You may not have noticed it, unless you’re a teenager, a college student from China, or a Chinatown resident, but a slow wave has been sweeping through the storefronts of Philly’s Chinatown. There have been many openings in the past year that tap into both global food trends and scarcities in our local food scene that are changing the fabric of Chinatown.
The splashiest opening has been at the corner of 10th and Arch Streets, adjacent to the Chinatown Friendship Arch, where heytea opened its first Philly store. They’ve had to assign bouncers to monitor the line that has snaked back and forth down the block. Heytea, which was founded in Guangdong in 2012 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, operates more than 4,000 stores worldwide.
It took 90 minutes to obtain one of its King Jasmine Guava tea beverages ($7.99) last month, during a thunderstorm that did not deter people from waiting in long lines to order. This is not unusual for the brand. According to heytea’s press representative, Yinnan Shen, when the chain opened its Upper West Side store in New York, a few weeks prior to Philly’s location opening, “more than 600 people were in line, stretching nearly three city blocks.”
Heytea thus comes with its own built-in tailgate, populated in recent weeks by the tea company’s super fans (many of them teenagers), curious onlookers, and those lured by buy-one-get-one-free opening bargains. It seems to have found a sizable market for what it calls “new-style” tea, most of which pairs brewed, chilled Chinese tea (like oolong), mixed with fresh fruit.
Opening day (and subsequent days) have drawn long lines outside of heytea in Philly’s Chinatown.heytea
Heytea is just one of a slew of new Chinese beverage chains hitting Philly. Other markets have been whipped into a frenzy by these exports. But this wave has been relatively slow to reach Philly. For years, shops selling boba, or bubble tea, many of them franchises originating in Taiwan, have been plugging along in a relatively stagnant scene. But boba is waning. Chinese coffee, brewed iced tea, and yogurt drinks — all served cold — are on the rise.
Taiwanese chain Vivi Bubble Tea (100 stores in 13 countries) opened in Philly’s Chinatown in 2015. The first Philly Chinatown Kung Fu Tea opened in 2016, and the first Mr. Wish franchise opened in 2017. And the first Teazzi Tea Shop, a few steps away from heytea on Arch Street, opened in 2023.
Chinatown is home to many other now-familiar outposts of relatively smaller tea-focused chains, like the Chinese Tsaocaa and the Taiwanese Gong Cha, Chi Cha San Chen, and Tiger Sugar. Each of these brands have between 80 and 300 stores worldwide. In contrast with heytea, these chains are minuscule.
Non-Asian cafes may have just discovered matcha and ube (Filipino purple yam) to the point where both are now constantly seeing global shortages, but these flavors are generally a footnote on the new beverage shops’ menus.
The inside of Kyo Matcha on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
An exception to this is Kyo Matcha, which opened last month, also to dizzyingly long lines. At Kyo Matcha, matcha is, of course, the star, and ube plays second fiddle, appearing in both the shop’s desserts and beverages. It’s owned and operated by two young couples, originally from mainland China. When asked why they didn’t open their own, unique concept, one of the owners, Danya Li, said, “Starting a brand from scratch is so hard.”
People aren’t really opening independent, uniquely branded shops in Chinatown these days, with the exception of Super Bao & Cake Girl, which took over KC’s Pastries, and Hen Ji Hou Wei Xuan Cheung Fun, which serves gossamer rice paper rolls and hearty bowls of congee.
The Mango Yakult yogurt drink at Hey I Am Yogost, 124 N. 10th St.Kiki Aranita / Staff
And we’re probably going to see a lot more of them, especially as they spread through other Chinatowns in the tristate area.
Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coffee brand, debuted in Manhattan just over a year ago. It now has 25 locations in New York City alone and 36,310 stores worldwide. The brand is so huge that earlier this year, it acquired pioneering coffee roaster Blue Bottle. There isn’t a Luckin location in Philly yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
Luckin, along with fellow massive Chinese coffee chains Cotti (over 18,000 locations worldwide) and Mixue (almost 60,000 locations worldwide) have ingrained themselves into all of New York’s Chinatowns. All of them opened in New York in 2025. They are different in concept from quick service Taiwanese boba chains and cafes that promote lingering (like Starbucks). They prioritize scale, reaching as many people as possible.
Having chains move into Chinatown is a double-edged sword. It is invigorating a neighborhood barely saved from arena-related destruction and now teems with young people lining up for wholesome beverages.
A Oreo Tornado at Kyo Matcha on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
But in Manhattan, these chains have also been pricing out other businesses. It started years ago with boba chains — it has even been referred to as the “bobafication of Chinatown.” Boba chains were the first to supplant not only immigrant-owned restaurants, but housewares shops, pharmacies, salons, and other businesses.
Grace Young, an advocate for Chinatowns nationwide, asked on Instagram, “At this rate, will Chinatown become Bubble Tea Town?” In the last year, “Bubble Tea Town” has evolved into “Chinese coffee and tea town.”
Philly’s Chinatown has also experienced this form of gentrification; it has just, until now, been slower.
All over Philly, the cafe scene is going through seismic shifts, largely bolstered by chains. Rittenhouse’s location of Blank Street, the New York-based chain that sells coffee and matcha, opened Monday, to lines as long as heytea’s.
Blank Street’s first Philly location, at 1801 Spruce St., draws lines around the block on its opening day, Sept. 7, 2026.Kiki Aranita / Staff /
Haraz Coffee Shop is soon to open its third location in Philly, adding to the wave of Yemeni coffee shops sweeping through Philly.
We’re seeing more international outposts devoted to coffee in Philly neighborhoods, so that now Philadelphians have more options than ever, whether we’re looking for a Korean cafe or new wave Vietnamese coffee.
But no neighborhood other than Chinatown has been subject, at the hands of cafe chains, to such a condensed, rapid rate of change. Their influx means Chinatown will see fewer independent businesses and consume more from multinational conglomerates.
But it does make a younger generation, attuned to tea trends, happy. Like all forms of gentrification, it serves some communities while displacing other ones.
One of Philly’s most prominent fine-dining restaurants received a state grant to createan even higher-end establishment. The project promises to create 100 jobs and help cement Philly’s place as a culinary hot spot. It drew criticism over the use of tax dollars.
The Weekend Restaurant Group, which owns the acclaimed Rittenhouse Square restaurant Friday Saturday Sunday, was awarded $1.5 million from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program in July to help finance the expansion of the Michelin-starred restaurant. The grant will cover only a fraction of the project’s multimillion-dollar budget.
The endeavor will be the “first minority-owned restaurant of its kind” in the United States, wrote Friday Saturday Sunday chef-owner Chad Williams, who is Black, in the restaurant group’s application.
The undertaking involves connecting Friday Saturday Sunday with a neighboring rowhouse that will eventually be transformed into a three-story dining destination withan 18-seat chef’s counter, private dining rooms, and a post-dinner sweets lounge.
Williams runs Friday Saturday Sunday with his wife, Hanna. Together, they announced plans to grow their award-winning restaurant at 261 S. 21st St. last summer, after entering an agreement to buy the adjoiningproperty at 2048 Rittenhouse Square. Neighbors enthusiastically endorsed their ambitious plan, whichcame five months before the restaurant earned a Michelin star.
The interior of Friday Saturday Sunday’s upstairs dining room, which offers a $205-per-person tasting menu.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
In the state grant application,Williamswrote “the project will generate significant cultural impact [by] retaining and creating high-quality jobs, attracting visitors from the region and beyond, and raising Philadelphia’s profile.” Renovatingthe storied Philadelphia restaurant “demonstrates a long-term to commitment to the city, with the scale and ambition to be a generational anchor in its neighborhood.”
Yet when news of the grant spread on social media last month, it was met with critics who were angry that taxpayer dollars were funding a fine-dining restaurant.
“Luxe restaurant getting a grant to become more luxe? … WTF?” one person wrote under an Instagram post about the grant with over 100 comments, many of which were critical.
“Give it to the schools” instead, wrote another.
The grilled quail with coco bread at Friday Saturday Sunday, photographed in 2022.MONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer
Williams says the grant money — which is from a fund for construction projects that would benefit the state culturally and economically — is a win for the city, not just Friday Saturday Sunday.
“I was born here. I left, learned all that I could, and came back. What we want to do is push the culture forward and, with that, hopefully [bring] economic benefits for everyone in the city,” Williams said.
“There’s going to be tax revenue and jobs that come back in a very real way.”
A much-debated grant program
Better known as RACP, theRedevelopment Assistance Capital Program defrays the cost of construction-ready projects across Pennsylvania that stand to generate substantial economic growth. The fund has stirred controversy in the past.
The program was launched in 1986 tosupport construction and real estate projects that intend to create jobs, boost tax revenue, orhave significant cultural and civic impact. Eligible projects must cost at least $1 million and secure at least half of their funding from other sources.
Chef Chad Williams and Hanna Williams at their restaurant Friday Saturday Sunday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Because grants are decided at the governor’s discretion, the program has previously been criticized for a lack of transparency and glad-handing.
RACP was overhauled in 2012 after an audit found that the Gov. Tom Corbett administration did not adequately disclose or document why projects were awarded grants. Similar accusations cropped up again in 2020, when critics alleged Gov. Tom Wolf and state legislators were misusing the program for political favors.
This July, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration allocated $445 million in RACP grants to 356 projects across the state. Recipients range from private real estate developments and public parks to affordable housing and renovations of schools, hospitals, and community centers. The program was particularly competitive in Philadelphia: 170 projects applied. More than half were rejected.
(function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();
Friday Saturday Sunday’s expansion is projected to cost $7.5 million overall, according to the grant application. Once complete, Williams told The Inquirer, it will add 100 front- and back-of-house jobs to the Weekend Restaurant Group’s payroll. (The group currently has 40 employees, according to the application.)
Not all RACP hopefuls are awarded the full amount of funding they applied for. Friday Saturday Sunday’s expansionwas one of 12 Philly projects awarded the full amount requested.
(function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();
A spokesperson for the Shapiro administration told The Inquirer over email that the Weekend Restaurant Group’s proposal “is fully consistent with the purpose and authorized uses of the RACP program and represents an appropriate use of RACP funds.”
The downstairs Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday is a two-time James Beard Award nominee.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Receiving the RACP grant was a relief, said Williams, who said he is funding more than half of the $7.5 million project with loans.
Taking on the financial liability is “not a rosy story necessarily,” Williams said, “but it’s a risk we’re willing to take.”
Williams envisionsthe3,500-square-foot rowhouse at 2048 Rittenhouse Square as a chance to create an old-school fine-dining experience inspired by the likes of Le Bec-Fin and Vetri Cucina. Guests will start with welcome drinks on the ground floor before moving upstairs for an intimate meal at a chef’s counter helmed by Williams. Diners will finish the meal on the third floor in a designated dessert space, Williams said.
The octopus and beans from the bar menu at Friday Saturday Sunday, photographed in 2023.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The concept will extend the Friday Saturday Sunday brand and render the original tasting menu into a “less formal” affair that is more in line with “what neighbors and regulars want,” Williams said. The connected properties will also enable Friday Saturday Sunday to serve large parties and potentially open seven days a week. The expanded hours will allow for more staff, Williams said
Williams said the project could break ground in October. He’s optimistic about a September 2027 opening.
He framed Friday Saturday Sunday’s expansion as a moonshot. “To be frank, for a Black chef to have this opportunity and do it is a big deal,” Williams said.
“Having a chance to practice our craft at this level is extremely rare.”
‘We need all the help we can get’
Williams decided to apply for RACP funds after exhausting more traditional financing routes.
“Without state support, the project would face a significant financing gap,” he wrote in the application, “as private funds alone cannot absorb both the acquisition and essential structural work.”
Despite his restaurant’s extremely successful track record, the chef found the process similar to the original financing of Friday Saturday Sunday — which required the Williamses to sell their home and submit paperwork to“14 different banks” before finding one that would take a chance on them.
Friday Saturday Sunday, run by chef Chad Williams and his wife, Hanna, earns a Michelin star at the Kimmel Center on Nov. 18, 2025.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
It’s a struggle many Black entrepreneurs know well: Several studies have found that Black-owned businesses are discouraged to apply, denied, and offered inferior loans at higher rates than white counterparts, even when appearing more creditworthy.
“We’ve put in our work here, had some success and won some things, but it did not make [financing] any easier,” said Williams. He was attracted to RACP because it was described to him as a “colorblind grant” by other BIPOC entrepreneurs who encouraged him to apply.
Given the name, it’s no surprise that the soups are fantastic at Phở Duyên, a tiny four-year-old corner restaurant with an open kitchen at Fifth and Snyder in South Philly. Chef Duyên Le’s beef rendition of Vietnam’s famous phở comes with an impressive bouquet of herbs on a side plate (not just the usual Thai basil, but also perilla, rau ram, culantro, and mint). Its crystal-clear dark broth, swirling with star anise and other spices, is dappled with droplets of molten fat for extra flavor.
The chicken version, phở gà, is served with a side plate of the tender, poached bone-in chunks of the fresh-killed bird. The soulful and fragrant broth is the best I’ve tasted in South Philly since Phở Gà Thanh Thanh left its Washington Avenue location to consolidate at its larger home in Olney.
Pho gà at Pho Duyên.Craig LaBan / Staff
Phở Duyên’s spicy crab noodle soup, bún riêu, is also incredible, with plump seafood meatballs bobbing alongside cubes of pork blood, fried tofu, and sundry meats that — with an extra helping of purple shrimp paste to ratchet up the umami funk level — is one of the most intense soup experiences in town.
The colorful interior of Phở Duyên in South Philadelphia.Craig LaBan / StaffThe crab noodle soup at Phở Duyên, bún riêu, is filled with seafood meatballs, assorted meats, and a broth that shimmers with spice.Craig LaBan / Staff
And yet, these soups are not even the best thing that I ate at Phở Duyên, which just reopened after the family returned from an extended vacation in Vietnam. That would be the Vietnamese fried chicken platter, cơm gà xối mỡ. This meaty chicken thigh and drumstick is first simmered to juicy tenderness, then painted with a secret sauce to give it a rosy hue (the details of which chef Le declined to divulge). It crisps into a shattering crunch of parchment-thin skin you can hear across the table when someone takes a bite. An additional glaze of sweet-sour-salty sauce drizzled over top lends an extra swerve to the taste buds. It’s so, so good. But it’s really the platter as a whole — an irresistible mound of turmeric-tinted fried rice laced with crunchy fried shallots, a simple cup of restorative broth on the side, and tangy cubes of pickled daikon to refresh your palate between bites — that makes this meal my No. 1 food deal for $15 in Philadelphia right now.
Vietnamese fried chicken, Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ, is served at Pho Duyen in South Philadelphia with fried rice, pickled Daikon cubes, and a cup of broth.Craig LaBan / Staff
In what Joey Termini of Termini Brothers Bakery is calling the “most South Philadelphia thing ever,” a Route 47 bus drove through wet concrete after two people reportedly hopped off to move street barricades so the bus could pass Thursday.
The sinking bus, which tilted on a slight edge as it got stuck on South Eighth Street outside Termini Bros., drove through the concrete only two minutes after city crews poured it into the road.
In surveillance footage provided by Termini, the bus, aptly adorned with Top Dog Law advertisements, slows to a halt in front of two A-frame street closure signs on Eighth Street. Two passengers are then seen hopping off the bus, casually moving the signs out of the way and directing the bus driver like air traffic controllers around the patch of concrete in the middle of the road. As the bus gets stuck and tilts to the side, smacking the pavement in the process, hardly any of the passengers on the bus can be seen visibly reacting.
“In South Philly, people are like, “I’ll find a way,” Termini said. “At the time I was a little frustrated because we waited months to get that pothole fixed, but you know looking back at it now, it really is funny. I’m just glad nobody was hurt.”
The brothers Termini have been coordinating with the city to get the pothole-turned-sinkhole resolved since it formed 14 months ago, Termini said. He knew it was getting bad when the sinkhole started swallowing traffic cones placed inside it — a time-honored Philadelphian quick fix.
Their prayers were answered Thursday when city crews came in the afternoon to repair the street. But right after the concrete was poured and the street blocked off at 7:21 p.m., a 47 bus found its way into the concrete pit at 7:23 p.m., according to Termini’s surveillance footage.
The bus was towed within about 45 minutes, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said. According toan inspection, the only damage to the bus was from cement on one tire, so it will not be out of service for an extended period of time, Busch said.
The city posted notices about the scheduled maintenancealong the street in the days preceding the repair and no-parking signs were posted. “This wasn’t something that they just decided to do on a whim,” Termini said.
SEPTA had a detour in place for this block along Route 47 on Thursday, which is standard operating procedure during planned road maintenance, Busch said. All internal notices of the detour were made, including to operators working on the 47.
“We have an internal review underway to determine exactly why this occurred,” Busch said. “We will also see what we can learn from it and possibly improve on moving forward.”
Termini feels for the driver, who wasn’t the first to have trouble on Eighth Street, as he saw at least three other buses making difficult turns to move around detours — something he felt could have been coordinated better by the city and SEPTA.
“I know the driver was probably really stressed out,” Termini said. “But the guy getting off the bus to move the barriers and then run back on the bus, even after the bus got stuck in concrete, I was like, ‘This is Philly.’”
And to make the ending sweeter, when city crews came out Friday morning to repair the bus-botched repair job, Termini handed out cannolis to those working on the road.
“There’s enough craziness going on in the world out there,” Termini said. “Sometimes, we just have to laugh.”
Bottled wine has its upsides, but sometimes it’s impractical. Heading into the holiday weekend, many people have plans to celebrate outdoors, at the beach, on boats, or poolside — where glass is prohibited or discouraged. And bottles can be too heavy and bulky for ease of use in campgrounds or for picnics in the park. This is where the advantages of a 3-liter bag-in-box wine shine, as with this vibrant California cabernet sauvignon.
The 3-liter size hits the sweet spot for bargain seekers, since the box contains the equivalent of four standard bottles of wine for the price of two. There’s no need to rush to polish all the liquid off once you’ve opened it thanks to the bag-and-tap system, which can keep the wine tasting fresh for up to 4 weeks. The same volume of wine in a box weighs a lot less and occupies far less space, making it easier to pack for adventures. Added benefits include lowering the wine’s shipping and storage costs and shrinking the carbon footprint, too.
Stylistically, this wine is dark in color and intense in taste without being too strong in alcohol to be enjoyable on a sunny day behind the grill. Its tannins are also soft enough for this red wine to taste good on ice if it gets hot out, and the concentration of its cherry and raspberry flavors also make an excellent base for sangria. Best of all, this style tastes fantastic with a juicy cheeseburger or grilled chicken.
Nighthawk by Bota “Bold” Cabernet SauvignonCourtesy of Bota Box Vineyards
Nighthawk by Bota “Bold” Cabernet Sauvignon
California
13.5% ABV
PLCB Item #2496
On sale for $22.99 through Oct. 4 (regularly $24.99)
No alternate retail locations within 50 miles of Philadelphia according to Wine-Searcher.com
When the baked, crab au gratin-stuffed potato with a caviar “blackout” was placed in front of me at Mr. Edison’s bar, the man sitting next to me looked upon it with wonder. His eyes were transfixed upon the spud, which spewed crab cream — lightly broiled, like the top of a classic French onion soup — and lots of fish eggs from its potato casing. After he watched me take one bite and then another, he leaned over and asked, “Is that as good as everyone says?”
The $48 baked potato at Mr. Edison comes stuffed with crab imperial.Craig LaBan / Staff
Short answer: It is not. I wanted this absurdly expensive baked potato to be good. I love that baked potatoes, of all things, have been trending in the last year. And besides, my colleague, restaurant critic Craig LaBan, liked the non-caviar-topped version of it. It was one of the few bright points of his review of the splashy new restaurant in the Bellevue hotel: “The restaurant’s $48 baked potato, stuffed with nearly half a pound of sweet lump crab au gratin, was the most memorable thing I ate at Mr. Edison,” he wrote.
Thomas Angelina straightens the menus during service at Mr. Edison in the Bellevue Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The same restaurant can offer experiences that diverge widely, justas not all potatoes are created equal.
Alas, the baked potato I was served at Mr. Edison was all mush. “Well, a baked potato is usually all mush,” you might say. But think about a classic baked potato. There’s the crisp and chew of bacon bits; the gooeyness of melted cheese; bright, tangy, cold sour cream; a sharp pop of chives, all before you even get to the potato part. Precisely the kind of baked potato that’sall-you-can-eat for $15 on Wednesdays at Wine Dive, not even two blocks from Mr. Edison.
And if you’re eating a jacket potato from Mod Spuds in Graduate Hospital (five blocks away from Mr. Edison, with much better baked potatoes), you cantrust great attention was paid to making sure the potato skin is crispy.
The caviar-ladenbaked potato at Mr. Edison costs almost six times what a potato at Mod Spud’s costs. Is it six times better? It is not. There is always a chasm between cost and value. When it comes to the Mr. Edison’s baked potato, that chasm is very wide.
The ideas behind the dishes at Mr. Edison aren’t terrible. Cream belongs on a baked potato, and so there it is. People love crab. So there’s crab in that cream. And people love caviar, so put that on there, too. But somewhere along the way, it seems that the kitchen forgot to make the final result delicious in addition to expensive.
But we’re not really talking about an $88 potato here, are we?
We’re talking about that upcharge, the caviar that catapults a $48 baked potato (still wildly expensive) into the stuff of legend — or at least, the stuff that makes food writers like me write articles about it, including a $55 slice of pizza (it comes with caviar), a $59 pancake (it also comes with caviar, but thankfully, it’s delicious even without it), or a $140 cheesesteak (it comes with truffles, foie gras, and champagne).
My colleague Michael Klein, who wrote about that $55 slice of pizza from Marina’s Pizza, said that it felt like a stunt. Indeed, caviar is seemingly everywhere now. Give me all the high-quality caviar all the time. But caviar for caviar’s sake? It’s starting to feel like it’s going the way of truffle oil.
The bar at Mr. Edison in the Bellevue Hotel on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Beware: Caviar is great. Baked potatoes are great. But more caviar and/or money does not buy you a better baked potato. It does, however, buy you the privilege of eating a baked potato in the company of a live pianist, sitting under a Ferris wheel that houses equally astonishingly expensive bottles of liquor.
In our quest to keep you up to date on the restaurant scene, here are 12 spots that opened in the last few months. One example is Ogyu (shown above), which took over Ardmore’s former Iron Hill Brewing. It’s a grill-it-yourself Japanese steakhouse from the owner of the nearby Osushi.
You have to be in shape to lug around 100-pound salmon and tuna. Kiki Aranita found a group of sushi chefs who routinely lift weights. As they say in the maki game: no pain, no grain.
A couple didn’t want their local drinking spot to shut down for good. Sarah Nicell writes that they found a solution: They bought it.
The lines are long, and the branding is adorable. Kiki Aranita visits Kyo Matcha in Chinatown.
Pinot grigio is wildly popular for a good reason, and wine writer Marnie Old explains where the best ones come from.
Poe is expanding
Sandwichmeister N.A. Poe will expand the hours of his kitchen operation at Poison Heart next week while preparing to open a new Poe’s Sandwich Joint location by the end of the year.
Starting Tuesday, Poe’s will operate seven days a week out of Poison Heart, 931 Spring Garden St., where he’s run the cocktail bar’s kitchen since last September. Daytime service will be pickup, takeout, and delivery only; Poison Heart itself will not open for daytime bar or dine-in service.
Poe, the nom de plume of Richard Tamaccio Jr., is not disclosing the new joint’s location or opening date. “We look forward to the freedom to do things our way without interference or apologies,” he said.
The move follows Poe’s split with Human Robot Brewing Co., where he had operated since 2019. His last day at Human Robot’s Kensington location is Thursday. Cantina La Martina will take over Human Robot’s kitchens at both Kensington and Brewerytown. Poe also parted company with the Monto, a new Old City bar.
At Poison Heart, Poe’s will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Poison Heart’s regular Wednesday-through-Saturday evening service will continue, with Poe’s classics and specials added to the menu.
Two tasty bright spots of a staycation for Emily Bloch and her boyfriend included hamachi collar and poolside swordfish skewers. In other words: There’s great fish to be had in Fishtown.
Scoops
Old Friend, an upscale restaurant with a wood-fired grill and a chef with a Center City pedigree, is coming to the Main Line later this year.
Corte, on its way to the former East Market home of Mulherin’s Pizza, will have an Italian backbone, focusing on handmade pasta and cooking from the wood-fired oven. If that sounds like University City’s Corio, that’s because the same crew is behind it.
Big Charlie’s Saloon, the nationally known Kansas City Chiefs-theme bar in South Philadelphia that closed with the owner’s death last December, is under agreement of sale. The buyers’ plans don’t include NFL memorabilia.
Restaurant report
We’re in a New York state of mind:
Dorade asado and pork belly al pastor (shown above) are two dishes offered at the new Mixteca, the Kensington offshoot of a Manhattan agave-focused coctelería from two James Beard Award-winning bartenders. Beatrice Forman heads to the former Martha for a look around.
Smash burgers and fries are the hook at 7th Street Burger, a fast-growing Manhattan-based burger chain that just opened the first of four Philadelphia-area locations in Fishtown. Kiki Aranita takes a bite.
Briefly noted
Jose Pistola’s 19-year run in Center City has ended. Its related bars in Fishtown and South Philadelphia are unaffected.
Mount Masala Himalayan Cuisine (300 White Horse Rd., Voorhees) will host a Nepal disaster-relief fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 10 from 5 p.m. to closing under the auspices of South Jersey Food Scene. It’s a $25 buffet of Nepali-Himalayan dishes for dine-in or takeout, with all sales donated to the Nepalese government for flood relief.
🥂 New Jersey has permanently allowed the sale and delivery of to-go alcoholic beverages in towns that permit it.
Ask Mike anything
Did Philip Korshak ever open his store, Korshak Picnic Provisions? — Joan M.
Back in February, Phil Korshak, the poet-baker who left town in 2023 after closing his cult-favorite Korshak Bagels, thought he’d open his quirky corner store at 13th and Reed Streets by May. However, “you have no idea how many contractors, electricians, and plumbers go to Europe and Japan in the summertime,” he told me in June. This week, Korshak said the store — now called Korshak Parkside Provisions — is in the health department inspections queue and he’s expecting equipment deliveries. “Let’s call it October,” he told me.
📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
There are few Spanish bar snacks as satisfying — or so hotlydebated — as a properly made tortilla Española.
If you’re lingering in the hot southern cities of Andalusia, where the iconic potato-and-onion omelet is typically served room temperature or cold, the eggs are fully set.
“But from Madrid north to Basque Country, it’s traditionally made to order and served warm and custardy,” says Patrick Iselin, 50, the co-owner of BAR ilu, who spent half his childhood in Spain and now splits time between Philadelphia and the Madrid apartment once owned by his grandmother, Iluminada “Ilu” Prellezo Inchausti.
So it follows thatthe eponymousnew cornerbar at Dauphin and Martha Streets — which happen to share the 40th parallel north with Madrid — serves its tortilla Española with a loose and edgy Kensington flair: “runny af,” as noted on the menu. Served as a wedge, with olive oil-fried potato chunks and sweet onion laces bulging from its glossy middle, a warm forkful of this eggy wonder is as transporting as it gets.
Andrew Butler, chef de cuisine at BAR ilu, making the tortilla Espanola.Tyger Williams / Staff PhotographerThe tortilla Espanola at BAR ilu.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Wash it down with a bracingly crisp glass of La Gitana Manzanilla sherry on draft, plus a fistful of crunchy Marcona almonds, a forkful of tangy boquerones, and a crock of olives warmed with orange zest and herbs, and it’s hard to deny that BAR ilu is an appealing development for this rapidly changing corner of Kensington. It is perhaps also a little dissonant for those who know the neighborhood history. Thisstylish Euro concept, complete with its undulating circular bar and foam-topped glasses of vermouth, haslanded in a space previously occupied by the Old Philadelphia Bar, one of the last unreconstructed dive bars from what co-owner Scott Coudriet calls Kensington’s “pre-hip-storic” days.
Coudriet, who owns Fishtown’s Lloyd Whiskey Bar, is also partnered with Iselin at nearby Cormorant bar. Their other partners in ilu are Salvatore D’Amato and Jason Evenchik, whose Vintage Syndicate hospitality group operates Vintage, Starbolt, Time, Bar, three Garage locations, and the Goat Rittenhouse.
This veteran team is keenly aware of the sensitive dynamics of change at longstanding bars. That’s why Iselin was adamant about keeping prices reasonable for Kensington locals — no more than $14 a plate, and $16 for distinctive cocktails that would easily cost a few dollars more in Center City — while building this tribute to Spain in his adopted city.
The outside of BAR ilu on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff PhotographerThe back bar area at BAR ilu on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Iselin wanted to craft this 40-seater with as few clichés as possible (no hanging hams, no toro horns, no sangria), but rather the feel of a modern tapas bar he might frequent in Madrid today. He had no idea he was also tapping into the latest evolutionary trend for the Philadelphia bar.
Twenty years ago, the smoky old taverns of yore were being replaced by the gastropub movement of the early aughts, where local craft beers flowed and house charcuterie and pickle programs anchored ambitious seasonal menus that gave a cool new vibe to the neighborhood restaurant. In some cases, they helped redefine the neighborhoods themselves.
Philly’s bar scene is now officially in its grazing phase, with curated drink menus centered around culinary cocktails, natural wines, and nonalcoholic drinks with food offerings often so limited that a hungry fellow like me might need to order three-quarters of the menu to make a meal. Supérette, the charming French wine bar beside East Passyunk’s Singing Fountain, captured this development perfectly in 2025. Owners Chloé Grigri and Vincent Stipo described these snack-centric bars as a “generational thing” for 30-somethings who want a stylish place to hang for in-between meals with friends without committing to an entire evening.
Co-owners Patrick Iselin and Scott Coudriet of BAR ilu, pose for a portrait together on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff PhotographerThe La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry at BAR ilu on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
A similar approach is at work through a Japanese lens at Almanac, the cutting-edge Japanese cocktail bar (with Wagyu hot dogs and kombu-cured celery sticks) above the omakase room at Ogawa. The food menu at Chris Kearse’s new cocktail bar in Washington Square West, Known Associates, lists only a dozen items, counting the cool ranch freeze-dried peas. Same with the recently opened Lillian’s Bar in Point Breeze.As Chris Fetfatzes told me about Grace & Proper, the Portuguese-inspired bar with “tasca” nibbles he debuted in 2022, this template — a distinctive drink program bolstered by a small menu that can be produced with limited service and light kitchen investment (i.e. no hood) — makes perfect business sense in the post-COVID era.
Of course, the Spanish have been doing this for centuries with tapas, a light-bite evening repast that reflects their cultural preference for a larger meal earlier in the day. And yes, Amada has been serving tapas here for 20 years, but always alongsidea much broader menu with large plates and paellas.
Considering all the new small-plate projects that have come online recently, including Bar Cicci, Ellen Yin’s all-day aperitivo bar, Philadelphians may have finally embraced the concept on its own snacky terms.
The front bar at BAR ilu, 2118 E. Dauphin St.Michael Klein / StaffThe various plates including The Boquerones, Melon with Ham, the Tuna Empanada, Tomato Salad, Almonds, and Olives at BAR ilu on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
BAR ilu has a slightly more substantial food menu than most.And part of its appeal is the natural ease with which it blends a Kenzo vibe (seethe mismatched thrifter style of its floral-print wallpaper, black tin ceiling, and teal barstools) with an inventive drink program and classic Spanish plates lightly updated by chef Andrew Butler.
Fig leaf oil adds a shade of coconut-vanilla to a familiar pairing of juicy cantaloupe with shaved serrano ham. Smoked olive oil brings a whiff of earthiness to ripe summer tomatoes with cucumbers and piquillo peppers. A juicy burger topped with Manchego cheese, pickled red onions, and aioli firmly anchors the menu with one can’t-miss comfort option that even the least Spanish-inclined customer will embrace.
But the Spanish flavors, both on the plate and in the glasses, are what have me hooked. Aside from the tortilla, there’s a double-crusted Galician-style empanada stuffed with tuna and cooked-down tomate frito. Plump head-on gambas al ajillo take on a flicker of chili oilheat. Crisp spheres of perfectly fried croquetas harbor lusciously creamy béchamel centers flecked with serrano ham or, my favorite, salty flakes of bacalao.
A Tuna Empanada at BAR ilu on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff PhotographerPat Szoke, culinary director, and Andrew Butler, chef de cuisine, at BAR ilu.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
There were a few misfires. The patatas bravas were pale and lacking crisp. The flattened confit artichoke heart was mushy. The seared mushrooms were oversalted. But these were minor complaints compared to winners like the crusty bocadillo sandwich overstuffed with paprika-fried baby squid drizzled with lemony aioli and more tomate frito. Along with some tiny olives stuffed with briny anchovy, every morsel seemed deliberately calibrated to stoke a thirst.
I especially enjoyed BAR ilu’screative approach to sherry and vermouth, both in cocktails and poured neat. A crisp Manzanilla, already one of my favorite predinner quaffs in summer, added a bracing dryness to Cynar amaro and gin for Remember the Alimony. Vanilla-scented Licor 43 from Spain pairs with chilled Cafe Bustelo for a carajillo whose pebble ice is dusted with coffee-orange powder, and is now one of my top five coffee cocktails in the city.
The Carajillo at BAR ilu on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The Fire Drill is a refreshing tropical blast of passion fruit swirling in mezcal smoke, with an herbal whiff of Lo-Fi gentian amaro to counter the fruity sweetness. A whole Granny Smith apple is juiced to order forthe simpleBooze & Juice, paired with the spirit of your choice (make it mezcal).
Meanwhile, unless you order a glass of dark, sweet-tangy Pedro Ximenez to cap your meal, try the Barquero vermut on draft and top it with orange foam, a combo that tastes like flat Coke dolloped with an orange-creamsicle cloud. There is actual dessert here, too: a perfectly fine almond cake with macerated peaches and cream. But that foamed vermouth was satisfyingly herbal, sweet, and mysterious — and one of the best things I drank all summer.
The Vermouth with Orange foam at BAR ilu on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff PhotographerThe Bifana sandwich as served at Grace & Proper in Queen Village Wednesday, Mar. 8, 2023.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Grace & Proper
If BAR ilu represents a modern interpretation of tapas culture in Philly, the vintage vibes at Grace & Proper’s Italian Market space reflect a different take on Iberian bar culture, this one influenced by the Portuguese roots of co-owner Chris Fetfatzes’ family.
Fetfatzes, his wife, Heather Annechiarico, and their Happy Monday Hospitality partner Susan Freeman, who also own Wine Dive and Sonnys Cocktail Joint, leaned into the antique charm of the distressed tin ceiling, tiled floor, and exposed brick walls that wereuncovered during renovations of the old pharmacy (and Italian deli) that once occupied this corner space at Eighth and Carpenter. Fetfatzes was hoping to create the cocktail counterpart to Fountain Porter, the 14-year-old craft beer destination in East Passyunk known for its $7 burgers and pickles that, perhaps, helped mark the beginning of the minimalist-nibble bar.
Given Grace & Proper’s compact space, with just 15 barstools and 26 table seats sidled into window banquettes (plus 30 more outside in fair weather), it’s amazing how its 200-bottle collection of amari, vermouths, ports, whiskeys, Madeiras, sherries, agave spirits, and indie Euro wines somehow fits into the tall shelves behind the bar. If you’re a fan of funky Asturian cider, there’s a proper porrón carafe to stream it directly into your mouth from an arm’s length away, ideally while watching Premier League or MLS soccer. Or try the Philly-Portugal Lisbon Wide hybrid, a draft of Super Bock Portuguese lager paired with a shot of ginjinha, a house-made cordial steeped from Morello sour cherries harvestedin Northeast Philadelphia.
The Lisbon Wide is Grace & Proper’s Portuguese twist on a Citywide, pairing Super Bock beer with housemade Ginjinha sour cherry liqueur.Craig LaBan / StaffThe Meat & Chips at Grace and Proper on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.Allie Ippolito / Staff Photographer
Grace & Proper doesn’t post a food menu online, but it’s substantial enough to anchor your table for a couple hours of snacking, from an irresistible pile of truffled potato chips feathered with spicy Calabrese salami to soulful onion soup infused with port and lardo, a crock of white bean stew with kale and breadcrumbs, piri piri-spiked Buffalo chicken dip, and sweet-tart-smoky bacon-wrapped prunes with black garlic aioli.
I didn’t care for the overly firm meatballs and their unbalanced blackberry romesco or, for that matter, the presentation of cheeses as crumbled nuggets. But these are all quibbles. Because there is really a single essential reason to visit Grace & Proper: the bifana, a classic sandwich of wine-marinated roast pork on a molete roll from Teixeira’s Bakery in Newark that comes perched over a paprika-orange pool of zesty gravy. Equal parts lemony, garlicky, winey, and scented with bay, that roasted pork essence is so good, the gravy is also offered as a chaser to the Piggy Backshot (oloroso sherry and Armagnac).
All you’ll need after that is a custardy sweet pastel de nata (also baked by Teixera’s, according to G&P’s recipe) and what might well be the best crema-topped shot of espresso at any bar in Philly. Grace & Proper is one of the precious few that actually adds fresh-pulled coffee to its espresso martinis, but I still prefer this coffee solo. I value the energy boost because, in these days of no-commitment sip-and-nibble bars, I’ve still got places to go.
The Pastéis de Nata at Grace and Proper on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.Allie Ippolito / Staff PhotographerVintage details of the former pharmacy and Italian deli have been preserved to add character to the bar at Grace & Proper.Craig LaBan / Staff
Menu available 4 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Bar is open 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday; 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Plates, $4-$14.
Dining room is wheelchair accessible via a ramp off rear of building off Martha Street. Bathrooms are not accessible.
Not ideal for gluten-free diners, aside from some small snacks.
Menu highlights: croquetas (ham and bacalao); anchovy-stuffed olives; serrano ham and chips; tortilla Española; ham and melon; cheeseburger; gambas al ajillo.
Drinks: Cocktails built around sherry and vermouth are the most distinctive opening move, while straight fortified wines on draft, including La Gitana Manzanilla or Barquero vermut with orange foam, are also highlights. There are also 10 affordable Spanish wines by the glass.
Menu served 4 p.m. till midnight Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; noon to midnight Friday through Sunday. Bar is open till 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Plates, $7-$15.
Not wheelchair accessible.
About 40% of the menu is gluten-free or can be modified.
Menu highlights: bifana; bacon-wrapped plums; salami and truffled chips; Porto lardo onion soup; pasteis de nata.
Drinks: The vast 200-bottle collection is a sipper’s delight, from amari to fortified wines, extensive whiskies, and a surprising agave spirits collection. Don’t miss creative cocktails made with the company’s new house-distilled spirits, including a Chartreuse-inspired “Green Monk” or the ginjinha cordial, steeped from Northeast Philly sour cherries, served in the Lisbon Wide as a sidecar to a draft of Super Bock.
If you spent the summer out of town (or off the grid), you may have missed a busy few months on the restaurant scene. Philadelphia-area newcomers include a Milan-inspired aperitivo bar in Rittenhouse, Japanese barbecue on the Main Line, and two corner bars in Point Breeze.
Here are 12 noteworthy restaurants that opened in the last few months.
Academy Grill (424 S. Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington): This white-tablecloth restaurant in the former Cantina Feliz near Germantown Academy serves house-made pastas, seafood, steaks, and contemporary American dishes in a polished, decidedly grown-up setting.
Bánh xèo at Anh Em, 1252 S. 21st St.Michael Klein / Staff
Anh Em (1252 S. 21st St.): Pho, bánh xèo, and 24 local beers meet at Anh Em, a Vietnamese bar-restaurant at 21st and Titan Streets in Point Breeze from Victor Nguyen and Anna Huynh. Nguyen draws on dishes the husband-and-wife team grew up eating, while the 20-seat bar gives the neighborhood spot an unusually deep commitment to locally brewed beer.
Bar Cicci (1620 Sansom St.): Ellen Yin’s 30-seat, Milan-inspired spot starts with espresso and Italian pastries, moves into sandwiches at lunch, then shifts to spritzes, wine, cicchetti, and small plates at night. The Rittenhouse newcomer is High Street Hospitality’s take on northern Italy’s all-day aperitivo culture.
Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville.Photos courtesy of Ed Newton
Bluebird Distilling & Dough House (100 Bridge St., Phoenixville): A $2.2 million investment turned Bluebird’s Bridge Street distillery into a full-fledged restaurant. Executive chef Devon Migeot, whose resumé includes Zahav and Laser Wolf, centers the expanded food program on naturally fermented neo-Neapolitan pizzas, house-baked breads, shareable plates, and, naturally, Bluebird cocktails.
Silenia and John Rhoads, owners of the Buttery in Bryn Mawr.Allie Ippolito / For The Inquirer
The Buttery (836 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr): John and Silenia Rhoads’ third location is an 82-seat bakery-cafe on Lancaster Avenue, where the Malvern-incepted operation’s sourdough breads and house-made pastries share the menu with breakfast dishes, sandwiches, and seasonal fare from its all-day scratch kitchen.
Known Associates at 10th and Spruce Streets.Allie Ippolito / For The Inquirer
Known Associates ( 941 Spruce St.): Chef Christopher Kearse’s Washington Square West cocktail bar does not treat the food as an afterthought. The former Varga Bar at 10th and Spruce is a 40-seat room where cocktails accompany a concise, European-influenced menu of a dozen savory dishes.
Lillian’s at 19th and Mifflin Streets.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Lillian’s (1900 S. 19th St.): Even the chef isn’t permanent at Sam Ahern’s parlorlike cocktail bar/bistro at 19th and Mifflin Streets, whose kitchen rotates among guest chefs. The residency model gives each cook a temporary restaurant within the restaurant — and gives this Point Breeze newcomer an ever-changing menu.
Saif Manna works on a pavlova at Manna Bakery.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Manna Bakery (110 W. Berks St.): Five years and countless farmers market appearances later, Saif Manna’s Temple dorm room project has moved into the former Essen Bakery in Kensington. Manna draws on his Palestinian heritage for Levantine pastries and savory dishes in a comfy cafe setting.
Mr. Edison in the Bellevue Hotel.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Mr. Edison (1400 Walnut St.): There’s a Ferris wheel carrying liquor behind the bar at Mr. Edison, which gives some idea of the production. Veteran restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow’s Philadelphia debut is a theatrical Bellevue supper club where chef Matt Levin’s cooking shares a two-story room with live music, dramatic lighting, and plenty of visual spectacle.
Ogyu Japanese BBQ in Ardmore.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Ogyu Japanese BBQ (60 Greenfield Ave., Ardmore): Sam Li turned Ardmore’s former Iron Hill Brewery into a sprawling yakiniku restaurant built around the grill at each table. Diners cook wagyu and other meats themselves — or enlist a server — choosing among fixed-price packages and à la carte options in a dramatically remodeled space with private dining rooms and a full bar.
The latke, egg, and cheese sandwich at Schmaltz.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Schmaltz (1300 S. 18th St.): This Jewish-inspired breakfast-and-lunch cafe serves latkes, cheese blintzes, egg sandwiches — and no bagels. Jeremy Asch and Abby Armstrong opened the Point Breeze corner spot with chef Sam Chertock, whose deliberately compact menu includes latke, egg, and cheese sandwiches on house-baked English muffins.
Outdoor dining at Soufiane at the Morris.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Soufiane at the Morris (225 S. Eighth St.): The 1787 Morris House provides a peaceful backdrop for Soufiane Boutliliss’ French-Moroccan cooking, served in a secluded stone courtyard shaded by magnolias and dogwoods in Washington Square West. This is the second restaurant from the Moroccan-raised Boutliliss and husband Christophe Mathon of Sofi Corner Cafe.
South Philly butcher shop Heavy Metal Sausage Co. indefinitely paused its after-hours Italian dinners last weekfollowing a failed health inspection that ordered the shop to removeall indoor seating. Co-owners Patrick Alfiero andMelissa Pellegrino say the resulting loss of revenuecould close the business.
An inspector with Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health ordered the shop to remove itseightseats and cease all food prep in the basement on Aug. 21. The inspection found Heavy Metal’s setup did not align with the restaurant’s plan review, a document detailing operating procedures that all restaurants must submit to the health department in order to receive a food license.
Among the three-hour inspection’s other findings: flies, mouse dropping, and unauthorized kitchen equipment, plus evidence that Heavy Metal was canning foods and dry-aging meat without an FDA-mandated food safety plan.
The most consequential violation on the report, however, is that “the food facility does not have a handwash sink conveniently located in the customer dining area” because “access to the toilet room is located through the kitchen.”
The location of Heavy Metal’s bathroom renders the space unsuitable for indoor dining, according to the health department. The recent determination — which came four years into Heavy Metal’s run as a hybrid butcher-restaurant — could cost Heavy Metal thousands of dollars in renovations and lost revenue, Pellegrino said.
Alfiero and Pellegrino opened Heavy Metal Sausage Co. at 1527 W. Porter St.in 2022. By day, it’s a deli where Alfiero uses local ingredients and artisanal cured meats to create hearty, inventive sandwiches. By night Thursday through Sunday, the 500-square-foot space transforms into an intimate trattoria. Tables are pressed against deli cases and seats are tucked into empty corners, lending a vaguely illicit, punk-rock aura to what’s otherwise a traditional prix fixe meal.
The$98 dinners are also a moneymaker, accounting for well over half of Heavy Metal’s revenue, Pellegrino said. Without them, the duo have already had to lay off a cook and a server.
“When the [health inspector] asked if we could stop dinner, I told him we might not be here in six weeks to be reinspected,” Alfiero said. “I was just like, ‘How are we going to survive this?’”
Heavy Metal Sausage Co. chef/co-owner Patrick Alfiero prepares the antipasto course during the trattoria dinner on Nov. 17, 2022.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Same setup, new violation
Pellegrino and Alfiero told The Inquirer that they were blindsided by the findings in August’s health inspection. Heavy Metal has never hidden how it operates.
The couple started offering the after-hours dinners just six months after opening as a way to offset the costs of running a niche butcher shop, which has never been profitable.
A copy of the business’ plan review, reviewed by The Inquirer last week, shows that some form of indoor seating has been always accounted for. It also showsthat the deli’s bathroom is accessible to customers via a hallway that runs parallel to the kitchen.
The issue is brand-new despite Heavy Metal’s layout remaining static for months, according to a review of city records. The business has had an active food preparation and serving license since 2022. Heavy Metal has also passed all previous health inspections, including one in April 2026, whose report makes no mention of unauthorized seating, kitchen equipment, or food prep. It also doesn’t touch on sink or bathroom access.
Heavy Metal Sausage Co. chef/co-owner Patrick Alfiero preps food before a trattoria dinner on Nov. 17, 2022.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Health inspections are considered “snapshots in time” that may not necessarily be indicative of day-to-day operations, department spokesperson Jason Brooks said over email. During Heavy Metal Sausage’s prior inspections, inspectors only noted a basement storage space, “indicating that no food prep activities were taking place there — at that time,” Brooks wrote.
“In April, our inspector did not observe any seating for indoor dining. Inspectors are investigating what they can physically observe and document during the inspection,” he wrote. “During this most recent inspection, our inspector observed, in real time, food preparation in an unapproved space and unapproved indoor dining. For this, the food business was cited for violations of its approved plan.”
Pellegrino disputes the idea that Heavy Metal’s seating is a new development. “We were inspected four months ago, and we have done absolutely nothing different in those four months,” Pellegrino said. “Not a single thing has changed.”
The deli’s inspection comes amid other notablehealth department shutdowns.
The front window is reflected in the top of the meat case inside of the Heavy Metal Sausage Co., 1527 W. Porter St. in Philadelphia, on Aug. 9, 2024.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Last week, Victory Brewing Co.’s three-level taproom on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was ordered to temporarily cease operations after an inspector documented 26 health code violations that included live roaches, mice, and flies. And in mid-August, the health department failed Stargazy over “two unapproved countertop deep fryers without adequate mechanical ventilation,” a violation that has forced the East Passyunk Avenue restaurant to stop serving fish and chips.
How can Heavy Metal fix this?
Since Heavy Metal’s violations didn’t pose an imminent health hazard, the restaurant is allowed to remain open without indoor dining, Brooks confirmed.
The butcher and deli counters are still open during normal daytime hours (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday) for takeout only. Pellegrino and Afiero said they’ve addressed most of the violations by creating the required food safety plans and limiting the basement to storage only.
The only hitch: What to do about the sink?
Heavy Metal Sausage Co. co-owner Melissa Pellegrino (left) greets diners Jeannette Armstrong (center) and Liz Rissover as chef/owner Patrick Alfiero prepares meals in the kitchen during the trattoria dinner on Nov. 17, 2022.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Heavy Metal must submit a new plan of review to the health department for approval. If the plan is approved and the restaurant passes reinspection, Brooks said, they will be allowed to restart indoor dining.
But to do so, Pellegrino said the health department recommended Heavy Metal install a customers-only sink at the front of the restaurant, a change that would require a separate, weeks-long permitting process and a contractor. When Pellegrino asked the health department if she could add curtains or room dividers to more clearly separate the bathroom hallway from the kitchen — which she considers a more cost-effective solution — she said they didn’t respond.
“All of these things take time and money,” Pellegrino said, “and we will have to make a calculus of what’s worth doing.”
