We received word Zot closed last weekend, we didn’t remember till Michael Klein posted about it last night. Next door neighbor Madam Saito of Le Champignon de Tokio says she will be take over. [The Insider]

Also buried on our iPhone, Benny the Bums at the Holiday Inn Stadium has closed. Evidently a scene in Always Sunny in Philadelphia wasn’t enough to save the sports bar.

Bart Blatstein has taken the reigns of Vino at the Piazza at Schmidt’s from Michael Maglio. [Phoodie via Grub Street]

Champps King of Prussia was hit by fire early Friday morning. [6ABC]

Former Khyber Pass owner David Coleman Headley has been charged with planning terrorist attacks overseas. [The Insider]

Tomorrow night ZoT is hosting their second Flintstone Dinner of non-traditional “caveman” meats and menu selections.

The event is a six-course $95 per person meal that starts at 6:30 with a reception followed by a sit-down dinner.

On the menu are such unusual foods as lion, crickets, Thai waterbugs and more. Check out the full menu and beer pairings after the jump.

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PhilaFoodie reviews Zot’s recent “Flintstones dinner” of exotic meats. A meal where the menu read more like roll call at a zoo than the meat list at your butcher.

Zot appears to have been torn between and constructing dishes that would allow the flavors of these exotic meats to roam wild and constructing dishes that would stand on their own. At a minimum, the dinner’s theme called for the former. Zot chose the latter. But the truth is that the two are not mutually exclusive.

Yabba-Dabba-Zoo! — Zot’s Flintstone Dinner [PhilaFoodie]
Zot’s Flintstone Dinner Set [Fickr]
Zot [Official Site]

So ZoT is hosting a dinner with a lot of exotic meats. Are you interested in trying lion?

And please add your comments as well.

ZoT can be a bizarre place. And with their Flintstone Dinner planned for Wednesday, June 18th they’re upping the ante. There won’t be brontosaurus rack of ribs but there will be a lot of strange food to try including python, turtle, yak, black bear, antelope and even lion. The six course meal will cost $95 per person and will include wine and spirit pairings.

Complete release after the jump.

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This Friday marks the grand opening of Zotikot, the new upstairs lounge at Zot that boasts flat screen TVs, foosball, darts and jukebox as well as a wine bar. Zotikot is Belgian for “a crazy fool.” Speaking of crazy, there’s a tub upstairs that’s somehow tied into the draft system. RSVP via Rachel’s Guide.

Also showing off their new upstairs space is Finn McCool’s which is having a grand opening for their lounge, Prime on Saturday. RSVP for this party here.

Zot [Official Site]
Finn McCool’s [Official Site]

We’ve always been of the opinion that’s there something a little off about Belgians, not that we don’t love them and their beer. Perhaps it’s all that Trappist beer that makes them a bit odd. Well Zot owners Tim Trevans and Bernard Dehaene aren’t making us reconsider our theory as they are adding a tub to the surroundings as part of their first anniversary redesign.

The wine bar in the front of the first floor will be moved upstairs, in favor of two beer bars. Upstairs, besides the new wine bar (where wines will be available by the bottle only), they’re installing a sports bar. And this is where the bathroom fits in. It’s the bar back. Behind that tiled wall behind the tub is a refrigerator box, and beer lines will be punched through. Beer spillage will go into the tub and down the drain.

Pass the Soap [Food & Drinq]
Zot [Official Site]

Zot looks better than it executes according to Foodzings who has some problems with the service.

It’s a pretty restaurant. It has pretty servers. The food is pretty. But really, it’s missing something. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s just too much show and not enough substance. It’s all very pretty, but underneath it all, you see some homeliness. They definitely need to step up their game because Zot could be so much better. It has so much potential, but it has to follow through. Otherwise, you’re going to keep reading reviews like mine.

Zot – Mostly Looks… [Foodzings]
Zot [Official Site]

Are all Belgians a bit crazy? This is from Joe Sixpack’s recent post about dining at Zot.

The waitstaff is just plain weird (one server said he was forbidden to fill our water glasses more than halfway) and the policies are idiotic (you WILL eat the frites). I could live with that, but the bad news is the food has taken a tumble. The first time I ate here, I thought the mussels might’ve been the best I had outside of Normandy. Big, succulent, full of flavor. Last night they were just pathetic – tiny, overcooked and uninspired. Some of the other dishes (risotto) were lame, but man, if you can’t get the mussels right in a Belgian restaurant… At first I thought it might’ve been an off night, but later I ran into a friend who told me he’d given up on the place after two bad meals in recent weeks. Sad.

Old City Joints [Joe Sixpack]

Read the confessions of a meat eater and find out what beer bar is adding a wine lounge.

The true confessions of meat eater [Metro Philadelphia]