Jose Garces – Amada, Tinto and the so-close-to-opening Distrito (set to debut July 21, you can make reservations online for July 27 and after) – has signed a lease for the former site of 707 where he plans to open Chifa, a Peruvian-Chinese spot named for that style of fusion cooking; expect a debut in early 2009 (707 Chestnut St.).
And foodies in South Philly have been buzzing ever since news broke that Stephen Starr – Morimoto, Buddakan, Barclay Prime and the newly launched Parc on Rittenhouse Square – has set his sights on the old Broad Street Diner for his next project, a yet-to-be determined concept with a yet-to-be-determined timeline (Broad and Ellsworth Sts.).