sorry...allow me to rephrase what i wanted to say:

if theres good food...i'll go there

the point i was trying to get to was that...location isnt an issue for me for when i want to go get something to eat...
moneywise...
you COULD get a 24 dollar entree at las cazuelas...but i just dont
i doubt this place is going to ONLY serve 24 dollar entrees

16 bucks aint too shabby for a good meal...blargh...im done talking about this...wheres my beer

what about the lunchmeat set?

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I spent $19 per entree (a rarity for me..I know, hard to believe since I live in cc ) at southwark and it was worth every damn penny. sure I can't go all the time, but once in a while. there are some locations I won't go to but girard isn't one of them. father denny's? if the food is good it coudl actually become a magnet for lesser restaurants. or it could flop b/c it isn;t good enough to be a draw. I actually prefer using the El stop up there to the one further south.

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I would make the trip, comming from the other end of town. I think it is nice to have a strong neighborhood place, however some restaurants can draw from all over the city if the place is done properly. I don't mind paying cc prices in any neighborhood as long as it's worth it. (good food and pleasant surroundings)

I completely disagree. Many people have lamented the lack of restaurants in Fishtown; why wouldn't a nice, moderately-priced byob make it?

It's disheartening to see such negative comments about a new business on Girard, which desperately needs places that are not fast food/check cashing/cellular services. Eat there before you claim it's not worth the $$.

(By the way, the "build it and they will come mentality" pretty much sums up the restaurant scene in Philly: Audrey Claire, Pumpkin, Chloe, Lolita, Porcini, Pif, Valentino's, Bistro 7,and so on and so on. All popular destination restaurants that obviously filled a void.)

"I completely disagree. Many people have lamented the lack of restaurants in Fishtown;"


First off, i also lament the lack of restaurants in fishtown, I just don't think this one will work.

"why wouldn't a nice, moderately-priced byob make it? "
A nice moderately-priced byob might make it. 16-24 dollars is actually on the higher end (although not the highest), similar to Lolita/bistro 7. The difference is those places are either chef-owned or have an owner with a culinary pedigree, and are situated in higher rent districts. This place doesn't want to say who the chef is because she or he is so concerned that this might not make it, that they won't attach their name to the project. Also, to put it bluntly, Billy Wong is a joke, did you ever go to his cheesy old city joint? pitiful.

"It's disheartening to see such negative comments about a new business on Girard, which desperately needs places that are not fast food/check cashing/cellular services. Eat there before you claim it's not worth the $$."

Actually your recital of its' neighbors belies my point about it being overpriced. The area definitely needs businesses; good businesses that people will travel for, like Johnny Brenda's, or Taconellis.


"(By the way, the "build it and they will come mentality" pretty much sums up the restaurant scene in Philly: Audrey Claire, Pumpkin, Chloe, Lolita, Porcini, Pif, Valentino's, Bistro 7,and so on and so on. All popular destination restaurants that obviously filled a void.)"

This doesn't make any sense, if there was a void to fill, then "build it and they will come" doesn't "sum it up". The expression means undertaking a venture without first investigating the market. Like pets.com or the four coffee shops that opened up w/in a square mile of each other in northern liberties last year.

OK, by your definition, "build it and they will come," means that opening a restaurant without prior research into one's market is careless but didn't you just point out that people want more businesses like JB? I think there's a huge market for a byob and as someone else pointed out, Las Casuelas (sp?) and other local NL restaurants are about the same price point. JB is great but it's primarily a bar and Taconelli's is a casual pizza place. I doubt that Polish Cowboi and I are the only ones willing to take a chance on a new restaurant in the neighborhood.


No, I have never been to Billy Wong's place in OC so I can't comment. Maybe it was mediocre but why slam the new place before you - or anyone else - has actually tried it? Are you saying that you'd rather have nothing at all or the same fast food-type businesses that currently line Girard until a more desired chef opens up a restaurant?

i've been to taste 3 times so far and it's been consistently good. i haven't tried everything yet, but what i've had was delicious. it's a french bistro style menu, but the portions are large enough that you could probably have 3 appetizers between two people and be satisfied. the service was also very good.

Finally, a review. Good date place, ya think?

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i've gone there late each of the times so there's only been one other table of customers. i wouldn't go out of my way to go there, but living in the neighborhood i'd say it's certainly worth patronizing. the food is good, the portions are good, the service is good, the liquor store is basically across the street, and it's reasonably priced for a b.y.o. after eating at johnny brenda's and sulimay's enough times to recite the menus verbatim i would have been happy for anything new, but i think this place is worth a visit.