Gatropubs... A Tired Carbon Copy Opens in the Piazza

[ArcticSplash]

It's not like they're even trying anymore. So... another gastropub (yawn) coming to the Piazza...

http://www.crafteriaphilly.com/

Went to their website... look at their star chef:


Menu not on the site yet. I'm sure once the owner discovers the lampooning on Fishtown.US, this WordPress faux pas will get cleared up.

[ArcticSplash]

Ooo.... this looks like it will be a douchebag bar once it finishes launching.

» Max’s Brew Bar Opens at the Piazza Foobooz Philadelphia

[loveisnoise]

Wow. Bravo on more googling.

1.There's already a post on this that you should have read. Why?
2. Not "coming". Already been open for over a week.
3. So now it's automatically a douche bar even though everyone proclaiming such haven't been there, and are merely saying such because of a "safe" beer list(aka normal) that doesn't have 1928 Smugness from my ass pale ale.

If you like the place, go. If not, go somewhere else. Big whooptido. People who act like this fail to realize that they're merely showing their doucheness, like little caddy school girls making fun of each other's prom dresses.

[BarryG]

http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/fo...estaurant.html

[BarryG]

Wow. Bravo on more googling.

1.There's already a post on this that you should have read. Why?
2. Not "coming". Already been open for over a week.
3. So now it's automatically a douche bar even though everyone proclaiming such haven't been there, and are merely saying such because of a "safe" beer list(aka normal) that doesn't have 1928 Smugness from my ass pale ale.

If you like the place, go. If not, go somewhere else. Big whooptido. People who act like this fail to realize that they're merely showing their doucheness, like little caddy school girls making fun of each other's prom dresses.

Given that the spot has (had?) a $1,000,000 kitchen all set up for a well known chef to open a destination restaurant, I think it's pretty fair to call a watered down "beer bar" a fail.

[loveisnoise]

Given that the spot has (had?) a $1,000,000 kitchen all set up for a well known chef to open a destination restaurant, I think it's pretty fair to call a watered down "beer bar" a fail.

And what? How did that 'million dollar kitchen' help RAW? Oh yeah-it didn't. Having a million dollar kitchen is most likely a marketing stretch by the mere fact that it is constantly mentioned, and you're never going to have a michelin rated restaurant in the Piazza for a million reasons that should be evident.

[ArcticSplash]

http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/fo...estaurant.html

Thanks caught the dupe.

[BarryG]

And what? How did that 'million dollar kitchen' help RAW? Oh yeah-it didn't. Having a million dollar kitchen is most likely a marketing stretch by the mere fact that it is constantly mentioned, and you're never going to have a michelin rated restaurant in the Piazza for a million reasons that should be evident.

Well yea that is kind of my point. I guess you accept the fact that the Piazza will never amount be anything more than bland suburban-esque bar-restaurants and resident-geared retail. It should be/have been more.

[ArcticSplash]

I think the next gastro should follow the theme East Girard Gastropub did... just name it "Gatropub"

Since there's so many of them, the next one will need to be named Gatropub MCMVXI. When Woody's, what was once a scuzzy gay bar, reformats its layout to appear like a gastropub... you know this format is tired.

[BarryG]

I think the next gastro should follow the theme East Girard Gastropub did... just name it "Gatropub"

Since there's so many of them, the next one will need to be named Gatropub MCMVXI. When Woody's, what was once a scuzzy gay bar, reformats its layout to appear like a gastropub... you know this format is tired.

Sometimes I wonder if all of these gastropubs are going to be the "old man bars" of Philly in 20 years.

[ArcticSplash]

Sometimes I wonder if all of these gastropubs are going to be the "old man bars" of Philly in 20 years.

I was on board with this format when the concentration rate was about one every 4 blocks or so.

But now it's getting to be like the Starbucks invasion of the 90s/early 2000s... where you can order a capp and wave hi to your friend across the street at the other Starbucks ordering a frappe.

Loco Pez is a good enough departure from the format just because of the food (their margaritas are subpar)... the K&A nachos are a hit. But Loco Pez is smart to pick the location they did--far enough away from gastropub mania they can hold their own. And there's only one other commercial space near them that would materialize as another gastropub... across the Forks.

The Piazza is more difficult I would think because there's so many other choices already available not that far away. For a Piazza event of course they'll get business because they're serving beer, but what about a boring Tuesday afternoon when there's no sports events on and there's nothing going on in the square? Crickets.


Care to hazard a guess when the g-pub format becomes so ubiquitous that one opens at K&A?

[BarryG]

I was on board with this format when the concentration rate was about one every 4 blocks or so.

But now it's getting to be like the Starbucks invasion of the 90s/early 2000s... where you can order a capp and wave hi to your friend across the street at the other Starbucks ordering a frappe.

Loco Pez is a good enough departure from the format just because of the food (their margaritas are subpar)... the K&A nachos are a hit. But Loco Pez is smart to pick the location they did--far enough away from gastropub mania they can hold their own. And there's only one other commercial space near them that would materialize as another gastropub... across the Forks.

The Piazza is more difficult I would think because there's so many other choices already available not that far away. For a Piazza event of course they'll get business because they're serving beer, but what about a boring Tuesday afternoon when there's no sports events on and there's nothing going on in the square? Crickets.


Care to hazard a guess when the g-pub format becomes so ubiquitous that one opens at K&A?

Well don't forget that in the Piazza itself there is already a fake gastropub, Gunners Run, and a sports bar-cum-grill in Kings Oak. It's hard to know for sure until we see the menu but this place seems to be going more for "beer bar" (doesn't pretend to serve anything much better bar food), but even that is, I suspect, a possible cover for a pub-club vibe with DJ like Fado or Tavern on Broad--especially because it seems that managers from Red Zone in Old City are involved (a club masquerading as a sports bar).

[ArcticSplash]

Well don't forget that in the Piazza itself there is already a fake gastropub, Gunners Run, and a sports bar-cum-grill in Kings Oak. It's hard to know for sure until we see the menu but this place seems to be going more for "beer bar" (doesn't pretend to serve anything much better bar food), but even that is, I suspect, a possible cover for a pub-club vibe with DJ like Fado or Tavern on Broad--especially because it seems that managers from Red Zone in Old City are involved (a club masquerading as a sports bar).

You make it sound more like a concessions stall at the PHL airport.

[BarryG]

You make it sound more like a concessions stall at the PHL airport.

It feels more like one of those suburban "town centers" they build these days.. do you want diner food, American grill, pub, Tex-Mex or hamburgers? The food will be mediocre at all of them but at least the bases are covered, though some sort of Asian fusion concept would round things out (maybe the neighborhood isn't ready for Asian yet). If it's a special event you can go to Bar Ferdinand. The difference of course is that those shopping centers in the 'burbs have stores worth going to (and probably a Whole Foods or Trader Joes).

[ArcticSplash]

It feels more like one of those suburban "town centers" they build these days.. do you want diner food, American grill, pub, Tex-Mex or hamburgers? The food will be mediocre at all of them but at least the bases are covered, though some sort of Asian fusion concept would round things out (maybe the neighborhood isn't ready for Asian yet). If it's a special event you can go to Bar Ferdinand. The difference of course is that those shopping centers in the 'burbs have stores worth going to (and probably a Whole Foods or Trader Joes).

Yeah... kinda like Marlton.

[philly57]

3. So now it's automatically a douche bar even though everyone proclaiming such haven't been there, and are merely saying such because of a "safe" beer list(aka normal) that doesn't have 1928 Smugness from my ass pale ale.

If you like the place, go. If not, go somewhere else. Big whooptido. People who act like this fail to realize that they're merely showing their doucheness, like little caddy school girls making fun of each other's prom dresses.

Couldn't agree more. It's refreshing to hear someone NOT jump on the bandwagon (without even setting foot there).

It's actually pretty ironic because it seems as if every bar in NoLibs and Fishtown draw the same hipster, beer snob crowd. And when a place opens up that doesn't fit the "hipster" mold, it is automatically a "generic" concept that will only attract "douchbags". I actually enjoy many of these "hipster" spots but I just hate that condescending attitude towards anyone or anything that doesn't fit the mold. What's worse is the crusader-like mentality against this place as if it's dumping nuclear waste - there are now TWO threads on this blog dedicated to bashing this place.

But who cares what I think, right? I live in Manayunk so I'm just another douchbag.