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A look ahead at restaurants opening in 2022 in the Philadelphia area

Sports bars seem to be the concept of the moment. Here's what else is in store for the region.

Chef Brianna Wellmon at Frame, 222 Market St.
Chef Brianna Wellmon at Frame, 222 Market St.Read moreMICHAEL KLEIN / Staff

The manufacturers of TV monitors should be happy with one trend on the horizon for 2022 in Philadelphia:

It’s shaping up to be a very good year for sports bars.

Two massive projects — Bankroll Club, with a Stephen Starr restaurant in the former Boyd Theater at 1910 Chestnut St., and Barstool Sports Bar at 1213 Sansom St., themed to the media company — plan to link the worlds of sports betting and socialization. They will join The Winston, an 8,500-square-foot upscale sports bar (with 18 TVs and a bleacher section for watching games) opening soon on the former site of McFadden’s at 461 N. Third St. in Northern Liberties. Suburban favorite MaGerk’s is looking at April for its new outpost on Eagleview Boulevard in Exton, where an Applebee’s was. Also, for what it’s worth, the Twin Peaks chain signed a 10-restaurant Philadelphia-area deal recently; no locations have been announced.

Running through my list of 50 or so restaurants and bars on tap to open in 2022 in the greater Philadelphia area, I see few other super-splashy projects. I also see uncertainty about timing, created by stalled delivery of equipment and furnishings, the labor shortage, and unease about COVID-19.

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I also see comebacks on the way, including Giuseppe & Sons, Koch’s Deli, Joseph’s Pizza, Royal Tavern, and The Franklin (the former Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., coming to a new home at 1715 Rittenhouse Square). Also, The Dutch will move seven blocks to the former Fond on Passyunk Square.

Let me drop two pieces of good news: Her Place Supper Club (1740 Sansom St.), chef Amanda Shulman’s pop-up, is now permanent. I spotted a liquor-license application, and she confirms that she will add drinks. Also, Kingston 11, the Southwest Philadelphia Jamaican restaurant that made critic Craig LaBan’s best-of list for 2021, will be adding a brick-and-mortar location on South Street.

Here is only a sampling of what’s on the way; details will follow closer to the openings.

Opening sooner rather than later

Prunella is Michael Schulson’s pizzeria/Italian bar on the former site of the Zavino location at 13th and Sansom Streets, just down the block from Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran’s forthcoming Good Luck Pizza Co. (105 S. 13th St.), replacing their Jamonera. (P.S. No timeline is available for Turney and Safran’s Loveluck at LOVE Park.)

Chef Dane DeMarco is going the burgers-and-dogs route in South Jersey with Burgertime at 123 W. Merchant St. in Audubon.

Frame (222 Market St.) will mark the return of Wayne Shulick (Denim Lounge) to the nightlife scene with a lounge-y bistro in Old City. It’s also the executive-chef debut of Brianna Wellmon, who won a full scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America, did an internship in Spain, and returned to work at a.kitchen followed by the Pyramid Club. Her menu will be international.

Chefs Jonathan Raffa and Mike Gingras, who met at the former Will BYOB, are opening the casual comfort-food-theme 1911 BYOB in that very kitchen at 1911 E. Passyunk Ave.

Olea (232 Arch St.) will be an easygoing, seafood-focused Mediterranean BYOB from former Noord waiter Luis Pedrogo across from the Betsy Ross House (the former Old City favorite Chloe). No tweezer food, he insists.

At Homemade by Bruno, self-taught chef Janine Bruno is setting up a studio for her signature gelato and pasta just off 15th and Wharton Streets in South Philadelphia. She’ll host group pasta-making classes and other private culinary events; follow her on Instagram.

The Jim will be a corner bar at Eighth and Morris Streets in South Philadelphia by Fergus Carey and Jim McNamara (Fergie’s Pub, The Goat) and restaurateur Tony Rim (1225 Raw, The Foodery). Gotta hit The Jim.

Other Half Brewing out of Brooklyn will take over Fishtown’s shuttered Goose Island Brewhouse at 1002 Canal St., off Delaware and Frankford Avenues and across from the new Fin, Punchline, the Fillmore, Philadelphia Distilling, Brooklyn Bowl, and a forthcoming Five Iron Golf.

Kismet Bagels goes brick-and-mortar at 113 E. Girard St. in Fishtown.

Little Susie’s will be a small spin-off of the Kensington pie, coffee, and soup shop in the former passport photo shop at Second and Chestnut Streets in Old City.

Fuel, Rocco Cima’s health-focused quick-serve, will add a location at Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Boulevard with pickup service as well as delivery covering all of Northeast Philadelphia.

KPod is a from-the-ground-up reconfiguration of Stephen Starr’s Pod (3636 Sansom St.) with chef Peter Serpico. The menu will be “kinda Korean,” a nod to Serpico’s ancestry.

Nonna & Pop’s will be a pastry shop from the Termini brothers on the former site of Mr. Joe’s Cafe (1514 S. Eighth St.).

Umami Izakaya (725 Walnut St.) will be an underground Japanese bar from Alan Su of Nom Nom Ramen, in the space that was Six Feet Under.

Sooo Delicious Soul Food Cafe (1112 Locust St.) will add a brick-and-mortar side to the business of food-truck owners Aminah McDaniel and Angel King, now dispensing Southern food at 5200 Grays Ave. in Southwest Philadelphia.

Bomba Taco + Bar will open its second Philadelphia-area location, adding to the restaurant complement at Village at Newtown in Bucks County.

Amina (104 Chestnut St.) marks the bar-restaurant debut of Felicia Wilson, who is working with chef/partner Darryl Harmon (formerly of Water Works). Southern menu will include African ingredients. The interior will feature designs representing African female warriors.

El Chingon (1524 S. 10th St.) will be a Mexican restaurant, specializing in cemitas, from chef Carlos Aparicio, who will juggle duties at Wyndmoor’s Enza.

Food writer turned restaurateur Alex Tewfik will open Mish Mish (1046 Tasker St.) on the site of Noord, across from the Singing Fountain. It will have a liquor license and, he said, no airs of pretension.

Chef Henry Morgan, who spent seven-plus years in the Mike Solomonov-Steve Cook orbit (Dizengoff, Abe Fisher, Merkaz), will open Homeroom at 358 Righters Mill Rd. in downtown Gladwyne. Simple menu (sandwiches/salads/OX Coffee).

Spring-ish

Wm. Mulherin’s Sons will open a second location on the ground floor of The Girard at 1175 Ludlow St. in East Market.

Human Robot, the Kensington brewery, is headed to Jenkintown with The Haus at 208 York Rd., which last was Borough Brewhouse, owned by Neshaminy Creek. They are aiming for Feb. 22.

Thirsty Dice, the Fairmount board-game cafe, will spin off a second location, with a liquor license, at 1 Ardmore Place.

The Pullman will take the former Tango space at the Bryn Mawr train station (39 Morris Ave.). It will be a bar-restaurant inspired by old-fashioned railcar dining, complete with piano lounge.

Sabrina’s, the bruncherie, will take over for Honey’s Sit N Eat at 2101 South St.

Tresini will be a top-to-bottom redo of Ristorante San Marco, just outside of Ambler in Spring House. Vetri alumnus Brad Daniels and partners promise a stylish Italian bar and restaurant.

Cafe Lift’s South Jersey location is coming together at 142-44 Kings Highway East.

Redcrest Kitchen will pair Chivonn Anderson and chef Adam Volk at Sixth and Bainbridge Streets, at the former Barrel House.

Tacconelli’s Pizza’s Maple Shade location will spin off a shop at 164 N Haddon Ave. in Westmont.

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, a syndicated restaurant, will open on two levels of 1721 Chestnut St. Cool sushi concept will take off where Pod left off. Your plates on the conveyor belts are color-coded by price. You rack up enough plates to win prizes.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream will open a second Center City location, at 115 S. 18th St.

Chance Anies of the Filipino-theme Tabachoy will move from cart to brick-and-mortar, with a shop at 1300 Federal St.

Wilder (2009-11 Sansom St.) is the long-in-development restaurant, bar, and event space from chef Brett Naylor (formerly of Oyster House and Mission Taqueria) and artist Nicole Barrick, with chef Bob Truitt. Wilder’s first and second floors will be set up for dining (an exhibition kitchen with pizza and crudo on the first floor), while the third floor will be private.

And beyond

Nano Wheedan of Nano’s Tortillas, who brought Austin breakfast tacos to town, will open an eatery in the triangle-shaped building at Seventh, Passyunk, and Christian Streets that previously housed El Bocado.

Marc Vetri’s steakhouse, so far unnamed, is on the books at Bryn Mawr Village (915 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr).

Kalaya’s second location, in which Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon partners with Suraya’s Greg Root, Al Lucas, and Nick Kennedy, is coming together on Palmer Street between Front Street and Frankford Avenue in Fishtown.

Sal Cusumano of My Angelo’s Pizza in Berlin will open a novel pizzeria called Pizzeria Cusumano at 872 Haddon Ave. in Collingswood.

Alice will be a bistro from longtime Jose Garces chef Dave Conn at 901 Christian St. in the Italian Market.

New York’s Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao is planning a summer debut at Towne Place at Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, near a new Sugar Factory.