Oyster House’s Former Chef Is Turning a Rittenhouse Ballroom Into a Restaurant

Brett Naylor, the former executive chef at Oyster House and once-partner at Mission, is opening a restaurant with his wife Nicole Barrick in the old Academy of Social Dance venue at 2009 Sansom Street. (The dance studio moved down the street, by the way, to 2103 Sansom Street.)

There’s no name or confirmed concept just yet, but we do know this: Naylor and Barrick have spent the past year traveling through Europe as R&D for their 150-seat restaurant and bar. Their plan calls for a full renovation of the three-story, 4,500 sq. ft. space — the opening is scheduled for sometime early next year.

As for the building’s iconic signage, Naylor and Barrick plan to reuse it in some manner to preserve the history of the building.

Brett Naylor and Nicole Barrick | Kielinski Photographers