Here’s a short roundup of some latest news from local restaurants, bars and cafés.

• University City Dining Days kicks off this Thursday (July 16), with over 30 restaurants participating in the event. During the 11-day promotion, you can choose a pre-fixe three-course dinner menu best suiting for your wallet: for $15 – at Dahlak, Desi Village, Dock Street Brewery, The Gold Standard Cafe, New Delhi, Vietnam Café, and more restaurants; for $25 – at 48th Street Grille, Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House, The Farmacy Rx, Han Dynasty, Harvest Seasonal, and more restaurants; or for $35 – at City Tap House, Distrito, Penne Restaurant & Wine Bar, Pod, and White Dog Cafe. Reservations should be made directly at participating businesses.

In addition, you can win some great prizes offered by the event organizer, University City District (UCD), including an iPod Touch, an Apple TV, and a $200 bundle of restaurant gift certificates. For more information go to: www.universitycity.org/university-city-dining-days.

• UCD has installed a new and the largest parklet in the area – on 40th Street between Walnut and Sansom, in front of the retail space that hosts several eateries, including Hai Street Kitchen, Jake’s Sandwich Board, and Zesto Pizza. The new parklet, designed by Shift_Design, measures about 60 feet long and is among the longest parklets ever constructed. Now you can enjoy your sushi burrito outside.

• We’ve been keeping an eye on the progress of Cafe Renata‘s opening at the new location near 46th and Baltimore. As we reported earlier, Renata co-owners Katie Steenstra and Yasser Aiq, were planning to open the new location this summer, after their old space near 43rd and Locust was heavily damaged in a fire in March. They even participated in the recent Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll (pictured right). It turns out, the opening will not happen until later this summer because Katie and Yasser are busy preparing for a big personal event – they’re getting married early next month! Once they’re “refreshed with marital bliss” they’ll be “back on the street” figuring out the opening date. We’ll keep you posted. By the way, the name of the new place is Renata’s Kitchen.

• The Gold Standard Café is hiring Front of House staff, including a busser/runner (for weekend brunch), a server (3-5 days a week), and a barista. Please drop off your resume in person at 4800 Baltimore Ave. or stop in and ask for an application on Monday-Friday from 10-10:30 a.m. or 2:30-5 p.m.. For more information, check out this Facebook post.

University City Dining Days, a popular annual event helping drive traffic to local restaurants during slow summer months, will return on Thursday, July 16 and you can make your reservations now. This event is a great chance for those who like to eat out, but can’t always afford it, or want to check out some new restaurants in the area. As always, the event is based on the concept “3 course, 3 prices” – a pre-fixe three-course dinner special for $15, $25 or $35.

Thirty three restaurants, including craft beer bars, cozy BYOB’s, celebrity chef and ethnic restaurants, are participating in this year’s Dining Days. Six restaurants are participating in the event for the first time: 48th Street Grille, Hai Street Kitchen & Company, St. Declan’s Well, Wahoo’s Tacos and More, William Street Common, and Zavino University City.

See the full list of participating restaurants, menus and prices at www.ucdiningdays.com. Please note that prices are for dinner only and do not include tax, gratuity or alcohol. Reservations should be made directly through the participating restaurant.

The event runs through July 26.

Muslims all over the world are observing the month of Ramadan, which began on the evening of June 17. Here’s a reminder that in observance of Ramadan, some local businesses are closed or have special hours.

Saad’s Halal Restaurant on 45th and Walnut has posted a sign (pictured) that they will be closed until Monday, July 20. Manakeesh Cafe and Bakery across the street from Saad’s will be open at 7:30 p.m. for pick-ups and at sunset for dining in.

Snow is falling in Philadelphia and we hope that everyone who is traveling today for Thanksgiving has a safe trip. Those who will be celebrating the holiday here will probably find the information below useful. Happy Thanksgiving!

City offices will be closed this Thursday and public schools will be closed Thursday and Friday. Libraries will close on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and will remain closed on Thursday. There will be no trash and recycling collection on Thursday. Post offices will also be closed and there will be no mail delivery on Thursday. And here’s information on Thanksgiving SEPTA service and hours for some local stores, cafes and restaurants. Please note that most restaurants will be closed on Thursday but will reopen on Friday (some will be serving special brunch on Friday!).

SEPTA
Thursday – Buses, trolleys, regional rail operate on Sunday schedule. Market-Frankford & Broad Street Line service will operate on a special schedule. All night train service will be available beginning Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Regular Owl Bus service will resume Friday at 12:01 a.m.

Friday – Many SEPTA Bus and Trolley Routes will operate on a modified weekday schedule. Specific route service information is available on printed timetables and at www.septa.org  Continue Reading

Where an old, grand church building stood for 136 years until last December there is a glass box now. Well, at least it’s a useful box.

Many of our readers will be excited to know that the new retail space at the corner of 40th and Sansom was completed earlier this month and already started welcoming its first occupants. Dunkin’ Donuts, Zesto Pizza, and Jake’s Sandwich Board already opened their doors. Hai Street Kitchen, a Japanese burrito shop, is coming in early 2015, according to Philly.com’s The Insider.

We have compiled some of the latest local restaurant news and updates. Here’s Part I.

Best in Philly Quizzo comes to the New Tavern

New Tavern, a new bar and restaurant that recently replaced Watusi II at 45th and Locust, held its first Quizzo night last Thursday. It was inaugurated by award-winning quizmaster JB Farley (Local 44, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”). Three rounds of Best in Philly quizzo will be held at the New Tavern every Thursday, starting at 9 p.m., and we hear that the first and second prizes are worth “some serious dinero.” Also every Thursday, from 6 to 9 p.m. is Ladies’ Night, including some drink specials. Gentlemen are invited to recharge their batteries and watch the game on Sundays (Happy Hour is at 4-7 p.m.). Oh, and here’s a question to get you warmed up: What word is the name of a color and the name of a magazine, and also means a nozzle, and a type of vehicle?

Clarkville Beer update

As was recently reported, Local 44 folks were interested in opening a bar and restaurant, tentatively called Clarkville Beer, at the corner of 43rd and Baltimore at the former Best House Pizza space. They have presented their plans at the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning meeting. But they were still in the process of signing the lease at that location. At the end of last week, Local 44 owners, Brendan Kelly, Leigh Maida and Brendan Hartranft, announced that the lease was finally signed and “plans are now full steam ahead to open Clarkville at the corner of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue.”

“Owners Kelly, Maida and Hartranft are excited for the challenge of transforming the space into a great new neighborhood destination,” the email announcement reads. “Menu plans are still in the developmental phase. A giant pizza oven and (much coveted) dough mixer came with the space—those items will be put to use immediately in the preparation of a pizza-like offerings. Rounding out the menu will be sides and sides and sides of vegetable and small plates, making family style dining fun, dining alone exciting and (as always) keeping it real for our many vegan and vegetarian guests. The beer on draft will max out at a dozen taps and plans include wine on draft as well. Growlers will be available for home consumption.”

Repair and renovation work is expected to continue through February 2015 and the new owners will be working to open Clarkville Beer before late Spring. We’ll keep you posted.