We haven’t heard much about Pennsport spot Peppercorns since it opened late last year, but it looks like the building is for sale. The phillyblog thread, ominously titled “Poor Peppercorns“, offers 10 pages of neighborly assessments that run the gamut from hopeful to grim on the future of the spot. 

Pennsport is a tricky spot for a restaurant, bar or resto-bar. It clearly can support a bar – there’s no shortage of them there – but the food situation is inconsistent. The Ugly American seems to be surviving. There’s a newish BYOB Nicholas (anyone been?). So what might work in Peppercorns space, if not Peppercorns? Another BYO? Another gastropub? Sushi? Bueller?

Here’s the Restaurant Yenta’s pick: lose the restaurant and open a craft beer store with prepared foods. The prepared foods should be delicious, but affordable and accessible. It should be staffed by cute guys and girls who are earnest but not snotty about their love of craft beer. They should have cake, because cake is wonderful and everyone loves cake. 

Thoughts? 

The Fieldhouse opened last night at the old Independence Brew Pub. The sports bar is run by the same people as Mission Grill and the Public House. [Food & Drinq]

Michael Klein has some more information on two new spots (Peppercorns, Ugly American) that have opened in the Pennsport neighborhood of South Philly. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is scouting locations in Miami for his third restaurant. [Page Six, New York Post]

Patrick Mullin who has made the Drafting Room a suburban beer mecca over the last 9 plus years is leaving for Sierra Nevada. He won’t even be able to attend the Drafting Room’s debut of Baltic Thunder (Victory’s remake of Heavyweight’s Perkuno’s Hammer) set for January 5th. [Liquid Diet Online]

The Clog has the menu for Peppercorns, the new restaurant at Moyamensing and Reed in South Philadelphia. Entrees run from $14 to $28 and there are also children’s and late night bar menus.

MENU EXCLUSIVE: Peppercorns [The Clog]

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.