I drove by Hamlet last night and noticed it was closed. I wondered if they were closed for vacation so I called this morning and their phone number is disconnected; the website domain registration has also expired.

Does anyone know what happened to this great, busy, BYO???

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Yes, I read somewhere that they closed -- I forget why, perhaps one of the owners moved...

I've heard from a good source that the owners are moving to Maryland along with their BYOB. Glad I got to eat there at least once.

I don't think the location will be empty long though. Rumor has it that an Indian restaurant might be moving in.

Too bad. That is the second byo to close at that location since it became a restaurant.

Indian would be awesome...we have neighbors who have the take-out place on Willow Grove and the CHill Farmers Market...they would do great there as well.

Anyone know what is going on with the old Goat Hollow? Angie Brown was a total disaster and I miss the old goat in the worst way. Was my favorite neighborhood bar scene, even if the food was so-so.

Darn!! I'll miss Hamlet.

I haven't found a good Italian restaurant in Mt Airy / Chestnut Hill that has any atmosphere / vibe / energy. I think the food at Umbria on Germantown Avenue is very good but the atmosphere (or lack thereof) leaves much to be desired. Boticelli has mediocre food and a mediocre atmosphere.

Hamlet had it all: good vibe, good food, BYO, cool art, etc.

Franco's on Kelly Drive @ Fall's Bridge (the former home of Verge) serves really good Italian and their wine selection is varied and mostly inexpensive (lots of bottles under $30). It's worth the (short!) drive but I'd still like to see something in the immediate area.

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Here is a link to a news article on the closing:

http://blogs.menupages.com/philadelp..._to_close.html

Ridge and Summit, not far from Bells Mill Road. From Bells Mill, go up to Ridge make a left, stay right at the split with Henry and it is on the right at the second light after the U-Haul. Nice atmosphere, amazing food, the best Calimare around
215-508-5600 is their phone number.

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There is an Italian restaurant in Andoraon Ridge Ave. just south of where Ridge & Henry split. I cannot remember the name. Perhaps someone else will. Atmosphere is 'old suburban Italian', but the food is pretty good.

Yes - Maria's! Thanks, Rich.

My wife and I were the owners of Hamlet and the Bistro's closing is bittersweet. The bitter part is that we loved the restaurant, the neighborhood, the patrons, the vibe, the food, the entire experience.

When we moved to Mt. Airy 4 years ago, we wanted to create a restaurant that we would want to go to: a place with a welcoming atmosphere where locals wanted to bring out-of-town guests, celebrate big life events, or just eat meat loaf on Wednesday night. A place of quality food, but no pretense. I hope we succeeded in that.

The sweet is that my brother and now sister-in-law were the Hamlet chefs and they've moved away to Maryland to begin a their lives as newlyweds.

As the Bistro was a family affair, we all decided tol leave the business together. We miss it very much, however.

I can't comment on who may go into the space, but we are in talks with a couple of parties -- either of whom would be terrific successors to the Bistro.

Thanks for all who posted with good words and thoughts about Hamlet. To borrow the obvious line from another Bard play, parting is such sweet sorrow.

You absolutely did succeed in your mission, and will be sorely missed. My husband and I were huge fans who looked forward to visiting on special occasions, as well as introducing friends and clients to our favorite neighborhood restaurant. We wish you well with your next (ad)ventures.

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Noelle Dames
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