Meritage in Rittenhouse to close

Meritage, an ambitious American bistro that has held down the corner of 20th and Lombard Streets for about nine years, will close after business Saturday, Sept. 19.

In an email, owners Michele DiPietro and Irene Landy called Meritage "a very special place where we made many friends, had lots of laughs and great memories. For many including us, it was a home away from home. I'm proud to say we lived our dream and we look forward to the next chapter in our lives. We want to thank all of our loyal customers and friends for sharing this experience with us. It has truly been an honor serving you all these years."

"Three Bells [from The Inquirer's Craig LaBan, which a year ago slipped to two bells], Irene's stories at the bar, Miller Lites, Mummers, restaurant weeks, fires, power outages, wall collapse, tasting menus, late night dance parties, bar crawls, Phillies World Series walk to Broad St. with whole bar, our wedding, one final glass of wine with great friends. This sums up the Meritage experience!"

In a phone conversation, DiPietro said the wall collapse in the kitchen was a long time headache. She said she would not speculate about their next steps.