FCM Hospitality’s New Club is a “Blank Canvas for Nightlife”

The sign for Club 624 (left) and Avram Hornik / Photograph courtesy of FCM Hospitality

Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the weekly Foobooz food news round-up. Between the Super Bowl this weekend (go Birds!) and Valentine’s Day next week, there isn’t anyone in Restaurant World who isn’t busy prepping for either one thing or the other. So let’s just take a breath, wrap up a few quick things — including (but not limited to) a new opening from the Bardea gang, Liberty Kitchen’s third location, Craftsman Row’s Mardi Gras pop-up, and a very interesting collab diner celebrating Jean Marie Lacroix — and then get on with our Super Bowl party planning, shall we? We can start with …

FCM Hospitality’s New “Plug-and-Play” Event Space

Okay, so this is actually pretty cool.

Avram Hornik’s FCM Hospitality (Morgan’s Pier, Craft Hall, Rosy’s, etc.) has taken the space that used to be L’Etage on the second floor, above Rosy’s Taco Bar East, and turned it into Club 624, which Hornik is calling “a blank canvas for nightlife.”

Essentially, it’s an empty space: A fully built and staffed venue specifically designed as a place where small promoters, producers, and performers can come in, set their own vibe, do a one-off event, then vanish into the night. Club 624 (so named because it’s at 624 South 6th Street, get it?) has all the nightlife infrastructure in place: a 15-foot stage, dance floor, lounge seating, high-tops, sound system, lighting, coat check, a private entrance, its own ticketing platform, a fully stocked and staffed bar, and space for 150 guests. All a small performer or promoter has to do is show up, bring 149 of their friends, and let it rip. Plus, the business model is dead simple: The venue keeps the bar proceeds, the talent sets their own ticket pricing, and keeps 100 percent of the door.

“Club 624 exists to ignite Philadelphia’s creative energy and bring people together under one roof,” according to Hornik. “We believe that our city’s promoters, DJs, artists, and cultural mavens have a unique ability to tap into the pulse of what unites us — trends in music, fashion, technology, and the emotional needs that draw people out of their homes and into meaningful shared experiences. We want to lower barriers for this talent so that those who create the magic can thrive from the energy they generate. Our space is built on the principle that public gatherings must be worth the effort it takes to leave the house. By providing a flexible, welcoming venue for diverse communities and interests, we give Philadelphians a reason to connect in person, spark new ideas, and celebrate together.”

To wit, FCM has already partnered up with more than a half-dozen local groups to fill the schedule with everything from secret-lineup comedy shows (Don’t Tell Comedy), DJ sets and club nights, to burlesque shows from HoneyReno, LGBTQIA happy hours and mixers from Sip City, and fandom-heavy dance parties from Riot Nerd.

Now what’s next?

New Liberty Kitchen Just Dropped

Liberty Kitchen’s internet-famous kale Caesar cutlet sandwich / Photograph by Neal Santos

They’ve got a spot in Fishtown. They’ve got a spot on Market Street. And though it’s only in soft-open right now, a third Liberty Kitchen space will be having its grand opening this Friday, February 7th, at 8221 Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill’s Market at the Fareway.

The combination deli/market/cafe first opened in Fishtown back in 2019. They’ve since expanded, bringing hoagies and big salads to West Philly. But this new spot in Chestnut Hill’s fancy new modern farmers market is their first foray into a more suburban locale. The menu will be full of the greatest hits — meatball parm, tomato pie, pork roll breakfast sandwiches, cold hoagies, hot roast beef sandwiches with banana peppers and horseradish mayo, and their kale caesar cutlet — but the new spot will also feature artisanal meats, cheese from Birchrun Hills, Stargazy pies, frozen pizzas from Pizza Freak, and other necessities for living a modern, Philadelphian life.

One of the reasons for this new expansion? Liberty Kitchen’s butcher, KP’s Fine Meats, recently moved into a neighboring stall at the market, so it seemed like a smart move. Plus, all the cool kids are opening suburban locations these days, so why not them?

The new Liberty Kitchen will be open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check ’em out on Insta for details, or just stop by if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, in Wilmington …

Inside Casa Nonna (left) and a plate of lasagna / Photographs courtesy of Casa Nonna

A couple weeks back, I told y’all about the Bardea Restaurant Group’s takeover of the DE.CO Food Hall at the DuPont Building. And now, less than a month later, they’ve already got a whole new restaurant ready to debut.

Chef Antimo DiMeo’s Casa Nonna is a full-service Italian restaurant inspired by the cooking of DiMeo’s grandmothers, featuring “classic and reimagined Italian-American antipasti, pastas, pizzas, entrees, accompaniments, and desserts.” We’re talking porcetta rotolini with long-hot cream, Nonna’s meatballs (of course), rigatoni in Sunday gravy, and pappardelle with short rib in truffled fontina cream sauce. There are fig and burrata pizzas with prosciutto, pork osso bucco, and rabbit with green olives, and, frankly, the whole menu looks kinda great — which is not at all surprising considering DiMeo was named a semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic by the James Beard Foundation last month and is in the running against five of our own for the JBF Awards later this year.

Casa Nonna opened yesterday. They’re serving dinner six nights a week (closed on Sundays) and will be adding lunch service as soon as they get their legs under them.

And as if opening one new restaurant wasn’t enough, the Bardea gang also opened a second spot, a coffee-and-pastry operation called Bean by Bardea, yesterday, too.
Now who has room for some leftovers?

The Leftovers

Craftsman Row Saloon’s Mardi Gras pop-up / Photograph courtesy of Craftsman Row Saloon

Hey, are you looking for a last-minute Valentine’s Day reservation? We got you covered.

Or what about a little something to amp up your Super Bowl watch party? Here are some options.

But in the meantime, if you’re already looking beyond the curve toward Mardi Gras, Craftsman Row Saloon is there for you with its annual Mardi Gras pop-up. The whole place is decked out. There are over-the-top drink specials, jambalaya, doughnut-fried chicken, and a massive smash burger on the menu — the latter featuring andouille sausage, Creole fried shrimp, and remoulade all on top of a burger.

I’m just saying, what with the Super Bowl being in New Orleans this year? Just seems like a natural fit for some game day watching. Plus, Craftsman Row has brought back a special milkshake to the menu. Check it out here.

In beer news, Bassetts Ice Cream has teamed up with Conshohocken Brewing to create an “ice cream-style IPA” that is now currently available for sale.

If you’re me, you’re asking yourself, Why an IPA? Did the world really NEED another IPA when you could’ve done a cream ale or something? But hey, I’m not a brewer. Nor am I an ice cream maker. And I don’t understand what kind of secret magic goes into creating a vanilla ice cream-flavored beer. But I’ve heard it’s actually pretty good, so if you’ve got a taste for it, hit up Conshy Brewing and pick some up. It’s only available for a limited time, but I hear that they are considering experimenting with different flavors in the future.

Meanwhile, Panda Fest, one of the biggest outdoor Asian food festivals in the United States, is coming to Philadelphia’s Dilworth Park on April 26th and 27th. The festival will feature more than 80 different types of Asian street food representing cuisines from throughout Asia, including China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and more. In addition to tasty bites, there will be performances, family-friendly activities, games, raffles, and more. Tickets just went on sale, and though early bird tickets are sold out, there are still some general admission tickets still available for $15 per person. So if you want to spend a day eating as much street food as you can (yes, some will be panda-themed), then get your tickets today because they’re going fast.

C-CAP students preparing food for their annual Philly Pheast fundraiser / Photograph by WiseOwl Multimedia

Finally this week, here’s something with absolutely no connection to the Eagles, Valentine’s Day, or anything else. It’s just a really cool collaboration with the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program called Philly Pheast.

It’s an annual thing, a fundraiser for C-CAP. But this year’s event is a tribute to Jean Marie Lacroix featuring David Jansen, Townsend Wentz, and Eric Leveillee — all Lacroix alums — doing a family-style, multi-course tribute dinner inspired by Lacroix’s legacy in Philly. The dinner is happening on Monday, April 28th, from 6 p.m. 9:30 p.m. at Michael Solomonov’s Lilah on Front Street. There’ll be a cocktail hour, passed apps from C-CAP students, live music, $200,000 in scholarships given away, desserts from C-CAP pastry chef Ligia Richter, and more.

Tickets will run you $250, but ticket prices (and donations) all go toward supporting C-CAP and its scholarship fund, so it’s for a good cause. Plus, the dinner should be excellent. I’m mentioning this one weeks in advance because early bird tickets have already sold out, so if you’ve got the means and feel like dining for a good cause, I’d get your tickets sooner rather than later.

They’re available right here if you’re interested.