When executive chef Dave Conn and GM Robert Scully — veterans of Philly’s culinary scene — decided to work together, the old friends had trust in each other, faith in the flavorful American bistro concept, and that Dave’s late mother, Alice, would be proud of their new Italian Market hot spot.
With that, the newly opened Alice tastes as good as it looks with a hearty menu of refined mains including striped bass with blue crab succotash, organic fried chicken with wax beans, a Colorado lamb rack with chermoula and a curious selection of wines, cocktails and craft beers. Along with good taste and design, Conn and Scully are looking for Alice to fit into the communal firmament of the Italian Market’s food scene.
On a sweltering hot afternoon in preparation of a Saturday night’s dinner service, Conn and Scully both expressed gratitude for the opportunities afforded them by restauranteur Jose Garces during their decade with Philly’s Iron Chef.
“It was a blast, doing all of his openings – Amanda, Tinto, Village Whiskey, JG Domestic,” noted Conn of working with Garces for a decade-plus. “We had creative drive and passion, there, and were allowed to show that off.”
Scully, a one-time GM at Striped Bass for Stephen Starr before joining the Garces team, was excited to “have more say in what a restaurant produced, and Jose welcomed that,” he said. “Plus, I met Dave through that experience.” Even though Conn and Scully lost touch for a time when the GM split for restaurants in Barbados and Florida, once reunited in 2021, the pair knew that their own restaurant was in the cards.
“It was a no-brainer,” said Scully. “I’ve always had 110% confidence in what Dave puts out, knew that he had his own space on his mind, and that I wanted to be a part of it.”
Conn always wanted make an American bistro as his debut, self-owned restaurant – “an intimate space with its own natural beauty, part of a neighborhood that has endless culture and character, and… a concept that speaks to dishes focused on the best quality ingredients, treated simply, yet are still thoughtful and intriguing,” said Conn. “We can treat everything at Alice simply, while still incorporating more forward-thinking flavor combinations and techniques – and not over-fussing it.”
Scully calls what Conn does a matter of integrity. “Dave cares about every aspect of the product we’re putting out there and how we’re treating each guest,” he said. “There’s respect for every detail and every diner. I see this every single day. And that holds true for every part of the vision – from the cocktail program to Dave’s always-exciting, evolving dinner menu. Plus sommelier David Robinson‘s wine list is exciting, a number of natural wines and left-of-center varietals that are really good.”
The space in which Alice exists, at 901 Christian Street, is a cooly sophisticated and intimate space designed by AAMP and finished by Sarah Conn (the chef’s wife). Its combination bar and open kitchen, apart from its white linen seating, feels right for Conn’s opening menu dedicated to seasonality and rustic, but refined fare.
“We’re flooded with summer bounty and have new stuff on deck for next week and a fall menu in my head that I have been planning for over five years.”
