What won’t be a Stephen Starr restaurant? We had heard that the serial restaurateur was interested in the former Wawa at 20th and Locust but there are signs up saying a new 7-11 is coming soon.

Ristorante Panorama is aiming to get itself in the Guinness Book of World Records for its 120 wines by the glass and its wine-preserving cruivnet system. [Restaurant Club]

AOL’s Lemondrop has nominated Cosmi’s Deli as one of the four best sandwiches in the United States. [Lemondrop via Phoodie]

Michael Klein has a few more details on 500°, the upcoming burger business from Rob and Maggie Wasserman of Rouge. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Marigold Kitchen is changing its menu every month. The Colorado rack of lamb with parsnip-white chocolate puree, petite watercress salad, blood orange, pomegranate, pine nuts catches our eye. New item marked with a *. [Marigold Kitchen (PDF)]

Nectar’s Scott Morrison and Executive Chef Dan Kremin of Barclay Prime and Buddakan are partnering to open Floret in Radnor in the space that is currently Pond. There will be a lounge and restaurant menu with everything from burgers to Amish raised chicken coq au vin. Opening is set for December.

David Snyder checks out the latest incarnation of Marigold Kitchen and enjoys what is coming out of chef Robert Halpern’s kitchen.

Halpern proves his mettle with his strong, vivid flavors. Despite that unsettling spinach side, I was blown away by the seared squab. Braised shiitakes delivered a welcomed bass note to the light but gamey bird, and Halpern took things even deeper by combining foie gras and chocolate for an insane ragout.

The kitchen fine-chops cauliflower to mimic rice in its generously portioned New World paella. Though it could use more heat, four individual stocks combined with the smokiness of Spanish chorizo made this dish a sure thing. Elsewhere, poaching Atlantic cod gently on low heat ensured that the fish was moist and tender.

More than words [City Paper]

This week inPhiladelphia Magazine’s Restuarant Club Newsletter.

• Our Better Burger Guide
  20 creations that will keep you chomping until you’ve tried them all.
• First Bite: The New New New New Marigold Kitchen
  Now, Marigold is under new ownership. Can it be successfully reinvented again?
• Ticket Giveaway Alert!
  Interested in having dinner with the all-star Borgata chefs Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, and Michael Schulson?

Restaurant Club Newsletter [Philadelphia Magazine]

Today in the Metro, “The Bite” takes a look at who is serving up some fall ingredients from soups to pumpkin shakes.

Fall in love with seasonal dishes [Metro Philadelphia]

The change in season has brought a change in the menu at the new Marigold Kitchen. Among the new items are:

• Champagne Braised Escargot over crispy polenta with wild mushrooms.
• Butternut Squash Bisque, garnished with banana bubbles, autumn spiced crema, freeze dried raisins and fried sage leaves.
• Monkfish “Picatta”, served with preserved lemon mash, black olive emulsion, broccoli rabe and crispy fried capers.

Still on the menu is the intriguing pork, beans and beer (pork tenderloin, white bean puree and Guinness foam). Check out the full menu here.

We really need to get to West Philadelphia to check this place out.

Marigold Kitchen [Official Site]

Marigold Kitchen reopens tomorrow under the helm of new chef and owner, Robert Halpern. Highlights of the seasonal menu include:

• Late Summer Cobb Salad with Point Reyes Blue, Bacon Toffee, Quail Egg, Avocado, Ice Wine Vinaigrette
• Wild Mushrooms in Parchment with Fresh Parsley, Garlic, Yuzu, Shallot
• Pan Fried Sardines with Apple Salad, Saffron-Nutmeg Vinaigrette, Crouton.
• Slow Baked Salmon with Vanilla Croquettes, Baby Beets, Fennel, Berries, Housemade Yogurt;
• Pork, Beans & Beer with White Bean Puree, Proscuitto Crisps, Brussel Sprouts, Guinness Foam;
• Seared Squab Breast with Chocolate Ragout, Raisin Puree, Braised Shiitakes, Spinach Compression.
• Avocado in the Style of Foie Gras with Seared Avocado, Fruit & Vegetable Medley, Chilled Almond Broth

Starters range from $8-$14 and entrees from $18-$28. There’s also a 9-course tasting menu available for $85.

Check out the September tasting menu after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Meal Ticket spots the new menu for Robert Halpern’s version of Marigold Kitchen. His “post-modern” menu includes intriguing ingredients like bacon toffee, spicy caramel froth, Guinness foam and avocado in the style of foie gras. Be sure to also check out the photo gallery. Opening is set for September 1st. [Meal Ticket]

Positano Coast is honoring the gift certificates of seafood-centric restaurants that have gone by the wayside. The Old City eatery will honor Oceanaire and Bookbinders gift certificates for full face value up to $100.

Le Cochon Noir is taking its West Philadelphia barbecue business indoors with a 7,000 square-foot space along Parkside Drive. October 15th is the current target date. [Meal Ticket]

Bill Murphy, former chef at Blue Angel, Continental and Teplitzky’s is opening Cicchetteria, an Italian small-plater looking to open at the location of Di Vino just off of Rittenhouse Square in October. [The Insider]

Soul of Jamaica is the Lansdowne offshoot of South Street’s Jamaican Jerk Hut. It opened August 15th and features a similar menu. [Meal Ticket]

Bump is coming under new management and will shortly be closing for renovations. The bumped-up Bump should return in early September. [Philly Gay Calendar]

Sprinkles, the froyo contender in West Philadelphia is aiming for a mid-September opening. [Meal Ticket]

The Wrap Shack on 18th off of Rittenhouse Square is adding a liquor license. Beer, wine, mixed drinks and fortified smoothies will be on the new menu. [The Insider]

DiBruno Brothers wine bar replacement for DiBruno Pronto has been delayed and not  just by a few weeks but until after the new year. [Grub Street]

Michael Klein gets all obituary-like and what-not with his note that Dresher’s Carambola has passed into the Great Restaurant Beyond. [The Insider]

The Stephen Cook version of Marigold Kitchen is closing tomorrow and they’re going out with a bang. Current Marigold chef and future head of Percy Street Barbecue, Erin O’Shea, former chef and Zahav master Michael Solomonov as well as Cook are collaborating on the menu.

Meal Ticket has a copy of the menu for the long-ago sold out dinner. Mmmmm,  ribeye cap and lobster with sour cherry and foie gras.

Want to see the Marigold Kitchen farewell dinner menu? [Meal Ticket]
Marigold Kitchen [Official Site]

Meal Ticket catches up with chef Robert Halpern as he prepares to take over Marigold Kitchen. [Meal Ticket]

Restaurant Club sits down with another chef with a new job, Anne Coll who is taking over the kitchen at Meritage. In addition to the interview there is also the menu. [Restaurant Club]

Philadelphia Weekly gets in on the Q&A funwith chef Sheri Waide of Southwark. [Philadelphia Weekly]

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]