David Ansill really knows how to shake up a neighborhood. After all, he could have opened his renowned restaurant, Pif, anywhere in town, yet instead he chose to bring eclectic French to the rich-in-red-gravy Italian Market. The tiny spot became an instant hit and has been ever since opening in 2001.
Come mid-January, David is aiming to create a stir across town in Queen Village at Third and Bainbridge Streets when he opens Ansill. This namesake operation, which seats seventy-eight, will bring something unique to Philly – European-style small plates. “Snack foods with creativity,” he tells The Nibbler. “A really comfortable neighborhood place to be.”
Ansill will be open from lunchtime through late-night each day. There will be a very wine-centric bar that also features hand-crafted beers and classic cocktails. To help guide things along, David has brought in Kibett Mengech, a local culinary veteran, to bring radical creativity to his kitchen. Ansill, of course, will have a hand there as well. “I’ll be a floater,” he tells me, “covering many miles each week between Pif and my new place.”
Things seem to be falling into place slowly, but surely, at his new digs. “No phone number yet, and no website, but stay tuned,” he assures Aroundphilly readers.
If the success of his Italian Market address is any indication of things to come, David Ansill’s Ansill is sure to become the talk of the Queen Village food scene, and 2006 will be a very tasty year for us all.
Ansill, 627 South Third Street.
AroundPhilly Staff
