Holding down the Fort
In Fort Washington, Alison Two is (finally) ready to go. The 120-seat restaurant furnished with a 30-zone lighting system, cerulean stained glass, welding work and salvage yard finds (garden gates from the old East German consulate on Park Avenue, gilt mirrors that hung at the Plaza Hotel) takes up space in a 150-year-old building on Bethlehem Pike. The bar pours eight craft beers on draught and specializes in carefully calibrated classic cocktails like the Negroni, French 75 and Sidecar. In the dining room expect food influenced by chef/owner Alison Barshak’s journeys through Singapore, Mexico, Turkey, Belgium and others: North African charmoula-rubbed lamb, roasted wild mushrooms over North Carolina grits, braised pork cheeks al pastor, tandoor monkfish served with yogurt-marinated lentils and whole wheat naan.

Tonight, we’re gonna party like it’s 1972
In celebration of their thirty-fifth anniversary in business, Friday Saturday Sunday is turning back its menu with the additions of some retro small plates: cornbread-crusted chili Elizabeth Taylor, inacodadavita (fillet of cod stuffed with tomato, artichoke hearts and Jarlsberg cheese), the South Philly Salad topped with a link of Italian sausage hot off the grill and avocado suzi (thinly sliced avocado, sour cream and mayonnaise topped with caviar). Retro, indeed. FSS is even offering these additions at their original price on December 3, 5:30 - 10:30pm.

Bring on the biscuits
Rejoice! At Marigold Kitchen, chef Erin O’Shea just rolled out brunch. Expect coddled eggs with Virginia ham and cornbread, maple-glazed smoked salmon, brioche French toast topped with cardamom-poached apples and, of course, plenty of O’Shea’s heavenly Byrd Mill stone-ground grits. Brunch served Sundays from 10am - 2pm.

Hey, Mikey’s!
University City’s old Ecco Qui just reopened as Mikey’s American Grill & Sports Bar (quite the mouthful). The massive renovation of the 120-seat space by architectural firm Partdige & Associates includes exposed brick, polished concrete floors, steel and glass. American pub fare and more than 50 beers are on offer, not that you’ll be paying attention, what with the Nintendo Wii right there or the eight 50-inch hi-def plasmas. Some are wired to Comcast and others to Direct TV, so you don’t have to decide whether the Sunday Ticket is more important than Comcast Sportsnet.

Broad Street Bust
South Philly will have to wait a little longer for the landing of the Starrship. Stephen Starr has dropped out of the Broad Street Diner sale; environmental issues are said to be the cause. 

Buried Treasure
Attention, wannabe Jack Sparrows: every Monday, Rum Bar owner Adam Kanter will bury one $50 gift certificate in a random napkin roll.