Dining news: Rita's Italian Ice launches new flavor; Tela's to close in Fairmount
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As one Fairmount restaurant prepares to close, two ice cream shops are readying to open in Rittenhouse Square.
With the weather warming up, Stephen Starr's seasonal Parisian cafe is set to return for its fourth year and Center City District is bringing back its annual Sips summer happy hour.
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is adding a new limited-time flavor ahead of summer, and two new ice cream shops are ready to open in Rittenhouse Square.
Here's what you need to know about the Greater Philadelphia dining scene this week:
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Rita's launches new flavor
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard added a soda-inspired flavor ahead of the summer season.
The Trevose-headquartered dessert maker started selling a limited-time cola Italian Ice at all of its locations across the country on Friday. The new flavor is meant to give customers the taste of "old-school cola nostalgia."
Rita's new flavor will also be served in a Cola Float Gelati, made with layers of cola Italian Ice and vanilla frozen custard, and a Twisted Cola Blender that tops the cola Italian ice with CocoLime Cream. With the blender, Rita's aims to jump on a recent social media trend of beverage experimentation, Rita's senior director of marketing Madalyn Weintraub said in a statement.
Last month, Rita's launched a limited-time Skittles Italian ice and Skittles Pop'd freeze-dried candy topping in partnership with the rainbow-colored candy's owner Mars Inc.
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Tela's Market & Kitchen in Fairmount will shutter next month after more than 11 years in operation.
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Tela's closing in Fairmount
Fairmount restaurant Tela's Market & Kitchen plans to close its doors next month.
The concept will shutter after brunch service on May 4, owners Daniel and Alex Greenberg announced in a social media post on April 21. Tela's is located on the ground floor of 1833 Fairmount Ave., an apartment building developed by Daniel's North Broad Living.
In the post, the Greenbergs said it is "simply time to move on" after more than 11 years of running the eatery.
"We will miss the breakfast meetings, our laptop remote-workers, our happy hour and dinner guests, our bottle-shop wine customers, and our weekend brunch crowd," the owners wrote.
The Greenbergs added that they hope to share who is moving into the Tela's space in the coming months.
Tela's Market & Kitchen opened in late 2013. The concept offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, happy hour and weekend brunch.
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Brooklyn-based ice cream shop Malai will make its Philadelphia debut next month when it opens a location in Rittenhouse Square.
Morgan Ione Yeager
Malai, Weckerly's ready for Rittenhouse debuts
Two ice cream shops are preparing to open in Rittenhouse Square next month.
Fishtown spot Weckerly's Ice Cream will debut at 1600 Spruce St. on May 9. The following week, Brooklyn-born South Asian shop Malai will open to the public on May 17 at 260 S. 18th St.
Weckerly's Rittenhouse Square shop, first reported by the Business Journal last fall, will serve up to 24 rotating small-batch ice cream flavors, along with its traditional ice cream sandwiches and to-go pints. This new location, however, will expand its offerings by selling coffee, tea, vegan ice cream flavors, and soft-serve ice cream.
Owner and CEO Christina Torres took over Weckerly's in late 2023. Since then, she has expanded the business with a second location in the King of Prussia Mall.
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Weckerly's Ice Cream will open at 1600 Spruce St. next month.
Weckerly's Ice Cream
Malai's Philadelphia outpost will span 1,500 square feet and seat 15 people inside. The ice cream shop was founded in 2015 by Pooja Bavishi, a Pennsylvania native and winner of Food Network's Chopped Sweets competition.
Bavishi will offer a new flavor, Cinnamon Honeybun, for the Philadelphia shop's opening. The ice cream flavor is inspired by Tastykake's Honey Buns.
Quick bites:
Cherry Hill Jewish delicatessen The Kibitz Room has opened its second location in King of Prussia. The 128 Town Center Road restaurant is open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
has opened its second location in King of Prussia. The 128 Town Center Road restaurant is open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Philadelphia-born chain Federal Donuts & Chicken opened its first location in South Jersey at 300 Route 73 S. in Marlton on Friday. The fried chicken, coffee and donut shop is the first of four locations for franchisees Mark Heinz and Debbie Grady, with another lease signed for an undisclosed location in Princeton.
opened its first location in South Jersey at 300 Route 73 S. in Marlton on Friday. The fried chicken, coffee and donut shop is the first of four locations for franchisees Mark Heinz and Debbie Grady, with another lease signed for an undisclosed location in Princeton. Center City District's Sips returns for its 21st season on June 4. The popular summertime happy hour will run every Wednesday through Aug. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring food and drink discounts at dozens of bars and restaurants throughout the city.
returns for its 21st season on June 4. The popular summertime happy hour will run every Wednesday through Aug. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring food and drink discounts at dozens of bars and restaurants throughout the city. Restaurateur Stephen Starr's Parisian outdoor eatery Café Click will reopen at the Comcast Center Plaza for the summer season on May 5. The cafe will serve lunch and dinner on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through October.
will reopen at the Comcast Center Plaza for the summer season on May 5. The cafe will serve lunch and dinner on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through October. The Asian American Chamber of Commerce is launching a new 10-day initiative called Asian Eats. Running May 1-11, the program will include special food and beverage menus at restaurants throughout Philadelphia's Chinatown neighborhood, with the goal of highlighting neighborhood concepts during AAPI Heritage Month.
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