The November Hit List: LMNO, Southwark, Dim Sum House by Jane G’s, and More

Fishtown is bursting with new restaurants this month, but one that you must check out is LMNO. The combination art gallery, bookstore, music venue, and restaurant offers up Baja-inspired dishes in an outrageously hip space. Watch your meal come together in their semi-open kitchen over the live fire grill. Try the birria tacos filled with chile-braised oxtail and shank for yourself or splurge on the pan-fried lobster for the table.

The Institute Craft Bar and Kitchen is a triple threat. It’s got subtle dive bar vibes and a solid cocktail and beer menu, as well as a kitchen turning out upscale takes on gastropub dishes. The buttermilk marinaded chicken is the star of the sandwiches, but if you prefer a plant-based meal the Beyond burger slathered in their legendary Institute sauce is a hit with carnivores and herbivores alike. Friends will understand if you don’t want to share the saucy wings, but you’ll take your friendships to a new level if you split the shrimp ceviche.

When you’re in the mood for a lot of little bites, nothing beats dim sum. Dim Sum House by Jane G’s specializes in Cantonese and Shanghai dim sum as well as flavors from the Jiang Nan region in southeast China. Select from classic dim sum dishes like steamed crab and pork soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, crystal shrimp dumplings, and shrimp siu mai. If you’re in the mood for the comfort of American style Chinese food, the General Tso’s chicken is a must.

Tela’s is a hot spot for brunch on the weekends and breakfast during the week, but the approachable elegance of their dinner menu is something you should experience especially if you enjoy ambitious seafood dishes. Start off with the mussels cooked in an herbaceous fennel broth with a little bit of heat thanks to the long hots. Keep things spicy with the raw hamachi with radish, grapefruit, and chile oil. Continue to indulge in the bounty of the sea with the roasted salmon topped with spiced yet fruity aji Amarillo sauce.

Remember the joy of having a clubhouse as a kid? Well, Middle Child is bringing those nostalgic good times to their new Fishtown location, and everyone is invited! Middle Child Clubhouse is a cool hangout serving up the sandwiches we know and love, like the turkey Shopsin Club made with a tart and umami cranberry miso mayo, sweet pickles, bacon, avocado, and Bibb lettuce on a ciabatta roll. But come dinner time, they’re serving grown-up versions of old-school pub favorites like a Crab Louis served with avocado, herb salad, egg, and tangy dill pickle chips. There’s also a bar, so get a mezcal tonic with spicy peppers balanced with a bit of herbs and sherry, or order a second round of beers before hitting up the pool table. This spot definitely lives up to the nickname “The Nice People’s Club.”

Perhaps the reason Southwark’s logo is a jackalope is because their menu is the stuff of legends. Pulling together unexpected pairings, chefs Chris D’Ambro and Marina De Oliveira create incredibly rich and satiating flavors. The husband-and-wife duo prove that it’s okay to play with your food. The earthiness of the lamb terrine is amplified in completely different ways by the burnt apple jam and the pickled sunchokes. The peppery notes of the dandelion greens paired with the sharp pecorino and the nutty sesame crumble give the potato gnocchi an unexpected rustic essence.

There is no better restaurant to inhabit the space of the recently renovated Royal Theater on South Street than Rex 1516. Now called Rex at the Royal, the Lowcountry-inspired menu matches the jazzy aesthetic of this historic theater. Try the succulent burger patty topped with bacon and spicy pimento cheese along with the perfectly seasoned fritters. The long marble bar is also a great place to grab a drink or two, like the honey-forward Spotted Lanternfly cocktail.

For reservations, call (267) 319-1366.

The South Jersey dining scene is not to be skipped over and The Farm & Fisherman Tavern in Cherry Hill is one of the many reasons why. Every dish is a celebration of fresh, local ingredients. Start off this reimagined tavern menu with an earthy and mildly pungent Kennett Square mushroom toast with ricotta. The pollock in the crispy fish sandwich stays tender within the flaky crust and is covered in a salty-sweet tartar sauce. And don’t miss out on Danny Child’s cocktail menu. He creates seasonal drinks that leverage the foraged flavors from around the region as well as plants picked fresh from his cocktail garden.

No matter where you’re sitting at Her Place, it feels like you’re at an exclusive chef’s table. Every meal is an intimate dining experience curated by chef Amanda Shulman, a rising star in the Philadelphia dining scene. Part dinner party, part pop-up restaurant, the bespoke menu changes pretty regularly and features innovative dishes pulled from her experiences working at Vetri as well as her time spent in Vegas, Italy, and Montreal. Stay vigilant and keep an eye out for details of Shulman’s upcoming meals.

Royal Izakaya is an outstanding sushi and Japanese bar experience, and the Royal Sushi Omakase is no exception. Hidden behind the curtains in the back of the izakaya, you’ll find an intimate eight seat sushi bar. There, you’ll be guided through a 17-piece tasting menu carefully constructed by Chef Owner Jesse Ito. The meal includes 16 pieces of nigirizushi, expertly cut fish hand-pressed on small balls of sticky rice, and one temaki, a cone-shaped piece of hand-rolled sushi. It’s a sushi meal you won’t soon forget.