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Kevin Sbraga will be the second winner of Bravo’s “Top Chef” to set up shop in South Philly come the opening of Juniper Commons later this fall at the intersection of Broad and South streets. Interestingly, the new concept will be centered on something much of America has tried to forget — the 1980s.
“Juniper Commons is an homage to my childhood, inspired by one of my favorite decades,” Sbraga said. “When you talk about the eighties, everyone focuses on the pop culture, not the food or drinks. While many chefs have forgone revisiting this decade, I’m excited to reinvent dishes that have been deemed passé into quality dishes that guests will relate to today.”
The menu will focus on placing a modern twist on some of the dishes that broke out in the ’80s then settled in as stalwarts in the early ’90’s before becoming somewhat boring inclusions on any “American” menu by the end of the century. Sbraga is aiming to reinvigorate some of these dishes, which clearly carved space in the minds of diners but simply lost their way. Think “power lunch” items like a raw bar tower or shrimp cocktail reinvented. And, for dinner, big flavors from the age of roasted meats sliced to order, bread bowls filled with dip and salad bars with raspberry vinaigrette will be present, but with a more refined approach. Sbraga divulged some examples from the opening menu:
Smoked Fish Platter with salmon, whitefish terrine, bluefish, lentil salad, and housemade black bread
Beef Fat Fries with cherry pepper aioli and pecorino
Caesar Salad prepared tableside with housemade croutons and dressing
Eggplant Parmesan rings of panko-crusted eggplant topped with marinara sauce, locatelli, and parsley
Rotisserie Chicken served with Marsala sauce and herb bouquet
Wood Roasted Prime Rib cooked on the rotisserie and served with ox tail au jus and roasted garlic
Not to be left out, the bar program will follow along the same path — rescuing some classic flavors from over-sugared approaches. In doing so, Juniper Commons seeks to move more than a few drinks from the realm of hokey nostalgia orders and into today’s cocktail lexicon. Given the name, it’s obvious which spirit will be the most heavily featured. The collection will feature 50 bottles of gin, complimented by a selection of housemade tonics infused with flavors ranging from floral and herbaceous to citrus and spicy.
“The eighties were a time when cocktails were driven more by sugar and concentrated juices than by spirits,” Sbraga Dining’s Director of Operations Ben Fileccia said. “At Juniper Commons, we are taking those shunned drinks and turning them into libations that hold up to today’s cocktail standards — think Sex on The Beach with cranberry washed vodka, peach preserves and fresh squeezed orange juice.”
In contrast to the intimate and exclusive angle taken by fellow "Top Chef" winner Nick Elmi at Laurel, 1617 E. Passyunk Ave., Sbraga will opt for a modern space that seats 140 at Juniper Commons. Eighties design details such as wood paneling, brass toned metals and angled patterns will be blended with modern lighting, fixtures and upholsteries. An especially nice touch will be custom wallpaper made from the pages of local newspapers dating back three decades. There has been no word yet on if the South Philly Review will grab some real estate on that wall. SPR
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