Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

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Published: Oct 14, 2008

>> NOW SEATING

Jason Lay's Mi Lah, a much-welcome addition to Philly's stagnant mid-range vegetarian scene, officially opened early last week. The two-story BYO, in the space that was briefly Pita Pocket, has a clean, simple Crate and Barrel-type aesthetic. Tyler Black, former head chef at Govinda's who last cooked at Horizons, reaches in numerous ethnic directions with his menu, from African (a Tunisian chickpea stew called labi labi) to Southeast Asian (braised lemongrass, ginger and coconut milk with brown basmati rice and banana leaf) and Caribbean (grilled seitan skewers in a housemade jerk sauce).

Tom Baker and Peggy Zwerver's eco-friendly brewpub and brick-oven-fired flatbread destination has finally opened after months of licensing-related delays. Baker, who formerly headed cult-favorite Heavyweight Brewing Co., offers four house brews at a time (right now, selections include a farmhouse ale, a mild ale, a smoked wheat ale and a 5.8 percent ABVer called Sedgwick Pale Ale). The simple food lineup ranges from a small selection of mostly-veg flatbreads (you can build your own) as well as add-ons like a cheese plate and housemade cookies. Earth's open Tue.-Thu. and Sun. from 4:30 p.m. to midnight and Fri.-Sat. from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

>> LITTLE VITTLES

>> Scott Schroeder, a vet of the Latest Dish, Pontiac Grille, Royal Tavern and Deuce, is the new head chef at John Longacre's South Philly Tap Room (1509 Mifflin St., 215-271-SPTR, southphiladelphiataproom.com), replacing Michael Zulli (he of the game meats and is-it-wrong-to-serve-lion? controversy). New eats include wild boar tacos, seafood spring rolls, a vegan tempeh hoagie, stout-braised brisket, meatloaf and much more. Check out the new menu on Meal Ticket.

>> Wait, you haven't heard about Meal Ticket yet? It's City Paper's brand-new food and drink blog. All the breaking food news you've grown accustomed to reading online on the Clog has a shiny new home here. Recipes, food features, interviews and ill-advised rants, too. It's headed up by yours truly and fellow staffer Felicia D'Ambrosio. The address is citypaper.net/mealticket. Go to it!

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