Union Trust has swung its doors wide and we have the opening day menu, complete with the option of a vertical steak tasting featuring four long bone ribeyes aged 56, 49, 42 and 35 days, cooked to specification and split four ways.

A 12 oz filet is priced at $45 and the 28 oz long bone dry-aged ribeye tops out the menu with a  price of $94. The rest of the menu finds oysters, clams, caviar, plus various options of chops, bones, ribs and fish with some intriguing sounding starters.

Union Trust Menu (PDF)
Union Trust [Official Site]

Jayson Grossberg has his Alphabet Soup Cafe running in Audobon. Look for Alphabet Soup Gourmet, a prepared foods market and chef’s table in Cherry Hill this spring. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Tomorrow is still the day for Union Trust’s opening. [Icepack, City Paper]

Trend alert! Tiffin has their goods at Temple’s Barns & Noble and now Giwa is looking to put bibimap kits in local supermarkets and cafeterias. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Blackfish is moving its shore operation from Avalon to Stone Harbor and it will go year round. [The Insider]

Philly Skyline can be proud that they’ve gotten a Philly skyline on next month’s Philly Beer Week pass. [Metro Philadelphia]

The former Roselena’s on  Passyunk Avenue is looking at a March rebirth as Michael’s Cafe. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Today’s edition of  The Bite looks at a couple of new restaurants that you may have heard about on Chestnut Street, Chifa and Union Trust.

Tables on Chestnut [Metro Philadelphia]

Are any of you wondering what Union Trust, the $12 million steakhouse that is scheduled to open this Friday, might be like? How it might be different from the other two steakhouses in town located in former banks? Us too!

The entire staff of Foobooz attended the opening party on Saturday night, along with what may have been anywhere from 1,200 to 2,500 other people, and we’d love to tell you all of the details, but it was so crowded that it was impossible to discover anything useful about what the restaurant will be like in its normal state of operations. We can tell you that the restored ceiling is beautiful because it was the only thing we could get an unadulterated view of at this Philadelphia Rat Fuck.

Back in November, Foobooz attended the Del Frisco’s opening party, which was also packed to the gills and we thought it might be fun to do a compare/contrast of the special Philadelphia weirdness of both opening parties. Check it out after the jump.
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A.D. Amorosi profiles Terry White, the man with the plan at the opulent and ambitious Union Trust.

In Terry We Trust [City Paper]
Union Trust [Official Site]

Union Trust has been delayed again. Restorations are expected to be completed by the holidays and training will take up much of January. Then the restaurant will open to the public on February 2nd. We were just by the place and the ceiling and windows are looking spectacular.

Another rendering after the jump.

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The protest of Union Trust’s liquor license by sommelier Marnie Old has been tossed out by the PLCB.

A protest letter filed by local sommelier Marnie Old against the Union Trust (717 Chestnut) steakhouse, has been denied by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s lawyer, says a PLCB spokeswoman. The state agency ruled that Old’s letter, written on Sept. 11, 2007, was “filed after the deadline for valid protests.” As the only other protest letters were both withdrawn, the PLCB will continue to process the license-transfer application without a hearing required.

Dan Gross: LiLo & Samantha mur.murings [Philadelphia Daily News]

In an interesting squabble, wine expert Marnie Old is protesting Union Trust’s liquor license.

According to correspondence, Old wants the restaurant to sign a document stating that it will never have outdoor seating or function as a nightclub.

Other demands include implementing noise-mitigation measures, expediting valet parking to minimize sidewalk congestion and storing trash inside the premises until immediately before collection. White says that he never planned outside dining but that he won’t be told how to run his business, and looks forward to their day in court.

Dan Gross: Union Trust draws protest [Philadelphia Daily News]

KYW’s Lauren Lipton talks with Ed Doherty and Terry White about their new project, Union Trust. The 18 minute interview touches on the rich history of the building and the plans for the opulent steakhouse.

Among the details:

• 65 foot ceilings.
• The building opened as Quaker City Bank, then was Union Trust and for a short time was used as the Federal Reserve before becoming Jack Kellmer jewelers.
• There are 3 private dining rooms including one on the mezzanine overlooking the main floor.
• The 4th floor will house a private lounge.
• 3 vaults are being converted into refrigerated wine vaults.
• The Pastry kitchen will also occupy a converted vault.
• 3 Montague broilers have been purchased for the restaurant.
• More than just steak, seafood, charcuterie and raw bar will make it an attractive option for more than just the carnivore.
• Opening this fall.

A New Steakhouse to Open in a Center City Landmark [KYW Newsradio 1060]

City Paper has a new food critic, David Snyder of PhilaFoodie. Congrats David! [City Paper]

There are 900 seats coming to high-end Center City steakhouses by the end of the year. The Inquirer tells you where. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

Drew Lazor goes all Girard Ave corridor this week with more details on Otolith, Q-Ba Bar & Restaurant and some expansion of selection at Almanac Market. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]