Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

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Published: Feb 3, 2009

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Born-and-bred Mayfair girl Nicole DiZio opened this 18-seat steak shop at the intersection of Frankford and Cottman in early January. Menu's simple: plain steaks, cheesesteaks and cheesesteak hoagies, pizza steaks and fountain sodas — that's that. (The purveyors of WoW's meat and rolls, DiZio says, are a close-guarded secret.) In January, they sold steaks for $3; this month, they'll cost you $4. In March, that'll jump to $5 before permanently topping off at $6 in the month of April (the price includes tax). Hours are Sun.-Wed., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thu., 11 a.m.-midnight; and Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 a.m.

Mark Giangiulio opened Miel Patisserie in Rittenhouse in 2002, but sold the business (and its sister operation in Cherry Hill) two years ago. That proprietor couldn't cut it, so Giangiulio recently purchased the business back, bringing GM Willard Weislogel and original executive chef Sandy Valentine along with him. They've introduced some recession-friendly deals into the fray, including Chestnut Hill Coffee for a buck a cup and fresh-baked breakfast pastries for $2; they're installing WiFi and a 42-inch flat screen television at the Philly location this month. Get first dibs on V-Day sweets for your sweetie — chef Sandy's chocolate-covered strawberries, conversation heart cookies and cherry ganache/white chocolate hearts, among other treats, will be available from Feb. 6 to 21.

Late February is the tentative target for the opening of Strongbox, the boutique bottle lounge set to replace Monkey Bar, according to proprietor Brett Perloff, formerly of Pearl on Chestnut Street. With a capacity of about 100, Perloff says the name's a nod to the intimate, exclusive and safe vibe he hopes to build. Expect realistically priced bottle service with a few unexpected twists (Perloff won't elaborate), large-format champagne service as well as a small specialty cocktail list; they'll be serving food, though details are scarce at this juncture. One unique feature: an elevated DJ booth that'll be accessible only by ladder.

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