Well it looks like there really will be snow this weekend so tonight counts as the weekend so treat yourself right.

Fond has the following specials that don’t sound bad at all and a couple openings according to OpenTable.

Tuna confit, smoked paprika aoili, frisee, pickled beech mushrooms. wild striped bass, braised radicchio, baby leeks, beurre rouge sauce.

R2L’s chef de cuisine Alex Urena has left the restaurant before it even opened and landed at Devil’s Den in South Philadelphia. Urena has an impressive resume and was the chef-owner of the well regarded Pamplona in New York.

No word on why Urena left R2L before the official opening but the move to Devil’s Den figures to bolster what has been Devil’s Den’s biggest weakness, it’s food.

A representative for Devil’s Den passed along these accolades for Chef Urena:

• 2000 James Beard nominee for “Best new Restaurant: Blue Hill”
• 2001 Gold medal winner, Culinary Excellence, American Tasting Institute
• 2006 Rising Star Chef Award
• 2006 Emerging Tastemaker Award, Food Arts Magazine
• 2007 Recipes published in Art Culinaire
• 2009 Recipes published in “New York Cooks: 100 recipes from the City’s best Chefs”

Update: Michael Klein has some more details about the shakeup.

R2L’s chef de cuisine is suddenly Devil’s Den’s new chef [Meal Ticket]

Green Aisle Grocery posted to their Facebook page that they will be carrying to-go dishes from Ekta starting on Friday. Most of South Philadelphia remains out of range for Tiffin and Ekta and this certainly provides away for Passyunkers to get their Indian on.

look for vindaloo, korma and a vegetarian option.

Green Aisle Grocery [Facebook]

Tonight is the second East Passyunk bar crawl with Santa. It all kicks off at Le Virtu at 6pm.
Here’s the full schedule:

• Le Virtu (between McKean & Mifflin) – 6-6:30pm
• Adobe – 6:45-7:15pm
• Sticks & Stones 7:30-8pm
• Lucky 13 – 8:15-8:45pm
• Stogie Joe’s - 9-9:30pm

This week the Bite takes a look at Green Aisle Grocery on Passyunk Ave. The only place in town that serves up Zahav hummus, Stumptown Coffee, mustardo from James and chili from Cafe con Chocolate.

And by the way, Green Aisle has just started delivery.

A whole new shelf life at Passyunk grocery store [Metro Philadelphia]
Green Aisle Grocery [Official Site]

Despite some youthful mistakes from Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki, Craig LaBan finds plenty to recommend at East Passyunk’s Fond.

And the talent here is certainly emerging. One need only taste the tuna crudo to see what Styer is capable of, as he lends the dish a Mediterranean spin that is multifaceted and original. A dusting of lemony sumac adds a pleasant textural grip to the smooth raw fish. Fronds of dill bring an unexpected anise warmth. And the garnish of homemade Greek yogurt swirled with pomegranate juice brings both richness and ripe pucker that somehow connects with the fruity sweetness of the deep-purple fish. By contrast, his seared scallop dish is an exercise in restraint, with a creamy puree of celery root, crunchy sliced celery, and vinegar-plumped golden raisins adding subtle sparks to frame the soft-spoken flavor of the pristine scallops.

Two Bells – Very Good

Fond [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Fond [Official Site]

Passyunk Avenue’s Fond meets Craig LaBan this weekend. The restaurant with the pedigreed staff has already received the praise of Philadelphia Weekly, City Paper and Philadelphia Magazine. Will LaBan heap praise or identify youthful mistakes?

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The Erace brothers’ Green Aisle Grocery has opened on 1618 E Passyunk Avenue today. The chance to purchase Zahav’s hummus, Pub & Kitchen’s barbecue sauce, pasta from James and other well known restaurant ingredients really appeals to us.

Grub Street has more details and a slide show on the diminutive market.

Grocery Opens Today, Stocking Zahav’s Hummus, Meyer Lemons and Raw Milk [Grub Street]
Green Aisle Grocery [Facebook]
GreenAisle [Twitter]

In presumably the first case were Adam Erace excused himself from reviewing a restaurant because of a potential conflict with his forthcoming Green Aisle Grocery, we find Dan Packel visiting East Passyunk’s Fond. It’s a shame for Erace as Fond delivered again.

Entrees were just as impressive. In a technique borrowed from Perrier at Le Bec Fin, [Lee] Styer cooks his chicken breast in the oven on the bone, with the whole carcass. After the breast cooks through 80 percent of the way, he debones it then tosses it in a pan with butter to crisp up the skin. This execution, applied to an air-cooled bird from Canada’s Geanone Farm, ensured a tender breast and a soundly brittle exterior. The piperade of green pepper and onion added the welcome snap, both in texture and in flavor, that was becoming a pleasant routine.

Fond [Philadelphia Weekly]

Trey Popp raves about East Passyunk’s Fond, heaping all sorts of praise on  the French BYOB.

It began with a teasing glance backward at summer: a shot-glass of cold watermelon soup spiced with chilies whose finish reverberated in waves of heat and sweetness for a full 10 seconds on my tongue. It ended with snow-crunch bites of lemon-poppy seed meringues. In between, Styer and Prawlucki composed a three-course ode to autumn that was nearly flawless in execution and design. Their tonal palette ranged from the watery crunch of Asian pear to the molten spill of butternut squash purée encased in ravioli, and from the intense fruitiness of passionfruit-stuffed crêpes to the revelatory bourbon backbone in a full-flavored frozen coffee-liqueur soufflé. Yet at no point did the broad span of their short menu lapse into braggadocio. The spirit invigorating this simply decorated place showed through in the adorable delight with which Prawlucki fielded praise for her desserts — as if she were almost startled by the enthusiasm they’d inspired.

Remembered Fondly [City Paper]
Fond [Official Site]