Noble American Cookery will bring another James Beard nominated chef to the city when it opens on the 2000 block of Sansom next month. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

There’s musical real estate in West Philadelphia. Abbraccio has been sold to Vietnam Cafe’s owner, Benny Lai. Abbracio’s Roger Harman will remain through mid-February and then will conver 4800 Baltimore Ave into a BYOB and coffee shop called the Gold Standard. Vietnam Cafe will expan through to the former Italian restaurant. [The Insider]

Looks like Avram Hornik may have unloaded Bar Noir to a former Tir Na Nog bartender, Michael Welsh. [Ice Pack, City Paper]

“West South Street’s” Novita Bistro offering an affordable weekend brunch with prices topping out at $11.95. [Meal Ticket]

MenuPages Blog gives a good heads up for a deal at West Philadelphia’s Abbraccio.

Each Monday, the restaurant offers a starving artist special: A prix-fie three course dinner with wine for the big bad price of $14.

Starving Artist Specials At Abbraccio [MenuPages Blog]
Abbraccio [Official Site]

West Philadelphia’s Abbraccio admirably fills the role of neighborhood bar for a neighborhood seemingly too diverse for that to happen. Liz Spikol soaks it all up.

Old and young, gay and straight, black and white and brown, the bar�s patrons reflect the diversity of the surrounding area. That�s refreshing because that diversity, though widely touted by residents, doesn�t always translate to meeting places like neighborhood bars.
The bar is so pleasantly bland, it can be invested with any number of associations: Italian cafe, college hangout, gay piano bar, neighborhood watering hole�everything fits.

Ciao Down [Philadelphia Weekly]
Abbraccio [Philadelphia Weekly]

Abbraccio, a true �West Philly� place, celebrates third anniversary

Abbraccio, a pleasant, welcoming restaurant serving Italian food to its West Philadelphia neighbors, marked its third anniversary on July 21. That may not seem like a long time, but three years is a significant milestone in the restaurant business, where competition is brutal, customers are fickle, and even well regarded restaurants can disappear overnight.

Abbraccio Restaurant [Official Site]