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New
Plus, Milkboy has a new chef, Art in the Age makes coffee, and we say our final farewells to Vickers in County Chester.
Restaurant Figo | Photo by Society Hill Films
Hi, buckaroos! And welcome back to the Monday rally. We’re a little light on restaurant news this week, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a little something for pizza lovers, cafe fans, the mainline crowd and all the cats. crazy about NoLibs.
So let’s go, okay? I will start with…
200 new seats in NoLibs
A few weeks ago, we talked about GLU’s two new projects on Northern Liberties Restaurant Row. Back then, these places were just a twinkle on the distant horizon, their patios being used to host summer pop-ups in hopes of creating a bit of a buzz.
But those carefree summer days are now behind us. October is definitely here and the change of seasons marks the end of those hot afternoon cocktail hours. And while the 60-seat Leda and Swan pop-up that GLU Hospitality had installed in the patio spaces once commissioned by Wahlburgers and Darling’s Diner no longer exists, it has made way for the more than 200 seats GLU is bringing to the neighborhood. this week with the side-by-side openings of Figo Ristorante and Figo Pizzeria at 1033 North 2nd Street.
Figo Ristorante offers fine Italian with handmade pasta and handcrafted cocktails, with seating at the bar, lounge, dining room or on the covered patio that spans three sides of the space. There’s chicken parm and cannoli dip, bucatini with homemade meatballs and roasted garlic ricotta. The pizzeria next door is GLU’s old brick-and-mortar ghost cooking concept, offering quick Italian sandwiches and freshly made pizzas (which can also be ordered next door).
This is a big turning point for GLU (which now has 13 operational concepts) and a big addition to the NoLibs restaurant scene. Figo Pizzeria will be open for lunch and dinner, from noon to 10 p.m., from Tuesday to Sunday. The Figo Ristorante will be reserved for dinner, with service from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the same days. Both open to the public this Friday, October 15, and Figo Pizzeria celebrates with a ribbon cut and a free slice giveaway (one per person, don’t worry) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. So if you’re in the area this week, check them out.
Moving forward…
Say goodbye to a monument
As the saying goes, every time God opens a modern 200-seat Italian restaurant and a quick, relaxed pizzeria, he closes a 50-year-old gourmet bistro.
Wait. Did I understand well ? No matter. Close enough.
If you have fond memories of dining at Vickers Restaurant in Exton and want to experience it one last time I would be quick because after nearly five decades of operation the restaurant that has hosted both Richard Nixon and Hall & Oats is closing.
Here’s what longtime owner Arturo Burigatto had to say:
“I want to thank you for your patronage and friendship not only over the past year, but also for almost half a century since Vickers opened. Your support for our restaurant has encouraged us to constantly strive to provide you with the best atmosphere, the most delicious food and a party experience every time you walk through our doors.
Together with my staff and family, we thank you, above all, for making this restaurant a success and a familiar place to share in your lives. From weddings to birthdays, Ferragosto and National Day celebrations to all the wonderful events in between, you have allowed us to take the rich history of this wonderful place and create our own story: a story we are proud of, filled with good friends, purpose and so many great memories.
With great anticipation, I am announcing that we will be closing the doors of Vickers Restaurant after nearly 50 years since our opening. It’s time to pass the torch and make way for a new experience in this historic space.
The last night of service is October 30. Here at Foobooz headquarters, we will pay a tureen of lobster bisque as a tribute.
In other news …
Milkboy announced a big hire this week. They now have Chef Yun Fuentes as their new Culinary Director. You may remember Fuentes from restaurants such as… just about all of them. Dude has a CV like I don’t even know what, having worked under chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten (in New York) and Roberto Trevino (in San Juan, Puerto Rico), then coming to Philly and doing tours in the kitchens by Tinto, Village Whiskey, Double Knot, Alma de Cuba and more.
Fuentes knows his stuff, that’s what I’m saying. And he is called upon to refine the existing menus on the two Milkboy sites (on Chestnut Street and South Street) and to “supervise the future projects of the Milkboy brand”. Since I guess they don’t want a veteran chef to check levels in a new recording studio, it looks to me like the Milkboy team have other restaurant concepts in the works.
Meanwhile, for those of you looking for meticulously crafted local coffee, here’s this: The Art in the Age Tasting Room at 116 North 3rd Street in Old Town is (temporarily) transforming into a café in collaboration with the own. Kensington Moonraker Coffee Roasters.
Starting this week and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through December, the Café at Art in the Age will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., serving fair trade coffee, espresso drinks, worms and all that other stuff. that you cafe the nerds are in. And while everything is available to take away (for those of you in a rush), Art in the Age really hopes you’ll take the time to relax in their outdoor cocktail garden and, you know, have some fun. time. At least until noon, when coffee time gets a bit confused with alcohol time and Art in the Age begins to launch its specialty cocktails.
Speaking of drinking, last week we got all the news on Stephen Starr’s new Mexican restaurant Fishtown, LMNO. This week we can announce that Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. participated with an exclusive collaboration beer that is only served to LMNO.
It’s a Mexican-style lager, designed to pair with the restaurant’s Baja Mexican cuisine (and to be used in the house’s michelada menu), but my favorite part is the name.
They call him El Emeno.
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