What's coming
Joe Polutro, who recently closed Mio Sogno, is resurfacing near the Auto Mall with
Rare Italian Steakhouse. It will open in early May inside the soon-to-open Christine's Cabaret, a strip club, at 6130 W. Passyunk Ave. Restaurant applicants can e-mail resumes to
rare.italian.steakhouse@hotmail.com.
Developer Bart Blatstein has signed two of the four dining operators at his latest project in Northern Liberties. It's a mixed-use development near the former Schmidt's site, including four buildings bounded on three sides by Second Street, Germantown Avenue, and Hancock Street. The centerpiece is a courtyard called the Piazza, which now sports a concert stage topped by a 26-by-16-foot HD screen. Opening this spring will be Darling's (a diner from the people behind Darling's Cheesecakes, due in the egg-shaped building across from Bar Ferdinand and El Camino Real at Second and Germantown) and Vino Restaurant Lounge (a wine bar serving "aperitivo"-style small plates from owner Michael Maglio). A pub and lounge are in the works nearby.
