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Tartine Closed!

Rich Pawlak

By Rich Pawlak
in Pennsylvania: Dining

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Rich Pawlak

Rich Pawlak

Posted
Posted

From Michael Klein's Table Talk in today's Inky:

Table Talk

This is sad news, and I'll be curious to see what KIND of hands it's being turned over to.

We dropped the ball on this one, folks; as mrbigjas noted in a previous thread, this was a place worth supporting.

Rich Pawlak

 

Reporter, The Trentonian

Feature Writer, INSIDE Magazine
Food Writer At Large

MY BLOG: THE OMNIVORE

"In Cerveza et Pizza Veritas"

mrbigjas

mrbigjas

Posted
Posted

that's sad.

i have to wonder, though, how much of it was the chef deciding to retire again. he wasn't young.

i'd been there three times, which about as much as i've been to any restaurant in town, considering that i have a compulsive need to try new and different places all the time.

KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted

It's a shame, but I have to say that even when Tartine was supposedly open, their hours seemed very erratic. Some weekend nights it was open and others it wasn't. Some nights it seemed to be open late and others it seemed closed early. The place is a block and a half from my house and it's right on my way home from work so I'd pass it almost every day. This wasn't an impression based on one evening. You can't keep customers with irregular hours. It just doesn't work. People show up looking for a good meal and are dissappointed when the door is shut. They don't come back. Or they call first next time and no one answers the phone. It's just bad policy and always bodes poorly for the restaurant in question.

I am sorry I never got the chance to try it though. :sad:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

davidbdesilva

davidbdesilva

Posted
Posted

I am amazed that Philadelphia doesn't seem to be able to support classic French bistro's while NYC is loaded with them. I guess there is Caribou Cafe but I thought Tartine was very authentically French bistro with very reasonable prices. Lets hope some other little bistro's with great food happen to grace our city.

"Nutrirsi di cibi prelibati e trasformare una necessita in estasi."

TarteTatin

TarteTatin

Posted
Posted

That poor corner!

It's been through many different restaurants!

We are definite Francophiles, and have to say that as much as we liked the old man/chef, and so wanted to like the bistro....we didn't.

Food was always not even basic bistro food.

He seemed so tired, all he could do was put a lot of things on puff pastry:

Escargot, pissadeliere (sp?), fruit desserts...etc.

...or boil some french lentils with a bit of bacon.

We liked his little wine list and enjoyed talking in French with him, but I'm kind of glad he retired.

We do have some inside information about the new owners that I really cannot talk about

(my husband is a notary and people came to him to get papers signed that are renting the place).

What I can say is the people are local and very nice and have been in the restaurant biz previously at some top places, so we're certain it will be good....and, its definitely NOT one of those big time owners of lots of restaurants in the area.

Philly Francophiles

KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted
We do have some inside information about the new owners that I really cannot talk about

(my husband is a notary and people came to him to get papers signed that are renting the place).

What I can say is the people are local and very nice and have been in the restaurant biz previously at some top places, so we're certain it will be good....and, its definitely NOT one of those big time owners of lots of restaurants in the area.

YIPPEE!! YAY!! So glad to hear of an independent restaurant opening anywhere in this city!

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

herbacidal

herbacidal

Posted
Posted
That poor corner!

It's been through many different restaurants!

Has it really?

I don't know of anything there before.

I do know of 5th and Bainbridge's history, but that's a different story.

Herb aka "herbacidal"

Tom is not my friend.

Rich Pawlak

Rich Pawlak

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
That poor corner!

It's been through many different restaurants!

Has it really?

I don't know of anything there before.

I do know of 5th and Bainbridge's history, but that's a different story.

Gotta be a half dozen restaurants at that 4th and Bainbridge corner: when I was in college (about the time of the invention of electricity), the address was home to Shippens, a hugely popular bar/restaurant with exotic beers and wines by the glass, and by the mid-80's , maybe, it morphed into a French/Thai place whose name escapes me, another terrific restaurant, then something else, then Red's, then Tartine. And I know there were at least 2 other incarnations there.

I've laso heard that the new owner of Tartine will be a sous-chef from a VERY popular BYOB.

Rich Pawlak

 

Reporter, The Trentonian

Feature Writer, INSIDE Magazine
Food Writer At Large

MY BLOG: THE OMNIVORE

"In Cerveza et Pizza Veritas"

DenK

DenK

Posted
Posted

I may be wrong (I usually am), but I believe the restaurtant at 4th and Bainbridge that was a French/Thai fusion place was called Alouette. It was a wonderful restaurant, but maybe a little too "upscale" for the neighborhood at the time.

KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted
I may be wrong (I usually am), but I believe the restaurtant at 4th and Bainbridge that was a French/Thai fusion place was called Alouette. It was a wonderful restaurant, but maybe a little too "upscale" for the neighborhood at the time.

You'd be right. I think the former chef of Alouette is now the current owner of Nan in University City.

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

TarteTatin

TarteTatin

Posted
Posted

One of the other restaurants at that corner was 'Bonjour'. Georges Hunseck ran the kitchen and Ted Polish(sp?) was the front of the house. I (Mr. Casting) worked there for a short time. It was near the end of the Champignon, Sassafras, Le Panatiere, Garden era.

Don't remember what the menu was, because who can remember the 80's?

Philly Francophiles

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