Foodie Friday: Tasty bits to digest

There’s been a smorgasbord of South Philly restaurant news in the blog-o-sphere. Here are some links to whet your appetite, so to speak…

Northwest corner of 12th & Morris gets a tenant!

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Michael Kline broke the news yesterday that something’s (finally!) coming to the retail space at the northwest corner of 12th & Morris streets (1646 S. 12th St.):

Separatist Beer Project, the onetime gypsy brewer from Easton known until recently as Sole Artisan Ales, says it has signed a lease for what it calls “a concept bar and beer experience”

Kline spoke with the owner Joe Fay who said the new bar would serve its beer plus wines and coffee. According to Kline:

He described the look as “modern Scandinavian.” The basement, with 10-foot ceilings, will be a kind of rathskeller, with barrel- and bottle-aging and a large table to be used for special events.

The bar could open “as soon as August.”

The space was originally slated for a restaurant by Chris Scarduzio. He bowed out before the building broke ground.  The retail space has sat empty since the building was completed about two years ago. See our previous coverage about the site here and here, and here.

Smoke signals

Mike’s BBQ, 1703 S. 11th St., received a nice review in the Cherry Hill Courier-Post.  Writer Emily Teel sums it up: “Barbecue in South Philly? Mike’s isn’t just blowing smoke.”

All Day Every Day Eats

VisitPhilly highlighted several South Philly spots in a new promotion with a mouthful of a title: “Philadelphia’s New Crop of All Day Every Day Eats,” with an equally wordy subtitle, “Philadelphia Restaurants Cater To Diners Morning, Noon, Night & In-Between.”

The piece states, “Philadelphia has long had an all-day-and-night dining scene. But until recently, that scene was limited to diners and those famous cheesesteak spots. Today, in neighborhoods throughout the city and region, upper-scale restaurants have adapted meal service to a more flexible schedule.”

Restaurants from across the region were divided into two categories.  “Food-centric cafes offering light fare anytime” featured two South Philly favorites, as described by VisitPhilly:

Café Ynez – Open at 8 a.m., this festive, Mexico City-themed spot (on the border of Graduate Hospital and Point Breeze) serves brunch through dinner. As the day progresses, fruta fresca and chilaquiles give way to burritos and rotisserie chicken. 2025 Washington Avenue.

Plenty Café – The concept of this Passyunk Avenue-born mini-chain: Serve easygoing fare with flexibility. That means a daytime menu (avocado toast, yogurt parfait) and an evening menu (burgers and small plates), with coffee, wine and cocktails throughout. 1710 E. Passyunk Avenue.

In the category of “finer restaurants transform from casual by day to upscale at night” VisitPhilly had this to say about a Queen Village stand-out:

Hungry Pigeon – This all-day gem in Queen Village begins the morning with banana bread sticky buns and brown rice breakfast bowls. Lunch is followed by an afternoon snack and happy hour. Then, in the evening, the space transforms into a cozy low-lit bistro with a very approachable yet always special changing menu. 743 S. 4^th Street.

We’ve got no beef with this…

The 8th Annual Philadelphia Burger Brawl takes place Sunday, June 3, 2018 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at XFINITY Live, 1100 Pattison Avenue. The event will feature restaurants presenting their versions of Philadelphia’s best burger, taco takedown and cutthroat cocktail competition. The event funds literacy programs through technology in underserved neighborhoods of the Philadelphia School District. Tickets are available at www.phillyburgerbrawl.com.