.A. Poe of Poe’s Sandwich Joint, who was attached to the project to meld Philadelphia sandwich culture with Irish pub fare, has apparently bowed out. You’ll see they’ve opened up the old Mac’s Tavern by shifting the bar to the middle of the room. It’s open at noon daily.

Philadelphia offers a grand landscape of halal food, and Hira Qureshi shares her eight favorite restaurants.

The historic City Tavern, which closed six years ago, is back. Outside, anyway. It’s hosting a summertime pop-up in its garden, including food, drinks, historical interpreters, lawn games, and special events.

Hillary Bor, who co-owned Pumpkin BYOB in Graduate Hospital for two decades, has a new love and a new food business in Margate. Amy Rosenberg says Dock Dogs also has a stellar view.

Tacos al pastor at a little corner spot in Old City, a crispy bibingka waffle in the Fairmount area, and a soft-shell crab offered as a ritzy BLT in Rittenhouse were among The Inquirer Food team’s favorite bites last week.

Arirang, an upscale Korean restaurant, is in the earliest stages of development at 1219 Locust St., in the former Papery of Philadelphia space next to Vedge in Washington Square West. Linda and Myung Kee Hwang, who own the Old Nelson delis around town as well as the building, are planning a traditional menu, as well as a liquor license to serve Korean spirits. “When we started looking at the Korean restaurant landscape in Center City, we realized there really wasn’t anywhere that, as Koreans ourselves, we would go for a truly authentic Korean meal,” Linda Hwang told me. “Everyone does Korean barbecue, and beyond the fact that it’s overdone, we simply didn’t want the grilling and smoke inside the building. The food will be very traditional. No fusion, no shortcuts.” The name is the folk song that is Korea’s unofficial anthem. There’s no timeline yet.

Take a first look inside Known Associates, the cocktail bar from chef Chris Kearse of Forsythia, opening Friday at the former Varga Bar in Washington Square West. Read on for the details.

Il Gusto. Now open at 114 Chestnut St., Il Gusto brings a Southern Italian-leaning BYOB menu and white-tablecloth atmosphere to the Old City storefront that previously housed Karma.

Chef-owner Tony Krupa delivers big-portioned Italian American and Southern Italian standards and, he says, “nothing trendy”: grilled octopus with cannellini beans and artichokes, fried calamari, mussels, clams, and fried mozzarella, along with a full slate of pastas, and chicken, veal, and fish entrees such as salmon Livornese as well as barramundi with shrimp, capers, and cherry tomatoes over capellini (shown above). Entrees are in the $20s.

Il Gusto, 114 Chestnut St., 215-518-9092. Hours: noon-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, noon-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Trattoria Totaro in Conshohocken reopens today, nearly three months after a fire.

The Buttery, the popular Main Line bakery/cafe, opened its third location last weekend in Bryn Mawr. There’s at least one more on the way, the owners told Denali Sagner.

Villa Nuova in Deptford will close soon after 26 years in business, as owner Peppe Scotto announced on Facebook.

Surfside has taken over the U.S. alcohol industry. But its founders told Erin McCarthy that the brand’s base is staying put in Philly.

Aneu Kitchen’s new location at Ardmore Farmers Market in Suburban Square will open at 8:30 a.m. Monday with comp samples of her YEU On-the-Go bites.

South Philly Barbacoa, James Beard-winning chef Cristina Martinez’s business, is now set up inside Triple Bottom on Spring Garden Street, writes Hira Qureshi. That means tacos, chips and guacamole, and sweet tamales on a permanent basis.

The H Mart in Cherry Hill has been expanded, and Hira offers a tour of the emporium, aisle by aisle.

Cult of Trees’ nonalcoholic spirits are packaged by hand in Kensington. Sande Friedman explains that at local bars, they’re already a hit.

Wine writer Marnie Old believes that one country might be on its way to overtaking France as the pinot noir capital of the world. What is it?

A) United States

B) Germany

C) New Zealand

D) Australia

Find out if you know the answer.

Is Angelo’s Pizzeria ever going to open that new place in New Jersey? — Scott P.

Many of my articles are inspired by readers’ questions. Here’s a follow-up to a story I wrote last July, when Angelo’s owner Danny DiGiampietro said he was taking over the shuttered Di’Nics in West Collingswood Heights. Construction has just begun, and DiGiampietro believes that it will open in about two months. Meanwhile, Angelo’s is getting into the wholesale bread business out of its huge bakery in Conshohocken. Here is the update.

📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com.

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