Today's must-read is a post on my favorite city blog, Illadelph, that uses the impending forced relocation of Melograno to call on the city to make the mere act of opening a restaurant less of a hassle. (And the piece doesn't even address the myriad L&I and Health Department nightmares. See "The Making of Zahav," my blog on the build-out of the Society Hill restaurant Zahav, for examples of city inefficiency.)
Melograno's last night at 22d and Spruce Streets will be Sunday 7/27. Owners Gianluca Demontis and Rosemary Tran, who lost their lease, are moving to 2010 Sansom St. and hope to open there in September.
The new occupant of 22d and Spruce will be Mémé. Chef David Katz says the concept will be neighborhood-driven, new American "smallish" plates. He's hired brothers Justin and Jonathan Petruce as sous chef. Jon cooked at Restaurant M with Katz and most recently was at Cochon. Justin was in Chicago at Moto and Douglas Rodriguez's DeLaCosta in Chicago.
Katz says he'll start a face lift -- no major renovation or construction -- on Aug. 1 as he is aiming at a late-September or early October opening. He says the liquor license is in the works; there will be no bar -- just service of wine and beer at the table.
Photo of Gianluca Demontis and Rosemary Tran by Bob Williams of The Inquirer