Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan’s online chat of April 25, 2017:
Reader: Any thoughts on Washington Avenue west of Broad as a dining destination? I drove by Chick's this weekend and it was packed. Cafe Ynez is a nice little spot, and hopefully Kermit's can get reopened in some form. It seems like there's plenty of room for development.
Craig LaBan: Thrilled to see some activity on that western end of Washington Avenue, which has so much potential to become a retail strip for the rising neighborhoods of Point Breeze and Graduate Hospital. Chick's (which Michael Klein describes as a "sports-bar/pizzeria") obviously just opened last weekend. But still, so much more progress has to be made before West Washington feels like it's found its groove. I like Cafe Ynez enough, but there are so many more authentic Mexican options to tempt me just a few blocks' drive beyond. Kermit's had a great spirit, but I wasn't a big fan of its baked goods, which is a problem for a bakery. Don't forget the Vietnamese market on the 1600 block, which has a really good banh mi shop and very solid pho restaurant (Huong Tram) inside. I'm also curious still to try Aprons, the newish soul food place at Grays Ferry that replaced the hot dog shop. I have a feeling, though, this strip is only in its infancy as the new housing both north and south of Washington continues to grow.
One more thought on Washington Avenue's potential. It feels like a natural focal point for the area to develop a retail strip, as opposed to the largely industrial businesses that currently surround it. But I'm skeptical that much can really flourish there until it becomes a more pedestrian-friendly zone. All the best restaurant strips in Philly have that cozy, walkable neighborhood feel - East Passyunk, Frankford Avenue, even Sansom Street ... bigger boulevards that don't make accommodations for pedestrian traffic (i.e. Second Street in Northern Liberties) often struggle to get it going in a sustainable way. Unless, of course, there's some serious parking access.
Reader: I live in Harleysville. Any recommendations for good food and drink in this area or Norristown, Lansdale, North Wales area? Please help!
C.L: In Lansdale, you should try Stove & Tap, which is a lively and thoughtful update to the American pub. Also, Round Guys there is one of the better craft breweries in the area - and a regular participant in the Brewvitational. I'll think about Norristown and North Wales recs for another day.
Reader: A NE Philly BYO off Holme Circle recently started charging a corkage fee that I'm a bit outraged by. This is not NYC or an upscale BYO. I go to all the BYOs in the city. This is the first I've seen charge a corkage.
C.L.: Corkage fees are rare at BYOs in Philly, because competition demands it be free. A few places have added the charge in exchange for better stemware (crystal ain’t cheap!) but that never felt like a sustainable policy, unless the food was so amazing people wouldn’t blink. Of course, NE Philly doesn’t have many contemporary BYOBs to compete with, so perhaps this one can pull it off. (Blue Duck?) I can tell you about 50 other places to eat in the Northeast; visit www.philly.com/northeast.