The Daily Pennsylvanian’s 34th Street Magazine has been chock full of food and drink related notes and this week is no different.

• Profile and history of Smokey Joe’s
• There’s more than just Blarney’s, Smoke’s, and Copa in West Philly
• Naked Chocolate proves more enticing than even its Center City location
• Caffeination celebrates the “legal drug of choice”

3th Street Magazine [Official Site]

Naked Chocolate Cafe’s 34th and Walnut location has been an instant success with demand outstripping supply.

The store’s seven tables and 28 chairs are, at times, simply not enough to accommodate the number of patrons.

Area residents have flocked to the store to taste the decadent, high-end chocolate products sold, and [owner Tom] Block has found it increasingly difficult to serve all of his customers.

The sweet taste of success [Daily Philadelphian]
Naked Chocolate Cafe [Official Site]

The second Naked Chocolate Cafe has opened in University City. This one at 3421 Walnut Street opens at 8am and features the tried and true as well as muffins, cookies and “savory puffs.” [Meal Ticket]

Rachel Ray will be infecting headlining the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. [The Illadelph]

Fishtown’s Sketch is now open for lunch and have added vegan garlic mashed potatoes to the menu. [Living on the Vedge]

Speaking of lunch, Earth Bread + Brewery will start serving it this Friday. [Beer Lass]

Table Talk has some details on The Witch that has sprung from Peppercorns on Moyamensing Ave. There’s a liquor license and chef from Django in the mix. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Naked Chocolate Cafe is aiming to open October 27th on Penn’s campus. Capogiro, Jimmy John’s and Chipotle are scheduled to open shortly afterward in the brand new Radian Building. [Daily Pennsylvanian]

Meal Ticket has a look at Scott Schroeder’s South Philadelphia Taproom menu. Wild boar is back in taco form. [Meal Ticket]

Mi Lah Vegetarian has taken over the Pita Pocket space at 16th and Chancellor and transformed the space into a white tableclothed vegetarian restaurant. [Meal Ticket]

The Great American Pub in Bryn Mawr has been sold and will reopen as Tip O’ Leary’s Pub. Tip O’Leary’s also has a loction in Havertown.  [Philadelphia Business Journal]

Alyan’s Middle Eastern restaurant is now offering neighborhood delivery. [Bhiladelphia]

Friday, Foobooz editor Arthur Etchells was interviewed by CBS 3’s Nicole Brewer about where to go for some good Fall eats. 

Foobooz On CBS 3 Video [CBS3.com]
Dining Out With Foobooz [CBS3.com]

 

Still hanging over from July’s mega restaurant openings? No rest for the weary! Grab the metro where the the Bite highlights more than a half-dozen openings just around the corner.
Root (1033 Spring Garden St)

• Cactus Restaurant and Bar (4245 Main St)
• Earth Bread + Brewery (7136 Germantown Ave)
• Izakaya Bar & Bistro (1420 Locust St)
• Pub & Kitchen (1946 Lombard St)
• Naked Chocolate Cafe (34th and Chestnut)
• Capogiro (39th and Walnut)
• Brown Betty Dessert Boutique (269 S 20th St)

UPDATE: Earth Bread + Brewery owner Tom Baker posted to PhillyBlog this morning regarding his likely opening date.

Greetings-
We still don’t have an opening date.  We’re still waiting on our liquor license approval.  Our construction will be completed this week and if our approvals come by the end of the month, we should be able to open in early Sept.  I have a new found awe for the bureaucracy in the Commonwealth.

We don’t think Tom is alone in his “awe” for Pennsylvania bureaucracy.

A tipster reports that there are “Coming Soon” signs for a Naked Chocolate Cafe in a storefront at 34th and Chestnut, just a few doors down from the GAP and CVS in Penn’s Domus complex.

The Bite this week dives into cool refreshing options for what to do when the heat and humidity just get to be too much. There are plenty of choices from a frozen drinking chocolate at Naked Chocolate Cafe, gelato at Capogiro, a Lightning Rod of a sundae at Franklin Fountain or kick it old school with a cup of cherry from John’s Water Ice.

Freeze summer heat in its tracks [Metro Philadelphia]

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]

Philly Mag comes up with nine hot drinks to get you through the winter. We are surprised to see Naked Chocolate Cafe missing from the list, especially the seasonal peppermint hot chocolate. Get it with a shot of espresso for a real pick-me-up.

• Caramel Cream Dream: Double Shots
• White Hot Chocolate: Gryphon Café
• Mexican Hot Chocolate: E’s Passyunk
• The Flat White: Ants Pants Café
• Caramel Apple Cider: Burlap and Bean
• French Press: Mugshots
• Sweet Dreams: Lambertville Trading Company
• Fresh Lemon Ginger Tea: Soy Café
• Benna Cap: Benna’s Cafe

In Search Of … Hot Drinks [Philadelphia Magazine]