Jack Curtin’s LIQUID DIET

Here’s the scoop on the other big new opening in Philly. It’s a press release and it’s damned long, but it’s all we got at the moment:

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In late April, experienced bar and restaurant operator Ned Taddei will open The Blockley Pourhouse, a exciting bar with creative American pub fare that is destined to become one of the city’s best live music venues and the adjacent Mary Oaks, a casual beer- and wine-centric restaurant (38th and Ludlow Streets, 215-222-1234). With inventive menus by notable Chef Ross Essner and a laid-back vibe, The Blockley and Mary Oaks will be a welcome addition to West Philadelphia’s vibrant restaurant scene.

“My goal is to create a comfortable place that people will visit for amazing food, craft beers and great wines, where they can enjoy live music of all kinds,” says Taddei, a native Philadelphian who attended dozens of performances at the famed Chestnut Cabaret, which occupied the same space that will become The Blockley and Mary Oaks.

To create the menus for both restaurants, Taddei hired Essner, who has become one of the region’s top chefs, working as chef/owner of Django and executive chef at such acclaimed establishments as RX, Savona and Bleu. He recently developed the menu at the Taproom on 19th and noticed that customers enjoyed a more casual dining experience. Working from that idea, he will create familiar dishes with big flavors for his menus at The Blockley Pourhouse and Mary Oaks.

With general manager and partner Patrick Hughes overseeing both properties, Chef Essner in the kitchen and Taddei’s wealth of industry experience, The Blockley Pourhouse and Mary Oaks are sure to become a destination in West Philadelphia, just as the Chestnut Cabaret was years ago.

So it’s two, two, two places in one. And there are more details on each:

THE BLOCKLEY POURHOUSE: The Blockley will serve innovative pub cuisine in a warm, relaxed atmosphere with a centrally located stage for live music and a large, square bar to anchor the room. Exposed brick walls, stained oak floors, polished cement floors, stainless steel accents and blackboard menus will lend a rustic feel to the space. A state-of-the-art sound and lighting system and clear sight lines to the stage will make this one of the area’s premiere music venues.

“The best thing about seeing music at The Blockley is that there isn’t a bad seat in the house,” says Taddei. “We designed the stage as the focal point of the room, then gradually elevated the seating around it, theater-style, to create an ideal venue for live music of all genres.”

An historic photo behind the stage shows The Blockley Poorhouse, a West Philadelphia institution which served as almshouse, city hospital and asylum for the insane in the 1800’s; today’s Pourhouse takes its name from the famed landmark. Performers will range in genre from touring national bands to DJs and up-and-coming local acts. Many now-famous acts, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Ramones and The Hooters, played at the Chestnut Cabaret during early tours. Taddei aims to bring up-and-coming acts of the same caliber to The Blockley Pourhouse. The show capacity, including standing room, is 800 people.

For The Blockley, Chef Essner has created a tantalizing menu including: Jerked Chicken ‘Nuggets’ with charred pineapple chutney; Chesapeake Bay Fries with creamy Vermont cheddar, jumbo lump crab meat and green onions; Lobster Pierogies with Yukon gold potato, melted leeks and creamy lobster nage; Chickpea and Fresh Fava Bean Falafel with hummus, tzatziki and a fava bean and cucumber salad; and Grilled Bangers and Mash, wild boar sausages with bacon-studded choucroute, beer mustard reduction and scallion fork-mashed potatoes. Prices range from $4 to $14.

MARY OAKS: Mary Oaks will feature Chef Essner’s creative American cuisine in a fun format meant for sharing. His beer- and wine-friendly menu is matched by 24 craft beers on draught, 80 bottles of beer and 40 bottles of wine, with many available by the glass. Up to 70 guests can be accommodated at high top and large communal tables and cozy booths. Dark stained oak floors, deep red walls and rustic wood tables will lend a cozy, familiar feel to the space, while a massive, wooden barn door separates it from the lively scene next door at The Blockley, and can be opened to join the two spaces.

Open for lunch and dinner daily, menu highlights include: ‘Crab Apples,’ three West Coast oysters on the half shell topped with crab, apple and horseradish relish; Bacon- and Maple-Roasted Marcona Almonds with Maldon sea salt; Roasted Beet, Avocado and Hearts of Palm Salad with orange-hazelnut vinaigrette; Tonatto Vitello, tuna carpaccio with veal sauce, arugula salad and gremolatta vinaigrette; Orchiette Pasta with rich chorizo Bolognese, charred baby octopus, manchego cheese and lemon zest; and Maple-Bourbon Glazed Pork Shank with Boston baked beans and green bean salad. Prices range from $5 for appetizers to $38 for larger, shareable plates.

Taddei was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. He first became interested in West Philadelphia while studying at the University of Pennsylvania and was an enthusiastic regular at the renowned Chestnut Caberet. In 1994, he founded a restaurant delivery service called “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” and later was a co-founder of Ez2get.com, the first national restaurant delivery service.

Since then, Taddei has co-owned several bar-restaurants in Hoboken, including the famed blues venue Scotland Yard, which The New York Times once called “the best blues bar in New York City.” On Sundays, he turned Scotland Yard into an “ex-pat” bar for displaced fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, which quickly developed a rabid following. The Blockley Pourhouse and Mary Oaks are a dream come true for this native Philadelphian, who has long wanted to return to his hometown and bring exceptional food and music with him.

The Blockley Pourhouse will be open for dinner and shows (when scheduled) seven nights a week. Mary Oaks will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, as well as brunch on Saturdays and Sundays beginning in the fall.

Tags: News, Philly //