Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

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Published: Feb 9, 2010

NOW SEATING

Fat Salmon

Neighborhood sushi BYO Shinju (930 Locust St.) has moved a few blocks to the northeast and changed its name — awesomely — to Fat Salmon. At about 50 seats (including two private rooms), the new space outsizes the Locust restaurant by several bounds, with a liquor license about two months out. The menu's largely the same, save for a few additions. Specialty rolls include the vegetarian "Lipstick Trace" (cucumber, shiitake, oshinko, gourd, mountain burdock) and the "Dancing Vampire" (cucumber, asparagus, spicy tuna and salmon, and crunchy panko). For more pics and the full menu, check out Meal Ticket.

Falafel Factory

Rob Rimeris opened this all-vegetarian quick-stop, focused on specialty falafel sandwiches, this past Tuesday. In addition to sides like fries, hummus and veggie dip, the Factory cranks out half a dozen falafel varieties, from the Hawaiian (pineapple and teriyaki sauce, with carrots and cabbage) and the Caesar (romaine, Caesar dressing, grated Romano) to more traditional takes with garlic sauce or tzatziki. They're open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. More on Meal Ticket.

Red Cup Café Here's another coffee stop for this already quite-caffeinated NoLibs neighborhood: Red Cup, owned by native Sicilians Marjola and Rick Como. They're brewing Miscela d'Oro drip coffee and Le Cafferia espresso, and offer desserts, pastries and panini with fresh-sliced meats. More on Meal Ticket.

LITTLE VITTLES

Xochitl (408 S. Second St., 215-238-7280, xochitlphilly.com) is currently closed for renovations and will reopen the week of Feb. 22. When it does, it'll have a new look — the bar and dining rooms will be unified — and a new chef: Lucio Palazzo, former sous chef at Percy Street Barbecue . His reorganized menu will be more affordable; check it out in full on Meal Ticket.

Chef Nicholas Cassidy's Sauté (775 S. Front St., 215-271-9300, sauteonline.com) has landed a beer and wine license, offering wines by the glass for $6 (bottles start at $28) and beers starting at $4. Cassidy's also started offering four-course, $35 "Chef's Choice" tastings on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Michael Thomas, most recently chef at Bar Ferdinand, will be cooking at Sidecar co-owner Adam Ritter's forthcoming beer bar at Girard and Montgomery in Fishtown.

Matthew Levin, formerly executive chef at Lacroix, has signed on to open a bistro in the Fifth-and-Bainbridge space that was Coquette.

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