Texas-Based Sushi Restaurant Uchi Announces Philly Debut

Uchi’s CDC Ford Sonnenberg behind the line / Photograph by Mike Prince

Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the weekly Foobooz food news round-up. It’s a very strange week here in Hotcakesland. Quiet in a way that feels not entirely normal. And I don’t know if it’s just a Halloween hangover, an early start to the focus of the upcoming triple holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve take up a lot of restaurant bandwidth), Election Day, the uncertainty of the continuing government shutdown, the loss of SNAP benefits making high-end restaurant talk kind of uncomfortable right now, or just some weird quirk in the industry, but there’s been very little in the way of actual restaurant news in the past week or so. So here’s what we’re gonna do: We’ll get through what news there is as quickly as we can (including, but not limited to, an opening date for Uchi, Charles Barkley’s new steakhouse, a couple small collab dinners, and some distant openings to look forward to), and then we can all go back to doomscrolling, eating all the leftover Halloween candy, and plotting ways to dodge family visits during the upcoming holidays. Cool? So let’s start with …

Uchi Gets an Opening Date

We’ve been talking about this place for a while. It’s the Texas sushi spot from chef Tyson Cole, who’s been prepping the space at 1620 Sansom Street (on the ground floor of the Josephine) since last year.

Cole is a big deal. He’s been working in Japanese restaurants since Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. He’s trained in Austin, New York, and Tokyo. He’s won all the awards. Opened spots in Austin, Denver, Miami, Hollywood, and beyond. And those restaurants are also big deals because they keep getting named the “Best of” stuff nearly as fast as he can open them. And now, less than a year after Uchi’s restaurant group, Hai Hospitality, decided to make the jump and bring their brand of Texas sushi to Rittenhouse, they’ve announced an opening.

Monday, November 17th, is the big day. And the restaurant will have a lot of space to fill. Final plans show 127 seats on the floor, an eight-seat bar, and 12 at the sushi bar, with full menus (including omakase) available in both the dining room and at the sushi bar — which is a smart move in a town that has recently gone so completely omakase-crazy.

Cole has brought along one of his own to stand as exec chef: Ford Sonnenberg, a French-trained, Japanese-finished chef out of Austin, will run the kitchen here. He’s been with Cole for six years, so he knows his stuff. And they’re leaning hard into sticking with the Uchi playbook despite this jump to the East Coast, focusing on dishes like Cole’s high-acid Hama Chili (yellowtail sashimi); flounder with candied quinoa and olive oil; Machi Cure, which is smoked yellowtail with yuca crisp and Marcona almond; bigeye tuna with goat cheese and pumpkin seed; and vegetable dishes like kinoko usuzukuri (seasonal mushroom with shallot and shiro zu).

Hama chili / Photograph courtesy of Uchi

So yeah: Texas sushi, Japanese small plates, lots of experimentalism, and the CV to back it all up. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Cole and his crew can do here on Sansom Street. The fact that they’re opening this huge spot with its sushi bar and omakase literally two minutes’ walk from dancerobot, Jesse Ito and Justin Bacharach’s new retro-modern izakaya at 1710 Sansom Street? Yeah, I’m less thrilled about that. But there’s been such a surge in Japanese concepts in Philly over the past couple years that I’m hoping these two spots can peacefully coexist.

Right from the jump, hours at Uchi will be open Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Happy hour will run seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. And reservations are available starting … now.

Charles Barkley Wants a Steakhouse

I can’t explain why, but this news is somehow less strange than an award-winning sushi restaurant from Texas coming to Philly.

Last week, news broke that former Sixers legend Charles Barkley (yes, that Charles Barkley) was opening a combination steakhouse and cigar lounge in King of Prussia — specifically in partnership with the Valley Forge Casino. There’s no name yet. And not even a vague idea of an opening date. But Barkley knows what he wants: a big room, full of memorabilia from his storied career, with a walk-in humidor for cigars, a bar pouring Redmont vodka (his brand), and a kitchen grilling up thick steaks.

And honestly, considering the casino venue, that sounds like exactly the right kind of fit. I mean, who has ever gone broke opening a steakhouse?

Meanwhile, Out in Malvern …

Photograph courtesy of The Buttery

The Buttery finished up the overhaul and expansion of its flagship cafe at 233 East King Street in Malvern. The reopening happened on October 25th, and the new/old spot now features dining room seating for 62 (a big jump up from the original 18), a year-round patio, a completely redone interior, table service, and a whole new menu featuring pizzas, tartines, Turkish eggs with garlic-herb yogurt and homemade naan, harissa bacon egg and cheese sandwiches on everything-spiced brioche, lemongrass rice bowls, and seasonal panzanella salads.

This entire expansion has been an attempt to return the place “back to its roots as a true gathering place for the community,” according to the press release. And co-owner John Rhoades says, “Before the pandemic, Malvern was a true community hub, but we had to shift to accommodate safety protocols and lifestyle changes. As our community has continued to grow and strengthen, we felt it was time to bring back that sense of togetherness and redesign the space to encourage people to slow down, share a meal, and connect.”

All of which sounds great for the good people of Malvern. New hours for the Buttery are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can keep an eye on the place right here.

And Two Quick Updates on Pizza and Palestinian Soul Food

The Roxy Theater / Photograph by C. Smyth for Visit Philadelphia

Viraj Thomas was barely old enough to drink legally when he first opened Char at 310 Master Street in Fishtown. Now he’s slinging some of the best pies in the entire city. And he’s not the only young kid hoping to make it big in the neighborhood.

Mason Lesser is just 24, and he’s taking his grandfather’s recipe and 60-year-old starter to open Marina’s Pizza (named after his grandmother). He’s hoping to get Marina’s Pizza up and running at 1425 Frankford Avenue in Fishtown — just a couple blocks from Pizzeria Beddia and a 10-minute walk from Char. Lesser is planning on doing cheesesteaks, salads, and New York-style pizzas using dough that goes through a 48-hour fermentation process before it’s ready to bake.

No word on an opening date yet. But since the Fishtown pizza wars seem to be heating back up again, this is probably one worth watching.

We’ve also been keeping an eye on Ayat, the NYC-based Palestinian restaurant with Michelin Guide cred that’s been making noises about a Philly expansion for several months now.

Seems that they weren’t anticipating quite how complicated permits, licensing, and inspections can be in the City of Brotherly Love. Particularly when you’re trying to rehab an old theater (the Roxy) and turn it into a restaurant.

While a Philly outpost of Ayat is still listed as “Coming Soon,” and the owners swear they’re working as fast as they can, it has now been 79 weeks since the initial announcement about the space, and … here’s where they’re at.

“To everyone who has been asking, yes, [it’s] still in the works. We are trying for end of the year. Reason for a crazy delay: Plan approvals, permit approvals just take for damn ever in this city. Took around 11 months for approvals and basic permits. Not so easy converting a theater to a restaurant. Lesson learned :)”

So let’s call end of 2025 tentative, shall we?

Oh, and in case you’re keeping score, yes. When it opens, Ayat will also be right down the street from both Uchi and dancerobot. Just three or four blocks away. That stretch of Sansom just north of Rittenhouse Square is gonna be jumping once everyone gets up and running.

Now who has room for some leftovers?

The Leftovers

Oyster Fest / Image Courtesy of Reading Terminal Market

Like ribs? Of course you do. Who doesn’t? But if you also like hanging out in Kensington and drinking at one of the Best Bars in America (according to the folks at Esquire), then Sunday, November 16th, is your lucky day because chef Ari Miller is bringing Brandon and Cab Washington from Ron’s Signature Sauce to Post Haste for a one-day-only collab between his kitchen, Ron’s, and Green Meadow Farm.

The setup is simple. From 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., drop into Post Haste and get a plate of charcoal-grilled pork ribs coated in Ron’s legendary rib sauce. A plate will run you $24 and include ribs and a side of oyster corn grits. Plus, bottles of sauce will be available for purchase. No reservations necessary. Just walk in.

If oysters are more your speed, Oyster Fest is coming back to the Reading Terminal Market on November 13th. This is an after-hours event (from 7 to 9 p.m.), so you’ll get to hang out, walk around, and sample over a dozen different varieties of East Coast oysters, freshly shucked and dressed, along with local beer pours and Stateside Vodka samples. Oyster Fest tickets are $175, and you can get yours here.

In Kensington, Cantina La Martina is hosting a yard sale starting today, according to their Instagram. If you envied their decor or wanted to bring home their vibrant tableware and glassware, then stop by today from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Can’t make it today? They’ll be there, selling Cantina La Martina collectibles tomorrow and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

And finally this week, if all that pizza talk earlier got you feeling snackish, then check out this one-night-only pizza collab between Ember & Ash’s Scott Calhoun and Mike Fitzick from Ocean City’s Bakeria 1010 happening on Wednesday, November 19th, at Ember & Ash.

Cool thing about this one? They’re going to be cooking those pizzas in the restaurant’s open hearth over a live fire.

“This collaboration is all about celebrating the craft and creativity that comes from cooking over fire,” says Calhoun. “And while cooking something different than we normally do, we’re excited to bring Mike’s incredible bread and pizza expertise into our space for one unforgettable night and something unique, as you don’t often see pizza cooked over a hearth. We’re really excited for the final product and for people to enjoy this menu. We recommend people come very hungry.”

Your $75 reservation gets you a welcome glass of bubbly, three small plates, three pizza tastings, and two desserts. Seatings will be staggered until 9 p.m. on the day of the event, and they’re available right now.