Res Ipsa (restaurant)
| Res Ipsa Cafe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Owner(s) | Mark Corpus Mark Capriotti Tyler Akin |
| City | Philadelphia |
| State | PA |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 19103 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 39°57′03″N 75°10′42″W / 39.9509°N 75.1784°W |
Res Ipsa Cafe was a restaurant and café located in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia. It was a collaboration between the owners of Philadelphia cafe chain ReAnimator Coffee and Tyler Akin, a chef and the owner of Philadelphia restaurant Stock.
During the day, Res Ipsa Cafe served coffee and light food, but after 5:30 served a dinner menu with primarily Sicilian-inspired dishes.
History
[edit]Res Ipsa's storefront was previously occupied by the kitchen of an adjacent restaurant.[1] When the owners of ReAnimator Coffee. Mark Corpus and Mark Capriotti, were shown the space by a broker, they determined a coffee shop would not produce enough income to justify the rent.[2] They contacted the owner and chef of Philadelphia restaurant Stock to work with them to produce substantial dinner menus to serve in the evening.[2] Construction to turn the storefront into a functional restaurant began in 2016,[3] and the restaurant opened later that year. The restaurant was an “all-day [café]” similar to Dimes in New York City, switching from casual fare during the day to a more formal dinner menu and atmosphere at night.[4]
The restaurant was adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It did not have the capacity to add outdoor seating, and its pasta did not travel well, meaning it could not make up lost in-person income with money from deliveries.[5] Ultimately, the restaurant closed due to the pandemic.[6] The restaurant was replaced by a location of the bakery Lost Bread Co.[7] After the closure, Michael Vincent Ferreri, the restaurant's former executive chef, reopened South Philadelphia restaurant Irwin's.[8] The reopened Irwin's has been referred to as "a resurrection of Res Ipsa".[9]
The restaurant's name came from an abbreviation of the Latin res ipsa loquitur, meaning "the thing speaks for itself".[10]
Lawsuit
[edit]The restaurant was sued in August 2017 by Res Ipsa, an Atlanta-based clothing and accessories company,[11] for trademark infringement. The similarity in name led to the Atlanta company accidentally receiving praise for sandwiches it did not serve on social media. After formally switching the name of the restaurant to "Res Ipsa Cafe" the case was dismissed.[12]
Food and aesthetic
[edit]During the day, Res Ipsa Cafe served ReAnimator coffee, and a simple breakfast menu including sandwiches and yogurt parfait. The Sicilian dinner menu was primarily seafood and pasta-focused.[13] Michael Vincent Ferreri, the executive chef, drew from his professional experience at Italian restaurant Zeppoli and from his family's history — his great-grandparents emigrated from Sicily to the United States — to create the menu.[14] The dinner menu was served only Wednesday through Sunday, but the cafe was open seven days a week. The restaurant received praise for its salads.[15] As is typical for restaurants in Philadelphia, the restaurant was BYOB.[16][17]
The restaurant's agrodolce chicken was inspired by Ferreri's upbringing in Rochester and cooking Sicilian recipes with relatives.[18] Bon Appétit included the restaurant on its 2017 list of the best restaurants in the United States.[19] Alex Delany, of Bon Appétit, recommended ordering multiple half-portions of the pasta to would-be patrons.[20]
Reception
[edit]Jason Sheehan, writing for Philadelphia Magazine, gave the restaurant three out of four stars, in part to prevent the restaurant from being overwhelmed by "...a flood of tourists or culinary day-trippers".[21][22] Condé Nast Traveler said Res Ipsa offers a "nice respite from the bustle of Center City".[17] A review from The Infatuation praised the quality and variety of pasta.[23]
Several publications highlighted the restaurant's breakfast sandwich.[6][24][25][26]
References
[edit]- ^ Staff, Sprudge (September 12, 2016). "Build-Outs Of Summer: Res Ipsa of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania". Sprudge. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Tewfik, Alex (February 12, 2020). "Are Philly's All-Day Cafes Built to Last?". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ^ Staff, Sprudge (September 12, 2016). "Build-Outs Of Summer: Res Ipsa of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania". Sprudge. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ^ Chayka, Kyle (March 18, 2018). "The Women Responsible for the Look of Your Next All-Day Cafe". The New York Times.
- ^ LaBan, Craig (June 19, 2020). "How historic upheaval in the Philly dining scene could reshape the future of restaurants". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Tewfik, Alex (November 9, 2020). "Goodbye, Res Ipsa Cafe". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ LaBan, Craig (February 10, 2010). "Lost Bread Co. opens new retail cafe near Rittenhouse Square". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Tewfik, Alex (March 10, 2021). "Res Ipsa Cafe's Former Chef Is Reopening Irwin's in South Philly". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Sweitzer-Lammé, Maddy (May 2, 2021). "Secret Gardens and Gorgeous Patios for Outdoor Dining in Philly". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ Erace, Adam (February 23, 2017). "Restaurant Review: Res Ipsa, a tiny Rittenhouse cafe with incredible pasta". Billy Penn. Billy Penn. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ^ Bikoff, Mary Logan (June 2, 2014). "Res Ipsa: Two Atlanta lawyers go from torts to ties". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Steele, Allison (February 2, 2018). "Is Res Ipsa your source for egg sandwiches or leisure accessories?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ Maiellano, Sarah (March 12, 2019). "A Modern Spin on a Classic Feast". www.jamesbeard.org. The James Beard Foundation.
- ^ Tewfik, Alex (December 7, 2016). "What to Know About Res Ipsa, the All-Day Cafe Opening in Rittenhouse". Eater Philly. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ LaBan, Craig (May 20, 2019). "Here's where to get the most beautiful salad in Philadelphia". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ "Res Ipsa". Bon Appétit. August 1, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ a b "Res Ipsa Cafe - Restaurant Review". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Lazor, Drew (March 28, 2017). "Buffalo Chicken Has An Italian Cousin. His Name Is Agrodolce". TASTE. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Staff, The Bon Appétit (December 14, 2018). "The 22 Restaurants That Turned Us Into Dedicated Regulars in 2018". Bon Appétit. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Delany, Alex (April 2, 2019). "You Can Throw the Half-Order Pastas at Res Ipsa on My List of Reasons to Keep Living". Bon Appétit. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Sheehan, Jason (March 23, 2017). "Next Big Thing: Res Ipsa Reviewed". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Vigoda, Rachel (March 28, 2017). "Philly Mag Critic Doesn't Want Tourists to Know About 'Scrappy' Res Ipsa". Eater. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ McElwee, Sydney (January 28, 2019). "Res Ipsa - Rittenhouse - Philadelphia". The Infatuation. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ LaBan, Craig (December 22, 2016). "Another stellar breakfast sandwich, from Res Ipsa". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "Res Ipsa". Goop. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "Res Ipsa". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2021.