Kong, the Hong Kong street-food restaurant from Bistro 7’s Michael O’Halloran is looking at opening in the first week of August. [Meal Ticket]

NoVi (North of Vine) will be trying to succeed where the Tiedhouse couldn’t at the CityView Condos. Italian and international are the cusines. [The Insider]

The Counter is another burger chain coming to Philadelphia. They bost over 300,000 possible burger varieties. [Meal Ticket]

Bassett ’s Turkey won the ’s the Bellevue’s Sandwich Make-Off with its barbecue beef brisket. Don’t rush in for the sandwich though, it won’t be on the menu till Monday. [The Insider]

Fuel will be a “healthful cafe” opening this fall at 1917 E Passyunk. [Icepack, City Paper]

Tastee D’s will bring African cuisine to the former Django spot on South 4th. [Meal Ticket]

The Wayne Hotel’s Taquet restaurant will not return when the hotel reopens after renovations in late August. [The Insider]

Vincent’s, West Chester’s jazz and blues hangout closed Tuesday. [West Chester Dish]

Paul opens this evening opposite Effie’s on Pine Street. Among the menu items, crab spring rolls, wild Atlantic halibut and bouillabaisse. [The Insider]

When the Penthouse Club opens August 7th, chef Bill Elmer will be cooking up more than just steaks. [Meal Ticket]

City Tavern’s Walter Staib is at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello this week filming his new TV series, A Taste of History. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Slate is now doing lunch, brunch and happy hour. Meal Ticket has the deets. [Meal Ticket]

Horizons chef Rich Landau has been selected to cook at the James Beard House. It will be the first vegan restaurant to be so honored. [The Insider]

Coo’s Sports Bar & Lounge is the name of the bar coming to the 800 block of North Broad Street. Not much else is known but the coming soon banner sports a Coors Light logo, so probably not going to have Chimay on draft.

Jim’s Soft Pretzels, a mini-chain in town is coming to South Street. [Meal Ticket]

JD McGillicuddy’s is going into the former Freehouse location in Wayne. Expect an August 1st opening. [The Insider]

Just a degree of John Mims separation away, Carmine’s in Bryn Mawr has closed and will return as Verdad, a Spanish tapas restaurant. [The Insider]

The Saxby’s at the base of the Comcast Center has closed. For now the coffee shop is serving as a promotional display for Table 31.

Ansill Food + Wine has a sign in its window stating it will be closed for the remainder of the summer. Michael Klein reports the closure is more permanent than that. And just when its Korean tacos seemed poised to take off.

In a letter received by Jack Curtin, General Lafayette Inn owner Chris Leonard outlines the dire straits the brewpub is in. Although vowing to stay open, the three building complex needs money now and is looking to take on investors.

Ansill closes [The Insider]
Whoa! General Lafayette in crisis [Jack Curtin's Liquid Diet]

Philadelphia’s Oceanaire Seafood Room has closed. The oppulent seafood palace on Walnut Street is gone from the reservations dropdown on Oceanaire’s web site, as are locations in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Phoenix and Seattle.

The Oceanaire [Official Site]

Yogorino opened over the weekend at 20th and Locust. There’s just one flavor for now and for the germaphobes, the toppings are kept behind the counter out of the reach of the unwashed masses.

The popular Tiffin is adding a third location, this one in Elkins Park. Additionally, Tiffin Etc., the Indian pizzeria is about 3 weeks out. [The Insider]

Plenty of restaurant slippages in Michael Klein’s restaurant openings update. Village Whiskey and Pickled Heron are now looking at late summer (August). And the Tap House is saying October. [The Insider]

Leila Cafe is serving up Middle Eastern food at the former Wasabi House at 13th and Pine. [Meal Ticket]

The former Kami Sushi at 1526 Sansom now has a sign in the window promising Sushi Cafe is coming soon.

Akoya, the restaurant portion of Pearl is making like Pearl and taking the rest of the summer off. [The Insider]

A tipster lets us know Al Paris’ Pat Bombino’s at 9th and Fitzwater has a sign in the window stating the kitchen is closed and the bar is open Thursday through Sunday. Paris’ other spot, Bar Amalfi was dark last week as it is being changed over to a “Middle Eastern Lounge Concept.”

Bar Amalfi changing it up [The Insider]

Right now Foobooz crush object, Paesano’s is suffering from too much of a good thing. Since being named the best hoagie by WIP they’ve been getting crushed by business. So for at least right now, the late night hours are off.

Strongbox is a locked box. The Walnut Street bottle bar is closing for the summer. [Meal Ticket]

The Oyster House started lunch service last Monday and its been going gangbusters. Meal Ticket has the menu. [Meal Ticket]

P.Y.T. is aiming for July 3rd. The menu is by Time’s Josh McCullough. [Icepack, City Paper]

Wine Thief has opened on Germantown Avenue. The bistro aims to be affordable with everything under $20 and wine priced at $15 over cost. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

UCity’s MarBar has been redone as Panda Bar. There will be live music and good beer. [Beer Lass]

Local food and music are the backbone of Lucky Old Souls. A new spot opening in the New Bold neighborhood of South Philly. [Kitchenplay]

Former Daily News food writer  April Lisante and her husband are opening Avril, a 50 seat BYOB in Bala Cynwyd. [The Insider]

Bistro M in Berwyn has closed and will be replaced by Meridith’s which is moving from its current location. [Main Line Dine]

We guess we should have seen the writing on the wall. The Craigslist ad for a two-story West Philly BYOB. Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov doing a barbecue restaurant on South Street. A chef with a southern resume already on the payroll. But somehow it never dawned on us that Cook and Solomonov would be selling Marigold Kitchen and bringing chef Erin O’Shea to the South Street barbecue place, which we now know will be known as Percy Street Barbecue. But that’s what has happened.

Michael Klein has the details including what the new Marigold Kitchen will be like.

Marigold to be sold; chef to do BBQ on South St. [The Insider]

Little Fish’s Mike Stollenwerk shares some details about his upcoming fish with Drew Lazor. Expect it to be different than the Bella Vista BYOB as there will be a liquor license and the menu will be split into raw, cold, hot and sweet categories. [Meal Ticket]

DiBruno Bros. is aiming to open a wine bar in the Italian Market by mid-August. [Meal Ticket]

Part of the facade of the former Brasserie Perrier crashed down onto Walnut Street Wednesday morning. Sorry, this wasn’t an attention grabbing way of debuting a Center City Apple Store. [Philadelphia Daily News]

Savona in Gulph Mills has been completely refurbished and there’s a sharp new outdoor terrazzo to check out. [Restaurant Club]

Bon Appetit has a spread on Philadelphia in its July issue. Author Andrew Knowlton hits Bella Vista Beer, Distrito, Franklin Fountain, Johnny Brenda’s, Reading Terminal Market and Zahav. Meal Ticket has the scans. [Meal Ticket]

Varga Bar starts daily lunch as of Sunday. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Copper Bistro in Northern Liberties has called it quits. [The Insider]

Rick’s Steaks is aiming for a June 9th soft opening in the Bellevue, the Whiz has already arrived.

In other Bellevue news, Dave Schultz and Bob Wilkie host a live Internet hockey radio show from the XIX bar at 1pm on every Tuesday.

Demetris is a handsome Mediterranean spot at 45th and Chestnut that is open for breakfast daily. [The Insider]

The permanent Stephen Starr burger stand is aiming to open on July 4th inside Franklin Square. There’s still no name. [Philly Chit Chat]

Stephen Starr’s and investor Allan Domb were spotted on a train to Washington. Could a Parc DC be far behind? [Philly Gossip]

Iron Hill Maple Shade is still on track for a July opening. If all goes well brewing could start around June 12th. [The Brew Lounge]

943 is an Italian-Argentine BYO in the Italian Market that’s several weeks out. [The Insider]

Merl’s which was had a nice review in City Paper back in April has closed. [Kitchenplay]