The Ugly American is less than a month away from taking over the La Vigna spot at 1100 S Front Street. The menu will be all-American from venison chili to an American cheese platter artisinal cheeses from American makers. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

La Golosa opened last night at the former Dessert across from Cochon on the Queen Village/Bella Vista border.

Union Trust on Chestnut Street is going to be BIG! “The multilevel space will be able to seat 480, with an ultralounge bumping up capacity to around 600; items will range from small-plate sliders to 3-and-a-half-foot long bones that run $100 a pop.” Look for a Spring 2008 opening. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Perhaps Moyamensing is set for its own restaurant row? Peppercorns needs a chef but is looking to open by mid-November. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

The former Mandoline in Old City is set to open this weekend as a BYO Korean, Meju Korean Restaurant. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Cafe Estelle is set to open Monday, November 5th at 444 North 4th Street. The menu will feature house-baked breads and pastries, paninis and flatbread pizzas.

A club may start its life white hot, but it rarely lasts more than a season before all that is left is “Jersey people.” A.D. Amorosi takes a look inside Philadelphia’s club scene for the Inquirer.

Among the hot, at least until this Inky article made all the places mentioned so last week, the Gayborhood may just be the hottest area of the city with Pompeii, Sal’s on 12th, Key West, Pure and Applause!Applause!. Outside the Gayborhood the Walnut Room shines at 18th and Walnut, Bob & Barbara’s on South at 15th is hot again, as is Medusa, downstairs at 21st and Chestnut and Fluid, 4th Street, south of South, is somehow always hot.

But as always these clubs are playing for a fickle audience, “easy to please, impossible to ultimately satisfy.”

Keeping Their Cool [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Nothing small about these Quick Bites, open wide and devour!

• Aqua, 705 Chestnut Street, may be opening as soon as Mondy and Michael Klein has the dish.
• Also in Table Talk today it’s noted that Suede is looking to be reborn Triada, a “small-plates restaurant-cum-lounge.” Of course Triada should not to be confused with Tria or Trio. And there’s no truth to the rumor that riage, a small tapas and Emergency Room waiting area is opening near Jefferson.
• Another item of note in TT, especially to those who miss Warmdaddy’s on Front Street, their new RiverView Plaza location is “about a month out.” (Table Talk)

Read the rest of this entry »