🦪 Dive with us into the world of Jersey oysters

New Jersey oysters are enjoying a revival, so we donned our waders and dove in. Also this week, we’re telling you where to find cheap pizza and a great summer on the coast, and revealing that a hot restaurant group is coming to Philly.

— Mike Klein

If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up for free here.

As you squeeze a slice of lemon on the tray of Sweet Amalias or Sugar Shacks in front of you, consider where they came from. New Jersey’s oyster scene isn’t just back – it’s producing world-class oysters. Craig LaBan and a team of reporters, photographers and designers dove deep into the waters around the state to get a look at this growing aquaculture scene.

🦪 Meet the experts: There are now 41 farms – in 2011 there were only two.

🦪 Craig’s top-rated Jersey oysters, complete with tasting notes.

🦪 Shucked, slurped, recycled: How the oyster you just ate could help the next generation of oysters.

🦪 The salty beauty that started it all – Cape May Salt – is in a moment of great change.

🦪 Oysters have one heart and two kidneys. Why are they safe for some vegetarians and vegans? Maria Yagoda explains.

🦪 Margaret Eby met the man who shucked a million oysters.

Tommy Rowan looked at the best pizza places in the beach towns between Atlantic City and Cape May. Then he combed through those listings and found the best pizza places with the best prices and the best quality. One question before you click: Would you spend $30 on a pizza on the boardwalk?

Charli XCX made everything lime green cool. Henry Savage took over local bars and venues with dance parties and themed drinks like the Jolly Green at Oltremare.

🌭 Speaking of “bratwurst summer”: If you missed our recent roundup of excellent bratwursts (aka hot dogs), I offer you this link so you can catch up.

Jewish delis are relatively easy to find. Kosher delis, however, are rare. There is a new one in the Overbrook Park neighborhood where you can get pastrami.

Shovels

Unapologetic foods, a Michelin-starred restaurant group from NYC, is coming to Philly next year. Roni Mazumdar and James Beard Award-winning chef Chintan Pandya aren’t clear on the brand yet, but told me the cuisine will reflect Unapologetic’s no-holds-barred approach to Indian cooking. They’ll open on Frankford Avenue in the midst of the booming Fishtown scene.

Sedgwick Theater in Mount Airy will be back since being purchased by the Quintessence Theatre Group, as Rosa Cartagena reported a few weeks ago. The historic theatre has applied for a liquor license for its concessions on performance days.

Carlo’s Bakery’s last store in the Philadelphia area (at Marlton Square) has closed, leaving Cake Boss candy lovers to rely on vending machines along the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike. The Philadelphia location closed last December.

Restaurant report

Topside Tavern. Dhayanandh “Danny” Kuselan owns Thanal Indian Tavern near Logan Square and Manam Indian Cuisine in Malvern. For his third restaurant, which he runs with Ganesh Veeramani, he’s switched up the menu to an American sports bar. Topside Tavern, which has been open for a week at the corner of 20th and Ludlow Streets, is in the former location of Farmer’s Keep, a health-conscious fast-casual restaurant that closed during the pandemic. There’s not much else to do bar-wise in this immediate part of Center City West.

“Yeah, it’s definitely out of my comfort zone,” Kuselan said recently. “But opening Indian restaurants is getting harder and harder because it’s hard to find good Indian chefs. Getting visas to come here is very difficult, so why not try American food?” They’ve brought in well-traveled chef Todd Butler, whose local resume ranges from Puttshack to Veganish.

Although Topside is billed as a sports bar, it’s not tied to a fryer. The menu, which is peppered with vegan options, includes dishes like Korean barbecue pork riblets, shrimp katsu on brioche, bao buns stuffed with bulgogi-spiced short ribs, and green papaya salad with poached shrimp (see above), as well as a few entrees (maximum price: $26) like a whole stuffed corn-fed chicken for two and crispy fried red snapper (see below) with corn succotash, tomatoes, basil, fava, lemon butter, hush puppies, and red pepper aioli.

Eight beers complement the full bar menu. Happy hour from 4-6pm weekdays features 20% off draft beers and 50% off burgers, chicken wings and Brussels sprouts. Next up is rooftop dinner.

Topside Tavern, 10 S. 20th St. Hours: Monday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Chubby nori. Chubby Cattle, which has been serving hot pot in Chinatown for nearly six years, is undergoing a rebranding and debuting a new concept based on Miyazakigyu Wagyu beef. Meanwhile, owner David Zhao and his team have opened a cozy temaki-style sushi bar called Chubby Nori on the second floor in partnership with Boston’s Matsunori.

Now, in the soft opening phase, they’re keeping the menu small—just a few appetizers (chawanmushi, salmon cups, truffle edamame, and seaweed salad) plus a decent selection of hand rolls (estimated at $7 and under) and some extras like cod and scallop with miso butter (see below, both $9.25), as well as specialties (Korean barbecue wagyu or A5 Miyazaki wagyu with truffle pate, each $16.50).

The drinks menu initially includes Sapporo on tap, as well as soju, sake and shots from Tito’s, Crown Royal and Hennessy’s. There is a 14-seat sushi bar and spacious tables.

Chubby Nori, 146 N. 10th St. Hours: 5-10 p.m. daily. Note: Closed for an event on August 14.

Briefly noted

Philly’s first Pure Green franchise opens at 11 a.m. on August 14 at 1124 Walnut St. Owner Tiara Council, a Fairmount resident who grew up on West Oak Lane, has an MSW from Temple and has worked in the nonprofit sector. Pure Green, specializing in wellness-based cold-pressed juices, is offering a free small Pure Green smoothie (kale, spinach, mango, banana, pineapple, coconut water) to the first 100 customers. Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Grand opening of Drip Viet Café (225 N. 11th St., next to Vietnam in Chinatown) begins at 9 a.m. on August 18 with a free shopping bag and drink for the first 30 people. There will be a dragon dance at noon.

Hop Sing Laundromat, the Chinatown cocktail bar has sold out its series of “Cocktail Omakases” with award-winning bartender Toby Maloney. HSL’s owner, who goes by his mononym Lê, said he is considering adding another date, August 22, if there is demand; DM for details.

Vegandale Festival, The event, scheduled for Saturday at the Navy Yard, will include free samples of TiNDLE’s boneless wings and sales of TiNDLE banh mi from Chad Rosenthal of Rosey’s in Ambler. In addition to food, Vegandale will feature music and interactive art.

❓Surprise quiz

A well-known store in a shopping mall has released its own cologne. Give it a name.

A) Orange Julius

B) Sbarro

C) Aunt Anne

D) Immerse points

Find out if you know the answer.

Ask Mike any questions

Do you have any recommendations for where I can eat fried clams with my husband? – Joanne L.

As much as we like this New England treat (as opposed to the ubiquitous clam strips), we don’t know where we can find it here on a regular basis. The Oyster House in Center City offers it every now and then. I suggest that. Please email us any leads, preferably locations within about an hour of Philadelphia, and we’ll make Joanne and her husband happy.

📮 Have a question about Philly dining? Email me your questions at [email protected] for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.

By submitting your written, visual and/or audio contributions, you agree to the Terms of Useincluding the grant of rights in Section 10.