Beat the heat this summer and grab some great food at a great price during the seventh annual University City Dining Days, sponsored by Wells Fargo. From July 12-26 enjoy a meal at the fixed price of $15, $25, or $30 (not including tax or tip) at one of the 34 participating restaurants in University City, including Distrito, Dock Street Brewery, and World Café Live, among others. Enjoy cuisines ranging from good old-fashioned pub food (New Deck Tavern) to Thai (Pattaya Thai Cuisine) to Indian (New Dehli Indian Restaurant) to Middle Eastern (Aksum Café) and everything in between.

Visit the University City District website for a full list including phone numbers and links for each restaurant. Reservations are encouraged, so make sure you call soon and save a spot! UCD is pulling out all the stops this year, including several commercials for the event, which you should check out below.

– Kelly Lawler

Han Dynasty, one of the city’s premier Chinese restaurants, has quietly opened its West Philadelphia location. The restaurant had a soft opening two weeks ago at 3711 Market Street, the former MidAtlantic restaurant’s space.

The restaurant specializes in authentic Chinese (Sichuan-style) cuisine and recently has been included in the list of the 50 best Chinese restaurants in the U.S. It serves lunch and dinner (no buffet), and offers takeout.

See the menu here. Stay tuned for set hours or call 215-222-3711.

Il Rimedio (4443 Spruce Street) adds something new to the West Philly scene. The menu offers luxe flavors and a slightly more sophisticated approach to brunch. The food is delicious and carefully prepared, and although the dark wood and white tablecloths bring a more formal feel to the room, the service is friendly and not pretentious in the least.

Two friends and I (with a two-year-old in tow) visited Il Rimedio last week for the Saturday brunch. We each ordered an item from one of three menu categories: Benedicts, Crepes, and Grains. The house smoked trout, grilled asparagus, and wild mushroom hollandaise sauce Benedict ($10) featured perfectly poached eggs anchored by a generous portion of firm, subtly smoked yet fresh-tasting fish. The wild mushroom hollandaise sauce was smooth and infused with flavor. The same sauce accompanied the crepes with egg whites, sauteed spinach, pecorino cheese and turkey bacon. The Parisian among us noted the authenticity of the crepes, which, like the poached eggs, require a close eye and a deft touch.

Although the mascarpone polenta ($6) looked good, from the Grains section we ordered the stuffed Italian bread French toast with whipped molasses cream cheese filling, black currant maple syrup, and honey walnut compound butter ($10). Being skeptical of the concept of “stuffed” french toast, and not a big fan of a sugary breakfast, I expected something beyond my control. Instead I was happy to find that the sweetness of the syrup and molasses was nicely balanced by the salty nut butter and the tangy sesame/sourdough flavor of the seeded Italian bread. Each of the dishes came with a side of herbed new potato hash, which was fine but not remarkable. The side of pork belly ($4) was a disappointment, because I expected something crispier. On this point I defer to those more familiar with the preparation of pork bellies. Next time I’ll opt for bacon ($4) instead.

Il Rimedio is a grown-up place featuring adult tastes, although children might appreciate the crepes with Nutella, fresh strawberries, mascarpone, vanilla bean anglaise, and mint coulis ($8), or the Greek yogurt, berries, and honey ($6). While the staff was certainly pleasant and family-friendly, the acoustics and the set-up are not. Chef Dan Freeman is happy to adapt dishes to meet different dietary requirements, and encourages you to make a request if something doesn’t meet your needs. At this early stage of the business — only a month in — some changes may occur, but the quality of the food and the skill of the chef will no doubt establish Il Rimedio as a strong option for a festive morning meal. We have yet to try dinner, but based on the brunch, our hopes are high.

– Jen

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The owners of Han Dynasty, a popular Chinese restaurant with four locations in Philadelphia and the burbs, have reportedly just closed a deal on a West Philly location at 3711 Market Street, the space previously occupied by MidAtlantic Restaurant. We’ll keep you posted on the opening schedule.

The restaurant has recently made the list of the 50 best Chinese restaurants in the U.S., which is no surprise to anyone who has eaten there. “You won’t find General Tso’s in the house, and that’s a good thing,” Eater Philly says.

Rimedio, a Northern Italian cuisine restaurant, is officially opening on Saturday, March 24 in Rx’s former space at 45th and Spruce and will serve its first brunch from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dinner will be served from 5 – 10 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

The brunch menu features three varieties of crepes, all served with a side of herbed new potato hash ($8-$11), grains including stuffed Italian bread French toast ($10), and benedicts ($8-$11).

The dinner menu includes risotto ($15-$18), antipasto ($9-$15), house-made pasta ($17-$20) and fish, chicken, lamb and steak entrees ($24-$29). See the complete menu here.

For more information, call 215-222-9590.

The Baltimore Avenue restaurant scene expanded this summer when the Mediterranean restaurant/cafe Aksum opened near 47th Street.

Its beautifully remodeled dining room and exterior bring a welcome touch of color and diversity to this already lively location. The atmosphere at this BYOB restaurant is conducive to free-form conversation, and the menu of “small plates” encourages guests to linger and share. The setting is pleasant, and the staff is friendly and accommodating. These qualities are assets, but they can also be liabilities, and we hope that the place can work out a few kinks and become a success.

My first visit to Aksum was a low-key birthday celebration on a weekday night. My friends brought wine and a bottle of bubbly, and our server promptly supplied us with wineglasses and champagne flutes. From the small-plates menu, the Stuffed Grape Leaves ($5) were good but unsurprising, and the Avocado and Tomato salad ($9) was fresh but not remarkable. On the other hand, the “Angry” Baby Eggplant Salada ($10) was delightfully spicy and perfectly portioned for sharing, and the Grilled Calamari ($9) were outstanding. The Mahi Mahi Pita Wrap, however, didn’t fit the flavor and style of the other offerings. The aoli was tasty, but overall the dish was a little bland and awkward to share. We also ordered the Orzo Arrabiata ($11) and found it used the same sauce as the eggplant. It’s good sauce, but we would have liked more variety. Once we’d secured some pita, which was not as forthcoming as it should have been, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The chairs got more comfortable, the people-watching got better, and our server become friendlier; by the time we opened our third bottle of wine, she’d practically joined our party.

Toward the end of the evening, we reached an impasse: we wanted to finish our wine, but there wasn’t anything else we wanted to order. There were a few empty tables, and no-one was waiting for ours, so we decided to stay a while longer. The very friendly server and staff made us feel at home and didn’t rush us. It will be curious to see how well Aksum handles the problem of turnover as their popularity grows; without a liquor license (and no corkage fees) the restaurant becomes a very attractive low-cost place for folks to hang out and enjoy the evening without spending much money. I suppose we should have smoked an after-dinner hookah — perhaps next time.

About a week later, a friend and I tried the weekend brunch. Things were busier – the dining room was full, with families on hand (young children with their parents, and college students with theirs). Choices such as the Egg Mezze Platter ($9) and the UCity Breakfast Wrap ($11) looked great on the menu and on other people’s tables. We ordered Sweet Corn Griddle Cakes with blueberry compote, eggs, and turkey sausage ($13) and the Salmon and Spinach Omelet with delicious tiny twice-fried tomatoes ($12), both of which arrived beautifully presented, but slightly cold.

What we’d experienced as a leisurely pace at night became an bothersome delay at brunch. In the evening, we’d been happy to lounge, but at the start of the day, people have places to go. For lunch, brunch, or dinner, the food is basically good and the decor is unique and comfortable. Although the service can be slow, the staff is very friendly. You might not enjoy Aksum if you are on a schedule, but if you want a casual, cozy meal capped with a leisurely spell at the hookah lounge, this is the place for you. I think in the end Aksum’s success will hinge on how well they can match the tempo of service to the mood of the clientele while continuing to turn a profit. We wish them the best, and thank them again for a very pleasant birthday evening.

– Jen