Table Talk: Sauté serving romance in Queen Village

Nicholas J. Cassidy and Hector Torres have gone for romance - twinkling candles, subdued lighting, dark wooden furnishings - at Sauté, their new BYOB in Queen Village (775 S. Front St., 215-271-9300).

The mellow vibe is far from what they were feeling during eight months of intense construction at what was La Creole. For starters, they had to correct the only route in and out of the basement, which was through a trapdoor behind the bar.

Torres, who opened Roy's and worked in the front of the house at SoleFood at the Loews, runs the dining room. The Le Cordon Bleu-educated Cassidy, last at Alma de Cuba, cooks French-influenced American, so expect such apps as escargot, charcuterie, and baked Brie and hamachi ceviche (a tip to Alma's Douglas Rodriguez). On the opening menu were duck breast, the most expensive item at $24, served with beet gnocchi and pancetta; beef short rib, $18, with celery-root puree (instead of the cliche mashed potatoes) and a side salad of truffled pea greens studded with grapes and blue cheese; and seared scallops, $22.50, served over a barley cassoulet (bacon, braised cabbage, and cherry).

What's new

Rakesh Ramola, who chefed at both Tiffin locations in Philly, has opened IndeBlue, a modern, Indian BYOB across from Blackbird in Collingswood (618 Collings Ave., 856-854-4633). It's open nightly.

What's coming

American Pub at Centre Square will be - believe it or not - an American pub at Centre Square, in the subterranean space near the Clothespin sculpture at 15th and Market Streets. Owners hope to open in late March.

Roger Harman and Vincent Whittacre, who just closed Abbraccio in West Philly, will open the Gold Standard Cafe at 4800 Baltimore Ave., possibly by mid-March. It will be a BYOB/coffee shop with breakfast/lunch/coffee, plus comfort-food dinners. Vietnam Cafe will expand into Abbraccio's space.

Chip Roman of Conshohocken's Blackfish plans to move his Jersey Shore operation from Avalon to Stone Harbor. He expects to open by Mother's Day in the former Henny's, a block off the bay at 9628 Third Ave., with a liquor license. It would be a year-rounder. His Conshy spot will remain.

Briefly noted

In what might be called a wurst-case scenario, Mel Glickstein says he has pulled the plug on plans for Benny's, a deli he was planning at 145 Montgomery Ave. in Bala Cynwyd. So the Lower Merion deli war will continue between the nearby Murray's and Hymie's.

Chef Jay Henson, formerly at Happy Rooster and more recently at the Inlet at the Jersey Shore, joins Silk City in Northern Liberties at the beginning of March, says owner Mark Bee. Same American concept. Bee is aiming at May 1 for his 50-seat outdoor beer garden. Also in NoLibs: Lacroix alum Matt Levin has Second and Green Streets in mind for Masano, the cutting-edge pub he's doing with the Eagles' Jon Runyan. Bill Papatolis says he's reviving his Spring Garden Restaurant at Fourth and Spring Garden in about three weeks. Spring Garden, an old-time Greek diner, lost its lease two years ago when the adjacent supermarket was being developed. He struck a new deal with the building owners and has rehired much of his old staff. Also on the way, across from Finnigan's Wake at Third and Spring Garden, is an Asian diner called Ken Shin.

Contact columnist Michael Klein at 215-854-5514 or mklein@phillynews.com.