Michael Klein: Wine and simple fare at Manayunk's Agiato
Nearly a year and a half after development began, chef Joseph Scarpone has unveiled Agiato (4359 Main St., 215-482-9700), a rustic, cozy paninoteca/enoteca dominated by a 14-seat communal table and featuring a simple menu of salads, soups, and sandwiches
Nearly a year and a half after development began, chef Joseph Scarpone has unveiled Agiato (4359 Main St., 215-482-9700), a rustic, cozy paninoteca/enoteca dominated by a 14-seat communal table and featuring a simple menu of salads, soups, and sandwiches (most pressed, about $10 each). There's a coffee bar and 25 to 30 wines by the glass, 60 by the bottle. It's open daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; weekend breakfast will start Saturday. Scarpone got on the local culinary map with Sovalo, a now-closed bistro in Northern Liberties.
What's new
After building a following in University City with his fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant Hummus, Fabrice Saadoun began looking for a second location. At the same time, Avital Mentel was, in her words, "a schoolteacher who likes to cook." She had done some catering previously, but now that her kids were off to college, she felt the urge to get into the restaurant business. A friend told Mentel of Saadoun, and now the two are partners in the new branch of Hummus, in Ardmore Shopping Plaza (18 Greenfield Ave., Ardmore, 610-645-9500
Chris DiFabio, who sold his catering business in Media several years ago, has opened Pistachio's, a Tuscan-style BYO cafe, carry-out, and catering operation at 237 E. Gay St. in West Chester (484-887-0488). It's open Tuesdays through Saturdays for lunch and dinner, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.
Changes
Two kids and several years after bowing out of pro cooking, Caribou Cafe and Pigalle alumna Stacey DiPlacido-Guokas is back in the game. This week, she took over in the back of the house at Fitzwater Cafe (728 S. Seventh St.), the breakfast-lunch BYOB offshoot of the Saloon. She's reinstituted dinners, Wednesdays through Saturdays. Entrees are under $20, except for the $23 seafood cioppino.
Le Virtu (1927 E. Passyunk Ave.) now allows BYOB with no corkage on Tuesday nights.
Maitre d' Andre Darwish has left Union Trust steak house. Again. The Le Bec-Fin alum says he was released in August because of sagging sales. He was rehired in October to train staff, but was let go after the completion.
Mike Welsh, managing partner at the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. (112 S. 18th St.), is teaming up with Mitch Prensky of Supper (928 South St.). Welsh and team have developed cocktail menus for Supper and consult on Supper's beverage program. Prensky prepares small-plate menus for the Franklin.