Parc will be officially opening on Bastille Day. Michael Klein has some background on the design of Stephen Starr’s mega-bistro. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Pencil in July 28th for Starr’s opening of Teplitzky’s and Chelsea Prime in Atlantic City at the new non-casino hotel, the Chelsea. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Rejoice East Passyunkers who want something besides tacos and red gravy, Izumi a Japanese BYOB is coming to Passyunk and Tasker this August. [Food and Drinq]

Zento is looking at a second location. This one will bring conteporary Japanese cuisine to 9th and South. [The Clog]

An out of town Rouge in Acela range is planned by owners Maggie and Rob Wasserman. [Dan Gross, Philadelphia Daily News]

2nd Street Annie’s is looking to move its operation from Wildwood to Front and Fairmount and Phoodie is just thrilled. [Phoodie.info]

The rumors had been prevalent for a couple weeks now but Michael Klein has it, Bella Vista’s Molcajete Mixto is no more. On the good side though it is still a Mexican BYOB, Paxia and one of the co-owners is Dionicio Jimenez of Xochitl. [Food and Drinq]

And like Michael Klein, we are very dissapointed to learn that Pita Pocket at 16th and Chancellor has closed. [Food and Drinq]

Mama’s Grill on South Street has a new name, Chickpeas Falafel & Grill. It’s still owned by the Mama’s Vegetarian people though. [The Clog]

Food and Drinq has the Minar Palace menu. They’re promising mid-July but the Time Video sign is still in place and the front really doesn’t look much different from this Google Street View photo. [Food and Drinq]

Molcajete Mixto is closing to install a new hood in the kitchen. Hopefully that’s not a euphemism for closing for good. [The Clog]

Speaking of renovations, the Marathon Grill on the 1300 block of Chestnut will be closed for about 10 days as the popular lunch spot gets an overhaul. [Philly Chit Chat]

Kujaku, the successor to Peacock on the Parkway is already gone, just under 6 months if you’re scoring at home. [Food and Drinq]

Adam Erace takes a look at Molcajete Mixto, the South Philadelphia restaurant that fits comfortably between the authentic taquerias and the upscale gringo Mexican spots of the city.

In the Mixto [Blogalicious]
Molcajete Mixto [Official Site]

Kirsten Henri dines at Molcajete Mixto and finds the soups and signature molcajete mixto the most exciting but feels many of the other dishes are holding back their magic. The service on the other hand is top notch, certainly having learned from working at the best restaurants in the city.

While funky taquerias have been popping up here with some regularity, a full-service Mexican restaurant owned by Mexicans is less common. Certainly service this attentive is a rarity in any type of restaurant. Napkins are deftly dropped in our laps for us, water glasses are maintained at optimum levels and we�re politely invited to ask questions, never rushed and profusely thanked.

Made in Puebla [Philadelphia Weekly]
Molcajete Mixto [Official Site]

Rick Nichols takes a look at Molcajete Mixto at 8th and Christian, and finds a place he’s rooting for but wishes it weren’t so afraid of its own Mexican roots.

But there remains a mixto-ed-up quality to the fare, billed as “Latin-influenced international cuisine.” I don’t know if it’s an abundance of caution or what, but aside from a nicely-seasoned camarones al ajillo (shrimp with garlic sauce) and chocolate-based mole sauce on the chicken enchiladas, any spicing is sometimes AWOL: In the quesadillas de huitlachoche, empanada pockets stuffed with corn mushroom – and a few other samplings – the flavor was too faint to detect.

Stepping up at Molcajete [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Molcajete Mixto [Official Site]

Drew Lazor adds to the fall food bonanza noting that a couple of new South Philadelphia restaurants are now serving.

El Zarape, 1548 E. Passyunk Ave.,has opened across from Los Caballitos Cantina. This much more basic taqueria “dirt-cheap grub.”

Molcajete Mixto is opened at 746 Christian St.. This Bella Vista BYO will be opened for brunch, lunch and dinner. Look for regional foods and some notraditional dishes like Valencian paella.

Feeding Frenzy [City Paper]

• Aqua, the Malaysian and Thai restaurant at 7th and Chestnut has opened.
• Michael Klein reports that the National Park Service is looking for a restaurant operator for the Kennedy-Supplee Mansion in Valley Forge Park. No word on whether the Park Service will be installing a space crippling metal fence around the mansion.
• A moderate priced Mexican BYOB is opening just about any day now at 744 Christian Street. Molcajete Mixto’s signature dishes will be served in hot volcanic rock (Inqlings).
• Former Starr chef Christopher Painter is the executive chef at Kitchen 223 in Haddon Heights, NJ. The American bistro will be open in about a month (Feeding Frenzy).
• Jolly’s Sporting Saloon may be leaving it’s 19th Street location (Icepack)

A.D. Amorosi’s article in last week’s City Paper kicked up quite the fuss resulting in three letters to the editor defending the credentials of Ed Rek of Restaurant M.