January 07, 2015
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Two people stop for lunch at Ikea in South Philadelphia.
Philly’s hoppin’ foodie scene will continue to dominate with several openings in 2015, including places to dine by candlelight or to enjoy cocktails and grub with a group of rowdy friends.
Zagat of Philadelphia rounded up some of the city’s most anticipated new restaurants. Here are just a few of them.
The popular New York City ice cream shop, which began as a seasonal food truck in 2009 before finding a permanent home in 2011, will open a Philly location early in 2015.
The 521 S. Broad St. shop will offer soft serves with quirky toppings. Case in point: Olive oil, wasabi pea dust and cayenne pepper are some of the offerings.
Co-owner Douglas Quint, a member of the LGBT community, named his business Big Gay Ice Cream because the idea of him selling ice cream on the streets of New York “seemed kind of gay.”
But his ice cream also fosters inclusivity, he said in a video on the company website.
“I see being an ice cream man as being a salesman to everyone,” Quint said. “You don’t need teeth to eat ice cream. So you can be 8 months old, you can be 108 years old. You can be the richest man in America or you can be the poorest man and afford it with pocket change.”
What’s the difference between this upcoming Tria location and the others? Dinner.
Scheduled to open sometime in March, the 2227 Pine St. Tria location — formerly Dmitri’s — will have a full kitchen.
Philadelphia night owls rejoice. Korean fried chicken joint BonChon is scheduled to open at 1020 Cherry St. sometime in late January. It’s unclear how late the chain will stay open, but some locations nationwide are open as late as 2 a.m.
At almost double the size of North Bowl, South Bowl will have 26 lanes, a private bowling area, a more expansive food menu, a roof deck and a 75-foot bar.
The 19 E. Oregon Ave. location is set to open sometime in January.
Owners Leigh Maida and Brendan Hartranft are opening Clarkville to join their growing collection of beer bars — which includes Memphis Taproom, Local 44 and Strangelove’s.
Clarkville will have around a dozen taps and growlers as well as wine on tap. Along with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, Clarkville also will have menu items of the pizza variety.
Clarkville is set to open at 4301 Baltimore Ave. after Philly Beer Week in late spring.
After a fire ravaged Hawthornes at 738 S. 11th St. in February, the owners have been relentlessly remodeling to create a better-than-ever atmosphere.
There will be a larger fireplace lounge, diner seating and a beer delivery.
Marlo and Jason Dilks, owners of Slice pizzerias, will be adding a burger joint to the mix come late January.
P’unk Burger, at 1823 E. Passyunk Ave., features all-natural, organic burgers; fries and milkshakes. The menu also includes options for vegan and gluten-free diners.
For more newly-opened and soon-to-open restaurants, check Philadelphia Magazine’s interactive map here or read Zagat’s roundup here.
