Wow… lots of restaurant news as the year comes to an end. Here’s a quick recap:

• Ella’s American Bistro has opened in Devon Square (Acme Shopping Center in Strafford)
• McKenzie’s Brew Pub is now open in Berwyn (where Charlie Brown’s used to be, near Barnes & Noble)
• Jake’s Wayback Burgers is open in Strafford (near the Farmers Market), and 5 Guys Wayne (in the old Acme shopping center) should be opening shortly
• So Fun! Frozen Yogurt has also opened next to 5 Guys in Wayne
• The bar at Restaurant Alba is now fully operational
• Pattymac’s in Berwyn is now EmJ’s (under new ownership), and is also serving dinner on Thu and Fri.
• Saxby’s in Paoli is closing this week.
• Flavor in Wayne closed this fall.

Pescatore BYOB, the latest project from Thomas Anastasi of the Italian Market’s Anastasi Seafood, is now open (since August – apparently we’re a little slow around here) in Bala, in the former Avril space.

Pescatore focuses on Italian Cuisine “with a rustic, Mediterranean flair.” The menu features (unsurprisingly) an ever-changing array of seafood based on what is freshly caught, as well as a nice variety of homemade pastas and (surprisingly, for a place unironically named Pescatore – which means fisherman in Italian) a wide variety of non-fish dishes that are mostly standard Italian fare made from chicken or veal.

For more, check out their website or Facebook page. Have you been? Leave a comment below.

Pescatore
134 Bala Ave.
Bala Cynwyd, PA
610.660.9400
http://pescatorebyob.com

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 5:00pm to 10:00pm., Sunday from 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Villanova’s Mixx, part of the WIN Signature Restaurant group and located in the downstairs portion of everyone’s favorite recent restaurant disaster Maia, is getting a new concept (“global small plates”), chef (Aniwat “Chay” Vadhanacha) and menu (menu available here).

For more details, check out The Latest Dish (WIN’s PR firm), Main Line Today or Philly.com.

Landor Associates image of new PLCB store in South Philly

As part of his campaign, new PA governor Tom Corbett promised to privatize liquor sales in Pennsylvania, but we’ve seen little action on this issue so far. It appears, however that this is about to change.  Last week, the movement gained a key ally when Senate Majority Whip Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) announced his support for the bill (House Bill 11) originally proposed by House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, which proposes to close 625 state liquor stores and sell 1200 licenses to the highest bidder. In addition, according to the PA Independent, Corbett has just recently received a report from a Philly-based business research firm detailing the potential revenue gains from selling off the state stores (this report has yet to be made public). Lastly, the Pennsylvania think tank Commonwealth Foundation has recently launched http://freemydrink.com/ to bring more exposure to the issue.

The debate is far from over, of course. Over the summer, Senate President Joseph Scarnati, R-Jefferson, spoke out against the bill, showing support instead for removing “handcuffs” to allow PLCB to operate more like a private business. Other state senators, including John Blake, D-Lackawanna, also remain skeptical.

So, from that standpoint, I must say that I’m quite looking forward to checking out the swank (for PLCB standards, at least) new Paoli digs, which are planned for the ACME shopping center, in the space where Blockbuster used to be. The store, which will dwarf the current cubicle that hides behind BK, will feature more than 3000 additional products. It will also have a 8-seat bar for tastings, a plethora of Chairman’s Selections (including high-end choices), a temperature-controlled room, and even a wine chiller that’ll cool any shelved bottle of wine in less than 15 minutes. And – gasp – it’ll be open on Sundays!

When will this store open? Well, that’s just the thing. Apparently it was planned for July, but is held up in Harrisburg. Shocking.

A few weekend tidbits for you Wayniacs:

• So Fun! Frozen Yogurt will be opening soon next to Five Guys in the shopping center formerly known as the ACME shopping center. There’s one So Fun! already in Nazereth, PA (which also happens to be next to a Five Guys) and their website claims more locations opening soon. (If I was opening a frozen yogurt shop, I would not do it in the Fall. But that’s just me.)
• A restaurant called Paramour will fill The Wayne Hotel’s vacant space this fall. Details here.
• Tredici Italian Market will be moving from Louella Court to 185 East Lancaster Ave., former home of the Women’s Exchange, in early September.
• Jake’s Wayback Burgers will be moving into the old Strafford Radio Shack location soon as well. There are nearby locations of this mini-chain in Exton, Kennett Square and Springfield.

A sign has popped up in the former Wayne Beef & Ale / Pop-Pops location (at the corner of Conestoga Rd. & West Wayne Ave.) stating that The Mediterranean Grill is coming soon. No word as to whether this is associated with any of the similarly-named places in the area.

Tired Hands Brewing Co., the latest project from Jean Broillet, a former brewer at Iron Hill West Chester, is currently under construction (with hope for an opening in 2011) at 16 Ardmore Ave. in Ardmore, just south of Ardmore Computer.

Broillet describes it in his own words:

“Tired Hands Brewing Company will operate on a six barrel brewhouse and will focus intensely on two very broad styles of beers that hold a special place in my heart: Belgian/French farmhouse ales and American hop-forward ales. We will be a “Brewcafé” (yes, I know a strange term, but one that best fits my vision), bake our own bread on site, and serve food (cheese, charcuterie, and other simple & satisfying foods) all sourced from within 100 miles of our brewery.”

Follow the progress at the Tired Hands website.

Starting June 30th, the East Goshen Farmers Market will take place every Thursday from 3-7pm in the Veteran’s Pavilion. The market will feature:

• Locally grown produce
• Antibiotic and hormone-free meats & poultry
• Free-range eggs
• Local cheeses
• Baked goods and artisinal breads
• Local honey and maple syrup
• Coffee & lemonade
• Hand-crafted soups
• … and more.

In addition, each week will feature a “ready to eat” vendor (Jimmy’s BBQ on 6/30) serving food to eat in the park, alongside kids activities and local music.

This August, Win Restaurant Group’s recently closed Parker’s Prime will give way to Sang Kee Noodle Bowl at 4755 West Chester Pike in Newtown Square / Edgemont (formerly Roux 3). Though SKNB will be owned and operated by Win and Sutida Somboonsong, Michael Chow, who opened the first Sang Kee in 1980, will consult on menu development and training of the staff, and all dishes will be carefully prepared to Chow’s strict standards.

Though the name is slightly different (bowl, not house), the Peking Duck that made Sang Kee famous is on the menu. (HT philly.com)

Sang Kee Noodle Bowl
4755 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA
Tel. 610.353.5353

Hours:
Monday – Thursday 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Friday – Saturday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Sunday 12:00 am – 9:00 pm

The space that most recently held Brothers Spano in Garrett Hill (as well as the old Brick Bar) is now The Kebob Factory, a Persian / Indian restaurant from the owners of Khajuraho in Ardmore.

The menu features a wide variety of Kebobs (Kababs?) as well as some Indian curry dishes. There is also a full bar.

The Kebob Factory
157 Garrett Ave
Rosemont, PA 19010
(610) 519 – 0500

http://www.thekebobfactory.com