Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

>> WAITING LIST

Kelly Schmitz, who's German by heritage, and her husband, Doug Hager, who holds dual American/German citizenship and formerly tended bar at Ludwig's, are looking at late April to unveil this authentic 100-seat brauhaus on South. The couple's currently on the hunt for a head chef to crank out traditional fare. They hope he or she will take on crafting most of the menu in-house (do your wurst!). They'll have 16 German imports on tap, with an international bottle selection in the 80-100 range. Butcher block tables, church pews and servers in dirndls (yesssss) will round out the proposed Oktoberfestivities. More on Meal Ticket.

Mike Mastellone, Mike Kearney and Max Tucker, all of whom have stakes in the Mad River bars in Old City and Manayunk, will debut Ladder 15, in the historical firehouse at 15th and Sansom, in early to mid-March. The bilevel space, which will carry a steel-adorned industrial feel, will feature three bars and 18 beers on tap; it will hold close to 400 people. The spot's upscale pub menu was designed by Little Fish chef/owner Mike Stollenwerk, a friend of Tucker's; highlights include pistachio shrimp with maple mascarpone and green apple, a chicken gyro with spiced tzatziki sauce, and brussels sprouts with duck fat vinaigrette. Check out the full menu on Meal Ticket.

The classic Center City oyster house, which shut down in the summer of 2008 under the management of Coquette owner Cary Neff, is coming back this spring thanks to the Mink family, which has owned the bricks of the Sansom Street space since 1976. Sam Mink, who's heading up the project with his father, David, says they're in the thick of construction now; the space, formerly two rooms separated by a brick support wall, will come together with a far more open design scheme. Though chef Greg Ling's menu will carry a classic feel — think fresh, unfussy New England, with all your chowders, fried oysters and chicken salads covered — they'll branch out to the Left Coast with their regularly rotating half-shell menu. (Sam, who recently came back to Philly after nine years living in San Francisco, has a definite line on the many excellent West Coast varieties out there.)