The world’s appetite for Irish bars is insatiable. As a friend once said, to be Irish is to be able to travel the world and to know you can always get a job in an Irish bar. Maurice Collins and Liam Kelly who started the nearby Tir na Nog have opened Con Murphy’s at 17th and the Parkway.

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Koo Zee Doo has opened on 2nd Street between Spring Garden and Fairmount. The BYOB is named for the phonetic spelling of cozida a Portuguesa, a traditional Portuguese stew. The menu will of course be Portuguese and feature small bites, soups, salads, family style specialties and a section dedicated to grilled meats.
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Square 1682 is the new restaurant at the base of the Palomar Hotel at 17th and Sansom.The name is inspired by William Penn who founded Philadelphia in 1682 and his plan for a “green countrie towne” comprised of five squares.

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Wegmans opened a new supermarket in Collegeville Sunday and it’s big and it has beer.

• 132,000 square foot store
• 600 employees
• Full service restaurant named the Pub
  • Seating for 300
  • Modeled after traditional Irish pub
  • Yards and Victory on tap
  • No tipping
  • Working fireplace
  • Food Menu (PDF)
  • Drink Menu (PDF)
• Beer section
  • Single beers and six packs available for purchase
  • Separate check out
  • Sly Fox Black Raspberry Reserve $9.99
• 700 types of fruit and vegetables
• 400 cheeses

Wegmans Collegeville
600 Commerce Dr, Collegeville, PA
484-902-1560

Wegmans Opens New Store in Pennsylvania [WHAM]
Sly Fox @ Wegmans [Beer Lass]
Collegeville Wegmans opening just grand [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Wegmans Opens New Collegeville Store With Full Service Restaurant and Bar Inside [The Illadelph]

Daniel Stern’s MidAtlantic opens today in the Science Center at 38th and Market. The modern taproom features flavors from the roots of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Dutch.

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Pizzeria Stella is set to open tomorrow at the corner of 2nd and Lombard. Stephen Starr’s pizza joint takes over the former Cosi location and promises 12 varieties of pizza plus a selection of antipasti, insalata and meats.

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Resurrection Ale House opens tomorrow at 5 at the corner of Grays Ferry and Catharine. Menu samples will be available with the still under wraps full menu starting Thursday at noon. The Ale House promises to be a beer bistro for the G-Ho/Center City South neighborhood.

The Owners

• Leigh Maida and Brendan Hartranft are opening their third establishment in under two years.
  • “Port Fishington’s” Memphis Taproom (#11 in the Foobooz Top 50 Bars)
  • West Philadelphia’s Local 44 (#31)
• Brendan is known to many as “Spanky” from Nodding Head where he was a long time bartender.

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Avril , a Northern Italian and Southern French BYOB opens tonight in Bala Cynwyd.

The Owners

• The husband and wife team of Christian Gatti and April Lisante
• Gatti has experience at:
  • City Tavern
  • White Dog
  • Audrey Claire
• Lisante was a long-time food writer for the Philadelphia Daily News
• The couple met during a 2003 Daily News photo shoot where Gatti was featured as one of Philadelphia’s “hot, young chefs.”

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The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. opens to the public tonight in the former Bar Noir space on 18th Street. 

The Story

• Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. was known for being the center for the largest alcohol ring in the country during prohibition.
• Max “Boo Boo” Hoff ran the ring.
• Hoff pushed 10,000 gallons of  liquor a day.

The Space

• 112 S 18th Street
• 50seats
• One bar in the back
• Proprietors LLC consulted on the interior
• Dark wood lined ceiling
• Deep red banquettes
• An interesting array of lighting fixtures
• Mural of “Boo Boo” is to be installed where the former front bar was located.

The Drinks

• Six page cocktail list presented in book form
• Categories include:
  • Revivers & Tonics
  • Island Coolers
  • Water of Life
  • American History
  • Summer Sippin
  • Martini Through Time
  • The Flowing Bowl
  • Beer
• Three kinds of gourmet ice
  • Kold-Draft
  • Nugget
  • Culinary Grade
• No vodka
• No Food

For more on the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. check out the following links.

The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. Is Not Kidding Around [Phoodie.info]
Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. [Thrillist]
No password necessary: The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. opens Thursday [Meal Ticket]
The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. Serves Up Specialty [Philly Chit Chat]
The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. [Official Site]

The Oyster House is set to open today where the Sansom Street Oyster House stood for years. And it won’t just be the oysters that are familiar.

The Owners

• Sam Mink – Father David owned and ran Sansom Street Oyster House from 1976 until he sold the business but not the building to Cary Neff who now runs Coquette.

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