PUB & KITCHEN, A NEW BAR AND RESTAURANT,
TO OPEN IN PHILADELPHIA IN SEPTEMBER 2008
PHILADELPHIA, PA – This September will bring a transformation to the corner of 20th and Lombard Streets in the city's gracious Rittenhouse Square area with the opening of Pub & Kitchen (1946 Lombard Street), a new neighborhood drinking and dining destination. Entrepreneur-owner Dan Clark has brought in some of Philadelphia's most exciting restaurant talent to create Pub & Kitchen's comfortable atmosphere, enticing selection of wine, beer and cocktails and affordable menu of seasonal dishes and classic pub fare.
"We simply want to offer a great neighborhood spot to eat and drink, inexpensive enough that our guests will join us whenever they feel like it," says Clark. "And we're going to serve a late-night menu until 1 a.m., in order to accommodate as many of their needs as we can."
Clark is joined by managing partner Ed Hackett whose Philadelphia restaurant resume includes stints with Daniel Stern, Neil Stein and Stephen Starr; he will run the front of the house, alongside bar manager Mike Ojeda and pioneering chef Jonathan McDonald.
Affectionately known as "Jonny Mac," McDonald was named "Chef of the Year" in 2007 by Philadelphia magazine and has worked in kitchens as diverse as Gilt, Snackbar, Marigold Kitchen and Brasserie Perrier. For Pub & Kitchen, he crafted a menu that will be updated weekly and includes his own interpretations of classic pub fare alongside the freshest seasonal dishes. The menu is broken into simple categories: Starters, Mains, Bar Snacks, Sides and Desserts.
Menu highlights will include: Fresh East and West Coast Oysters, a selection that will rotate daily; Fish and Chips, a beer-battered filet of hake with house-made fries and lemon aioli; Roasted Striped Bass with apple potato cakes and a cider broth; Bangers and Mash with mustard green beans; and Lobster BLT, a classic updated with the addition of succulent lobster meat. Bar snacks will include: Warm Walnuts, served in the shell with a hand-cracker, and a Domestic Cheese Plate served with house-made condiments such as Guinness caramel. In addition to the constantly evolving menu, McDonald plans to offer daily specials in each menu category based on ingredients in season. Menu items will range in price between $6 and $24.
"It was really important to me that our menu be accessible," says McDonald. "I want to serve people foods that they enjoy, to create flavorful renditions of familiar favorites that everyone knows and loves. Whether it's stopping by for dinner and a great bottle of wine or a quick pint and a sandwich at the bar, this is a place that will serve the kind of food you want after a long day."
As for the pub side of Pub & Kitchen, it relies on the same formula of delectable favorites, and includes a carefully crafted selection of domestic and imported wines and beers and perfectly poured, traditional cocktails, often made from house-infused liquors such as vanilla bourbon, blueberry vodka and melon rum. Bottles of wine will all be priced under $50, with glasses ranging from $6 to $9. Their 12 tap offerings will include local and imported craft brews, such as Breckinridge and Sly Fox, alongside more mainstream beers, all for $3 to $5.
Entrepreneur Dan Clark initially met with Hackett to sketch out ideas for a bar or restaurant that they might like to open. Baffled by the absence of an outlet in the Rittenhouse area where they could comfortably meet for a drink or a great meal while making plans for their project, they developed a strategy for opening just such a place. When the space that had long housed Chaucer's Tabard Inn became available, Clark leapt at the opportunity to revitalize the cozy corner spot.
"We plan to work really hard to keep the great 'corner bar,' neighborhood feel of the old Chaucer's, but also to brighten everything up," Hackett explains. "We love the outdoor seating area, and we added landscaping to create an even more inviting sidewalk café. We will also interject that airy, open quality to the interior with large picture windows." The breezy space will accommodate about 120 seats, including the outdoor tables.
Pub & Kitchen will serve food from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m., seven days a week. Pub & Kitchen will open early this fall, for more information, please visit them online at www.thepubandkitchen.com.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment