Rex 1516 is part of a growing scene on South Street west of Broad. June should see Magpie Artisan Pie Bakery & Boutique, a vintage/modern 20-seater (plus 8 at the counter) at 1622 South St. Former ad exec Holly Ricciardi will sell sweet and savory pies; a specialty will be Pie Fries - pie-crust strips served with fruit sauces for dipping.
Other options include The Quick Fixx, a casual newcomer at 1511 South; The Cambridge, a bar opening this spring at 1508 South; and a second Honey's Sit N Eat, at 21st and South, also up for spring. Two other projects - one on the 1400 block, the other on the 1500 block - are under wraps.
Hot-dogging it
Robert Amar (ex-Fare) has gone to wieners with Underdogs (132 S. 17th St., 215-665-8080), a hot-dog shop in the subterranean space that previously housed Argan. Amar sources his dogs locally; Dietz & Watson makes his regulars, and the hot sausage and kielbasa, for example, come from Czerw. It's open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, till 4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Photos: www.philly.com/underdogs.
Briefly noted
Marlo Fioravanti Dilks and Jason Dilks have rolled out their third location of their Neapolitan-style pizzeria, SLICE and it's their largest yet. It's in Tower Square Shopping Center, 137 Egg Harbor Rd., Sewell (856-302-5099).
The General Lafayette Inn on Germantown Pike in Lafayette Hill is back on the market. Sovereign Bank, which acquired the property in a foreclosure, is asking $1.35 million. Last operating as a brewpub, it closed in September 2010. Broker Kevin Barmann of Keller Williams says the package includes the restaurant, brewery equipment, liquor license, five-bedroom bed and breakfast, two parcels of land, and the cottage.
The crew from Le Castagne is hoping for a spring opening of an Italian restaurant called Spiga at 1305 Locust St., which for many years was Girasole.
Marcos Decotiis (La Stanza) is taking over the short-lived Sticks & Stones space at 1909 E. Passyunk Ave. with a Franco-American bar called Noir. He said it's about a month out.
Contact Michael Klein at mklein@philly.com or @phillyinsider on Twitter. Read much more on his blog, www.philly.com/insider, and follow him at www.philly.com/food.
