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Biederman’s is headed to a storied Rittenhouse corner for a new location

Lauren Biederman, who brought hand-sliced smoked fish to South Philly five years ago, is adding a shop at 20th and Spruce Streets.

Gravlax and other smoked fish at Biederman's Specialty Foods.
Gravlax and other smoked fish at Biederman's Specialty Foods.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Smoked salmon, sable, gravlax, caviar, bagels, and lox are coming to Rittenhouse early next year as Lauren Biederman, owner of the Jewish-style “appetizing” shop Biederman’s, plans to open a branch at 20th and Spruce Streets.

The corner is best known as the former home of Audrey Claire, which Audrey Taichman opened in 1996, converting a one-time five-and-dime into a pioneering BYOB serving a Mediterranean menu in a jam-packed dining room, complemented by one of Center City’s iconic sidewalk-dining scenes.

In 2018, Taichman sold Audrey Claire to restaurateur Rob Wasserman, who renamed it Charley Dove in 2021. After it was converted to a private-event space in 2023, it closed last year.

Biederman said her new shop would have the same retail format and hand-sliced fish as her first location, which opened in the Italian Market in early 2021. It will carry additional prepared foods because of the existing kitchen, she said.

A year ago, Biederman set up a Biederman’s caviar kiosk outside the Four Seasons Hotel near Logan Square, and two months ago opened Tesiny, an oyster bar, in South Philadelphia.

At one point, Taichman had three businesses on the block: Audrey Claire, the bistro Twenty Manning (later Twenty Manning Grill), and a demonstration kitchen called Audrey Claire Cook. Twenty Manning Grill was sold as part of the Audrey Claire deal; it is now Little Water under Randy and Amanda Rucker. During the pandemic, Taichman closed Cook and reconceptualized it as a bottle shop called Cork.