The seasonal menu, whose many gluten-free options extend to Mueller's breads, is at www.mccourtsfarmtotable.com. Open for lunch and dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays, and Mondays. Dinner only on Sundays. Closed Tuesdays. Expect to pay $50 to $60 per person at dinnertime.
What's new
There's A La Maison in Ardmore, and now there's La Petite Maison in Berwyn. Chef Maurice de Ramus - whose past includes cooking at Onasis (a Greek BYOB in Cherry Hill), chef-ownership at Zen (a Japanese BYOB in Northern Liberties), and, yes, opening chef for A La Maison - is now sharing space with Royal Tea Cafe, a tea supplier in a Victorian house at 720 Lancaster Ave. (610-450-6133). He's serving dinner only for now, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m., with entrees in the mid- to upper $20s.
What's coming
Appalachian Brewing Co. hopes for for the end of April or early May for its first suburban Philly brewpub, in the former Hemingway's in Collegeville Station (Main Street and West Third Avenue in Collegeville). Throughout the year, ABC offers 20 to 25 different beers, said ABC's Artie Tafoya. At any one time, 12 to 14 will be on tap.
Father and son Bob and Brandon Bitros, whose last restaurant was Azure in Northern Liberties, are taking over the former Moe's, a tap at 1235 E. Palmer St. in Fishtown, with Interstate Draft House. It will be a beer pub, not a gastropub, as Bob Bitros cautions, with 16 American beers on tap. Opening is several months away.
The restaurant in the AKA Rittenhouse Square, on 18th north of Walnut, has an overseer (David Fields) and a chef (Bryan Sikora). Now it has a name, that at least will provide an alphabetical advantage: a.kitchen (pronounced "ay kitchen"). Opening set for May.
Entertaining
The Farmers' Cabinet, new at 1113 Walnut St., is offering ragtime-style jazz on weekends. Meanwhile, the mainstay Roller's at Flying Fish (8142 Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill) is trying out jazz on certain weekends.
Rob DeAbeu of the two Sabrina's Cafe locations and Peter Clarke of Reef Restaurant & Lounge will host a Caribbean night on April 7 to benefit Team Jamaica at the Penn Relays. Team Jamaica hosts nearly 500 young athletes and coaches from Jamaica, Trinidad, and St Vincent and the Grenadines participating in the Relays. The restaurants (Sabrina's at 910 Christian St. and 1804 Callowhill St., the Reef at 605 S. Third St.) will offer seatings at 6, 8, and 9:30 p.m. All proceeds will go to Team Jamaica.
Contact columnist Michael Klein at mklein@phillynews.com. Follow his blog at http://go.philly.com/insider.
