Would you look at all the new bakeries out there!
Also in this edition:
But first: Get your tickets to The Inquirer’s Food Fest now. The all-day event at the Fillmore on Nov. 15 will gather dozens of top Philly chefs for all kinds of fun. Just in: We’ll host an exclusive collaboration between Phila and Rachel Lorn of Mawn/Sao and Alex Kemp of My Loup.
— Mike Klein
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We’re obsessed with new bakeries. I share a baker’s dozen and tell you what’s driving all these carbs.
Emilia D’Albero of Point Breeze made history at Mondial du Fromage 2025, winning a gold medal while repping Team USA’s first all-female team. Camembert the last time this happened.
☕ Sky-high coffee prices have become too much for some Philly-area consumers. Erin McCarthy explains how they’re fighting back.
☕ Why is a Philadelphia couple suing Philadelphia-based La Colombe over canned draft latte sales in South Korea? Abraham Gutman has the story.
Ambler’s new Ridge Hall throws some mini-Reading Terminal Market vibes: 10 food businesses under one roof, including a brewery.
Scoops
Philly Po Boy Co.: Philly-born chefs-brothers Greg and Christopher Lynch are behind this fast-casual concept at Front and Berks Streets under the El in Kensington. It’s inspired by New Orleans’ sandwich shops. Greg Lynch, 39, spent the last decade cooking for Starr Restaurants, most recently as executive chef at LMNO. Chris, 51, has worked for nearly 30 years in New Orleans — chef de cuisine at Emeril’s flagship restaurant for seven years and now executive chef at Atchafalaya. Menu will center on traditional po’boys — shrimp, oyster, and roast beef — served on house-baked bread. Gumbo and beignets will round out the offerings. They’re going for 48 seats inside and 25 in the courtyard, plus a kiosk window serving morning commuters. The brothers hope to open in early 2026.
Mac Mart: Marti and Pamela Lieberman are opening a kiosk on the Arch Street sidewalk near 18th Street, next to Comcast Technology Center. Mini Mac Mart will sell hot mac and cheese for pickup, delivery, and catering. They also plan to showcase small business owners’ products, such as Huda cinnamon milk buns, Sweetbox cupcakes, and Marinucci’s hoagies and wraps. This will be down the block from Biederman’s caviar kiosk.
Mighty Bread Co.: Chris DiPiazza and crew are venturing outside of South Philadelphia with Mighty Bread Grab & Go., taking the recently shuttered J’aime Bakery at 17th and Pine Streets. It will offer a coffee bar and the bakery’s full line of pastry, bread, sandwiches, quiche, and merch (no beer, though) from Wednesday through Monday. Target is the first week of November.
Bake’n Bacon: Justin Coleman and Kelvin Alexander’s bacon-themed bar/restaurant/food truck has a satellite location opening Oct. 15 at the Fashion District Philadelphia’s food court.
Amma’s South Indian Cuisine: Oct. 17 is the targeted opening of the popular Indian restaurant’s expanded Rittenhouse location, as it fills the former Max Brenner’s on the 15th Street side of 1500 Walnut St. This will replace the Amma’s at 1518 Chestnut St., which opened in 2019. With the move, Amma’s gains 80 seats, including an expansive bar with 30 seats, bringing the capacity to 140. The Chestnut Street location will wrap Oct. 16. This is Amma’s fifth location; the sixth is targeted for year’s end at Goodnoe’s Corner in Newtown, Bucks County.
Steve’s Prince of Steaks: The steak specialist rolls out a third Bucks County location (404 Easton Rd., Warrington) on Oct. 18.
Restaurant report
Doho. Mount Airy recently lost the prime dining destination Jansen as chef/owner David Jansen and team closed and segued to Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.
But the nearby Doho, which opened several weeks ago, could help to address a local date-night-restaurant shortage with a chic, backlit cocktail bar and a simple but elegant dining room.
The menu, a blend of Latin and East Asian flavors incorporating European technique, includes vegan and gluten-free dishes. There’s also a showstopping pomegranate lamb shank (above), served with sourdough bao buns for a DIY sandwich situation.
Doho is set up inside Catering by Design. Read on and I’ll tell you how owner Peter Loevy broke his vow to never open a sit-down restaurant.
Doho, 18 W. Hortter St. Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Reserve via Resy.
Also new this week: I share first word on (and lots of photos of) Rockwell & Rose, the steakhouse that P.J. Clarke’s carved out of part of its expansive space in the Curtis building across from Washington Square. Here’s what you need to know.
Briefly noted
The book tour for We The Pizza: Slangin’ Pies and Savin’ Lives by Down North Pizza founder Muhammad Abdul-Hadi will stop at Philadelphia’s Central Library from 7-8:30 p.m. today with a conversation moderated by educator Janice Johnson Dias. The event will start with a pizza-tasting sponsored by the Urban League. It’s free; books will be sold for $32.99.Register here.
Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. hosts YèShì Chinatown Night Market from 6-10 p.m. Thursday along 10th Street and Race Street.
Scamps, the pizzeria in residency at Philly Style Bagels in Old City, will pop up in Rittenhouse at Andra Hem from 5-9 p.m. Sunday with three square slices, Caesar deviled eggs, and something called charcuterie nachos (kettle chips, prosciutto, grated pecorino, gorgonzola, Castelvetrano olives, and pepperoncini, finished with EVOO). Walk-in or reserve via Resy.
Sweet Lucky’s Smokehouse, at 7500 State Rd. (just off the Cottman Avenue exit of I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia), will mark its 20th anniversary by rolling back the price of a pulled pork sandwich on Oct. 13 to $5.99, with two sides (it’s now $14.50). Owners Brooke and Jim Higgins plan to produce 500 sandwiches that day, and proceeds will be donated to Philadelphia K9 Services. Sales start at 11 a.m. and there’s a two-sandwich limit.
Tired Hands Brewing’s annual Beer Party at the Beer Park (4901 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square) from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 18 benefits the Delaware County Veterans Memorial. Expect food trucks, music, and regional beer/cider/spirits from 20-plus makers such as Tired Hands, Equilibrium, and Mortalis Brewing.
Kyle Knall, chef of Birch in Milwaukee and a James Beard semifinalist, will visit a.kitchen in Rittenhouse on Oct. 20 for a four-course collab dinner with executive chef Eli Collins. The fundraiser for the Independent Restaurant Coalition is $135 per person, with reservations on OpenTable.
Iron Hill Brewery’s bankruptcy filing looks dire: $125,000 in assets, $20 million in debts. If you have a gift card, you might get in line and file a complaint.
❓Pop quiz
Our Tommy Rowan checked out the Roy Rogers in Cherry Hill. His main takeaway?
A) the Fixin’s Bar was a welcome feature
B) fresh-baked biscuit was “the star”
C) “the fries won’t make any best-of lists”
D) the roast beef tasted like “expired deli meat that had been sitting in your fridge a few days too long”
Find out if you know the answer.
Ask Mike anything
What’s the deal with Ippolito’s, which used to be the soul of its South Philly neighborhood? It’s been spiffed up for the better part of a year but the opening has floundered. Are they going to pull the hook or are they just baiting us? (I’m sorry.) — David G.
I’m reeling from all the seafood puns, David! The retail offshoot of wholesaler Samuels Seafood at 13th and Dickinson, which shut down in 2018, is aiming for a Nov. 1 reopening, says owner Sammy D’Angelo. I will add that this date has been wriggling for some time, so I hope it’s not a fish story.
📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.