Openings: Whetstone Coming to Cursed Corner
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Not that we believe in curses or anything but a little sage burning might be in order.
Brauhaus Shchmitz's Jeremy and Jess Nolen, partners in life and pretzels, met while working at Coquette, the confused French-then-Asian bistro on the corner of Fifth and Bainbridge. Today comes word, via the Inquirer, that the couple is taking the real estate back, poetic like, to open Whetstone, an American spot with a charcuterie counter, small-batch Bourbon list and butcher-block tables, this summer. (Whetstone is Nolen's mom's maiden name.) Those who've been in Philly for a while know these bricks have all kinds of bad juju, with Coquette leading to Adsum leading to Tapestry leading to dark windows and flipped-up barstools for over a year. If anyone can exorcise the corner's demons, it's the Nolens, with the backing of Brauhaus owners, Doug and Kelly Hager. We know a priest if they need help.
