Tiffin’s pizza operation is aiming for a July opening at 710 W Girard Avenue. The spot will concentrate on delivery but will also have room for a 24-seat dining room. Oh and good news to the E-P’yunkers, Michael Klein says Tiffin’s owner Munish Narula would be open to our commenters’ suggestion of a Passyunk Avenue location. [Restaurant Club and The Insider]

Capogiro named a top-ten ice cream shop by Bon Appetit. [Bon Appetit via MenuPages]

Snackbar’s management takes over Shouk and the meat is gone really veg-friendly! [Meal Ticket]

Dock Street Brewery & Restaurant has added weekday lunch to their hours starting yesterday. [Meal Ticket]

Phoodie.info is reporting that Swallow seems to be closed again, perhaps for good. [Phoodie.info]

Was walking by Swallow on Saturday night and saw this handwritten note in the window.

I am sorry we are closed today. We lost our dog in an accident. To some this may seem petty, but it has <illegible> deeply we are having a hard time
trying to go on. The past year has been difficult, we have had to <illegible> far too many tragedies and don’t think we are going to reopen until after the new year.

Jason and Cindy

Swallow [Official Site]

Foodaphilia tries out the much buzzed about mac and cheese menu at Swallow.

Overall, Swallow’s new menu is less appealing for the old crowd it used to draw, but is more appealing for those who want a reasonably priced comfort food meal with a serious level of customizability. The new menu is likely to keep Swallow afloat in these trying economic times, but I for one am going to miss the seared tuna over white bean puree and the perfectly grilled flank steak from their earlier incarnation. The mac & cheese debate will likely continue to roar in Northern Libs, but the newest venue for serving up this classic dish has some unique things to offer at an affordable price.

Swallow: Mac & Cheese Bistro [Foodaphilia]
Swallow [Official Site]

Craig LaBan checks out Swallow, Northern Liberties newish French BYOB on Liberties Walk.

The food can still be a savior. Swallow’s menu, though, has struggled with consistency and the kind of culinary inspiration that entices diners to travel farther than a few blocks for dinner.

Some of the French-inflected dishes capture the satisfying essence of a simplicity done right. The big pork chop, for example, is tender and superbly moist, crusted in peppercorns and mustard with a side of sweet potato fries – a fair deal at $18. A starter of grilled fresh head-on sardines needed little more than sweet red peppers and roasted garlic to evoke a snack on the Mediterranean.

One Bell – Hit or Miss

Swallow [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Adam Erace rounds up summer openings and wonders about Swallow, where the food is great, but the chef is a little too involved:

Is it Swallow’s emptiness that causes Jason to approach the table with frequent mood-gauging queries—Is the music too loud? Are the prawns okay?—and fits of gratitude for ordering the duck confit, “which represents 12 hours of labor and preparation”?

The guy looks really uncomfortable, a ball of nervous energy wound up into a tight white perma-smile. He’d do well to let his staff handle the floor. The tatted-up crew don’t hover and seem genuine in both their desire for you to enjoy yourself and their affection for the food.

As part of the summer guide, Jeff Barg ruins a Jim’s steak by wrapping it in a nasty slice of Lorenzo’s pizza.

PW [Official Site]

At long last Swallow has opened on Liberties Walk in Northern Liberties.

Opening night was Wednesday and we have the inaugural menu for the European BYOB bistro.

Read the rest of this entry »

The bar and lounge Knock at 12th and Locust has had a soft opening and look for Jose Pistolas to open next Wednesday. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Swallow on Liberties Walk is now looking at a post Labor Day opening rather than late August. The interior “will be an homage to a Parisian brothel, a nod to Northern Liberties’ history as a red-light district.” [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse out of New York is in talking about opening a Philadelphia outpost at 2040 Market St., the former headquarters of AAA. [Inqlings, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Chima, the Brazilian steakhouse that was announced just about the same time as Fogo de Chao is talking about opening its 20th and JFK location in “the first trimester of 2008.” [Inqlings, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Starting Wednesday, September 5th Shank’s & Evelyn’s will be open for dinner. “Expect to see a full menu of traditional Italian fare, from veal marsala to fettucine alfredo, with a hefty selection of chef’s specialties thrown in.” [Eat Beat, Philadelphia Weekly]

Famous 4th Street Deli is closed through the weekend as there has been a management shakeup. Expect to see more movers and shakers at the Palm for the week. [Inqlings, Philadelphia Inquirerer]

Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran of 13th Street fame plan to add to their portfolio of Open House, Grocery and Lolita. This time with an Indian spot, Bindi taking over the Grocery cafe side this fall. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Bookbinder’s of Linwood, NJ is now open and cheaper than the Center City location, plus more meat dishes and even a brick pizza oven. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

“Euro-inspired bistro fare, with recognizable American and Asian touches” will be on the table when Swallow opens on Liberties Walk in late August of early September. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Looks like Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant will also be opening in late August or early September. Half the old firehouse floor accommodates the brewing equipment with the rest holding the dining area. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Nick Meglino, the owner of the now closed Felicia’s Café is working on a couple of new endeavors. He’s reportedly shopping for a new spot for a seafood Italian restaurant near Rittenhouse Square and is also planning an “an open-air Italian gastropub” on East Passyunk. [Blogalicious]

Georges Perrier has evidently had it with animal-rights activists who protest outside Le-Bec Fin over his serving of foie gras. Over the weekend he came outside to heckle the protesters back. [Dan Gross, Philadelphia Daily News]