A rendering of the proposed Trolley Car Station restaurant at 40th Street Trolley Portal.

Update (April 8, 2016) – The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the plan for the Trolley Car Restaurant following a March 29 hearing. Specifically, the ZBA approved a variance for the building as a sit-down restaurant. Construction is expected to begin this fall.

The public got a look at plans on Tuesday evening for the development of the 40th Street Trolley Portal, which includes a two-story, 125-seat restaurant with take-out beer and outdoor seating.

University City District officials and the owner of the Trolley Car Diner in Mount Airy presented the plans to the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee and about a dozen members of the public.

Now an expanse of concrete criss-crossed with trolley tracks, the portal will be turned into a more navigable public space complete with moveable tables and chairs, enough racks to accommodate 48 bikes and “vegetation everywhere,” Nate Hommel, UCD’s director of planning and design, told the zoning committee. The trolleys will still run through it, but it will be more pedestrian friendly.  Continue Reading

Snacks at Lulu Cafe (photo from Lulu Cafe’s Facebook page)

It took a little longer than planned, but Lulu Cafe, an Asian cafe and restaurant serving coffee, tea, snacks, and sweets, has finally opened at 4508 Walnut Street (next door to Hunter Gatherer Tattoo). The final inspection was on Tuesday, according to the cafe’s Facebook post, and it’s now ready to serve its customers.

The opening was anticipated and the wait was worth it. We checked on the new establishment on Friday, its opening day, and saw a sizable crowd inside.

The cafe’s specialty is milk tea. As one happy customer put it, “No more long trips to Chinatown for milk tea now!” The snack food menu includes popular Chinese and Taiwanese street food items (all garlicky and spicy), such as popcorn chicken, squid balls, sweet potato fries, and green beans. And you can top everything off with some shaved ice with three toppings of your choice.

Lulu Cafe is open daily 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit: www.lulucafeusa.com.

Photo from Herban Quality Eats’ Facebook page.

Herban Quality Eats, a West Philly healthy food startup, which has been operating for a little over a year out of the shared kitchen space at the Culinary Center at 48th and Spruce, is opening a fast-casual restaurant this Tuesday at 3601 Market Street. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the recently completed University City Science Center’s high-rise apartment building.

The restaurant will open at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 15 and to celebrate the opening, the first 101 guests will be treated to a free lunch.

At Herban (a mashup of “herb” and “urban”), diners can build their platter starting with a base such as Himalayan red rice, seasoned kale, or chilled whole wheat peanut noodles, then adding a protein: you can choose from grilled chicken, backyard steak, pesto salmon, or “the vegan jawn”, a mix of lentils, quinoa, and sweet potatoes baked into protein-packed balls. Next, you can pick a sauce to accompany your combo, from herbed tomato, walnut coriander, and Herban hot sauce. And to finish off your plate you can choose two sides, like roasted Brussels sprouts and quinoa ‘n cheese.

Salads are also on Herban’s menu: the Montego with organic baby spinach, avocado,  plantain chips, fresh pineapple, and jalapeno-lime vinaigrette and the Spruce with organic kale, feta cheese, pear, pecans, dried cranberries, and balsamic-ginger vinaigrette.

Throughout December, Herban Quality Eats will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. In 2016 they will extend their hours. For more information, visit www.herbanqualityeats.com.

A reader, Alex, sent us this photo this morning of some graffiti at the recently opened Clarkville bar and restaurant on the corner of 43rd and Baltimore. He writes:

“I went to breakfast at Green Line this morning and noticed Clarkville has been vandalized. Xed out windows, and the messages “merry Christmas ” and “f*** you.” What a shame. I hope the owners can clean it up without too much trouble.”

We asked owner Leigh Maida whether Clarkville will be closed today. Her response: “No way! Open for business! Come eat and drink so we can pay for the repairs.”

UPDATE: Soon after this post was published the University City District graffiti removing crew showed up and helped clean up the building:

Photo courtesy UCD.

Clarkville growlers stand at the ready for Grand Opening Party. (Instagram photo)

Clarkville’s opening date has finally been announced, and it’s tomorrow! The Grand Opening Party for the new bar and restaurant located just across the street from Clark Park at 43rd and Baltimore, will take place on Friday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m., according to an announcement from the owners, Leigh Maida, Brendan Hartranft and Brendan Kelly.

The opening night will include “complimentary nibbles from the kitchen, a line up of flagship beers from favorite breweries, a killer draft wine list and a whole lot of big love for the neighborhood that has been so patient and supportive while this crazy space was wrangled into submission,” according to the announcement.

In addition, Clarkville will be kicking off growler sales with a keg of Russian River Pliny the Elder available for take out only in a fancy 64oz Clarkville Growler for $35.

Regular service and the full menu, which includes comfort food out of a giant double-decker pizza oven, starts on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 11 a.m.

Starting this Saturday, Clarkville will be open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. (The kitchen is open until midnight daily). Weekend brunch is coming soon, too. It will be served on Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For more information, including menu and draft list, visit: www.clarkvillephilly.com.

Vinny Vegan aka Gangster Vegan.

In the early spring, a neighborhood café, Café Renata caught fire and was forced to relocate from the corner of 43rd and Locust. The space remained vacant for some months, but Vincent DePaul (Vinny Vegan aka Gangster Vegan, or Vinny Blanco to his childhood friends) of Gangster Vegan Organics has plans on changing that.

“I didn’t choose the location, it chose me. God sent me over there,” he said.

He named the business Gangster Vegan Organics because those were all terms that defined him. “Growing up, I was obsessed with that lifestyle. I wanted to redefine gangster, helping people reverse diseases like diabetes. That’s gangster. For me, gangster used to be going out to the club every night, spending money. But that’s not gangster.”

Photo from Gangster Vegan Organics Facebook page.

Currently DePaul has one Gangster Vegan Organics location in Norristown, which offers gluten-free, vegan and organic grab ‘n go food options. After considering plans to expand and scouting some potential locations for another store in Phoenixville and West Chester, he decided to go back to a familiar block in West Philadelphia. “I burst into tears when I first came around the building, you know exactly when it’s meant to be… I lived in West Philly when I was 19; I worked at Koch’s Deli for a year.”

He recounted his life events that led up to opening his first location in Norristown, right before he moved back from Los Angeles after becoming 12 years removed from his hometown. When the economy hit, his nine year old t-shirt business went bankrupt and he became homeless. He recalled a moment when he was hungry and had “hit rock bottom” and was given a cup of fresh pressed organic juice, which inspired him to go vegan and lead a healthier lifestyle.

According to DePaul, the new Gangster Vegan Organics will be opening in March. DePaul is interested in hiring a full staff (10-25 employees) for the location, preferably local to the neighborhood and with an interest or knowledge about the organic vegan lifestyle. The West Philly location will be a full-service restaurant with cooked and raw organic gluten-free offerings, seating up to 100 people.

– Rana Fayez

Check out this video of Vinny making watermelon juice: