Spritzes, sports bars, and Korean fried chicken: August’s restaurant opening lineup

From Ellen Yin’s Italian aperitivo bar to a restaurant built around a community recipe contest, August’s opening calendar reflects the breadth of Philadelphia’s dining scene. Here’s what’s expected to debut this month — and what’s still to come.

Note that in most cases, opening dates will not be locked in until shortly before the debuts.

Bar Cicci (1620 Sansom St., Rittenhouse): Ellen Yin’s all-day aperitivo bar, located next to Uchi, is targeting a mid-August opening. In sum: 30 seats, espresso and pastries in the morning, sandwiches by day, and spritzes, cicchetti, and small plates by night, all in a Milan-inspired space complete with a vintage Lambretta scooter out front.

Cecilia (266 E. Fourth St., Bridgeport): The crew from Blue Bell Inn in Blue Bell and Horsham’s Copper Crow has revamped Taphouse 23 into a modern American bar-restaurant with a comfort-food menu and massive patio sporting a wood-burning oven. It’s targeting a late-month opening.

Mixteca (2113 E. York St., East Kensington): Billed as a neighborhood agave bar and restaurant, this New York City import from hospitality veterans Jeff Bell and Victor Lopez is headed to the former Martha space, with an opening later this month. The roughly 100-seat venue will spotlight tequila, mezcal, Bacanora, and raicilla with 10 margarita variations, agave twists on classic cocktails, and zero-proof drinks alongside contemporary Mexican fare featuring handmade tortillas, ceviche, tacos, and family-style pork al pastor.

Recipe Philly (1401 Arch St., Center City): Local home cooks take the spotlight at this restaurant at Broad and Arch Streets built around a public recipe competition, with winning family dishes earning a permanent spot on the menu alongside the cooks’ stories. Opening Aug. 13, the concept blends restaurant, community cookbook, and reality-show competition into one distinct experience.

Toll Man Joe’s (1141 Pine St., Washington Square West): Returning to Philadelphia nearly five years after its pandemic closure, this sports bar will take the former location of the long-running Mixto. Founder Lori Penrose aims to open later in the month to catch football season.

Vons Chicken (1714 Washington Ave., South Philadelphia): This South Korean-rooted chain, big on the West Coast, opened last weekend in a Point Breeze strip mall next to AutoZone with a roomy dining area offering counter service. Menu includes crispy Korean fried chicken as well as oven-roasted chicken slicked with sauces, plus sides such as kimchi fried rice and tteokbokki. Local franchisee Thao Le, who first tasted Vons in California while visiting family, has assorted restaurant experience, including serving at Pietro’s Italian in Center City. Ever crave a beer with fried chicken? Vons secured a liquor license and stocks mostly local bottles in a fridge.

Restaurants targeting September debuts include the Fishtown and Rittenhouse locations of Washington, D.C.-rooted bagel chain Call Your Mother; the all-day bar-restaurant Eggcetera Haus, filling the former Redcrest at Sixth and Bainbridge Streets on the Queen Village/Bella Vista line; and the New Orleans-inspired Philly Po Boy at Front and Berks Streets in Kensington. The Fishtown opening of Adda, the edgy Indian restaurant from New York’s Unapologetic Foods, is targeting October.