Lucky Well Incubator Debuts New Class of Chefs For Its “Second Season”

The chefs featured during the Lucky Well Incubator’s second season./ Photograph by Neal Santos

Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the Foobooz food news round-up. We’ve got a few things to talk about this week in order to get you all up to speed, and those things include — but are not limited to — a French Laundry dinner, pastelillos in Fishtown, an early Philly win in the JBF awards, and Lucky Charms flavored beer. But first, let’s talk about this …

Going Back to the Well

It looks like Chad Rosenthal’s Lucky Well Incubator has wrapped up the first season and has now moved on to welcoming a new class of chefs.

We’ve talked about Rosenthal’s experimental restaurant concept incubator before. As a matter of fact, I listed it as one of the places to watch in these upcoming seasons because the idea of someone making a space where idea-rich food professionals (or dedicated hobbyists looking to make a go of it) who are strapped for cash can get a jumpstart without the cost and complications of opening their own spaces felt like something brilliant to me. Rosenthal is doing it at Lucky Well. Ange Branca will be doing it at Kampar. The city has a few food halls and collaborative spaces available. But I think it’s something we’re going to be seeing a LOT more of in the coming years because Philly’s scene is built for exactly that kind of collaboration.

Anyway, Lucky Well just released the names of their “Season Two” chefs, and the list looks pretty interesting. There’s Moroccan-born chef Hatim Hamdan, recently arrived in Philly from Spain, who’ll be doing Philly Tapas. Dan Britt’s resume reads like an abbreviated version of our 50 Best Restaurants list. He’s spent years as a chef and manager at Pizzeria Beddia, Suraya, Middle Child Clubhouse, and with Team Vetri, and now he’s hitting the floor at Lucky Well with a pizza concept called Papa Dan’s. And former Incubator manager (and ex-private chef) Elise Black will be debuting Hatch Cover, a Mid-Atlantic seafood restaurant inspired by summers spent in Cape May and Wildwood Crest.

In another shift, the Incubator will operate as a sit-down restaurant for Season Two — both to better accommodate the chefs involved, and to allow for an environment where the Incubator’s staff can more easily communicate their mission to guests.

The new chefs are already in place. Lucky Well Incubator will start off serving dinners only, from 4 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays. Lunch service is something they’re looking at for the future, with slices from Papa Dan’s and some barbecue-banh mi fusion from Rosenthal’s own hoagie shop, Rosey’s, in Ambler.

Oh, and I know the new chefs have just started their run in Spring Garden, but Rosenthal and the Incubator team are already looking for ideas to fill out Season Three. Think you’ve got something interesting? Email Rosenthal before the end of May at chad@theluckywellinc.com and shoot your shot.

A Taste of Puerto Rico on Memphis Street

Amy’s Pastelillos / Photograph by Mike Prince

Amy Rivera Nassar and her pastelillos have seemed to be everywhere lately. There have been pop-ups, collaborations, catered events. For a while, there was just no telling where Rivera Nassar and her Puerto Rican frituras were going to be next.

But starting this week, it’s going to be really easy to find Amy’s Pastelillos because on Thursday, March 7th, she’s opening her first brick-and-mortar location at 2001 Memphis Street in Fishtown — a space formerly known as Andy’s Chicken.

It’s a takeout-only operation, open (at least for now) Wednesdays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And Rivera Nassar is excited about the possibilities — and about finally having a permanent address. “It’s been an amazing journey to work with so many local businesses who have supported my concept from day one,” she says. “There is a long list of people to thank who all gave me a chance to do my thing the way I wanted to. Then there are my customers who have become my friends — the ones who have made treks around the city to find and support me — people who just show so much love. It’s humbling … [and] I’m ready to welcome everyone to my little kitchen — my own space where we can continue to gather.”

When the new shop opens, she’ll be doing the classics — the shredded chicken, the guava barbecued pork, the ground beef picadillo and soy chorizo with potato pastelillos that have made Amy’s famous already. But she’ll also be slinging rice bowls, specials like ropa vieja or pernil, plus queso frito and tostones nachos. Plus, she says there’ll always be a couple pastelillos and a rice bowl on the board for vegans and/or vegetarians. Or for people who just really like their veggies.

She’ll also be setting aside a little space at the shop for some retail items — most notably her own passionfruit-and-mango hot sauce called La Parchita. Some of the best hot sauces I have ever had in my life have been cooked up in the kitchens of Puerto Rican restaurants (notably, the one at El Rincon Criollo), so I’d keep an eye out for it if I were you. And if anyone was wondering what to get me for Christmas this year …

Federal Donuts’ Triumphant Return to South Philly

Federal Donuts & Chicken’s new flagship location on Wolf Street in South Philly. / Photograph by Michael Persico

Remember a few weeks ago when we mentioned that Federal Donuts was closing their original location on 2nd Street as well as their shop in University City? Well, it was to make way for this new behemoth at the intersection of Wolf and South Swanson streets. The new flagship location will serve not only as a place to grab coffee, doughnuts and fried chicken, it’ll also serve as a research and development facility where they’ll be concocting new offerings. And, just like they closed their South Philly location only to reopen an even bigger and better spot, they’re planning a similar move out in University City. While the new UC location is in the works, their food truck will be popping up every Tuesday at Drexel Square to serve breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It’s all part of their grand plan for dominating the fast-casual, fried-chicken-and-doughnut market. According to the Inquirer, Federal Donuts is getting into the franchising business, and as of last week, their first franchised location opened in Las Vegas’s Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa. To prepare for expansion into markets outside of the Philadelphia region, they’ve tweaked the chain restaurant’s name: It’s now Federal Donuts & Chicken.

To celebrate opening day at the new Wolf Street location the first 50 customers will get an exclusive t-shirt. But if you can’t make it on opening day, don’t worry. From March 7th through 17th they’ll be offering $1 hot coffee with the purchase of a hot fresh doughnut (flavored cinnamon brown sugar, strawberry lavender, or cookies ‘n cream) between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. (they’ll be open until 3 p.m. seven days a week). The first fancies to hit the menu include fig-mascarpone, baklava, banana pancake, chocolate peanut butter oat, pomegranate-Nutella, and lemon bar.

Philly Notches an Early James Beard Win

Finalists aren’t going to be announced until next month, and the winners not until June, but Philly just got a little bit of early love from the James Beard Foundation with the announcement that Benny Lai’s Vietnam Restaurant in Chinatown had been picked as this year’s “America’s Classics” award-winner for the Mid-Atlantic region.

And it’s a good pick, too. The Lai family came to Philly as refugees in the late ’70s, opened a grocery then transitioned into restaurant owners with their first space in Chinatown. That was in 1984 — 40 years ago. And after a move next door to a bigger space in 2000, Vietnam became a staple of Philly’s restaurant ecosystem. I’ve been going there since before I moved to Philadelphia, hitting it up on trips into Chinatown with my not-yet-wife when we were in town visiting her family, and using it as a point of reference when I was still so new to this scene that I didn’t know up from down. Between the bun cha gio there and the curried beef rendang at Penang, that was what Philly tasted like to me.

Anyway, now Vietnam is officially one of America’s Classics and that’s both awesome and well-deserved. I also like that the JBF judges picked the Peppermill in Las Vegas as the winner for the Southwest region because I was sitting in the dining room at the Peppermill writing my wedding vows on the night before I got married at the Treasure Island down the street. It was the perfect place for that kind of thing — a room ripe with neon and history and the smell of cheap beer and french fries. For whatever reason, the James Beard Foundation just decided to bookend my adult life with their picks this year, and I appreciate that. It’s nice how things work out sometimes.

Anyway, what’s next?

Forsythia Brings Us French Laundry

Chef Chris Kearse of Forsythia. / Photograph by Max Mester

Here’s something cool: Chef Chris Kearse runs countless events at Forsythia. His “French AF” series has been going on for a LONG time, letting him and his crew explore all kinds of different French influences.

But this month he’s got something kinda different working. Forsythia is doing an entire dinner based on Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Per Se cookbooks. It’s happening on Thursday, March 14th. Tickets will run you $95 plus tax and tip (and an additional $65 if you want paired wines). And what the Forsythia crew is offering are five courses drawn from Keller’s iconic restaurants in Yountville and NYC. They’re doing salade blanche with roasted walnut crème fraîche and white truffle, “Peas & Carrots,” Atlantic cod with brandade tortellini, mussels à la plancha, and bouillabaisse sauce, Calotte de Boeuf with scallion mouselline, Szechuan peppercorn jus and crispy bone marrow, and a blackcurrant and champagne trifle for dessert.

Sound like your jam? Make your reservations here.

Okay, now who wants some leftovers?

The Leftovers

Women’s Way Wednesdays at Stratus Rooftop Lounge celebrate Women’s History Month weekly in March. / Photograph by Christopher Devern

Looks like the Stove & Tap crew are expanding again, this time with a new location of their Al Pastor concept. The first one has been up and running in Exton since 2016, but the new one looks like it’ll be making its debut on Thursday, March 7th, at 13 West Benedict Avenue in Havertown, in the old Town Tap space.

It’s 6,000 square feet, all told, with a huge outdoor margarita garden seating 100, 15 different kinds of tacos, birria, Mexican ramen, something called “Dragon Tots” — it’s a lot. But I’ve got a fondness for the original Stove & Tap concept; Joey Chops (their new-ish steakhouse) is solid, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do here.

Also, I really want to know what Dragon Tots are.

Trolling Philadelphia Flower Show news might not be the first thing you think of when you’re trying to find something good to eat, but our own Laura Swartz put together an EXPANSIVE guide to everything happening in and around the Philadelphia Flower Show, and in it she mentions a hibiscus churro sundae that El Merkury is offering to celebrate the big event. It’s being served for the duration of the show at both their Rittenhouse and Reading Terminal Market locations, and it looks bright and whimsical and delicious, so you should absolutely check that out.

Also in Reading Terminal Market? A Flower Show-inspired squash blossom cheese boat from Saami Somi!

Speaking of the Flower Show, there are also a bunch of bars and restaurants around town putting up special Flower Show cocktails. Library Bar, Butcher Bar, Oltremare, Almyra — there’s a few notable names there. Again, check out Laura’s post for all the intel you need.

Korea Taqueria, the Mexi-Korean mash-up in Grays Ferry, is celebrating its one year anniversary at 31st and Tasker this week. And they’re bringing the party to the people with a whole bunch of specials. What do I mean? Well, how ‘bout $1 Korean fried chicken wings all week? A half-dozen wings for six bucks is a steal. They’re also doing free house agua frescas with meals for two or four people, and there’s going to be dozens of free t-shirts given away, randomly drawn from anyone who puts in an order with KT through Toast.

All promos are running from March 5th through March 10th. And don’t forget to tell ’em happy birthday.

Over at Stratus, they’re celebrating Women’s History Month with “Women’s Way Wednesdays” — a celebration of women in the F&B industry, being held in collaboration with Sisterly Love Collective which helps support and advance women in the restaurant and beverage industries.

Their first event, happening on Wednesday, March 6th, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will feature Couch Café’s Liz Grothe and Melissa McGrath from Sweet Amalia Market doing snacks and hors d’oeuvres, paired with live music and pay-as-you-go cocktails from the bar. After that, there’s additional events on the 13th and 20th, and then a big cocktail soiree on the 27th with small bites from chefs like Thanh Nguyen from Gabriella’s Vietnam, Carolyn Nguyen from Revolution Taco, Melissa Pellegrino from Heavy Metal Sausage, Justine MacNeil from Fiore Fine Foods, and more.

Proceeds from the events will go to help support both Women’s Way and Sisterly Love. So go check it out, have a couple drinks and do some good.

Speaking of Women’s History Month, Philly’s own woman-owned-and-run brewery, Dock Street, is releasing their annual celebration beer: Citrahood. It’s a seven percent ABV tangerine IPA brewed using only Citra hops and made to celebrate “sisterhood and women of all sizes, shapes, backgrounds, beliefs, gender identity and expressions.”

I’ll drink to that. And you can, too – starting on March 8th when Citrahood will release at both Dock Street locations. They’ll have it on draft, and in four-packs while supplies last.

Finally, one last little bit of beer news. I know there’s a lot of Evil Genius fans out there. And I know some of you just like notching every weirdo, one-off, stunt beer that hits the scene. And I respect that. Brewing is a strange art that elicits a heady mix of high-tone and low-brow influences.

And the cats at Evil Genius exist right in that sweet-spot, which is why it is not surprising at ALL that they’re celebrating the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day with a brand-new, cereal-inspired beer called “Magically Delicious.” Can you guess what they’re basing it on?

Yeah, Lucky Charms. They made a Lucky Charms-flavored beer, marshmallows included. I’ll let them describe it to you …

This 7.0% ABV Lucky Charms Inspired IPA was brewed with heaps of malted and flaked oats for a pillowy soft, fluffy mouthfeel. Then dosed with countless boxes of the oat-based cereal, including the marshmallows, and vanilla to satisfy your sweet tooth. The brew is balanced out by a big dry-hop of Mosaic to add just the right amount of aroma and bitterness. If that didn’t sound St. Patricky enough for you, don’t worry, the brewers on Front Street even dosed it with green food coloring to match the theme.

So not only made with Lucky Charms, but also dyed green for the occasion. Nice.

Magically Delicious is hyper-limited. It’s being sold only in 32-ounce growlers at the Evil Genius tap room in Fishtown starting on Friday, March 8th, and at Evil Genius’s St. Paddy’s Day Block Party the following day (if there’s any left).

So make your plans now, beer nerds. I’m getting kinda nauseous just thinking about a vanilla-and-marshmallow cereal-based IPA, but don’t say I’m not looking out for you.

And if any of you are still standing after the weekend’s block party, I’ll see you all back here again next week.