Open:
—“Chopped” champion Tim Witcher opened a second location of the Wing Kitchen near Rowan University. Wings are still the main event, and you can get them with a choice of six house-made sauces (e.g. spicy garlic parmesan, honey jalapeno, Buffalo); there are also buttermilk-fried chicken tenders and (vegans rejoice) golden brown fried cauliflower. As at the original Turnersville location, you can get buttermilk-fried donuts here, as well as pepper- and spice-kicked-up donuts. The Wing Kitchen, 114 High Street West, Glassboro; 856-226-3927
New Owners:
—Porch and Proper has gone through a few iterations, and a couple chefs, since opening in late 2018. And last month, Stephen Starr restaurateur Jason Simkins sold the restaurant to new owners, a couple who recently moved to the U.S. and looking to invest in a restaurant. Patricia and Tony Massoud came to the States from Lebanon. Patricia, who has professional culinary experience of her own, was immediately on the hunt for a restaurant to invest in. The couple is keeping chef de cuisine Jayson Schipp at the helm of the kitchen with sous chef (and erstwhile pastry chef) Jozlyn Rivera. Porch and Proper, 619 West Collings Avenue, Collingswood; 856-477-2105
About to Open:
—Six Points Pub in Bloomfield has been in the works for a while now. At one point they expected to open in late 2018. They built out the interior last spring and finally put their sign up in August. And now it looks like things are getting really real for the brewpub, with a call for Front of House positions on its Facebook page. There’s no word yet on tap list or even menu. Stay tuned, though, because things do seem to be ramping up. Six Points Pub, 574 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield; 973-337-5401
In the Works:
—The soon-to-open Craftsman in Fair Lawn is indeed brought to us by two actual honest-to-goodness Irishmen who not only don’t mind opening on St. Patrick’s Day but (as of now) plan on it. David Casey and Philip Quilter are both Irish transplants with now a few decades of experience in hospitality and three other spots in New York. In fact, they have a second, sister Craftsman in Upper Manhattan, but the Fair Lawn space will lean more family-friendly. There will still be a polished craft cocktail list, plenty of craft beer, and clever gastropub style food, including earlier hours than your average gastropub. Bonus: the original, almost three-year-old Craftsman in the city has a bit of a health slant to its menu (witness: oatmeal breakfast bowl), so expect similar (and maybe unexpected) brightness and light touches on the Fair Lawn menu. The Craftsman, 6–18 Maple Avenue, Fair Lawn; no phone yet.
—When we last reported on The Bada Bean, they Jersey-born tongue-in-cheek Mafia-themed coffee shop had just two shops planned—in Toms River and Newark. But the company, from partners Andrew Adelman and Peter Pannullo, will be opening a total of four stores, including locations in Montgomery and Edison, in theory by the end of April or early May. “Specialty Cawfee” items include the “Adriana Slurpee” and “The Gumad,” though you can always get something simpler like “A Stand Up Guy” (aka a Mocha) from the “Cawfee You Can’t Refuse” menu. Bada Bean Cawfee, various locations.