Big time restaurant critics aren’t immune to restaurant gaffes and Craig LaBan came face-to-face with a doozy at South Philadelphia’s DaVinci. 

One Bell – Hit or Miss

DaVinci [Philadelphia Inquirer]

David Snyder takes aim at Da Vinci on Passyunk Avenue and likes the staff but doesn’t have a lot of nice things to say about the food.

The Vitello Giovinetta, or veal rollantini, was overwhelmed by dried oregano. House-made gnocchi with pesto were heavy and bland. I could actually taste the chicken stock used in the Penne con Porcini Salsiccia e Melenzane, a pasta with porcini mushrooms and ground pork in tomato sauce. The fine grind of the dense pork sausage in the Salsiccia Grigliata reminded me of an aluminum-trayed Salisbury steak TV dinner.

Groan-a Lisa [City Paper]

We’ve wondered what could be better than Naked Chocolate Cafe and always failed to come up with much but TWO Naked Chocolate Cafes would be better. There’s a second location headed to 18th Street between Market and Chestnut. [Food & Drinq]

Michael Klein has the lowdown on just what South Philly needed, another Italian BYOB, Da Vinci. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Dawson Street Pub is getting a facelift this summer. Expect a new bar, dining area and kitchen but goodbye pool table. [Beer Radar]

King of Tandoor opens today. Michael Klein has the photographic evidence that they’re going to hit the date. Check out the menu here. [Food & Drinq]

Not only is the return of J.C. Dobbs a reality, there’s an opening date, June 25th. [Icepack, City Paper]

Main Line institution Cooz’s Corner is taking over Main Line institution Wayne Beef & Ale. In our brief suburban life we lived around the corner from Wayne Beef & Ale, never went there enough. [Main Line Restaurant Guide]

We almost forgot about the Beer Garden at Silk City that we were promised. A.D. Amorosi has it as under construction and upping the capacity by 250. [Icepack, City Paper]

Looks like Monday, June 16th is the opening day for the Institute, a new bar with lots of good local beers on tap. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Sidecar chef Rich Freedman is leaving the Sidecar for Harry the K’s at Citizen Bank Park. The Cit’s rep for good food is only going to grow as Freedman promises to bring his from-scratch meats to the ballpark. [The Clog]

Da Vinci Ristorante has opened at the old Tre Scalini spot on East Passyunk. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Michael Klein’s Table Talk has the opening skinny on J.L. Sullivan’s Speakeasy. He calls it “a shotgun approach, hoping to hit everyone.” [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Some observations, some burblings…

Is Patou for sale? Sure looks like it from these pictures, which match their website pictures. We hear lots of Old City is on the market… perhaps because the more moneyed crowds have migrated their nocturnal activities to Rittenhouse? One Fourteen has been for sale for a long time, a tipster tells us that Red Sky is now as well.

So there’s an exodus of nightclubs, but we can’t imagine the residents of Old City are too happy about this. Any ideas of what it might be? We thought Pink Taco, but it’s too horrible to consider.

The ‘for rent’ sign that has been lingering forlornly in the window of the former location of Tre Scalini is down and there are signs of construction. Now we love this spot, despite its hideous Santa Fe-inspired facade. It faces the fountain on East Passyunk Ave. (even though it’s technically on 11th Street), it has great big windows and it’s just screaming to be revived as a restaurant. There are whisperings on the Avenue that it’s going to be a restaurant… an Italian restaurant, possibly called DaVinci’s. Because Passyunk Avenue desperately needs another Italian restaurant. There are also whisperings that a less Italian concept was slated for the space and the building owner wanted strictly Italian. We love this neighborhood, but sheesh!

We also hear that waning Rittenhouse nightclub Denim [insert your own joke about lame Philly nightclubs here] is soon to be the property of the owners of Rite Aid grotto G Lounge [insert second joke about lame Philly nightclubs here].