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Food calendar: Cupcakes, burgers, new restaurants

A quick look at the months ahead in food.

Mark your calendars for the following.

April 16 is the opening of HipCityVeg (127 S. 18th St.). Hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

April 17 is the rebirth of what was Ortlieb's Jazzhaus (847 N. Third St.) in Northern Liberties as Ortlieb's Lounge, under Four Corners Management. Tex-Mex food, live music six nights, including a Tuesday jazz jam session hosted by longtime Ortlieb's owner and booker Pete Souders. Website is here.

April 23 is the public opening of SoWe, the bistro at 22d and Carpenter Streets. (There will be a preview the night before for the neighborhood.) Executive chef Maureen Stoebenau most recently was chef de cuisine at Royal Tavern. Menu (all dinner plates under $21) and website are here.

April 28 is Cupcake Smash, the widely entertaining and carbo-rrific baking contest that benefits Philabundance; at the Piazza at Schmidt's. Details are here.

The end of April is the target for Rittenhouse Tavern, the Nick Elmi/Ed Brown joint at the Art Alliance on Rittenhouse Square.

The Northern Liberties branch of Circles (812 N. Second St.) is up for late April – date to be determined, as owner Alex Boonphaya is making his way back from a Thai vacation.

Spiga, the casual sibling of Le Castagne's at 1305 Locust St., is looking at early May.

I'm hearing late April/early May for Vernick Food & Drink (2031 Walnut St.), a chef-driven American.

May 6 is Burger Brawl at the Fleisher Art Memorial.

May 11 is the debut of the New Market at the Shambles, a Friday evening of programming at Head House Square.

May 24 is the scheduled debut of Morgan's Pier, the seasonal beer garden where Rock Lobster used to be on the Delaware riverfront.

By the end of May, the revised Le Bec-Fin should be open.

Night Market – the hugely popular food-truck-and-music pop-ups staged by The Food Trust - is coming to Northern Liberties (Second and Poplar Streets) on Thursday, May 24, and to the Italian Market (Ninth Street and Washington Avenue) on Thursday, June 28. Hours will be 6 to 10 p.m. Details: www.nightmarketphilly.org.

It might be a tad early to set your DVR, but note June 6: Reading Terminal Market sandwich emporium DiNic's will be on the Travel Channel's season premiere of Man vs. Food as part of a regional sandwich competition. They will be going up against Primanti Bros. of Pittsburgh and Katz's Deli in NYC. Details are here.

For a list of forthcoming restaurants, see my map here.