Annie Baum-Stein behind the counter at Milk and Honey Market (Photo West Philly Local).

Milk and Honey Market is celebrating its 6th anniversary this month with a “much needed spruce-up.” The popular corner store and cafe at 45th and Baltimore is currently closed for some “exciting improvements” and is expected to reopen with a “whole new look” on Thursday, Sept. 10.

“After 6 years (September 4th) we have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t with our original line and want to help our staff be more efficient and our customers more comfortable,” Milk & Honey co-owner Annie Baum-Stein wrote us in an email. “Look forward to shorter lines and waiting and double the seating!”

Milk & Honey owners have been tweeting about the progress with remodeling the space, so check out their Twitter account for updates.

We are kicking up the dust again today & tomorrow but the results will be worth it! See you Thursday… https://t.co/bEPrnmU8OT

— Milk & Honey Market (@milkandhoneymkt) September 8, 2015

Here’s an update on some local existing and upcoming restaurants.

• Work is at full steam to prepare Clarkville bar and restaurant for opening this Fall. The building at 43rd and Baltimore across from Clark Park, which used to house Best House Pizzeria, recently had some parts of the old facade stripped off to expose the red brick underneath. Check out these “before” and “after” photos:

And here’s what it looks like from 43rd Street. The building already has a large green “Clarkville” sign painted on it.

The opening date for the new bar and restaurant hasn’t been revealed yet. We’ll keep you posted. By the way, the owners, Leigh Maida, Brendan Kelly and Brendan Hartranft, who already own three restaurants in Philadelphia, including West Philly’s Local 44, are opening a Montreal-inspired bistro, called Coeur, on 8th and Christian on Sept. 15. More information about Clarkville is available here.  Continue Reading

The New Tavern bar at the northwest corner of 45th and Locust Streets, which before last summer was known as the Watusi II, has recently reopened under a new name after being closed for renovations.

The new name, Dallol, is related to a place in Ethiopia with the world’s highest average temperature, and there is also a volcano with the same name in that area. As was reported earlier, the property at 232 S. 45th St., where the bar is located, was purchased last summer by Ethiopian American Temsgen Wolegzi.

Dallol is positioning itself as a sports bar, with six big flat-screen TV’s and a large beer selection, but it also has a dining room in the back. The bar offers both American and Ethiopian food menus (lunch and dinner). They also take reservations for parties. Finally, there may be outdoor seating coming soon, according to their Dallol Sports Bar site.

Dallol is open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

About 35 years ago Roger Harman and a partner opened a small café in a former laundromat at 47th and Chester. They named it The Gold Standard. A few years later they renamed it The Palladium and moved it to Penn’s Arts, Research and Culture House (ARCH) on Locust Walk where it operated for 20 years.

Then, Harman teamed up with Vince Whittacre to open Abbraccio, an Italian restaurant at 47th and Warrington (where the Vietnam Café is now). That closed, but six years ago they were back in business at 48th and Baltimore with a name that saluted the old days, opening The Gold Standard Café, the ever-pleasant coffee shop/restaurant/outdoor bistro that quickly became an institution along that section of Baltimore Avenue.

Now it’s on the market.

“We’re getting tired,” said Harman.

He couldn’t provide too many details on the effort to sell the restaurant, but said that its future will be a lot more clear in a week or two. We’ll keep you posted.

– Mike Lyons

University City Dining Days, a popular annual event helping drive traffic to local restaurants during slow summer months, will return on Thursday, July 16 and you can make your reservations now. This event is a great chance for those who like to eat out, but can’t always afford it, or want to check out some new restaurants in the area. As always, the event is based on the concept “3 course, 3 prices” – a pre-fixe three-course dinner special for $15, $25 or $35.

Thirty three restaurants, including craft beer bars, cozy BYOB’s, celebrity chef and ethnic restaurants, are participating in this year’s Dining Days. Six restaurants are participating in the event for the first time: 48th Street Grille, Hai Street Kitchen & Company, St. Declan’s Well, Wahoo’s Tacos and More, William Street Common, and Zavino University City.

See the full list of participating restaurants, menus and prices at www.ucdiningdays.com. Please note that prices are for dinner only and do not include tax, gratuity or alcohol. Reservations should be made directly through the participating restaurant.

The event runs through July 26.

A great neighborhood event, the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, returns on Thursday, June 25 with $1 bargains, live music and entertainment. Over 30 neighborhood businesses will be on hand, selling everything for a buck – food and drinks, gift certificates and theater tickets, art prints, plant starts and more – along Baltimore Avenue, between 43rd and 51st streets. The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The map of business locations and their offers is below. Expect long lines by Desi Village (samosas & mango lassis!), Milk & Honey (ice cream!), Dock Street (beer!), Mariposa Food Co-op (banana whips!) and some other locations. Take your kid to Redcap’s Corner to pick up some $1 Pokemon cards and mini figures. And make sure to stop by and say hello to newcomers, such as Café Renata who will be serving delicious iced coffee, 8 Limbs Academy who will be offering short kickboxing lessons, and Spirited Tattooing who will be selling stickers and art prints.  Continue Reading