With 2010 in full swing, it's once again time to look forward to new restaurants coming this year. We're right around the corner from Daniel Stern's R2L, which opens January 21 at Two Liberty Place, but there are plenty of other openings in the pipeline:

Bobby's Burger Palace: Bobby Flay is behind a stand coming to The Radian on Penn's campus in the spring (3925 Walnut St.).

Cafe Maurice: This French restaurant is shooting for a spring opening in the former Les Bons Temps space (114 S. 12th St.).

Chops Too: The Bala Cynwyd steakhouse's less expensive cousin is due in February at the former Oceanaire space off Washington Square (Seventh and Walnut Streets). 

Dmitri's: A third location for the Greek seafood specialist is planned for mid-February in Northern Liberties (944 N. Second St.).

500°: Rouge's crew will open a burger counter in March around 15th and Sansom Streets.

With 2010 rapidly approaching, plans for new restaurants are heating up.

The owners of vegetarian destination Blue Sage in Bucks County are eyeing January to open a similar meatless spot, Thoreau, in the Loft District north of Chinatown (1033 Spring Garden St.).

Cafe Maurice, a French bistro, plans to open in Washington Square West next spring. Owner Edward Bianchini previously operated Les Muscadins in Southern France as well as NYC’s Lenox Room, where chef David Cunningham also previously worked (114 S. 12th St.).

Philly will get a specialist in takoyaki, the Japanese street-food staple, when Maru Global Takoyaki opens in January. The quick-serve in a Washington Square West storefront will feature the round pancakes cooked with locally sourced, organic ingredients (255 S. 10th St.).

Finally, Stephen Starr is saying “spring” for a Mexican concept, with a hipster bar tucked into the back, near Rittenhouse Square; the working name is Mexico City, which may or may not be causing some drama (2013 Chestnut St.).

Love a good sequel? Here are two upcoming spots to look out for:

Rouge, the Rittenhouse Square bistro known for its burgers, is branching out with a nearby stand called 500° at 15th and Sansom Streets; it’s scheduled for a late-winter or early-spring opening.

Shank’s Original plans to open a South Philly location at Pier 40 on Columbus Boulevard in mid-December.

Beccofino is the name of a farmhouse-style Italian under construction in Blue Bell's Village Square shopping center. It's to be run by the same management as Moonstruck in Northeast Philly, who plan to have it open by February 2010 (722 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell).

Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ Greek restaurant Ulysses Voyage expects to open a Washington Square West outpost this winter at 1221-23 Locust St.

Photo: Micky

With fall almost here, it's time to look forward to the new restaurants soon to hit the City of Brotherly Love:

Agiato: Joseph Scarpone (Northern Liberties' late Sovalo) is back with a paninoteca/wine bar offering small plates, pressed sandwiches and salads, plus housemade mozzarella and breads, aiming to open mid-fall in Manayunk (4359 Main St.).

Amuse: This new French brasserie concept is aiming to open in Le Méridien Philadelphia in November (1421 Arch St.).

Con Murphy's: For their Irish gastropub, the founders of Tír na nÓg are looking at a late-September opening in the Windsor, where the offerings will include 18 beers on tap, a large selection of imported scotches and weekend brunch (126 N. 17th St.).

MidAtlantic: Fresh from closing Gayle on September 4, chef-owner Daniel Stern will open this upscale taproom in the Science Center sometime next season (3711 Market St.).

Nonna's: West Chester’s Trattoria Alberto will reopen mid-September as another Italian courtesy of Marisa and Sean Powell of the nearby Pietro’s Prime (116 E. Gay St.).

Husband-and-wife chef team Edgar and Kim Katz Alvarez, who met at the late Striped Bass, plan to open Avenida in September. An affordable (everything under $20), neighborhood-friendly Latin, the newcomer will land in the old Cresheim Cottage Cafe space at 7402 Germantown Avenue.

Sports bar Landmark Americana is looking at a winter opening for its outpost inside Drexel University's new recreation center at 3333 Market Street.

It's looking like a busy year for Gayle chef Daniel Stern. Not only is he moving his University City New American Rae to the 37th floor of Two Liberty Plaza (where it will change names and become R2L), he's also preparing to open MidAtlantic, an upscale restaurant and taproom, this fall in the Science Center (3711 Market St.).

Hold onto your hats: New York Magazine’s Grub Street blog confirms that David Kaplan, the man behind NYC's high-end drink den Death & Co, is at work on a project for Philly. No specific address has been announced, but it’s expected somewhere in the Rittenhouse Square area. Swizzle sticks at the ready…

The Sansom Street surplus just keeps growing, with two new openings slated for the corner of 13th Street in Washington Square West. Audrey Taichman is planning to open a second branch of her Med BYO, Audrey Claire, on the corner, while Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran (Lolita, Bindi) are looking to open a Med with a liquor license next door. Both projects are penciled in for early fall.

Update: We're now hearing that plans have fallen through for the second Audrey branch.

Village Whiskey, a neighborhood bar serving pub food plus an enviable selection of whiskey and cocktails, will be the next eatery from chef Jose Garces (Amada, Chifa, Distrito, Tinto). It’s due in June at 20th and Sansom Streets, next to Tinto, in Rittenhouse Square. Down the street at 2025 Sansom Street, an American called Noble is in the works for late April or early May. Lastly, construction at 1516 Sansom Street proceeds on the Oyster House, formerly Sansom Street Oyster House, due to emerge from its shell by the end of May.