Three new restaurants
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.
Kevin Sbraga's latest Southern-thinking venture, The Fat Ham.
Danya Henninger
Danya Henninger
Now Seating:
The Fat Ham | Kevin Sbraga is going west (as in West Philly) with his latest Southern-thinking venture, The Fat Ham. And while the “bones” of this place might be down-home, the menu is full of Sbraga innovation, like potato-chip-crusted macaroni and cheese, Carolina Gold rice with Sea Island peas and oxtails, and country-fried lobster tail, the Sbraga restaurant dish that started it all. Behind the bar there are are plenty of brown spirits as well as a few draft cocktails and a craft beer list that focuses on brews from south of the Mason-Dixon line. Mon.-Thu., 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5-11 p.m.; 3131 Walnut St., 215-735-1914, fat-ham.com.
Rosa Blanca | Jose Garces has transformed the former home of Chifa into a shiny new Cuban diner. The fare is Miami approved from milky-sweet, pulled-to-order cortaditos to flaky guava-and-cheese pastries to a mean Cuban sandwich. It’s also worth a mention that Rosa Blanca opens every morning at 7 a.m. for desayunos Cubanos, and the kitchen goes until last call on weekends for late-night empanadas and cocktails. Mon.-Thu. and Sun., 7 a.m.-midnight; Fri.-Sat., 7 a.m.-2 a.m; 707 Chestnut St., 215-925-5555, rosablancadiner.com.
Avance | The storied space that housed Le Bec-Fin for so many years has been entirely rehauled to make way for Avance. The sleek space is the ideal canvas for Michelin-starred chef Justin Bogle to roll out his forward-thinking menu, combining elements of molecular gastronomy and loads of local producers. Opening highlights include arctic char with apple and fennel, an oh-so-in-fashion brassicas plate and a killer lamb burger available in the cozy bar along with some serious wines by the glass and kitchen-inspired cocktails. Tue.-Sat., 5-10 p.m., 1523 Walnut St., 215-405-0700, avancephiladelphia.com.
