The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Good morning, Philly. Pack an umbrella in anticipation of PM showers.
Borromini, a $20 million trattoria in the former Barnes & Noble on Rittenhouse Square, is Stephen Starr’s most significant Philadelphia restaurant since Parc debuted nearly two decades ago. Today, we have an up-close look at the process of opening the ambitious eatery.
And Mayor Cherelle L. Parker hasn’t been front and center in the fight to fund SEPTA. She says that’s no accident.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Philly is flush with Stephen Starr’s themed, sometimes gimmicky, but generally well-regarded restaurants — think Parc, Buddakan, Morimoto, and Barclay Prime.
🍝 The restaurateur’s latest, Borromini, is set to debut Aug. 25. The two-story, 320-seat trattoria in the shuttered Barnes & Noble at 18th and Walnut Streets was developed over 18 months and cost a whopping $20 million. The details are meticulous, from a hand-painted fresco to a signature 100-layer lasagna that took a dozen-plus tries to get right.
🍝 It’s Starr’s 41st eatery along the East Coast. It’s also among his most ambitious, especially in Philadelphia.
🍝 How did the South Jersey native go from concert promoter to dinner-as-theater king, backed by an all-star team of internationally renowned partners?
In other food news:
McGlinchey’s, Center City’s smokiest bar, isn’t closing yet — but it is on its way out. The longtime owner of the dive is hoping to sell as soon as possible.
A neighborhood bar with Delaware River views and a “top-tier Guinness pour” is on the way from the group behind Libertee Grounds.
And 4C changed its formula for seasoned breadcrumbs, sparking kitchen meltdowns among Italian food-loving home cooks across the Philly region.
Mayor Parker knows her constituents will be the most negatively impacted if state legislators don’t come through with the millions of dollars Pennsylvania transit agencies say they need to avoid service cuts.
While she can’t vote on the issue, she says she has been working to make Philadelphia’s case for why SEPTA funding is important. That’s included visits to Harrisburg and phone calls to Republican leaders.
Until recently, it has not included public statements. According to Parker, that’s by design.
City Hall reporter Sean Collins Walsh has the details.
More on SEPTA: A small percentage of riders will lose SEPTA paratransit service because they’ll be pushed outside the service boundary by the transit agency’s deep cuts. Plus, SEPTA’s average 21.5% fare increase takes effect Sept. 1, but some monthly pass customers will notice the higher price earlier.
What you should know today
The badly decomposed body of a man was recovered Tuesday from the Schuylkill near 30th Street Station, police said.
A Philadelphia man is wanted in the shooting death of his wife, police said Monday. The pair were co-owners of an East Germantown spa.
A prisoner on Tuesday escaped from state constables’ custody in Delaware County, stole a vehicle and crashed it, then fled into a wooded area before finally being caught, police said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said President Donald Trump has no power to ban mail voting in Pennsylvania.
The future of more than a dozen slavery displays at Independence Park remains in limbo as Trump’s review deadline passes.
Several major Philly-area research institutions urged Pennsylvania representatives in Congress to reject Trump’s proposed cuts to federal research dollars.
Staff at a Central Bucks elementary school testified Tuesday about abuse allegations in a special education classroom as the school board considers firings over leaders’ handling of the issue.
The overcrowded Lincoln High can open next week with hundreds of students in trailer classrooms, the city’s zoning board ruled Tuesday.
The Foundation for Delaware County will pay $3 million to cover the cost of medical records for thousands of former Crozer Health patients under an agreement expected to be approved Wednesday.
Quote of the day
South Philly friends Oriana Principe and Angela Agnes made a business of handling the pup of honor at dog-lovers’ nuptials. Pets are increasingly being included in milestone moments, such as weddings.
🧠 Trivia time
A viral meme is now painted on the side of Fishtown’s Sulimay’s Restaurant. What does the mural depict?
A) Always Sunny’s Charlie in the mail room
B) JD Vance as a “bald baby”
C) Pepé the King Prawn
D) Sexy Gritty
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🚆 Planning for: PATCO weekday overnight service’s six-month suspension, starting Sept. 1.
🏘️ Comparing: What homebuyers can get for $420,000 in Fishtown, Moorestown, and Lansdowne.
🏀 Wondering: If a WNBA expansion could bring home these former Philly hoops stars who now play overseas.
⚽ Entering: The Visa cardholders lottery to buy 2026 World Cup tickets in September.
🤝 Considering: The case for Montgomery County to formally adopt welcoming policies.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Curtis Institute of Music-owned building 🔥
RETAIL CANAL
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Joy Wilcox, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Cooper Sharp. The cheesesteak mainstay has a surprising Philly origin story — and now, a brand deal with a certain Eagles star.
Photo of the day
🌊 One last choppy thing: “The ocean is quite angry,” as Gov. Phil Murphy put it. Indeed, more swimming bans and flood advisories are in effect at the Shore as Hurricane Erin approaches.
Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. See you back here tomorrow.
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