Table Talk: Bar/restaurant plus butcher

Across the street from the artisan work at the new La Colombe Torrefaction flagship in Fishtown, restaurateur Michael Pasquarello and butcher Bryan Mayer are behind the new Kensington Quarters (1310 Frankford Ave., 267-314-5086).

It's a bar/restaurant with a butcher counter and classroom built in. Mayer, one of the godfathers of a new generation of butchers, ran the show at Fleisher's Grass-Fed & Organic Meats in New York. A chance meeting with Pasquarello - who with his wife, Jeniphur, owns Cafe Lift, Prohibition Taproom, and Bufad - sent him, his wife and daughter to Philadelphia.

Chef Damon Menapace, an Alla Spina alum, has a walk-in cooler full of inspiration, as well as other fresh products from local growers. He has wood-burning grills and a brick oven. The 20-tap system has 12 beers and eight wines.

They have cut into the old structure, punching out skylights and working with most of the building's bones, including brick and vaulted ceilings. They stripped it down and added cedar beams and white subway tiling with black grout. The main dining area is in the back, on spalted wood tables. There's also a back patio.

In January, Mayer says he will open a butchering classroom and private event space on the second floor, which has its own bar.

Kensington Quarters is open for dinner daily; the butcher shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Sunday until 6 p.m.

George Sabatino, who made his mark as a bar chef, has raised the bar figuratively and literally for himself with Aldine - his long-in-the-works restaurant/bar on the second floor of 1901 Chestnut St. (215-454-6529).

In the high-ceilinged dining room, Boxwood Architects went spare: dark oak floors, plum and gray wall accents, lots of old photos, an eight-seat, granite-topped bar lit by enormous globes, silver tin ceiling, and open kitchen.

Aldine - say it "al-DEEN" - offers only an a la carte menu (beautifully plated dishes of halibut, hanger steak, duck breast, rabbit, raw beef, for $10 to $22). After a while, two tasting menus - one omnivore, one herbivore, each $55 per person - will be available by reservation only. Walk-ins and bar patrons can order a la carte.

Sabatino worked at Fork, Monk's Cafe, and Ansill before joining the Marcie Turney/Valerie Safran partnership on 13th Street at Lolita, Bindi, and Barbuzzo. His first executive chef's role was at Stateside before he opened Morgan's Pier for Avram Hornik in 2013. His wife, Jennifer, runs the bar.

Aldine - named after the Aldine Theatre that later was Sam's Place (and is now the CVS on the opposite corner) - formerly was Noche Lounge.

Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Chinatown duck destination Ting Wong (138 N. 10th St.) reopened Saturday after a frenzied two weeks' renovation that spruced up the dining room. Prices on many items rose 50 cents, though it is still a bargain.