The dog days of summer are upon us, but that hasn't slowed down restaurant and dining news in Greater Philadelphia.
That includes a Bucks County restaurant coming under new ownership and a Philadelphia-born sauce line landing in some area Whole Foods Markets.
Elsewhere in the region, a restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center has named a new general manager and expanded its service.
Here’s what you need to know about the Greater Philadelphia dining scene this week:
Gaurang Bhatt/Rang Photography
Guru's Indian Cuisine sells to new owner
A Bucks County Indian restaurant has changed ownership.
Founders Ashni "Baba" Kumar and Priya Guru have sold Guru's Indian Cuisine in Newtown to Samarth Joshi, Guru's nephew. Joshi, 28, officially took over operation of the restaurant on Thursday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Joshi moved to the U.S. last year from Ontario and has been learning the operations of the restaurant since. As its new owner, he plans to develop the restaurant's bar program and introduce a Bollywood-themed happy hour.
Kumar and Guru will remain on staff at the restaurant in limited roles.
The duo opened Guru's Indian Cuisine in 2015 at 203 N. Sycamore St. The Bucks County restaurant serves takes on traditional Indian dishes and also incorporates Indo-Chinese and Mexican culinary influences into its menu.
Kumar and Guru shuttered the restaurant in January while they went to India to adopt two children and reopened the concept in April as a vegetarian pop-up, with 100% of the proceeds going to Guru's animal welfare charity, Guru's Guardian Angels. The restaurant's revenue dropped as a result, so Joshi plans to reintroduce meat to the restaurant's offerings. A portion of the profits will still go to the nonprofit.
Tami Seymour
Poi Dog owner launches sauce line in select area Whole Foods stores
The owner of the shuttered Center City restaurant Poi Dog has launched her Hawaiian-inspired sauce line in some Greater Philadelphia grocery stores.
Kiki Aranita's Poi Dog Huli and Poi Dog Guava Katsu sauces are now available in 11 Whole Foods Markets in southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey. The products are more widely distributed in over 50 Whole Foods across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
Poi Dog Huli sauce, launched in early 2023, features notes of pineapple, miso and Chinese five-spice. The Guava Katsu is a Japanese-style barbecue sauce with notes of umami, fruit and ginger.
A 12-ounce bottle of each of the sauces retails for $17 and $16, respectively.
The launch furthers Aranita's mission of bringing the flavors of her childhood home of O'ahu into more people's homes.
“This launch is huge for us because it means we’re reaching so many more at-home cooks, sauce lovers, and dedicated fans of Hawai’i’s local food,” Aranita said in a statement.
The products expand upon Aranita's Poi Dog Sauces line, which she launched after her Poi Dog restaurant shuttered in July 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The line also includes the Chili Peppah Water sauce.
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center
Vernick Fish at the Four Seasons Philadelphia names new GM, expands service
One of the restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center has brought on a new general manager and expanded its service.
Billy Yoder began leading operations at Vernick Fish on July 21. The oyster bar and restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Comcast Technology Center at 1800 Arch St.
Yoder has more than two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining the Four Seasons Philadelphia, he was most recently general manager of Michelin-starred Chef Michael White's Mirabella, a new restaurant at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. He also spearheaded the opening of Groot Hospitality's The Goodtime Hotel and the now-shuttered restaurant Key Club in Miami.
Other cities Yoder has worked in include New York and Los Angeles.
In a statement, the Four Seasons Philadelphia said Yoder's "expertise in revenue strategies, operational efficiency, and team management" will help enhance the consumer experience at Vernick Fish.
Along with Yoder's appointment, Vernick Fish also expanded its service to seven nights a week on July 21. Chef Greg Vernick opened the restaurant in 2019 at the Center City skyscraper.
Chip City Cookies
Quick bites:
- New York-based Chip City Cookies has opened its first Greater Philadelphia location. The brand's shop at 204 S. 17th St. in Rittenhouse Square opened Friday.
- The Four Seasons is celebrating its five-year anniversary this month with a specialty tasting menu at Jean-Georges Philadelphia, located on the 59th floor of the Comcast Technology Center. The tasting menu is modeled after the Jean-Georges New York restaurant and features dishes from the French chef's original 1997 menu. It also includes 2019 vintage wine pairings.
In case you missed it:
- Scoop DeVille, a 35-year-old Philadelphia ice cream shop, is adding two more locations, including its first in South Jersey.
- Chef Jose Garces' Amada and Village Whiskey brands have been acquired by a national restaurant operator that's planning a nationwide expansion of one of the concepts.
- An African restaurant and lounge is moving into the former NoChe space in Rittenhouse Square.
- New York-born ice cream-themed experience Museum of Ice Cream is eyeing Philadelphia for one of its next locations.
