Restaurant notes: New in Chinatown, Table 31's plaza plans

This one is a ways away, but why not be the first on your blog, er, block, to know: Hop Sing, an upscale Chinese resto-lounge, at 1029 Race St., where Indonesia used to be. Owners are keeping a lid on details for now. If you're an old coot like me, the name will ring a bell. If not, there's Wikipedia.

Table 31 has not only installed wicker furniture and a real bar in the plaza in front of the Comcast Center (17th and JFK Boulevard). Later this summer, there are plans to build an enclosure so the patio can be used 10 months a year, says chef/owner Chris Scarduzio. The enclosure will be topped by an orange roof and feature removable sides.

Wilmington has two newcomers -- actually one oldcomer and one newcomer. The oldcomer is the Columbus Inn (2216 Pennsylvania Ave.), which has been gutted and fabulously redone. It's bidding for business and leisure crowds as it tries to shake its old blue-hair rep. Chef Chris D'Ambro worked in Philly at Bocca. His dinner menu is here. His lunch menu is here. His brunch menu is here. His tavern menu is here. Wilmington's newer newcomer is FireStone (110 S. West St.), a grill-pizza-bar in a business park by the Christina River. Last occupant was CW Harborside. Interior has lots of fieldstone, and there's a pizza oven in the dining room. There's a large bar indoors, and a patio bar by the river that heats up at happy hour and for late night.