Icepack

Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.

by A.D. Amorosi

"I know we're a little behind," laughs Heshey Schlachtermann. "But it's happening now." The "it" is the legendary South Street live spot Dobbs that Schlachtermann and his (then) pal Hank the Drag Queen bought 38 months ago. They were ready to rock it just like Nirvana, Kenn Kweder, Smashing Pumpkins, Alan Mann and Robert Hazard did in the old days, but L&I wasn't ready to give them a liquor license so they operated, kinda sadly, as an all-ages place. Dobbs wasn't meant for Sprite, man. Now Hank is out, Schlachtermann has two new silent partners from way-up in N.J., the liquor license is up ("it's nice to feel it in my hands") and the newly named The Legendary Dobbs held a soft opening last Saturday ("with oldheads and young"). The hard opening is Dec. 18 with Carfax Abbey. "It's all about the future now," Heshey laughs. It's nice to see Heshey laugh. Mazel tov.

Rumor has it that Anthony Sembello and old-school punk haven maven David Carroll (Hot Club) are readying an edgy boite on the periphery of the Rittenhouse area for an early-2011 opening. Think a gritty fabulous dive a la Guru, Bar Noir and Limbo.

You know Scott Weiner, my photog bud who contributes photos to my online Ice Cubes on Critical Mass? He's stopping by " The Art of the Beatles " art/memorabilia show at Montgomery Mall on Dec. 17. Weiner's proudly showing off a photo of John Lennon that he took outside WPVI-6 studios in 197-blahblahblah.

I was premature on the opening of Mike Stollenwerk 's glass-front Fathom on E. Girard. Its zoning hearing is Dec. 22. Stollenwerk's Little Fish (Sixth and Fitzwater) should open for New Year's Eve. Speaking of holiday dining, chef Michael Solomonov hosts Zahav's "Very Jewish Christmas" on Dec. 22 with Israeli-inflected Chinese food and '80s flicks on a big screen. For $50, he's doing my fave non-Catholic tradition — a Festivus for the rest of us — yet opening the door to those fans of Jesus, too.

Me-me-me-media: WHYY's On Canvas recorded newly Grammy-nominated organ-pounding jazz family scion Joey DeFrancesco 's weekend shows at Chris' Jazz Café for a television special to air early 2011. NBC Philadelphia Nonstop, the recently started "local 24-hour news/lifestyle channel," will do its own local-music-themed show, Music Box, starting in January.

First we see Vesuvio on Eighth and Fitzwater closed (supposedly they'll reopen once construction on their above-restaurant apartments ceases), and now it's rumored that the D'Addesi Bros. (Michael and Jerry, who own the place) involved in the famed Make U Famous film scandal revolving around ex-CP scribe Mary Patel is looking to file bankruptcy. Whoops.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)