Reader Louise emailed us with this information last night (Jan. 22):

“My husband and I found a cat tonight at 46th and Larchwood. He was really dirty, had no collar, and was absolutely freezing. He followed us, purring and meowing, all the way home to 46th and Hazel — even walked in our front door! We took him to UPenn Vet Hospital to have him checked out, and they told us that he’s young, isn’t microchipped, but is neutered, which makes us think he may have a home.”

If this is your cat, please email Louise at: louisefeder[at]gmail.com

The Spruce Hill Community Association distributed a letter to the dozens of parents waiting in line yesterday to register their children for kindergarten next year calling on “the community” to “make itself heard.” The letter also restates the association’s stance that every child living within the school’s catchment boundaries has a right to attend Penn Alexander.

The letter begins:

“No one should have to line up in the cold for nearly 24 hours to register their child for kindergarten.”

A full copy of the letter is below.

Kindergarten registration began for schools across the District this morning, including at the Henry C. Lea School, which has received a lot of attention in recent months thanks to the work of the West Philly Coalition of Neighborhood Schools.

Pas Letter

The infamous line for kindergarten registration at the Penn Alexander School began at about 9 a.m. this morning, 24 hours before registration actually begins.

By 10:30 a.m. the line had already swollen to about 70 people. Those in line, some of whom were wrapped in sleeping bags, had begun to devise a plan to provide some relief – maybe two hours on, two hours off – from the freezing temperatures. There are currently three kindergarten classes at the school.

The line has started very early in recent years, including the night before registration last year. This year’s line, however, is unprecedented. Kindergarten registration across the district begins tomorrow morning.

Mad at the police? Here’s a chance to have your voice heard. Neighbors are invited to attend a monthly Police Advisory Commission meeting in the 18th District on Monday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Sayre-Morris Recreation Center (59th & Spruce).

The Police Advisory Commission is the official civilian oversight agency of the City of Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Police Department, and their mission is to improve the relationship between the police department and the community.

The Commission is authorized to conduct investigations of individual citizen complaints of police misconduct, studies of police department policies, procedures or practices. Findings and recommendations made by the Commission are forwarded directly to the mayor, the city’s managing director and the police commissioner for review.

If your Friday plans include a bottle of wine or spirits and your usual spot is the Wine and Spirits store near 41st and Market, you’re going to have to shop elsewhere.

The store closed permanently late last week. The owner of the building reportedly no longer wants to lease to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). The PLCB is shopping around for another site in the area.

This also means that the store near 49th and Baltimore will have even longer lines.

Those who fondly remember the original West Philly Vietnam space at 814 S. 47th Street will be happy to hear that the Grill Fish Cafe (Facebook page), the third restaurant operated by Benny Lai and his family, is finally open. In contrast to its gregarious older sibling, Grill Fish offers an intimate setting and a more narrowly focused bill of fare. Being familiar with Vietnam, we expected a good meal. We were pleased to find the service attentive, the flavors bright, and the portions more than generous. Most importantly, without exception, the seafood was perfectly cooked. Someone took great care to do that fish justice; it started out fresh but the chef made it better. The Lai family definitely knows what they are doing, and the smaller size of the Grill Fish Cafe is a showcase for artisanal quality dishes inspired by traditional Vietnamese flavors and techniques.

We started with crispy shrimp ($12). Thirteen juicy shrimp lightly crusted and flash-fried with bits of bell pepper were served with an intense garlic-lime dipping sauce. The octopus ($12), sliced and tossed in a basil vinaigrette with slivered red onions, was exquisitely cooked – toothsome and silky, without a hint of the toughness you find when octopus is clumsily prepared. This is the octopus you need to order for that friend who thinks she doesn’t like it.

Next up: grilled salmon with a dark soy glaze and sautéed spinach ($16). According to my partner, who is a fish snob but not a word snob, the salmon “melts in your mouth.” I don’t know whether to credit the quality of the filet or the touch of the chef, but Matt was right: it was moist, tender all through, and suffused in flavor. The sauce was assertive, but the salmon stood its ground. Lastly, we ordered the whole grilled bronzino in a light clear lemon sauce (market price). Our server offered to fillet it for us at the table, to spare us the bones, but we declined and dug right in.

The subtle lemon enhanced the delicate taste of fresh (but not fishy) fish. With white rice and a side of bok choy ($3), we finished our meal all jacked up on protein and feeling totally satisfied. The cake selection (lemon, chocolate, and carrot) looked tempting, but we decided to save it for another day.

We were the only patrons on a Wednesday at six o’clock –we worried about the business, but we felt lucky to have enjoyed the full attention of the kitchen and staff. Grill Fish has been open less than a week; you’ll want to try it before the crowds start lining up. It’s a small place with a full bar featuring Vietnam’s specialty drinks, such as the delicious lemongrass martini ($9).

In addition to fish, mussels, and calamari, the menu offers lamb, chicken, and seasonal grilled vegetables. We’ll see if the Grill Fish Cafe becomes a destination for folks from all over town. For now, I’m psyched to know that true seafood experts are doing their thing just blocks from my house.

– Jen