December 05, 2024
Provided Image/Society Hill Films
Mona is a new bar and Mediterranean restaurant from Teddy Sourias' Craft Concepts Group. It opens Friday at 1308 Chestnut St. in Midtown Village.
A new bar and Mediterranean restaurant inspired by coastal Greece opens Friday in Midtown Village, bringing an island-themed atmosphere to a multi-level storefront on Chestnut Street.
Mona is the latest venture from restaurateur Teddy Sourias, whose Craft Concepts Group is behind other Center City spots including Uptown Beer Garden, 101 Speakeasy and Tradesman's. The four-story building at 1308 Chestnut St., most recently a Luxe Home Philadelphia store, has been ornately decorated with sparkling chandeliers above the 24-seat bar and floral arrangements reminiscent of scenery from HBO's "The White Lotus."
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The menu at Mona features an assortment of kebabs, gyros and seasonal pastas such as shrimp orecchiette and pasta primavera. Entrees include herb-crusted lamb chops with dijon, pommes purée and seasonal veggies, and branzino with sautéed spinach, pommes purée and Provençal sauce. There also will be salads, small plates and soups.
“Mona has been a passion project of mine for quite some time and really became a reality and goal to work towards pre-pandemic,” Sourias said in a statement. “It’s important for me to honor my roots and family heritage, while integrating new, fun, and intentional elements to every aspect of the restaurant, its design, and of course, the food."
Mona's interior was developed by Vanessa Deleon of New York City design firm VVA Designs and architect Oscar Soto.
Mona's menu is inspired by cuisine from Greece and other Mediterranean coastal communities.
Highlights from the cocktail menu include a baklava old fashioned, Mona martini and passion fruit margarita. The bar will also sell wine by the bottle and glass.
Mona will initially open with the bar and dining room on the first floor and a second bar with a lounge on the bottom level of the building. In the coming months, the third and fourth levels will be opened for expanded operations and dancing. Weekend brunch also will be added in the near future.
Sourias made news earlier this year with the purchase of Memories in Margate, the Jersey Shore club formerly run by the late Jerry Blavat. Sourias also plans to open a sushi fusion restaurant at the Penn Center at 1515 Market St.
Dinner service at Mona will begin daily at 4 p.m., and reservations can be made at OpenTable.
