In building the concept for his newest restaurant, Sam Li flew halfway across the world for a culinary research journey. He traveled across China, Japan, and Korea to study, and sample, the three countries’ ways of doing barbecue. It was at a Japanese yakiniku — or grilled meat — restaurant that he knew he had found his next project.
Li is the owner of OGYU Japanese BBQ & Bar, an upscale, grill-it-yourself Japanese barbecue restaurant that opened in Ardmore last month. The restaurant offers a tiered, fixed-price menu with a focus on “higher quality premium Wagyu beef.” OGYU is located in the former Iron Hill Brewery at 60 Greenfield Ave., which closed in 2024 before Iron Hill filed for bankruptcy last year.
Though OGYU has found a home in what was onceIron Hill, Li and his team have transformed the former brewery’s space into a sleek, club-like atmosphere, with black and gold detailing, marble-paneled walls, and an opulent, fully stocked bar.
OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant is shown on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore. The new restaurant by Sam Li offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking, adding to Ardmore’s growing portfolio of restaurants.
He now sits at the helm of seven restaurants in the Philly suburbs, including sushi restaurant Osushi, with locations in Marlton, Ardmore, and Wayne; upscale Japanese restaurant Hiramasa in Newtown Square; and fast-casual chain bb.q Chicken, with two locations inSouth Jersey.
While Li has built his brand largely around sushi, he said he saw an opportunity in the market when it came to Japanese barbecue. There aren’t many yakiniku restaurants in the region, he said, and it’s a relatively new concept to many of his diners. People tend to be familiar with Korean barbecue, which leans more into marinades and flavors than its Japanese counterpart, which more often lets the meat speak for itself, Li said.
“We felt that it could be a new concept that we could bring into the U.S, and it’s something new to Ardmore,” Li said.
Restaurant owner, Sam Li is photographed at OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore. His new restaurant offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking, adding to Ardmore’s growing portfolio of restaurants.
Bringing a new concept to customers has meant lots of education, both for OGYU’s staff and its customers, who need to learn how to operate the tabletop grills and cook pieces of Wagyu to perfection. OGYU is an interactive experience, in addition to a meal, with flashy dry ice presentations and the challenge — and excitement — of grilling your own dinner in the middle of the table.
The main difference in the tiers is the quality of the meat, Li said. The introductory tier is best for diners who “just want to experience and explore what yakiniku is about.” The Diamond tier will be “the ultimate experience.”
OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant is shown on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore. The new restaurant by Sam Li offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking, adding to Ardmore’s growing portfolio of restaurants.
Beyond what goes on the grill, OGYU offers a menu of à la carte dishes, including spicy kani salad ($9.95), wagyu truffle fried rice ($21.95), wasabi lobster tempura ($19.95), butter cheese corn ($9.95), and various hand rolls and sashimi. Li describes the à la carte menu as inspired by Japanese street food.
OGYU is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
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One of Philadelphia’s signature sandwiches is heading back to Citizens Bank Park after a decade away.
The Schmitter, the classic cheesesteak-salami creation from McNally’s Tavern in Chestnut Hill, will return during the forthcoming Major League Baseball All-Star festivities, Aramark announced as it unveiled a lineup of foods and merchandise at the ballpark Wednesday.
A Schmitter on display at the All-Star media preview Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.
The Schmitter, which has a spot on The Inquirer’s list of 76 essential foods, will be served at Pass & Stow, the sports bar accessible to ticketed fans, throughout All-Star Week. Aramark, the Phillies’ concessionaire, plans to keep it on the ballpark menu through at least the end of the season.
It joins a lineup of fan-voted creations and Philadelphia chef collaborations at Citizens Bank Park, which hosts four days of events starting with the HBCU Swingman Classic on Friday.
At All-Star Village, which runs Saturday through Tuesday at the Convention Center, Aramark will offer signature dishes from ballparks around the majors, including a pastrami sandwich from Citi Field, the Crawford Dog from Houston’s Daikin Park, and Taco Momalona from Coors Field in Denver.
Del Rossi’s cheesesteak will be offered at Citizens Bank Park during the All Star Game festivities.
The food is only part of the attraction.
The two-level Phillies Team Store at the ballpark — open to the public without a ticket every day except Sunday — has been completely reset with merchandise exclusive to the All-Star Game. The usual Phillies caps, jerseys, drinkware, and other souvenirs have been packed into storage for the week while Major League Baseball takes over.
The store is stocked with about 400 All-Star items, “about 80% of them exclusive to the ballpark,” said Francis Winkey, Aramark’s senior merchandise manager. Winkey, an avid trading-pin collector, said he designed and sourced 84 exclusive pins, including one representing each major-league team.
More than 80 original pins will be sold at the Phillies Team Store during All-Star Game events.
“I’ve spent way too much of my life over the last two years developing and dreaming up the bobbleheads, the pins, the bats and balls and pennants, and all the other merchandise we’re offering,” Winkey said.
Additional All-Star merchandise will be sold at All-Star Village.
On the ballpark menu for the All-Star events, the showcase dish will be Betsy’s Banana Split Sundae, the winner of a fan vote. The dessert combines banana pudding and vanilla soft serve with crushed vanilla wafers, peanut brittle, hot fudge, strawberry sauce, toasted marshmallow topping, and red, white, and blue sprinkles, all served in a commemorative cap. Because voting was close, Aramark will also feature the runner-up, a rib melt made of braised short rib, sharp provolone, charred onion jam, fried peppers, and pickle butter on ciabatta.
The Revolutionary Rib Melt will be served at Citizens Bank Park during All Star events.
Inside the premium Cadillac Hall of Fame Club, Aramark will feature dishes from Philadelphia chefs and restaurateurs, including Marc Vetri’s meatball Parmesan sandwich from Salvy, Matthew Cahn of Middle Child’s honey mustard chicken wrap, Nish Patel’s Del Rossi’s cheesesteak, and Evan Snyder’s Emmett lamb merguez hot dog. Pricing was not announced.
But the loudest applause at Wednesday’s unveiling was reserved for … a sandwich.
The Schmitter was a Citizens Bank Park staple from its opening in 2004 through the 2015 season. McNally’s owner Joe Pie said it arrived at the ballpark at the request of late Phillies chairman David Montgomery, whose family lived near the tavern. It was originally prepared in a full kitchen near Section 140, but after being moved to an open-air stand near the left-field gate in 2013, Pie said the quality suffered.
Michael Harris, a Phillies vice president, speaks at the preview of All-Star food and merchandise.
“We were serving a sandwich that wasn’t up to par,” Pie said.
Pie said he and Aramark general manager Kevin Tedesco stayed in touch over the years. Aramark nearly revived the Schmitter before last year’s postseason, but the Phillies’ early playoff exit ended those plans. Tedesco approached Pie again while planning this year’s All-Star festivities.
A commemorative jacket festooned with teams logos is shown at the preview of All-Star merchandise.
“Chef Vonnie [Negron] is totally invested,” Pie said of the ballpark’s executive chef. “He said, ‘I understand the sandwich.’”
The Schmitter dates to the late 1960s, when McNally’s founder, Hugh J. McNally, improvised a sandwich for a regular customer who drank Schmidt’s beer. Built with chopped steak, grilled salami, melted cheese, tomatoes, fried onions, and the tavern’s signature Schmitter sauce on a Kaiser roll, it has become one of Philadelphia’s defining sandwiches and earned a place on The Inquirer’s list of essential local dishes.
Its appeal lies somewhere between a cheesesteak, a deli sandwich, and a burger — indulgent enough that former Inquirer columnist Steve Lopez famously joked it came with “a paramedic.”
After nearly a half-century in business, Jollibee has added a fast-food staple it had long gone without: chicken nuggets.
The Filipino-rooted chain, whose lone Philadelphia-area restaurant is at Cottman and Bustleton Avenues in Great Northeast Plaza, introduced the all-white-meat nuggets nationwide last week. They are sold in five-, eight-, 15-, and 30-piece orders, starting at $4.49 for five.
For a company best known for its Chickenjoy fried chicken, Jollibee sees nuggets filling a different niche.
Luis Velasco, senior vice president at Jollibee Group North America, said the company had seen growing demand for nuggets. Rather than competing with the bone-in chicken or its chicken sandwich, which Jollibee introduced in 2021 during the height of the “chicken sandwich wars,” they’re intended as a shareable complement to the fried chicken sandwiches.
Chickenjoy, the signature fried chicken from Jollibee, gets a dunk into gravy at the location at 7340 Bustleton Ave.
Jollibee also sells burgers, fried mango-peach pies, and Filipino spaghetti, a saucy dish whose sweet-and-savory sauce is loaded with ground beef, sliced hot dogs, and melted cheese.
Like the sandwich, the nuggets borrow from the same fried-chicken playbook. They are served with its tender sauce (similar to Cane’s sauce), as well as creamy sriracha, honey mustard, ranch, pineapple BBQ, and chicken gravy, the usual accompaniment to Chickenjoy.
The nuggets drew a steady stream of orders at the Northeast Philadelphia restaurant on Friday.
First impressions: They have plenty of crunchy nubs on the thin coating and a juicy interior. They don’t have the soft, processed texture common among fast-food chains’ nuggets.
“They’re crispy and crunchy and all, but they don’t have the same hard crunch as my Chickenjoy,” said Bing Garcia of Lawndale after taking a first bite.
Paul Santos of Castor Gardens sampled his order with a fork before dunking each piece into a cup of Jollibee’s gravy, the savory sauce with a touch of sweetness.
“I ate my first one plain, and it was fine — maybe a little dry,” Santos said. “You can’t beat their gravy.”
Shore winners: Craig LaBan shares his favorite new restaurants from LBI to Margate.
Two trends: Aperitivo, that European-style late-afternoon cocktail break, is replacing happy hour here. Also, local bakeries are aiming to boost their cool factor by offering TikTok-famous dot cakes.
Frosé tips: On the drink’s 10th anniversary, wine writer Marnie Old explains which wines work.
A new age of brunch has arrived in Philadelphia, borne on the menus of chefs who are taking this long-forgotten meal seriously — but not too seriously. Kiki Aranita shows you where they’re not only breaking eggs but new ground.
🍴 Craig LaBan’s Jersey Shore restaurant reviews continue, as he shares his 2026 findings from Long Beach Island south to Margate. The gochujang carbonara and Oaxacan meatballs at the out-of-the-way Iron Room in Atlantic City, shown above, are examples of “pure fusion fun.” Catch up with Craig here.
🍴 Where else to try: Last week in Part 1, Craig showcased seven new restaurants and an ice cream shop, all on the mainland.
🍴 What’s next: Visit Inquirer.com on Saturday morning for Part 3, in which Craig reviews 11 spots from Ocean City south to Cape May, where he found 24-karat gold atop cacio e pepe risotto.
Aperitivo, a Euro drinking tradition, is overtaking happy hour as a Philly thing. Alisha Miranda writes that more bars are embracing late-afternoon menus with lower ABV cocktails and salty snacks meant for grazing.
When dot cakes hit TikTok, local bakeries weren’t sure the sprinkle-covered dessert would amount to much. Olivia Prusky writes that some shops are even outselling cupcakes as owners race to decide which viral food trends are worth chasing.
How do you choose the right wine for frosé, the summertime cocktail staple? Marnie Old explains.
When Philadelphia’s buzziest restaurants need a beautiful menu design, they call Kylie Silvestri. The creative process is like “building the puzzle pieces,” as she told Hira Qureshi.
A week of top chefs at River Twice
River Twice (1601 E. Passyunk Ave.) will revive its annual Christmas in July dinner series for a fifth year, bringing a different guest chef into the South Philadelphia restaurant each night from July 21-25. Chef Randy Rucker will begin the run with 2026 James Beard Award finalist Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate of Honeysuckle (shown above) on July 21, followed by 2026 James Beard Emerging Chef semifinalist Frankie Ramirez of Amá (July 22), Vetri Cucina’s Jacob Rozenberg and Michal Shelkowitz (July 23), Shola Olunloyo of Studiokitchen (July 24) and 2025 Beard nominee Emmanuel Chavez of Houston’s Michelin-starred Tatemó (July 25). Randy and Amanda Rucker created the series to showcase chefs during an otherwise quiet stretch of the city restaurant calendar. Details here.
The food team’s travels took us to South Philly for hand-rolled Italian noodles, to Chinatown for saucy Northern Chinese noodles, to Ambler for watermelon gazpacho, and to Atlantic City for a perfect dirty gin martini served with a blue-cheese stuffed olive and a sidecar of gummy worms.
Scoops
The Iron Oven in Southampton is planning its second location, taking the former home of Ross & Co. and Bernie’s Pub at 58 S. York Rd. in Hatboro. Sports-bar owner Alex Nalbandian thinks big: At 16,000 square feet, it’s 50% larger than his Bucks County original, which opened in 2018 on the former site of Kenny’s Bar. This Iron Oven will add a full bakery in the cellar while maintaining its phone book-size menu of 120 items. Star is a knife-and-fork-able cheesesteak (shown above) that overstuffs a pound of beef into a house-baked roll. Nalbandian said he is targeting an October opening.
At Emmett, the James Beard-nominated Mediterranean restaurant in Kensington, things are looking up. Owners Julian van der Tak and chef Evan Snyder are opening a second restaurant on the second floor. Read on for the first word about Jean, a 15-seater centered on a hearth.
Restaurant report
The roster of women bartenders who opened their own bars in South Philadelphia expands yet again. Last week, I told you about Liv Arterbridge and Gina Piccari opening the festive Mylar Bar later this summer at Ninth and Morris Streets. This week, Sam Ahern opened Lillian’s, a cozy bar/bistro across town at 19th and Mifflin. (She’s shown above, with bar manager Avdo Babic.) “I wanted something that felt like you were hanging out in somebody’s house,” said Ahern, who has set up a basic menu (try the toasts) but will rely on a series of guest chefs in the kitchen. Read on for the details.
Burrito Feliz’s shift from food truck to brick-and-mortar restaurant takes effect Sunday at 4403 Chestnut St. in University City. Miguel Nolasco is partnered with South Philly’s Brewery ARS to offer cans to go, as well as canned beer and margaritas for on-site consumption.
Briefly noted
Sarcone’s Bakery will add baseball-inspired branding next week in an All-Star Game tie-in. Apparel company ’47 Brand will take over the South Philly landmark at 758 S. Ninth St. on Monday and Tuesday with a pop-up featuring limited-edition Sarcone’s x ’47 hats and T-shirts, available with the purchase of select bakery items including tomato pie and bread, plus an on-site heat press where customers can customize gear with exclusive patches. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. both days.
Culinary Collective, which runs commercial kitchens for culinary entrepreneurs, is teaming with Irv’s Ice Cream on an ice cream series. Each week from July 11-Aug. 7, a collective member or two will be featured in a flavor, including Mac Mart, Arsenal Coffee Roasters & the Cake Vault, Midnight Pasta, and Guilty Good Pastries. Flavors will be available for one week at Irv’s shop at 932 E. Passyunk Ave. Schedule is here.
Starr Restaurants has settled with the National Labor Relations Board over union-busting allegations at St. Alselm, its steakhouse in Washington, D.C.
Baby’s Kusina & Market in Brewerytown, which had taken a walk-in sales hit during the FIFA festivities, now says it’s temporarily closed by a flood caused by a burst pipe. Takeout is expected to resume at the end of the month as its first step back; follow its socials.
Crazy Sushi at 1837 Chestnut St. has closed after 14 years with the sale of its building, as noted on Rittenhouse Ramblings.
❓Pop quiz
Little Susie’s, the fast-growing mini-chain, offers 12 varieties of pie, plus coffee, at its five walk-up windows. One early pie flavor attempt was a dud and has never been sold. What was it?
Will Pizzeria Cusumano in Collingswood ever open? — Anthony C.
Apparently so. Back in September 2021, I reported that South Jersey pizzaiolo Sal Cusumano was planning an artisan pizzeria in a building at 872 Haddon Ave. in Collingswood. (Same article included word that Tacconelli’s Pizzeria was planning a new location in Haddon Township, and it opened in February 2023!) Zoning issues and construction tacked on years to Cusumano’s project, and now, he says, it’s down to fine-tuning the flours. He now says August.
When Franklin Fountain first opened, they made an absolutely delicious ginger ice cream — basically vanilla with bits of ginger in it. Then it went away. If you know any place else that sells it, please let me know. — Caroll D.
As a ginger-phile, I’ve been searching, too, but cannot find a comparable vanilla-ginger mix. Franklin Fountain owner Eric Berley told me that he would revive the combo (last offered pre-pandemic) someday at the Old City shop. More immediately, he is developing a combo of ginger with chocolate with Franklin sister store Shane Confectionery; there’s no release date.
Flavors change frequently. I see that the Owowcow Creamery locations in the northern burbs are dipping blackberry ice cream infused with thyme and candied ginger. The Cloud Cups locations in Kensington sell pineapple lemon ginger gelato. Malai in Rittenhouse doesn’t offer ginger, per se, but does infuse its ice creams with spices such as cardamom and mace. Perhaps Wecklerly’s will revive its ginger sesame crunch. The week-old Moment Gelato, which replaced Black Turtle Coffee just off Rittenhouse Square at 129 S. 18th St., plans to make a ginger flavor soon. Send me your ginger ice cream tips, and I’ll share with the group next week.
📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com.
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When chef Evan Snyder and business partner Julian van der Tak began searching for a home for Emmett a few years ago, they envisioned a restaurant that could do it all: an ambitious chef’s counter, hearth cooking, and a broad exploration of Mediterranean flavors. The Girard Avenue space they found wasn’t large enough. So when Emmett opened in early 2025, they focused on becoming a neighborhood restaurant first.
This fall, the partners plan to open Jean (pronounced “gene”), a 15-seat fireside tasting-menu restaurant above Emmett at 161 W. Girard Ave., the former home of destinations such as Modo Mio and Cadence. Rather than expand across town, they chose to build the missing piece just upstairs.
The team from Emmett (from left): managing partner Julian van der Tak, general manager Marissa Chirico, chef-partner Evan Snyder, and chef de cuisine Antonio Pizzo.
“We could have opened another restaurant somewhere else,” van der Tak said. “But the best part is, I can walk 12 steps and be in both restaurants.”
For nearly two years before opening Emmett, Snyder and van der Tak staged pop-ups while searching for a property that could accommodate both a neighborhood restaurant and a chef’s counter. They never found one.
“The original idea was always a larger restaurant that combined what upstairs will be with what downstairs became,” van der Tak said. “It was always meant to have a chef’s-counter feel and blend these cultures, but we simply couldn’t do it here because of the space.”
Rather than seeking a new location, they decided to finish the concept in the former apartment above the restaurant.
“In many ways, upstairs is the concept we originally imagined for Emmett,” Snyder said. “Downstairs became what it is because it was our first restaurant, because of the demands of the neighborhood, and because initially people didn’t yet trust us.”
Jean will center on a seven-foot wood-burning hearth, where Snyder and chef de cuisine Antonio Pizzo plan a 12-course tasting menu inspired by French North Africa — particularly coastal Morocco — and the southern Mediterranean. Emmett’s menu draws more heavily from the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant.
For van der Tak, who grew up in southern France, the menu reflects childhood memories shaped by the country’s colonizing of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
“Especially in southern France, those influences are deeply ingrained in the food, the personalities, and the people,” he said. “It’s essentially become part of the southern French identity.”
A tagine that begins cooking as guests are seated, and roasts over the hearth throughout dinner, will be served family-style with Egyptian flatbread, dips, ferments, and pickles after a series of smaller courses.
Snyder believes customers are ready for something more ambitious. “We’ve earned that trust,” he said. “Now we’re asking guests to trust us a little more and let us present a more ambitious experience.”
Despite the tasting-menu format, the partners insist that Jean won’t feel formal. Inspired by Henri Matisse’s Moroccan paintings, the dining room is designed as a fireside parlor with custom ceramics by Lauren Rider and Megan Stover, glassware from Philadelphia’s Remark Glass, and artwork by local artist Jacob Des.
Wine director and general manager Marissa Chirico will oversee an Old World-focused wine program alongside a small selection of batched classic cocktails. Snyder expects the menu to start around $225, though pricing has not been set.
“I don’t want to be the guy who opens charging $300 just because everyone else does,” Snyder said. “We’re still a family-run, community-driven restaurant. I don’t want people to feel gouged. I want them to leave feeling they got value.”
Construction has continued without interrupting Emmett’s nightly service. Before Jean opens, Snyder plans to preview the concept through collaborative pop-ups in other cities.
“When people hear ‘tasting menu,’ they assume you’re chasing something,” van der Tak said. “That’s not what this is. The opportunity came along, financially it made sense, and what’s important to us is that the restaurant feels approachable and never stuffy.”
The name continues a family tradition. Emmett is named for Snyder’s son. Jean is the middle name of van der Tak’s son and also honors his maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother.
“It’s just a name with a lot of family history for me,” van der Tak said. “Continuing the theme from downstairs, it’s a very deeply personal project for us. We want to carry on our family legacy and do something that’s really important and close to home.”
For years, Sam Ahern imagined opening a place that felt less like a restaurant than a gathering spot.
Now, just a few doors from her first Philadelphia apartment, she’s done exactly that.
Lillian’s opened last week at 19th and Mifflin Streets in Point Breeze, transforming a onetime barbershop into a bistro and cocktail bar decorated like an old-fashioned living room parlor, complete with vintage furnishings and an evolving food program that will regularly hand over its kitchen to guest chefs.
Owner Sam Ahern and bar manager Avdo Babic at Lillian’s. They met while working at Fitler Club.
“I wanted something that felt like you were hanging out in somebody’s house,” Ahern said.
Ahern took the name from her great-great-grandmother, who had a speakeasy in her basement in North Jersey and was known in the family as Diamond Lil. “The story goes that she would keep jewelry if you couldn’t pay with cash, and apparently she made her own gin,” said Ahern, who accepts cash and credit cards at Lillian’s.
The project is the culmination of a path Ahern never expected to follow. She studied graphic design and fiber arts in graduate school in Savannah, Ga., where she began helping a friend open a restaurant. Hospitality stuck.
After moving to Philadelphia in 2018, she worked behind the bar at Cicala at the Divine Lorraine, then at the private Fitler Club, before becoming bar manager at Fabrika in Fishtown.
She also put down roots in Point Breeze eight years ago. Her first apartment was three houses from where Lillian’s is now.
Three brioche toasts (anchovy, sardine, and enoki mushroom) at Lillian’s.
During the pandemic, Ahern and friends hosted backyard supper clubs featuring rotating chefs. The dinners proved there was an audience for intimate, chef-driven experiences outside the traditional restaurant model.
When a property around the corner from her home came on the market, “it felt meant to be,” Ahern said. “At the same time, someone I knew was selling a liquor license and it also became available, so everything just fell into place.”
Rather than hire a permanent executive chef, Ahern decided to build Lillian’s around residencies. The idea, she said, is to tie the supper-club ethos into a neighborhood bar where someone can stop in for a martini and a sandwich one night, then return weeks later to discover a different chef, menu, or cocktail.
Chef Alejandro Martín Sánchez, who is location-shopping for his fine-dining restaurant Mesona, consulted on the opening menu, kitchen layout, and operations. Kitchen operations are managed by Isobella “Izzy” Ioffreda, while guest chefs rotate through for weekend or monthlong engagements.
Panzanella salad at Lillian’s.
The opening menu is intentionally concise, built around Mediterranean-inspired snacks and light meals meant to accompany cocktails. It includes mixed pickled vegetables ($5); panzanella salad ($12) with optional toppings; brioche toasts ($6 each), topped with anchovies, sardines, or enoki mushrooms; shrimp cocktail ($15 for five); a cheese and charcuterie board ($25), and sandwiches including vegetable ($13) with whipped ricotta, roasted piquillo peppers, and confit garlic; prosciutto and Manchego ($15) with house-made fig jam; and grilled chicken salad with Calabrian tomato jam ($15), topped with arugula and Parmesan on brioche toast. Desserts include flavored shortbreads ($2 each), chocolate mousse ($11) with Marsala and pretzel streusel, and olive oil cake ($13) with orange syrup, fig jam, and Greek yogurt. The menu is expected to evolve alongside the rotating chef residencies.
The residency program begins this month with Miled Finianos’ Lebanese-focused Habibi Supper Club, which is on its way to a permanent location on Passyunk Square. On July 9-11, 17-18, and 23-25, Finianos will offer a six-course ticketed dinner at 8 p.m., preceded by a public happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. featuring a more casual Habibi menu. August will be devoted to refining Lillian’s own operation before residencies resume in September.
Lillian’s at 19th and Mifflin Streets on June 30, 2026.
The cocktail program comes from Ahern’s former Fitler Club colleague Avdo Babic. Like Ahern, Babic came to Philadelphia through the arts, arriving to attend art school before discovering bartending under Katie Loeb at the Trestle Inn.
The menu leans on classic cocktails interpreted through house-made ingredients. Babic prepares his own tinctures, bitters, shrubs, syrups, and cordials, drawing inspiration from Prohibition-era recipes as well as the homemade herbal infusions his family made while he was growing up in Bosnia.
The Ms. Martinez ($15), for example, infuses Beefeater gin with osmanthus flowers and linden honey to lend floral, honeysuckle notes to the classic cocktail. Persephone’s Garden ($14) turns the martini savory through clarified pickle juice, dill, celery, coriander, black pepper, caraway, and Greek yogurt. La Molina ($16), a pisco sour, grew out of a recent research trip to Peru while incorporating a lime cordial recipe Babic has refined over several years.
“We built it around seasonal ingredients, but the foundation is classic cocktails,” Babic said.
Lillian’s, 1900 S. 19th St. Hours: 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Kitchen open to 10 p.m.
If you’re a regular visitor to the Jersey Shore, catching up with your longtime favorite foods, chefs, and restaurants can often tell a wider story about what’s been happening in your favorite beach towns. The economic pressure of rising real estate prices has made the arrival of a sweet little BYOB like Joy & Salt on Long Beach Island a test case for the future of the small operator. The saga of ongoing attempts to revitalize Atlantic City’s Tennessee Avenue development? It just got a fresh boost from the comeback of a talented local chef. A new gem for stellar soul food, a growing audience for deep-crusted pizza, the rise of fancy iced coffee (with everything but the taste of coffee), and sage advice on how to choose the right pasta shape all added a tasty helping of color to this week’s fresh batch of restaurant reports from LBI to Margate.
The burrata with fresh basil and plain cheese pie at Queen City Crust in Beach Haven, N.J., on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
I also delve into the Ventnorian controversy over a classic sub shop that’s been remade into an artisan sourdough bakery and touched a nerve with locals who fear their community is becoming too bourgeois. Then again, when something is as good as Florida Cuts is, perhaps it’s not simply change for the sake of trends but actual progress.
Next week: new options from Cape May to Ocean City.
The outside of Queen City Crust in Beach Haven, N.J., on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
LONG BEACH ISLAND
Joy & Salt Cafe
With a temporary sign, and an understated location at an intersection near the ocean where drivers slingshot on and off the causeway to Long Beach Island, you could easily miss Joy & Salt Cafe. But it’s worth a stop at this low-key newcomer to Ship Bottom, a collaboration between two veteran chefs hoping to claim one of the few remaining corners of the island and make what partner Jordan Miller says is “a last-ditch effort for the charm of an old-school BYOB.”
Miller and his business partner and co-chef, Jimi Savianeso, make up for the understated location with genuine hospitality and hands-on scratch cooking. The duo met cooking on the line years ago at local favorite Black-Eyed Susans. With years of fine dining experience behind them, they are opting for a more casual approach to this diner-space and channeling good local ingredients into food they simply like to eat.
James Savianeso, chef and co-owner of Joy & Salt Cafe, working in the kitchen in Ship Bottom, N.J., on Thursday, June 18, 2026.The grilled ahi tuna sandwich at Joy & Salt Cafe in Ship Bottom, N.J., on June 18, 2026.
That could mean a flavorful chowder made from just-dug whole clams, a slice of locally fished grilled tuna on brioche glossed in house-made Japanese barbecue sauce, or a bountiful chilled shrimp cocktail tossed in a saucy Mexican-style marinade (the secret? fresh tomato juice and orange soda). The duo routinely cook fresh-off-the-boat seafood specials for dinner sourced from the nearby docks, but the menu’s default is a homey Italian touch that comes natural to Savianeso, whose North Jersey upbringing imbues his red sauce and sausage and peppers with a nonna-esque magic. That is especially evident at lunch, where Savianeso’s chicken cutlet parm drenched in super-creamy vodka sauce may well become LBI’s sandwich of the summer.
Joy & Salt Cafe, 816 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom, N.J. 08008; 609-342-0794; joysaltkitchen.com
Ellis’ Chicken & Crab Cakes
Takeout can be tricky when determined diners are waiting in lines up to two hours for a seat at one of the Tide Table Group’s roster of popular restaurants on Long Beach Island (Parker’s Garage, Bird & Betty’s, Black Whale, Ship Bottom Shellfish) and in Manahawkin (Mud City Crab House, the Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House). They’ve addressed that conundrum with the creation of Ellis’ Chicken & Crab Cakes, a convenient destination for some of their greatest hits, collected in the fast-casual confines of a crisply rehabbed former antiques shop in Beach Haven that doubles as a boardinghouse for many of the company’s summer workers.
The name offers a good clue as to the specialties: the fried chicken is the same crackle-crusted, buttermilk fried bird from Parker’s Garage. The crab cakes comes in two styles, the somewhat bready OG cakes from Mud City or the baked variation from Parker’s which I far preferred, not only because they’re gluten-free, with tapioca starch for binding, but because they’re made from sweet lump crab bound with a béarnaise sauce flavored with tarragon and Old Bay. The super-plump peel-and-eat shrimp offer a worthy, non-fried option. But this kitchen’s best assets are all about the crisp. Don’t leave without a side of deep-fried green tomato tots covered in creamy drizzles of zesty pimento cheese.
Ellis’ Chicken & Crab Cakes, 208 N. Bay Ave., Beach Haven, N.J. 08008; 609-342-1100; ellislbi.com
Queen City Crust
Jersey Shore pizza has been trending toward thicker crusts in recent years, rising from the cardboard-thin rounds that have long been the boardwalk prototype to heartier, pan-baked pies with flavorful slow-fermented doughs and borders that snap with crispy cheese edges. Bakeria 1010 and Squares & Fare are two outstanding examples I’ve enjoyed in Ocean City and Somers Point, respectively. Long Beach Island has also gotten into the Detroit-style pie action with Queen City Crust, a former pop-up sensation that is now in its third year as a standalone storefront in Beach Haven.
Hot honey pepperoni pie Queen City Crust in Beach Haven, N.J., on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Owner Troy Sambalino, who spends his offseason running the service pass at Jean-Georges in Manhattan, says the Detroit style, which involves a slower, lower-temp prebake followed by a hot flash to finish pies to order, is ideal for beach locations with the technical limitations of a standard oven. But he still manages to crank out 200 pies on a busy Friday night, good enough to earn him the No. 1 spot in a 2025 ranking of 55 Shore pizzerias by NJ.com.
Sambalino has a patient approach to his dough, which, after a two-day cold ferment, has both an impressively airy interior and a bottom that forms a delicate crisp against the olive oil-lined pan. Mozzarella and tangy cheddar are his cheese combo of choice, with the cheddar tucked near the edges forming a toasty crisp. One 10-by-13-inch pan can easily feed two to four people, but I appreciate that Queen City also sells its pies by the slice so you can taste a variety of toppings. From the cup-and-char pepperoni drizzled with hot honey to sausage with crunchy banana peppers, basil-topped puddles of milky burrata laced with bright tomato sauce, or a fusion pie of breaded chicken bits streaked with spicy Asian barbecue sauce, these pies offer hearty satisfaction when your teeth sink into their crusts.
Queen City Crust, 13504 Long Beach Blvd., Beach Haven, N.J. 08008; 609-661-7769; queencitycrust.com
Guapo’s Coffee House
As I steadily caffeinated during my restaurant research missions up-and-down the Jersey Shore, my encounters with confectionary-sounding coffee drinks that included “dulce de leche, “dot cake,” and “banana bread” in the titles made it clear that running a cafe in 2026 is as much about thinking like a pastry chef as a barista.
The Salty Dog iced coffee at Guapo’s Coffee House in Beach Haven blends salted caramel-sweetend espresso with whipped cream turned blue with spirulina. It’s become a viral hit.
In general, I’m not a dessert coffee fan. But the reason I returned multiple times to Guapo’s in Long Beach Island is because their specialty drinks still taste like they also actually include coffee. Even owner Sammy Jo Alvarez’s most viral and colorful drink, the Salty Dog (named for her pup Guapo), still delivers a toasty undertow of the house blend of Ethiopian and Colombian beans, roasted to a medium hue by Yellow Dog Roasters in nearby Manahawkin. The secret to making creatively flavored drinks that still have coffee integrity, says Alvarez, a longtime local bartender before launching her roof deck-topped cafe in Beach Haven four years ago, is balance and focusing on natural ingredients. All the add-in ingredients here are made in-house, from the sea salted caramel syrup to the top layer of fresh whipped cream (aka “cold foam”) that she turns sky blue with organic spirulina. “Basically, it looks like a day at the beach inside a cup — and people love it.”
Guapo’s Coffee House, 106 N. Bay Ave., Beach Haven, N.J. 08008, 609-661-3504; guaposcoffee.com
The gochujang carbonara and Oaxacan meatballs at the Iron Room in Atlantic City, N.J. The Iron Room is hidden behind a door at Bar 32.
ATLANTIC CITY
Nana’s Good Eats
If there’s a 20 minute-plus wait for your food at Nana’s Good Eats, it’s for a good reason: nothing hits the fryer before you order from this cheerful soul food hub, located on the pedestrian pavilion of Atlantic City’s Tanger Outlet mall. The wait is absolutely worth it, because Nana’s serves up some of the most delicious fried whiting I’ve had in recent memory, a huge portion of plump and lemon-scented fresh fillets sealed inside a delicate cornmeal crust, just as owner Samantha Prescott’s grandpa Dennis McDowell, a professional chef, taught her as a little girl. (“Most parents lead with how to tie your shoe, but my grandpa started by teaching me how to stir a pot of grits so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.”) Prescott’s cooking chops are also evident in her succulent fried jumbo shrimp, as well as every side I sampled. The mac and cheese retained the almost fluffy texture of perfectly cooked cavatappi while a balanced five-cheese sauce remained creamy, not broken or greasy. The tender braised collards were infused with the whiff of smoked turkey wings and a perky finishing tang.
The OG banana pudding at Nana’s Good Eats in Atlantic City, N.J.Owners Rahman and Samantha Prescott at Nana’s Good Eats in Atlantic City, N.J.
Prescott’s talent as an entrepreneur, meanwhile, answers all that savory goodness with the sweet indulgence of her first endeavor, Nana’s Good Puddin’. Prescott brought the customization concept of Cold Stone ice cream to the world of pudding in a popular dessert business she opened in 2020 in the Hamilton Mall, which she has since closed and merged into the Atlantic City Good Eats location. The build-your-own options here are vast, with 30 different base puddings (from classic flavors to white chocolate, pistachio, or Oreo cream), crunchy cookie add-ins and various different crumbles. I chose the OG banana pudding and was impressed by its banana-flavored intensity, but also by the meticulous manner in which it was constructed to order, with multiple layers of creamy pudding, crunch and vanilla wafer cookies being patiently added until, at last, it was finally handed over and I dove in spoon first.
Nana’s Good Eats, 122 N. Michigan Ave., Atlantic City, N.J. 08401; on Facebook
The Iron Room
Do you believe in do-overs? The reboot of chef Kevin Cronin’s Iron Room, Atlantic City’s favorite hidden gastropub — now in its third incarnation and second location — might be the spark that finally gives the Tennessee Avenue development some momentum. First, you have to find it. True to its speakeasy roots (the original Iron Room was located behind a liquor store) this restaurant is tucked into an enclosed back alley patio accessed through the rear door of another establishment, Bar 32 Chocolate & Cocktails. A tall green wall on one side of the 50-seat al fresco space faces an awning-covered bar where some of the best cocktails I sipped this summer — a smooth but potent Manhattan; the mezcal-washed Storm Queen — are served in antique crystal coupes inherited from Cronin’s grandmother while a retro acoustic soundtrack sets a mellow mood.
The Oaxacan meatballs at the Iron Room on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Atlantic City, NJ. The Iron Room is hidden behind a door at Bar 32.
The small plates emerging from the shipping container kitchen are pure fusion fun, with bold flavors that resurrect some established Iron Room hits, including a thick-cut hunk of candied Nueski’s bacon, truffled udon mac and cheese, and a tamari-charred hanger steak fanned over brussels sprouts. Cronin’s new creations are equally bold. The spicy Oaxacan chorizo meatballs glazed in red salsa and shavings of Bar 32 chocolate were a favorite, along with the barbecue sauced boneless Korean-fried chicken and a rich pasta carbonara blushing with Korean gochujang spice. I would have loved the shrimp toast had the top layer of crustacean paste not been turned an unappetizing gray by the addition of black garlic. Next time, I’d consider preordering one of the menu’s large-format specials: a spatchcocked whole barbecue chicken with sides; a “big ass whole snapper” with tostones, or the Ron Swanson special (a rib eye, deviled eggs, and a flight of Lagavulin) that was also an old Iron Room “iykyk” draw. Hopefully, this time it will take.
The Iron Room, 121 S. Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City (enter through Bar32 Chocolate, and head to back alley through back door); instagram.com/ironroom_ac
Bar 32 Chocolate & Cocktails
There’s no dessert served at the Iron Room by design. The separate and independent bar that fronts it has that course covered. Nicole Callazzo’s revamp of the project formerly known as Made Atlantic City Chocolate Bar has kept the original concept’s ambitious bean-to-bar chocolate production in place as the anchor for the chocolate-themed sweets menu. While there are more sophisticated chocolatiers in the region, the quality of Callazzo’s small batch chocolates made from ethically sourced cacao, which can take up to five days to make, is satisfying in a straightforward way. You can sample a little bit of several specialties on a tiered platter, which brings multiple shades of chocolate bars, double fudge brownies, chocolate mousse, and various bonbons. Try it while sipping a martini infused with the bar’s own 60% cocoa chocolate. The baked-to-order brown butter cookie skillet is also a popular choice here, if you have an extra 15 minutes to wait. But I’d return especially for one of the Bar 32 whiskey flights, which pair three different pours of Michter’s (or Whistle Pig) whiskey with different chocolates for $40. Considering the quality of the spirits, it’s a fair deal.
Bar 32 Chocolate & Cocktails, 121 S. Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City, N.J. 08401, 609-248-6960; bar32chocolate.com
“A little bit of everything” at Bar 32 on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Atlantic City, NJ. Bar 32 offers bean-to-bar chocolate, handmade desserts, and craft cocktails.
Moments at Scannicchio’s
Some places are all about the food. Others revel in quirky ambiance. You can get a bit of both at this Atlantic City sibling to Scannicchio’s, one of my favorite old-school Italian haunts in South Philly. The AC experience offers the split personality of two adjoined spaces: the charming intimacy of a dark corner barroom lit with Christmas lights, and a bright sports bar lounge next door where a DJ spins retro hits for a handful of dancers while spillover dinner crowds sup at high-tops in the glow of large TVs.
The corner dining room of Moments at Scanniccho’s in Atlantic City is darker and more intimate than the neighboring lounge.
A tender and massive double-cut pork chop Siciliana buried beneath a zesty gravy of cherry peppers, onions, olives, and mushrooms was the hands-down highlight of our meal. The big menu also showcases several familiar favorites from the South Philly original (clams casino, a stuffed artichoke, the sausage and figs app), although it was not cooked with the same consistency and finesse. Even so, we enjoyed the experience. And I’ll especially treasure the moment our larger-than-life server (who had a bear hug for every one of the restaurant’s many regulars) offered a memorable logic for his general preference of pasta shape with entrees: “Why should I waste calories twirling spaghetti when I can just get straight to it with penne? Stab and eat! Stab and eat!” Such wisdom alone is worth the visit.
Moments at Scannicchio’s, 2647 Fairmount Ave., Atlantic City, N.J. 08401, 609-344-5338; momentsatscannicchios.com
The halibut entree at Rustico in Ventnor City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
VENTNOR
Rustico
Few restaurant couples have been able to create evocative dining experiences in small BYOB spaces through DIY design as deftly as Tanya and Petar Petrov. A veritable lemon grove on the ceiling of their debut Italian hit last year, Martina’s, conjured a glimpse of the Amalfi Coast on Atlantic Avenue. This year, they’ve turned to a closer source of marine inspiration — the bay beside their Ventnor home — for the makeover of Petar’s former Cafe Velo into Rustico, a naturalistic dinner cove that wraps diners in plastered wall montages of foraged driftwood, sea moss, and rocks. The menu is still decidedly Italian. While some Ventnorians have complained to me about menu overlap between the two restaurants, the fact that waiting lists can exceed 300 names for those hoping to get into 48-seat Martina’s means there is a legitimate demand for 80 more seats at Rustico (plus 28 more outside), where devotees can order the tried-and-true arancini, linguine with vongole, and chicken Parm.
The octopus dish at Rustico in Ventnor City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.The inside of Rustico in Ventnor City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
The chicken Parm was the least compelling thing we ate at Rustico. An unconventional starter of grilled octopus curled over a platform of sweet potato turned out to be delicious, the potato’s soft sweetness contrasting the texture of the meat while balancing the savory tomato sauce. That dish is a legacy of Cafe Velo’s early days, when the tiny kitchen would cross-utilize ingredients between the popular breakfast and dinner menus. Rustico, which expanded both its dining rooms and kitchen, has capacity now to undertake ambitious specials like broiled lobster and linguine feasts for two (very limited nightly). A soulful short rib and shiitake ragù was a hearty winner over fresh pappardelle made by Haddon Township’s Severino, whose owner is the Petrovs’ neighbor.
Fresh seafood also remains a strength, with entrees like blackened ahi tuna with red bliss potato hash and hollandaise. A moist and meaty halibut set over two-toned purees of cauliflower and carrot was also fantastic, a special-turned-standby from chef de cuisine Lorenzo Hernandez. Of course, I ordered at the very moment this kitchen ran out of halibut. Luckily, Petar had a spare portion in the fridge at nearby Martina’s, and he retrieved it just in time for this busy kitchen not to miss a beat: “That’s the beauty of having two restaurants so close,” says Petar. “Stuff happens!”
Rustico, 6525 Ventnor Ave., Ventnor City, N.J. 08406, 609-727-0499;rusticoventnor.com
The inside of Florida Cuts in Ventnor City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
Florida Cuts
Cookie Till of Steve & Cookie’s bought the half-century-old Florida Cold Cuts & Liquors deli in 2022 and began to reshape it to her vision. What was a gradual makeover the first few years, most notably upgrading the sandwiches and bottle selection, became a wholesale change this spring when Till removed “cold” from the name and replaced the classic sub shop format with an artisan sourdough bakery turning out a lineup of grab-and-go sandwiches built on two kinds of focaccia and sesame-speckled semolina baguettes. The longtime tuna salad and Italian hoagie crowd is not pleased: “Cookie really took a good thing … and turned it into something nobody needed,” a reader wrote me in a direct message on social media.
The ham and butter baguette at Florida Cuts in Ventnor City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
I loved the old corner shop’s house-baked tavern ham sandwiches as much as anyone, but I disagree. What makes a smart restaurateur like Till so invaluable is her willingness and wherewithal to take risks to do things differently. Till has a track record of creating top-notch progressive concepts people simply didn’t realize they needed until she made it happen, from a craft coffee shop in Ventnor No. 7311 to an interactive organic farm with a philanthropic mission at Reed’s Farm. There are plenty of places to get a classic sub on Absecon Island, but there is nothing like the new Florida Cuts, where lead baker Santina Renzi (a longtime key contributor at Her Place Supper Club), consultant Jon Taus, and sourdough specialist Victoria McHugh are working with Till’s partner Kim Richmond to create stellar loaves made from flour milled from local grains that result in bread with integrity and flavor. They’re used for original sandwiches that are largely outstanding, from the minimalist focaccia laced with mortadella, ricotta, and pistachios (all crackly crust and lush stuffing richness), to the freshly house-roasted turkey layered with Steve & Cookie’s signature “ugly tomato salad,” Gorgonzola, and crispy shallots. The tuna salad fragrant with lemon zest and crunchy peperoncini rings is a sleeper hit, while the ham and butter on a sesame semolina loaf can compete with Philly’s best.
Owner Cookie Till at Florida Cuts in Ventnor City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.The soft-serve sundae with Steve& Cookie’s blueberry pie at Florida Cuts in Ventnor City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
My one disappointment was the cutlet sandwich, which didn’t have nearly enough Caesar salad inside. But there were so many consolations: a fridge case stuffed with local farmstead cheeses; focaccia flatbread topped with butter-poached clams; warm rounds of fresh-baked sesame tahini cookies; shelves stocked with quality spirits and affordable natural wines. There’s also soft-serve now, offered as a sundae layered with Cookie’s famous blueberry pie. Now I definitely need that, even if I didn’t know it before I walked in the door.
Florida Cuts, 7301 Ventnor Ave., Ventnor City, N.J. 08406; floridacuts.com
MARGATE
Tideline
The scene at Tideline on the bay behind Margate City, where full restaurant service is offered on deck to 30 moored boats and 12 Jet Skis at a time, could make anyone have yacht envy. But this splashy yearling from the family behind Tomatoes — an unabashed gesture to the city’s ever more ritzy denizens — has room on its multifloor 240-seat bar complex for everyone else to linger, nibble, imbibe, and observe. One of the area’s most spectacular bay perches for sunset views is an undeniable bonus. Given the swanky setting, the food from chef Carlo Marsini’s kitchen is a notch better than it has to be, from the generously stuffed truffled cheesesteaks and chicken Italiano cutlet sandwiches to the shot glasses stuffed with fried soft-shell crab halves dunked into an avocado green crema sparked with poblanos.
The lobster Cobb salad at Tideline in Margate City, N.J., on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
I’d definitely return for the generous lobster Cobb salad and a Dockside cocktail of watermelon juice spiked with Tito’s. But don’t get too ambitious. The items we ordered from the large plate section, chicken kebabs and a $32 coffee-rubbed pork chop, were incinerated by the grill chef. The drink menu has a danger zone, too, with a cocktail called Liquid Art. It’s made with trendy Clase Azul Gold tequila and a chile pepper but what’s spicy is the price tag of $1.1 million. That’s because this drink comes with a 39-foot speed boat. That may be the stuff yacht club dreams are made of for some, even if there’ve been no takers yet. But unsurprisingly, this land-loving mezcal fan wasn’t even tempted.
Tideline, 9317 Amherst Ave., Margate City, N.J. 08402; 609-350-6717; tidelinemargate.com
We knew that a list of 76 iconic Philadelphia foods would leave something out. It did. After hearing from readers — and revisiting a few of our own debates — we had to mention six items that deserve a place in the city’s culinary canon. They don’t replace the original 76; they just expand the conversation.
The ‘combo’: Hot dog and fishcake on a roll
The hot dog-fish cake combo topped with pepper hash at Lenny’s Hot Dogs in Feasterville.
Long before Philadelphia claimed the cheesesteak as its signature sandwich, another pairing drew a following: the hot dog and fishcake combo. Culinary historians generally agree that Abe Levis (rhymes with “crevice”) created it in 1895 by pressing a fried fish cake atop a grilled frank on the same bun at his luncheonette on Sixth Street near Lombard.
Instant surf-and-turf!
Levis also created Champ Cherry, the bright-red, cider-like soda that became the combo’s traditional companion. The Old Original Levis shop changed hands several times, spawned a few short-lived offshoots, and finally closed in 1992 under owner Elliott Hirsh, who later revived Levis as a store in Abington from 2012 to 2017 while marketing Champ Cherry in cans.
But tastes have changed and the brands are moribund, as Hirsh, now 80, acknowledged: “I’ve been actively trying to find someone that wants to take it over. And not even sell it. Just take it over. I’d hate to die and take it with me, but that’s what we’re going to do.”
The hot dog-fishcake combo, at least, survives. Just after World War II, Levis rival Lenny’s Hot Dogs also sold them from a stand nearby at Fifth and Passyunk.
Lenny’s secret sauce was the pepper hash — a sweet-and-sour relish of cabbage and bell peppers that cuts through the richness of the dish— created by owner Lenny Kravitz’s mother, Ida.
Kravitz expanded Lenny’s to several locations from Mount Airy to Margate, N.J. In the 1980s, he sold his final shop, at 6620 Castor Ave. in the Northeast, to Wayne Knapp. Kravitz died in 1998.
Hawk Krall’s illustration of the “surf ’n turf” Philly combo (fishcake and frank) was originally done for SeriousEats.com.
Knapp later relocated Lenny’s to Feasterville. That shop as well as Johnny Hot’s, John Danze Jr.’s truck stop on Delaware Avenue in Fishtown, are among the few standard-bearers of this classic. Be sure to add a squirt of yellow mustard and a smattering of diced onions, as illustrator Hawk Krall suggested in his 2009 poster print of the sandwich.
Chicken salad and oysters
Fried oysters with chicken salad from Oyster House.
As for another curious combo, only in Philadelphia would someone look at cool, creamy chicken salad and crunchy fried oysters and think, “Of course those belong together.”
The unlikely pairing has been a local specialty for well over a century, dating to the city’s grand oyster houses, hotels, and taverns in the late 1800s. One popular explanation of its origin holds that tavern keepers paired cheap, plentiful oysters with more expensive chicken to stretch a serving. Food historian William Woys Weaver has noted that Philadelphia’s finest hotels elevated the dish, serving chicken salad dressed with tarragon mayonnaise and encircled by crisp fried oysters. More humble versions turned up in neighborhood brew houses and lunch counters across the city.
Similar dishes appeared in New York, Baltimore, and Boston, and some historians believe that Philadelphia’s influential Black catering families helped popularize the combination. What is certain is that chicken salad and oysters were served at an organizing meeting of Philadelphia’s Union League in 1862.
The combo’s popularity has ebbed in recent years, and its primary home is now Oyster House near Rittenhouse Square, whose family ownership dates back nearly 80 years.
Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter
Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter, founded in 1972, is still available on grocery shelves.
Life was all Skippy and Jif in the early 1970s when a Philadelphia music teacher decided to grind peanuts in his kitchen because he couldn’t find peanut butter that tasted the way he remembered.
Richard Marcus was a conductor, pianist, radio host, and founder of the Society Hill School of Music & Art. Frustrated by the sweetened, homogenized spreads that dominated grocery shelves, he bought five pounds of peanuts at Reading Terminal Market, roasted them, and blitzed them in his blender. The result was nothing more than peanuts — no sugar, salt, or oils.
Friends loved it. By 1972, they convinced him to package it. Marcus produced an initial run of about 144 jars, selling them through Philadelphia delis and health-food stores. He called it Crazy Richard’s, his wink to skeptics who thought he was nuts for marketing a peanut butter that separated naturally and required stirring.
Word of mouth did the rest. Marcus eventually gave up his music school to run the business full time, first contracting production in Conshohocken before opening plants in Pennsauken and later Bellmawr. At its peak under his ownership, Crazy Richard’s sold about 750,000 jars a year throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and by mail. Marcus insisted that there was no secret recipe: “It’s just ground peanuts.”
In 1991, Ohio’s Krema Nut Co. bought Crazy Richard’s and kept Marcus’ one-ingredient recipe intact. Today, 12 years after his death, the brand is sold nationwide. The “Crazy Richard” on the label is still the Philadelphia musician who proved that sometimes the simplest ideas stick.
Fishtown Iced Tea
Canned Fishtown Iced Tea is poured by Interstate Drafthouse co-owner Mike McCloskey into a custom-made ceramic carton.
Long Island has its iced tea. Why shouldn’t Fishtown? Created in 2013 at Interstate Drafthouse on Palmer Street, Fishtown Iced Tea spikes a 16-ounce carton of Arctic Splash iced tea with a shot of Jim Beam bourbon, turning a childhood lunchbox staple into an adult version of the sugary, dangerously smooth cocktail. Its roots are distinctly regional. Besides milk, Lehigh Valley Dairy, Wawa, Swiss Farms, and Turkey Hill also sold iced tea in pint cartons that generations of Philadelphians grew up drinking.
During the pandemic, when Pennsylvania temporarily allowed to-go cocktails, Interstate sold enough Fishtown Iced Tea to keep the bar afloat. In 2022, the popularity inspired a canned version from Rectified Spirits, made with vodka, rum, tequila, and triple sec instead of bourbon.
In a twist, the ready-to-drink cocktail debuted just as Lehigh Valley discontinued Arctic Splash cartons, ending an era for the drink that inspired it.
Edamame dumplings from Buddakan
The edamame dumplings at Buddakan.
One of Buddakan’s signature dishes is the edamame dumpling, filled with mashed soybeans and served in a truffled Sauternes-shallot broth. Michael Schulson, then chef de cuisine at Stephen Starr’s Old City destination, came up with the idea in 2000 while developing the menu for Starr’s next project, Pod, whose opening in University City was six months away. “Every dish I made, Stephen would say, ‘We’re putting this on the menu at Buddakan,’” Schulson said. “I’d say, ‘What about Pod?’”
The original version was an edamame ravioli, featuring a yellow pasta wrapper in a caramelized Sauternes-shallot broth, transforming what was then an unfamiliar ingredient to many American diners — young Japanese soybeans — into one of Buddakan’s signature dishes. (It made it onto Pod’s menu, too.) When Buddakan New York opened in 2006 with Schulson leading the kitchen, the ravioli evolved into the translucent har gow-style dumpling that has since become its best-known form, before it later arrived on the menu in Philadelphia. It’s still a bestseller.
After leaving Starr, Schulson adapted the concept at his restaurant Sampan, serving edamame dumplings in a caramelized shallot and sake broth, and later at Double Knot with truffles.
Cheesesteak egg rolls
The cheesesteak egg roll from Continental Mid-town.
Stuff steak and cheese into an egg-roll wrapper, deep-fry it, and you’ve got one of Philadelphia’s signature mashups: the cheesesteak egg roll.
They’re everywhere now, from neighborhood pubs to white-tablecloth steakhouses, and go by “spring rolls” at some places, but their rise can be traced to two nearly simultaneous Philadelphia stories in the mid-1990s.
One unfolded at the old Four Seasons Hotel on the Parkway. Former chef David Jansen said that after preparing a banquet for the New York Rangers in 1994 or 1995, prep cook Mui Lim put leftover cheesesteak filling into spring roll wrappers and fried them as a snack for the kitchen crew. They went on the menu soon after at the hotel’s Swann Lounge. Today’s Four Seasons Philadelphia, now at the Comcast Technology Center, serves wagyu cheesesteak spring rolls with sweet-and-spicy pepper relish.
The other story played out in Old City, where the novelty became a menu staple at the Starr-owned Continental. In 1996, Starr hired Sam “Chef Sammy D” DeMarco to develop dishes for the year-old restaurant. DeMarco already served a Philly cheesesteak dumpling at First, his New York restaurant, but Starr wanted something original.
DeMarco turned the dumpling into a cheesesteak spring roll. “It was taking a classic, nostalgic American snack and presenting it in a fresh way,” said DeMarco, now executive chef at Bungalows Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Like the old Buzz Aldrin cocktail, the roll became a classic. Starr said Continental Mid-town, near Rittenhouse Square, now sells 500 a week.
From the Continental, the idea spread rapidly. Davio’s owner Steve DiFillippo was joining staff for a preshift meal at his former Center City Philadelphia location shortly after it opened in 1999 when chef David Boyle served cheesesteak egg rolls that his wife had made at home. DiFillippo insisted that they be added to the bar menu, overruling managers who felt that they were too déclassé for a posh steakhouse. The Boston-based Davio’s turned the line into a frozen-food item, selling millions through supermarkets and QVC until rising beef prices during the pandemic made them impractical, DiFillippo said. They’re still on the restaurant menus in King of Prussia and elsewhere.
Though DiFillippo copyrighted the name “Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls” in 2002, “I’m not going to claim I invented anything,” he said. “But I was the first one to take them into stores and really commercialize them.”
🍦 Stella’s Ice Cream out of Idaho (yes, Idaho) just opened on Front Street in Fishtown/Kensington, and Bea has the early scoop.
🍦 Winners, rocking a feel-good message, is new on South Street in Graduate Hospital. As Kiki Aranita says, Winners’ appeal is more than just the flavors, like Sweet Success S’mores.
🍦Our guide to our favorite ice cream is right here.
Critic Craig LaBan is back from his annual Jersey Shore exploration, and he’s shaking the sand out of his notebook. In Part One of his roundup, he heads to the mainland to find some gems. Read that here.
Looking ahead: Part Two, Craig’s reviews from Long Beach Island and thereabouts, will be online this weekend. On July 11, he’ll share his discoveries from points farther south in Part Three.
Ember & Ash on East Passyunk Avenue will be closed for an undetermined period after smoke and flames shot up through the ventilation last week just after closing time. No injuries were reported.
This weekend will see the debut of Broad Street Beer Garden at LOVE Park, the first phase of a planning reuse of the so-called flying saucer building at 16th and JFK. Here’s the long history of the city landmark.
We munched on fried silverfish that reminded us of French fries in Little Saigon, Argentine empanadas in West Philly, and a vegan po’ boy in Old City that tasted like the original.
Scoops
Intrigue! Albert Zheng, whose holdings include Javelin in Fairmount, is backing a yet-to be-named dual concept on the way to 808 Chestnut St., formerly a Dunkin’ Donuts. In front, the feature will be wagyu omakase, while the rear will be what he calls a Cambodian speakeasy. He says it’s six or seven months out.
Mylar Bar, a cocktail bar inspired by the spirit of South Philly’s Dino’s Party Center, is expected to open later this summer from hospitality veterans Liv Arterbridge and Gina Piccari. They bought the former building at Ninth and Morris Streets where Dino’s sold balloons, decorations, and party supplies for decades before it moved across the street. “We want the whole thing to feel like a party,” Arterbridge said. “Nostalgic, fun, a little silly, intentionally unserious — but not a theme bar,” Piccari said. Cocktails will include martinis, punches, and classic drinks, alongside draft beer and familiar favorites. A full kitchen, led by chef Colin White, formerly of Sally and Emmett, will serve shareable “party snacks” and larger plates. They plan to offer late-night desserts, so food will be available until 1 a.m. with the bar wrapping at 2. Arterbridge, whose resume includes Cry Baby, Poison Heart, and a.bar, met Piccari while working at Boot & Saddle, where Piccari was manager. Piccari is now behind the bar at Le Virtù.
Restaurant report
Sixteen restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and bars — including Lillian’s, shown above — are opening in July. Read on for the rundown.
Penny’s Bagels, on its way (for the last two years) to 212 Kings Highway East in Haddonfield, will hand out 250 red, white, and blue bagels on July 3 at the borough’s parade. The shop is eyeing an August opening, says owner Chris Fetfatzes.
Maru, a fast-casual Korean-inspired restaurant from David Backhus and the team behind the now-closed Oori, is expected to open in August in what is now Collective Coffee & Bakery, which Backhus also owns, at 2922 Conestoga Rd. in Glenmoore. Maru’s menu will feature Korean fried chicken sandwiches, wings, tenders, house-made mochi doughnuts, and specialty coffee, while continuing to serve Collective Coffee and honor existing coffee subscriptions.
Briefly noted
Ota-Ya in Newtown has announced that Friday will be its last day after 30 years with the retirement of owners Jeff Wong and Cindy Tam.
PETA is launching its “Nice Cream Trail,” highlighting 10 shops across the state serving vegan ice cream, and there are five local spots on the list: Dreams Ice Cream Factory in Glenside, Lu & Aug’s in Ardmore, the Main Freeze in Lansdale, Milk Jawn in South Philadelphia and Northern Liberties, and Scoop DeVille in Center City and Queen Village. The first Pennsylvania resident to complete the trail by visiting all 10 participating shops through August will win a vegan ice cream party with PETA’s “iScream” truck for themselves and up to 50 guests. Details are here.
Two local BBQ chefs, Matt Groark (Medford Lakes, N.J.) and Maxwell McGibbon (Newark, Del.), are competing on Food Networks’ Pitmasters, premiering July 13 at 9 p.m.
Diner en Blanc registration is still open. This year’s version of the pop-up picnic is Aug. 20.
Miller’s Ale House, in the shopping center next to the Home Depot in Springfield, Delaware County, closed this week after 13 years, while Fishtown is abuzz with speculation that Bottle Bar East, which opened at 1308 Frankford Ave. around the same time in late 2012, has closed. The phone is down, and owners could not be reached for comment
When is Adda ever going to open in Fishtown? — Rich C.
True, Adda has been a long time coming, since I initially wrote about it in June 2025 with an end-of-2025 target. Adda — from New York City’s Unapologetic Foods, whose establishments are acclaimed for their bold, no-holds-barred approach to Indian cooking — is now looking at a late-fall opening at 1700 Frankford Ave., the new building across from the Fishtown post office.
Corrigendum: Reader Stephanie points out that Kalaya is the third Philadelphia restaurant, not the second, to win the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant, as I wrote two weeks ago. Zahav was the first in 2019, while Friday Saturday Sunday won in 2023.
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The Philadelphia area restaurant boom continues into the summer, with newcomers including a neighborhood cocktail bar, bakery/cafes, a suburban brewpub, a $2 million pizzeria, a vegan cafe, a destination dining room, and a fusion sandwich shop.
Chicken roulade with fava beans, gnocchi, and cauliflower at Academy Grill in Fort Washington.
Academy Grill(424 S. Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington): Fine Line Dining’s next project, an Italian-inspired, white-tablecloth restaurant, will serve seafood, steaks, and pastas in the former Cantina Feliz space near Germantown Academy (hence the name). Chef Jeff Power, formerly of Dettera in Ambler, is leading the kitchen. Owners Mike Sloane and Jay Rosenthal, who also own the casual Fort nearby and Jasper’s Backyard in Conshohocken, plan to open July 7 for dinner, July 9 for lunch, and then operate Tuesday to Saturday for dinner.
Banjara Indian Bistro (689 Berlin-Cross Keys Rd., Sicklerville): Vaneet Chopra, whose family owns Cross Culture in Haddonfield and previously operated Banjara in Chestnut Hill, is behind this Indian restaurant due to open soon in the strip center that also houses Gouldsburger’s, the Breakfast Nook, and Saladworks. Owners told 42Freeway that it was awaiting final inspections.
Bar Cicci is due to open in late July at 1620 Sansom St.
Bar Cicci (1620 Sansom St.): Ellen Yin and High Street Hospitality Group are behind this Italian cafe-bar next to Uchi near Rittenhouse Square. Pronounced “chee-chee,” it is positioned as an all-day salon for espresso, pastries, panini, cicchetti, wine, and aperitivi. It’s due to open later this month.
Bart’s Bagels’ first shop opened in 2020 in the Powelton section of West Philadelphia.
Bluebird Distilling & Dough House is a $2.2 million expansion and renovation of the popular Phoenixville destination.
Bluebird Distilling & Dough House(100 Bridge St., Phoenixville): Bluebird’s $2.2 million expansion, Dough House, arrives July 7. It’s a neo-Neapolitan pizzeria and restaurant inside its downtown Phoenixville distillery, and adds an expanded cocktail bar, a 50-seat dining room, a chef’s counter, and an enlarged retail shop. Executive chef Devon Migeot, formerly of Zahav, Laser Wolf, Rosalie, and Tresini will serve naturally fermented pizzas, house-baked breads, and shareable small plates alongside the distillery’s cocktails.
Cheezy Vegan by Chef Reeky (1216 S. 17th St.): Now in soft-opening mode at 17th and Manton Streets in Point Breeze, this plant-based concept from Tarik “Chef Reeky” Ryant and Erin Mignogna-Dougherty (previously in Woodlyn, Delaware County) serves a full menu — breakfast, lunch, appetizers, coffee drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies — from a counter, with coffee beans roasted on-site. A sidewalk cafe is planned.
The pica pica sandwich at Chibanos, which comes with picadillo, Swiss cheese, mayo, and crispy taro sticks.
Chibanos(1127 Pine St.): Opening today at 8 a.m., this casual sandwich shop in Effie’s former Washington Square West building is an ode to owner Evan Jaroff’s multicultural upbringing, blending Chinese and Cuban flavors for a tight fusion menu. Breakfast sandwiches are made on Dodo Bakery bolo baos, there are pressed sandwiches like the pica pica (picadillo, swiss, mayo, crispy taro sticks) and mima frita (Chinese sausage croquetas, Swiss, mayo, cabbage, mojo vinagrette), plus salads, sides, and a robust drink list that offers both colada and black milk tea.
Comedian Meg Goetz entertains at a preview of Claude’s Comedy Club & Bar, 1123 S. Broad St.
Claude’s Comedy Club & Bar (1123 S. Broad St.): Reid Benditt’s intimate South Philly venue for stand-up, in its opening days, sits alongside a bar serving cocktails, beer, and casual fare from 4 p.m. daily. He’s positioning this as an affordable alternative to larger comedy clubs, with modest ticket prices, no two-drink minimum, and a mix of touring performers and local comics.
Dublin Brewing Co., Brendan FitzGerald’s Irish pub, in Downingtown.
Dublin Brewing Co. (137 Wallace Ave., Downingtown): Irish-born homebrewer Brendan FitzGerald’s decade-in-the-making brewpub is designed as an authentic Irish pub, with an Irish dry stout, Irish red ale, IPAs, pale ale, Pennsylvania wine and spirits, and bar food. FitzGerald built the pub himself while continuing his day job, borrowing design cues from pubs in Howth and Dublin’s Temple Bar. It’s open for special events (check Instagram) while FitzGerald awaits final permitting.
Home Team Tavern (267 S. Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim): The short-lived Mount Ephraim Bar & Grill has been flipped into a compact, sports-minded neighborhood tavern from Greg Carta, who previously managed North Bowl and South Bowl in Philadelphia. He told 42Freeway that he’s aiming for an early July opening with a menu built around tavern pizzas, burgers, starters, and other game-day food.
Lillian’s, 1900 S. 19th St., during a preview on June 25, 2026.
Lillian’s Bar (1900 S. 19th St.): This week, Point Breeze got a cozy neighborhood cocktail bar at 19th and Mifflin Streets with an evolving kitchen concept from Sam Ahern, a former bar manager at Fabrika who also worked at Cicala at the Divine Lorraine and Fitler Club after hosting backyard supper clubs during the pandemic. Ahern has brought in chef Alejandro Martín Sánchez (Mesona) to set up the concise menu of Mediterranean-leaning bistro fare, including sandwiches, salads, tinned fish, charcuterie, and cheese boards with kitchen operations overseen by Isobella “Izzy” Ioffreda. Guest chefs will take over for weekend or monthlong runs. First will be Miled Filianos of Habibi Supper Club, whose six-course dinners and happy hours are scheduled for July 9-11, 17-18, and 23-25. Cocktail program is led by Fitler Club alum Avdo Babic. Opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Luna at the Luxe (1705 N. American St.): Sarah Varisano expects to open her relocated Luna Cafe on Monday in the Luxe apartment complex in Old Kensington. The reboot keeps Luna’s familiar brunch, breakfast, and coffee-to-go identity, while adding a larger bar and beverage program, evening hours, and courtyard seating.
Bakery owner Saif Manna and his wife, Stefaniya Surikova, at their table at Headhouse Farmers Market.
Manna Bakery (110 W. Berks St.): Baker Saif Manna, shifting from pop-ups to a brick-and-mortar at the former Essen in Kensington, is looking for a late-month soft opening of his 50- to 60-seat bakery/cafe specializing in Levantine and Palestinian wares. It will initially open for daytime service, in addition to his farmer’s market stops. The menu expands to include individual manakish made in the style of Manna’s grandmother, rotating savory buns led by a chicken-sumac version, airy Palestinian-style brioche filled with seasonal fruit and creams, cookies, cakes, and gluten-free desserts such as a flourless chocolate cake and whipped rice pudding created in honor of Manna’s late father. The space also will host baking, cooking, coffee, and arts workshops with visiting chefs, bakers, artists, and baristas, and monthly supper clubs.
Bartender Euclides “Victor” Lopez behind the bar at Mixteca in New York City on June 4.
Mixteca (2113 E. York St): This agave-focused Mexican cocktail bar from New York’s Jeff Bell and Euclides “Victor” Lopez is taking over the former Martha in East Kensington. The Philly location, expected later in the month, marks the local debut for Mixteca and Apres Cru Hospitality. The plan includes tequila, mezcal, Mexican drinking culture, indoor-outdoor seating, and a reworked layout with an expanded bar and lounge.
Philly Po Boy Co. (102 W. Berks St.): Brothers Chris and Greg Lynch are looking for late month for their New Orleans-inspired sandwich shop under the Berks El stop, with po’boys, gumbo, jambalaya, beignets, and coffee from Applied Arts Coffee in New Orleans. Chris spent years cooking in New Orleans, while Greg’s Philly resumé includes Starr Restaurants and LMNO.
Sandpiper Cafe (1640 South St.): This all-day breakfast-and-lunch spot is due to soft-open Thursday at 1640 South St. It’s the latest from Gunawan Raharjo, who owns the West Passyunk Indonesian gem Indo Spice (noted in our list of Philly’s 76 most influential restaurants). Sandpiper’s American menu, served from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, will expand upon the menu at Raharjo’s other restaurant, Cafe Olivier in Old City. At Sandpiper, Raharjo is partnered with Deddy Pornomo.
Stella’s Ice Cream (1832 N. Front St.): This Idaho-based chain of ice cream shops planted its first East Coast location on June 27 in Kensington/Fishtown on what reporter Beatrice Forman has dubbed Ice Cream Row, mere blocks from Sweet 45 and 1-900-ICECREAM. Franchisee Shay Marlin had no prior ties to Idaho or the ice cream biz, but was drawn to Stella’s inclusive and family-friendly vibe. The shop offers 24 flavors of ice cream — including eight nondairy options — plus gluten-free waffle and sugar cones, sandwiches made on hulking brownies baked in-house, and yogurt-peanut-butter popsicles for pups.
Thirsty Turtle Tavern(270 White Horse Pike, Barrington): Just days old, this Camden County taproom in the former Chuck Lager/Wild Wing Cafe building near I-295 is the brand’s second, after Whitehall, Pa., and 42Freeway says it features a refreshed dining room, open kitchen, wood-fired pizza oven, sushi station, and patio.
333 Belrose Bar & Grill (333 Belrose Lane, Radnor): A slow-moving top-to-bottom renovation will add a larger bar, expanded kitchen, redesigned dining rooms, upgraded private-event spaces, and refreshed outdoor dining to this Main Line landmark, whose new American menu is overseen by chef Ross Esner.
Staff writer Beatrice Forman contributed to this article.
