CookNSolo Restaurant Partners, named for its owners Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov, is opening a new restaurant this spring. The new spot will be in the the Harper, an apartment building by Pearl Properties that is under construction in Rittenhouse Square. Solomonov and Cook visited Penn just a few days ago to discuss and sign their latest cookbook, Israeli Soul.
CookNSolo owns and operates many Israeli and Jewish–inspired restaurants around Philadelphia, including Zahav, Abe Fisher, Dizengoff, Goldie, and Federal Donuts. The last two also have locations on Penn's campus.
The Harper will be situated where Boyd Theater, Philly’s “Art Deco Palace,” once stood. Despite a 13–year battle to save the theater waged by “Friends of the Boyd,” most of the once–glamorous, first–run movie theater has already been demolished to make way for the residential building. Fortunately, the external facade and grand lobby will be preserved.
The newest addition to the CookNSolo restaurant family won’t be the only new restaurant at The Harper. Tatel, a Spanish restaurant with locations in Madrid, Ibiza, and Miami, will open in what was once the Boyd. Tatel’s “Roaring Twenties” vibe matches perfectly with the Boyd’s aesthetic.
