The hottest restaurant openings in September in Philly

Restaurants open all year round, but September generally ushers in high season as restaurateurs put the traditionally slow summer-vacation period behind them.

This year is no different, with about two dozen restaurants in various stages of doneness for September and slightly beyond.

They say the world is your oyster, and it is particularly so for two of the city’s most anticipated projects: Sao, the Southeast Asian oyster bar from James Beard Award winner Phila Lorn and his wife, Rachel, of Mawn, as well as Tesiny, the chic oyster bar from Lauren Biederman and Devon Reyes. Both are in South Philadelphia.

The newcomers range from the tiny (the Chilean bake shop Copihue Bakehouse) to the massive (the 55,000-square-foot Ballers, a country club-style sports venue with attached restaurant).

Day by day, when possible, here is what’s coming. And if you think September seems busy, wait till October.

Tesiny (719 Dickinson St.): Lauren Biederman, founder of the appetizing shop Biederman’s, and partner Devon Reyes have made a former auto garage into a stylish oyster bar. Opens Thursday.

Wonder, the ever-expanding food hall, opens its University City location (3925 Walnut St.) on Thursday, followed by one at the One Thousand One Residences at Broad Street and Washington Avenue on Sept. 12.

Copihue Bakehouse (58 E. Butler Ave., Ambler): Cote Tapia-Marmugi, who’d been doing the popup circuit, opens her Chilean bake shop, with sweet and savory food, in downtown Ambler on Friday.

Mecha Noodle Bar (1700 N. Front St.): Asian comfort food (ramen, pho, etc.) and cocktails from a Connecticut-based chain, set up next to Percy in the Urby building in the Fishtown-Kensington corridor. Opens Saturday.

By Zena (41 E. Main St., Moorestown): Pastry chef Zena Demirceviren, known in Burlington County circles in particular for her cheesecakes, is joining chef Ahmet Muyesser in a quaint cafe in a former Moorestown bank building. Opens Monday.

Delco Steaks (158 Baltimore Pike, Springfield): The Broomall cheesesteak spot heads to Springfield, opening sometime the week of Sept. 8.

Sao (1710 E. Passyunk Ave.): Fresh off his James Beard win, chef Phila Lorn, his wife, Rachel, and Jesse Levinson do a sequel: It’s a snug, energetic Southeast Asian-inspired seafood spot with a bar on East Passyunk. Opens Sept. 10.

Fleur’s (2205 N. Front St.): “French-ish” restaurant with food from chef George Sabatino is the first phase of an event venue/boutique hotel/roof deck situation in Kensington. More oysters! Opens Sept. 12.

Ballers (1325 N. Beach St.): Indoor country club-style sports (e.g. pickleball, padel, golf, squash, soccer) are paired with a restaurant (helmed by chef Ja’mir Wimberly-Cole) in the Battery, a former Peco power plant in Fishtown. It’s all open to the public. Opens “mid-September.”

The Bread Room (834 Chestnut St.): Ellen Yin is saying “mid-September” for her bakery/workshop/events space around the corner from High Street.

Ridge Hall (15 S. Ridge Ave., Ambler): A food hall and community hub comes to downtown Ambler with 10-plus food and drink venues. Some of it is open now, including stalls from Two Street Sammies and Lucky’s Roadside Stand; grand opening is set for Sept. 17.

Matines (23 W. Highland Ave.): Chestnut Hill’s French cafe moves from 89 Bethlehem Pike into larger quarters off Germantown Avenue on Sept. 18. Its current location will become the child-friendly Petite Matines Cafe.

Marsha’s (430 South St.): Chivonn Anderson is behind what she calls Philadelphia’s “first-ever queer women’s sports bar and venue,” on the former site of Woolly Mammoth; it opens Sept. 19 with a 4 p.m. ribbon-cutting.

More than a dozen other projects are hoping to open this month, though their owners caution that October may be more likely.

Amma’s South Indian (1500 Walnut St.): The long-awaited move of this acclaimed Indian restaurant (one of our picks for last year’s edition of The 76) into the former Max Brenner’s space on 15th Street is nearing completion this month. That also means the shutdown of the one at 1518 Chestnut St.

Dancerobot (1710 Sansom St.): Jesse Ito and Justin Bacharach’s long-awaited Rittenhouse izakaya could open in September, though October seems likelier.

Darnel’s Cakes (990 Spring Garden St.): Kyle Cuffie-Scott plans to branch out his cafe into the lobby of the 990 Spring Garden building in Spring Arts.

Fetch Park (3720 Main St.): Dog park with a people bar opening next to the UA movie theater in Manayunk, replacing Bark Social.

Gloria Sports & Spirits (1500 Main St., Warrington): Tresini chef Brad Daniels and partners’ Italian sports bar/pizzeria in the Shops at Valley Square.

Grace Tavern (2229 Grays Ferry Ave.): The Southwest Center City watering hole is coming back under new management, including Stephen Carlino and Randal Mrazik.

Haraz Coffee House (23 W. Girard Ave.): The second Philadelphia location of the Yemeni coffee house is opening in Fishtown.

Huda (1603 Frankford Ave.): Yehuda Sichel of Center City’s Huda comes to Fishtown with burgers.

Johnny’s Pizza (369 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne): Bryn Mawr’s John Bisceglie hopes to open his second pizzeria/cheesesteak destination in late September.

L’Olivo (570 Wellington Square, Exton): Francis and Nui Pascal of the French-Italian charmer Birchrunville Store Cafe and Butterscotch Pastry Shop in northern Chester County are going Italian as they take over Suburban Restaurant & Beer Garden.

LeoFigs (2201 Frankford Ave.): Justice and Shannon Figueras are behind this family-run cocktail bar, winery, restaurant, and local vendor market in Fishtown. Their wines are designed to be paired with food from chef David Roque (ex-Bastia), and they promise “a vibe that feels like your second living room — equal parts neighborhood charm and just the right amount of extra."

Taco-Yote (33 E. Main St., Moorestown): Carlos and Steffy Melendez of Conshohocken’s Coyote Crossing will do a contemporary taqueria specializing in live-fire cooking in the former Maurizio’s Bistro.

Wine Dive (1534 Sansom St.): Wine bar from Chris Fetfatzes, Heather Annechiarico, and Susan Freeman (Sonny’s Cocktail Joint, Grace & Proper) in a former Rittenhouse nail salon. A second bar, Liquorette, is on the way above it.