South Street hotspot The Cambridge has officially re-opened its doors with fresh decor and an all-new menu, and everyone is invited out to indulge in the latest tasty offerings the popular eatery has to offer.
The Cambridge re-opened their doors with a fresh look and all new menu
Owners Heather Annechiarico and Chris Fetfatzes wanted to re-open the restaurant in anticipation of the opening of its companion, the Wine Dive (coming later this year.) “We wanted to take The Cambridge to the next level with a new direction for our kitchen, a new menu, a new bar program, renovated exterior work, embellishments in our lush garden, and a brand new dining room,” said Fetfatzes in a release.
The new additions include an updated look that transports hungry Philadelphians to modern-day Soho London for an elevated vibe. The Cambridge has always boasted a welcoming atmosphere, but now the eatery is chic and comfortable with darker tones and textures, dimly lit candles at night, an open floor plan, lounge-style dinner seating, London-inspired accent pieces, and a renovated seating wall against where the new Wine Dive will be. According to the release, a new door connecting The Cambridge to Wine Dive for when it opens was also installed – this will allow customers to go from concept to concept without having to leave the establishment.
“We have talked for years about opening up the dining room,” added Fetfatzes. “The layout before worked when we opened and was very popular but it created these cozy sections of people that couldn’t see each other. It was also a tight fit and felt compact when you entered. The new layout brings the whole space to a new level – and there’s a greater connectedness of the restaurant to the bar. Instead of having all these separate spaces, there’s a great new energy.”
The exterior also got a makeover, including The Cambridge’s backyard garden with fire pits, overhead lights and even more lush plants to help set the ambiance.
In addition to the restaurant’s fresh look comes an all-new menu from Executive Chef Derek Cantwell and an updated cocktail list. Chef Cantwell used fresh ingredients to provide dishes that are more shareable and health-driven while still offering an incredibly flavorful combination for any palette.
“Chef Cantwell’s menu takes a new direction as we look to cater to the changing demographics around us on South Street West and in Graduate Hospital Neighborhood,” said Fetfatze. “We are proud of the entrees and pub fare of the former menu, but we want to take things to the next level. The menu now features more flavors from around the country and around the world – and there will be more diversity. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the warm welcoming vibe.” New menu highlights include: Mexican street corn nachos, Bahn mi salad, chicken tikka masala pot pie, cast iron eggplant parm, fried green tomato grilled cheese, Bombay chicken cheesesteak, smores shortcake and much, much more. The Cambridge is also now offering an interesting assortment of shareable boards perfect for large parties. Board assortments include the Israeli (bosc pears, champagne grapes, seasonal pickled vegetables, spicy feta, kalamata olives, fresh herbs, chickpeas, cucumbers, pita and hummus); the Roman (ricotta stuffed meatball with marinara, roasted red peppers, prosciutto, goat cheese, eggplant fries, broccoli rabe, parmesan, pesto, baguette, olive oil and crushed red peppers) and the Tavern (dry rub & garlic hot wings, fried green tomatoes, nashville hot chicken bites, amish slaw, pickles, buttermilk onions, ranch, blue cheese and honey mustard.)
Wash down the incredible new dishes with any of the spirited libations The Cambridge is now showcasing. For their new libation list, the hotspot eatery wanted to focus more on fun and crushable cocktails through a sexy, smart and approachable assortment. A few highlights include their Sazerac (boasting Old Overholt Rye, Peychaud’s bitters, sugar and Absinthe), Smokey the Bandito (Vida Mezcal, Aperol, Averna and lime,) and their rotating mule of the week just to name a few.
To learn more about The Cambridge (1508 South St.) visit cambridgeonsouth.com
