Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

NOW SEATING

Monsú | Peter McAndrews and Nathan Baynes have converted their Paesano's location at Ninth and Christian into a hoppin' Sicilian BYOB. (The sandwich shop has moved to 1017 S. Ninth.) Chef Damien Messina has put together brunch and dinner menus (they're serving both meals Wednesday to Sunday for now) reflecting Sicily's fascinating admixture of cultural/culinary influences — opening plates include salami di tonno (tuna cured like salami, with chickpea fritters, fennel beet salad and anchovy mayo), cassatelle (ravioli with ricotta, zucchini and mint) and pesce spade (stuffed/grilled swordfish steak). Cash only. More on Meal Ticket. 901 Christian St., 215-440-0495.

WAITING LIST

The Farm and Fisherman | Conshohocken native Joshua Lawler, late of Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester County, N.Y., is coming back to Philly to open the Farm and Fisherman, an up-for-spring BYO he'll run with his wife, Colleen (also a chef). The Lawlers will build their menu around locally grown, caught and raised products. Sample menu items include grass-fed lamb sirloin and neck with local feta spread, winter spinach and orecchiette; and pancetta-crusted farm eggs with mustard seeds, sauerkraut and puffed hominy. More on Meal Ticket. 1120 Pine St., thefarmandfisherman.com.

Unnamed spot in AKA Rittenhouse Square | David Fields, who ran Salt from '02 to '04, has teamed up with Larry Korman of the AKA at 18th/Walnut to open a not-yet-named restaurant on the ground floor of the extended-stay hotel. The place already has its chef: Bryan Sikora (Talula's Table), who's busy working on menus for the all-day operation (7 a.m. to midnight daily). It'll be a major addition to a strip that already includes the Franklin, Tria and the Dandelion, and will soon feature a Philly outpost of NYC brand Serafina. Fields says they're aiming for a May opening. More on Meal Ticket. 135 S. 18th St., stayaka.com.