A giant dumpster is already in front of the former Best House Pizza. A zoning hearing for 4301 Baltimore Ave is scheduled for Nov. 19. (Photos by West Philly Local)
Tentative plans for a new restaurant and bar at 4301 Baltimore Ave. – formerly Best House Pizza – include a stripped down facade, craft beer on tap, second floor dining and, possibly, pizza by the slice.
The owners of Local 44 introduced their plans to open the establishment, tentatively named “Clarkville,” to the Spruce Hill Community Association planning committee and a roomful of nearby neighbors last night.
Plans call for the removal of the awning and the installation of floor-to-ceiling windows on the restaurant’s first floor, which will also include a bar that serves only tap beer, wine and high-end spirits. In other words, no Jägermeister shots.
“Nothing that invokes the idea of tying one on,” said Brandon Hartranft, a co-owner of Local 44. He added that it would be “a little less beer forward and a little more food forward” than Local 44 (4333 Spruce St.).
Nearby home owners who attended the meeting seemed pleased with that answer, though a few were concerned about the proposed midnight closing time. Hartranft said the bar/restaurant won’t include live music and will likely to attract a tamer crowd with the sit-down dining focus. The projected occupancy will be 125, about a third larger than Local 44.
The good news for those who enjoyed the occasional slice at Best House is that it sounds like the pizza oven is staying, so pizza will very likely be on the menu, though “at a fancier level,” said Leigh Maida, also a Local 44 co-owner.
The building, which now includes two apartments on the second floor and an apartment on the third floor, would require substantial interior renovation for second floor dining. The third floor apartment will stay. The bar/restaurant became an option at 4301 Baltimore after the building was purchased by Best House Partners, a company whose principals include Omar Blaik and Tom Lussenhop. Both are neighborhood residents and their names may sound familiar because they are also the principals of U3Ventures, the development firm that has proposed the residential complex catty-corner at 4224 Baltimore Ave.
“We wooed each other,” Lussenhop said at last night’s meeting when asked how the Local 44 owners became potential tenants. “We wanted to find the strongest operator we could.”
The Zoning Board of Adjustment is scheduled to consider the plans for 4301 Baltimore Ave. on Nov. 19 at 2 p.m.
– Mike Lyons
October 28th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
“Nearby home owners who attended the meeting seemed pleased with that answer, though a few were concerned about the proposed midnight closing time.”
Really? Booh. West Philly needs more late night food options, and frankly midnight is too damn early. #westphillynightowlsunite
October 28th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
“The bar/restaurant became an option at 4301 Baltimore after the building was purchased by Best House Partners, a company whose principals include Omar Blaik and Tom Lussenhop.”
I am not clear on when the purchase was made. Are they new owners or have they been owners and are now turning the place into a bar/restaurant? If they are new owners, why would they name their business after the old business?
October 28th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
The new owners are Omar Blaik and Tom Lussenhop, who purchased the property on 9/12/14 together under the name of Best House Partners LLC for $625,000. Buyers will often name their LLCs and LPs after the building or address that they purchase.
October 28th, 2014 at 2:03 pm
I agree with EN, midnight is too early, but otherwise this sounds great.
October 28th, 2014 at 2:15 pm
We need a bar/restaurant that closes at 2am!
October 28th, 2014 at 4:19 pm
Pizza and craft beer. Of the whole two pubs in West Philly that aren’t Ethiopian food focused, one does pizza very well, and one does craft beer very well. I get that craft beer is this groups thing- but the neighborhood desperately needs something different as far as food (esp late-night food) is concerned. There’s already a bit of a glut of “fancier” pizza in the city in general. Dock Street, Enjay’s Pizza, Pizzeria Stella, Pizzeria Vetri, Bufad, Birra, Osteria, Mama Palma’s, Nomad, Barbuzzo, Zavino, Pizzicato, Blackbird, Kennett, Earth, Bread & Brewery, Tacconelli’s, etc.
October 28th, 2014 at 8:48 pm
I welcome seeing yet another gentle upscaling of the immediate Clark Park environs. There is no reason why this shining jewel should be surrounded by low-value establishments.
October 29th, 2014 at 1:54 am
“There is no reason why this shining jewel should be surrounded by low-value establishments”
Right now the park is “surrounded” by handsome residences, a distinguished university and a venerable institution for disabled children. Please explain how any of these are “low-value establishments” and how a corner bar constitutes an enhancement.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:12 am
This upscaling of the neighborhood has been anything but gentle.
October 29th, 2014 at 10:05 am
What upscaling? Yes, property values have risen (substantially) and a mega project is going up on the corner of 43rd & Balt, but where’s the cool places to go? I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 10 years and while I don’t want this place to become Northern Liberties, it would be nice to have a couple of restaurants or bars of the caliber of Honey’s Sit n’ Eat, Standard Tap, Silk City, etc. Have you seen the Philly mags rating of the top 50 bars in Philly? I think there is literally one in West Philly and it’s City Tap House (meh IMO).
October 29th, 2014 at 10:08 am
FYI – the three places I listed aren’t the end all be all I know, just throwing out some random places that are decent. The Clark Park area needs a good destination bar.
October 29th, 2014 at 11:02 am
It seems that when L44 brings an establishment, as I recall when 44 and spruce went in, what the owners primarily (want to) hear is concern that the place will be loud or out of control. They reassure us by telling us the prices will be out of range for the kind of people who would drink a lot, and what problem drinkers drink craft beer anyway? So in goes another opportunity to drink expensive microbrews out of 10oz glasses in an uninteresting non barlike (these places feel to me to be coffee shops that serve beer instead of coffee) environments surrounded by people on their laptops. It just feels like we already have several options if a person wants to do just that.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
Well at least we will have the opportunity for “Take the last train to Clarkesville” jokes.
October 29th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Admittedly I don’t get out much, but isn’t the Mill Creek Tavern a domestic bottle (i.e. non-craft) beer alternative a block from the park?
October 29th, 2014 at 4:17 pm
Clarification- mass-produced domestic bottle.
November 1st, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Since the population right around Clark Park has been increasing since 2000, & is destined to grow even more by 2020 (thanks largely to the growth of USciences), the market for drinking spots (not to mention pizza) is likely to grow as well.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:10 pm
I seriously hope this place will serve good wines by the glass. We have craft brews, we have bars, and we have BYOB restaurants and coffee and tea galore. We need a decent wine bar, with food to match. I’m still mourning the loss of Tria from the Walnut Street Bridge. Having something like that in the neighborhood would be quite an asset.