Spicy Memory brings Sichuan to Washington Square West

The 1100 block of Walnut Street in Washington Square West - home of the Forrest Theatre - is shaping up as a row of wallet-friendly dining.

In the last several months, Italian sandwich shop Matt & Marie's turned up at 1107 Walnut, healthful take-out Snap Kitchen took 1109 Walnut, and haute-dog bar Destination Dogs opened at 1111 Walnut.

Add to this Top Tomato (also at 1107 Walnut), Bareburger (also at 1109 Walnut), Xiandu Thai Fusion (1119 Walnut), the durable Moriatry's (1116 Walnut), The Irish Pub (1123 Walnut), and Caribou Cafe (1126 Walnut), and, yes, the Wendy's at the corner of 11th and Walnut, it's quite a collection.

Opening next month at 1115 Walnut (where Moaz was) will be a vegan spot called PlantPure Café from Fernando Peralta of Bryn Mawr's recently shuttered Vge Cafe.

The most recent opening on the block is a Sichuan BYOB called Spicy Memory (1105 Walnut St., 215-982-1992). It's the ownership debut of Christy Ha, a Sichuan-born resident of England, and associate Jackie Li. (The space had been intended as a city location of Willow Grove's Colonial Quy-Bau.)

Space, whose walls maintain the initial brick, is a bit broken up, as the entrance is several steps below the first-floor dining room. Second-floor dining includes seating overlooking Walnut Street.

Menu (here), served from lunchtime through late night, has Sichuan specialties including dry pepper chicken, fish stew with pickled vegetables and tofu, and dandan noodles. There's an $8.95 weekday lunch special.