Over the summer, we wondered whether Royal Sushi & Izayaka could finally be on the horizon. This new Japanese pub/restaurant from the talented folks behind Royal Tavern and Khyber Pass Pub has been talked about for almost two years, but still hasn’t opened its doors on the corner of 2nd & Fulton. One thing that we noticed recently is that the facade has changed (and if you ask us, it’s for the worse).

In the past

Current view

While we’ve heard nothing concrete about an opening date, Foobooz reports that the restaurant will have a presence at Brewer’s Plate 2013, in early March. Safe to assume the restaurant will be open by then? We’ll have to wait and see.

Over a year has passed since Philadelphia foodies were initially teased with the news that Stephen Simons, owner of the always-busy Khyber Pass Pub, Royal Tavern, and Cantina restaurants, would open an Asian concept restaurant that heavily centers on a culinary trend that Philly is just now coming to embrace – ramen.

Recently, workers have been witnessed at 780-782 South 2nd St., the site of the former Il Villaggio restaurant and future home of the Royal Sushi and Izakaya (read: Japanese gastropub). L&I issued a permit for Simons to move forth with interior and exterior alterations on July 23, requiring asbestos removal before demolition.

The space

According to OPA records, Simons purchased the building in 2005, and there had been talk a couple of years ago about a steakhouse moving in, but…

Royal Tavern is one of our favorite bars in Philly. We’ve been there dozens of times over the years, and the nachos are so good that we don’t even care how much we smell nachos after we devour them. Down the block is the also excellent Dive Bar, and across the street from Royal is a Napoli Pizzeria, a place we’ve also visited a number of times in the last decade.

Mmmmm

From the looks of it, these businesses will be getting some company in the near future. We went by for happy hour a couple of weeks ago and snapped these photos:

Across the street

Pizza place nearby

These signs are up on 932 E Passyunk Ave., a garage that was on the market for a couple of…

Last week, we lamented the conditions on Washington Ave., west of Broad St. as we hoped that NextFab Studio would help shake things up. Washington Ave. to the east of Broad St., while certainly not Shangri-La, interacts considerably better with the neighborhoods that surround it. There are active businesses on the street, and even some row homes to go along with a couple of Asian shopping centers, and some underused former industrial buildings. So sure, it’s not intimate like Delancey St., but it also doesn’t have the same moat effect as on the other side of town.

With the growth of Bella Vista in recent decades and the more recent stirrings on the northern side of Passyunk Square, businesses on Washington Ave. have the chance to draw neighborhood customers from both north and south. One would think that a well-conceived business that sits between these…

Dominic Aspite has been busy applying for zoning permits and is now working for the owner of the current garage at 932 E. Passyunk Avenue, Peter Larosa. If all goes according to plan, this spot across from Royal Tavern, directly next to Napoli Pizza‘s parking lot, will be home to a brand-new ice cream parlor with seating. John’s Water Ice is right around the corner and there’s a sad excuse for an “ice cream” business at 514 South Street, but it is characteristic of Philadelphia that we would have more coffee spots than ice cream parlors. This location would be perfect for those hunting in the Italian Market, residents of Bella Vista and Society Hill, and even the Passyunk Square wayfarers who don’t mind crossing Washington.