They plan to convert the dining room into its former use as a residence, and sell the furnishings and liquor license next year.
Free beer and cheese
Chef-owner John Brandt-Lee has been running assorted specials at Avalon (312 S. High St., West Chester, 610-436-4100), his cozy Italian BYOB. Perhaps the self-taught chef's most generous idea is his complimentary Friday night amuse-bouche, a pairing of cheese from Di Bruno's and local beer. Among recent comp offerings: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA with Caccio di Roma and truffle honey, and Victory Festbier with Piave cheese and grilled onion marmalade. Tomorrow's course is Troegs' Mad Elf with Cana de Cabra, a Spanish goat's-milk cheese. He puts the weekly selection on Facebook and Twitter.
Chef war
Nunzio Patruno (Nunzio Ristorante Rustico in Collingswood), Andrea Luca Rossi (of the soon-to-be Cichetteria 19), and Luciana Spurio (Le Virtú in South Philly) will battle at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Reading Terminal Market in an Iron Chef-style competition. All dishes will use radicchio rosso tardivo di Treviso IGP and radicchio variegato di Castelfranco IGP. (Indicazione Geografica Protetto means the produce is grown in Treviso, Padua, or Venice under supervision of the Consorzio Radicchio di Treviso.) John Vena Inc., which sells the radicchio, is sponsoring.
As for Cichetteria 19: Rossi, former director of operations for Girasole, recently took over Di Vino, near Rittenhouse Square at 267 S. 19th St. Rossi said the casual cuisine would be from his native Venice.
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