The April Hit List: The Franklin, SOUTH, Forîn, Vista Peru, and More

Philadelphia’s cocktail scene wouldn’t be where it is without this groundbreaking bar.  And its new location tucked in an alleyway off Locust Street adds to the speakeasy legend, complete with semi-private rooms and a dimly lit lounge. This season, expect a brand-new list of specialty cocktails and classics informed by bartenders’ backgrounds — like bartender Chi Yorizumi’s piña colada riff, Apology Accepted, using a Japanese yogurt reminiscent of her Asian-American upbringing — plus newly added themed nights like Tiki Tuesdays, and a growing menu featuring small bites, spreads, and hot food. Start with a house punch and end the night sharing a Tropical F*ckstorm coconut with friends.

Chef Townsend Wentz is all in on Walnut Street with the new opening of his modern take on the neighborhood gastropub. Think: long refurbished mahogany bar, a mix of high tops, low tops, carved vintage booths, and family-style dining tables. Whether you want to pop in to watch the game or enjoy a sit-down meal with a group, tavern food takes center stage. Popular dishes include oysters, steamed mussels, pork belly with chickpeas, and the burger with hot pepper mayo. The beer and wine list for under $15 is a clutch move if you plan on staying a while or catching a bite and drink before a theater show.

A mainstay for southern food in Philly for nearly a decade thanks to the Bynum Brothers, who have been operating restaurants here since 1990. You will, we can say, feel transported to Charleston — thanks to an airy restaurant complete with a whitewashed ceiling, skylights, and outdoor courtyard for warm weather dining alfresco. Skillet cornbread, four-cheese mac ‘n’ cheese, fried green tomatoes, buttermilk fried chicken, Creole catfish and shrimp, and Castle Valley Mill stone ground grits are must-haves. In addition to creative and modern takes on Southern comfort staples, the kitchen tries to keep the menu light and seasonal. Stay tuned for a spring bouillabaisse.

If you’ve ever wanted a daytime cafe, evening bar, and space to shop for magazines, vinyl records, and home goods all in one space then Forîn might be your dream come true. An extension of its sister cafe a half-mile south on Coral Street, tthis brightly colored yet cozy 25-seater serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks. Co-work over coffee and an egg sandwich on a housemade biscuit with espresso bacon jam, lox tartine with horseradish cream cheese, or baguette with serrano ham, manchego, arugula, and honey vinaigrette. After 4 p.m. transition to an aperitif hour with a non-alcoholic amaro, or a glass of wine from regional producers. Dinner and dessert are also on offer, so go for the lamb meatballs with whipped feta, mint, housemade pickled veggies, and sumac or gelato “Negroni” with lemon gelato, vermouth, bitters, and orange. Their latest hit is weekend brunch featuring a bloody mary mix with beet-pickled egg, veggies, and togarashi.

East Passyunk sadly had to say goodbye to Redcrest Fried Chicken last year, but luckily chef-owner Adam Volk opened Redcrest Kitchen, a larger concept in Queen Village. Here, along with executive chef Evan Snyder, the focus is on seasonal modern American cuisine.

The newly added family-style tasting menu for $55 per person is the perfect introduction to chef Snyder’s array of dishes like mussel toast; duck three ways: roasted, whipped duck liver and duck fat beignets with duck scrapple, pear jus, and kale; and half-moon-shaped squid-ink mezzaluna pasta with shrimp and octopus, cooked in a calamari-merguez sauce. Weekend brunch runs til 2:30 p.m. If you’re craving that fried chicken, make a Resy for Sunday and Monday’s Redcrest Fried Chicken takeovers featuring old favorites and drink specials.

Since 2018, this has been the place for traditional Peruvian dishes and pisco cocktails thanks to owner Miguel Toro’s vision. Lunch is just as lively as dinner here with cumbia and reggaeton playing overhead while Spanish-speaking regulars banter with the staff.

Kick off your meal with the traditional papa a la huancaina — boiled potatoes smothered in a spicy sauce of yellow pepper and Andean cream, or ceviche mixto with marinated fish, shrimp, and calamari in fresh lime juice, red onions, cilantro, celery, sweet potato, and corn. For a main entree, the lomo saltado grilled steak tips with fresh tomato and red onions and rotisserie chicken plates are both large enough to split or make great leftovers. If pisco isn’t your style, opt for a South American wine to pair.

Zama’s Instagram feed is full of nightly specials which are even more exciting to see as beautifully plated dishes coming out of the open kitchen. The sushi restaurant is lively, with lunch and dinner tables ordering practically one of everything: seared hamachi rolls on crispy avocado with red yuzu pepper sauce, the “surfer” yellowtail jalapeño tempura roll and tuna sashimi with avocado, the “Bronzizzle” inside-out roll of cucumber and avocado with yuzu soy sauce, the “salmon on salmon” cucumber mango roll with salmon tartare and sesame sauce. The lychee fizz and sake are always great drinks, and dessert is unbeatable at 3 dishes for $12. Try the flavored mochi and passion fruit creme brulee.

Call 215-568-1027 for reservations.

If you’ve been following Cozinha pop-ups around town for the past few years, then expect to become a regular at their debut Fishtown cafe and bakery, Gilda. Inspired by chef Brian Oliveira’s Portuguese family heritage and named after his husband, chef Brian Mattera’s grandmother, Gilda Mattera, the menu is full of Portuguese classics freshly made every day: pastéis de nata (which often sell out before noon), white wine and garlic marinated pork cutlet bifana sandwiches with Dijon and cabbage slaw, pastéis de bacalhau — salt cod fritters with potato, lemon, and herbs — and piled-high char-grilled piri piri chicken with saffron rice and shoestring fries. Their pantry counter selection includes Sumol flavored sodas, tinned fish, hot sauces, and other goodies to bring home the full experience.

No reservations; walk-ins only.

While out-of-town crowds are known to take over Frankford Avenue, you’ll find locals congregating further east on Girard at Lloyd. It’s been a neighborhood favorite for 10 years, serving a large selection of whiskey and bourbon (including hard-to-get Japanese whisky) and comfort food beloved by all ages (kids are welcome, too!). Chicken poppers with sliced jalapeños, Buffalo chicken nachos, burrito divorciados with red and green sauce, and sherry-glazed brussels sprouts are worth sharing. Get here early, as happy hour starts at 4 p.m. with a whiskey deal of the day, and tables fill up quickly.

No reservations; walk-ins only.

Liberty Kitchen isn’t your average hoagie shop — it’s a full-service deli, commissary, event space, and incubator for some of the city’s favorite food businesses: Kismet Bagels, Càphê Roasters, Brine Street Picklery, and Gilda owners all used their facilities to test out their operations. That launching ground continues with the “LK After Dark” series of “pop-downs” that turn their basement into chef collaboration dinners, private events, and Sunday Gravy dinners.

Join their hoagie club, or try out remixed classic sandwiches and weekly specials using local purveyors, in-season vegetables, and foraged ingredients. We’re partial to the Italian Salumeria, with cured meats, house creamy balsamic dressing, provolone, and hellish pepper relish; and the Fig & The Pig, with herbed goat cheese, fig jam, and prosciutto. Oh, and the tomato pies, which require one day ahead notice. Grab some market goods of sides, condiments, and drinks on your way out.

No reservations; walk-ins only.