New Pop-Up “Cocktail Garden”, Walnut Garden Just Opened in Rittenhouse Featuring Food, Drinks & Entertainment
Philly has a new outdoor spot to hang out this summer. Today FCM Hospitality opened the doors to Walnut Green (1708 Walnut). This new space which is being dubbed a cocktail garden will feature food, entertainment and a place for family and friends to gather.
Designed to bring vibrancy and a new community meeting space to the heart of Rittenhouse, Walnut Garden will recreate the vibe of FCM’s successful Parks on Tap series, but offer a host of daily events, entertainment and family-friendly experiences from noon to midnight, seven days a week.
“We’re excited to bring Walnut Garden to life,” said FCM Hospitality owner Avram Hornik. “This pop-up experience is not just another beer garden. It’s a trendy and community friendly space that will embrace summer in Rittenhouse. It’s been fun to talk to neighbors who are equally as eager to see this space turned into something that will benefit this entire community at-large.”
With 11,500 square feet of space, Walnut Garden can hold up to 500 guests. The space will host a series of shipping containers featuring two bars, a kitchen serving Asian street food-inspired menu options and soft serve ice cream station.
“We are so excited Avram is bringing this vision to life in our space,” said Ari Weber, owner and founder of New York-based Brookliv Real Estate. “We had a number of ideas of what would come next in this space and when presented the idea of a garden, many people told us that Avram and his team [at FCM] were the perfect people to contact. As a developer and investor, sure, we could have made it more shops and boutiques to fit the area, but this gives the community a place of their own. To me, that’s important.”
A 40’x60’ canopy tent will offer a guests shade from hot summer days while guests relax at a number of communal benches and tables throughout the garden. Families are encouraged to bring their little ones to enjoy the children’s play area, which will house an additional garden area with benches, planters and a wooden Jeep complete with a slide.
A jumbotron featuring a sound system will showcase sporting events, host movie nights or even be used for special events.
Walnut Garden serves as the revitalization of an area left in need of a fresh start following the 2020 civil unrest. The building, which once housed a Vans shoe store and McDonald’s franchise was destroyed by fire during the near weeklong demonstrations. Through this pop-up, Hornik wanted to create a space in which the community at-large could have to breathe vibrancy from the tragedy.
“We wanted to make sure that in creating Walnut Garden we provided an authentic space to host a variety of different events and experiences,” said Hornik. “But it was also important to just create a space for the community to have and feel proud of.
Sentiments echoed by both members of the Center City District and Rittenhouse Row organizations.
“Rittenhouse Row is thrilled to welcome Walnut Garden,” said Corie Moskow, the executive director of Rittenhouse Row. “We are so grateful to Avram Hornik and his team for having the vision and energy to bring this important project to fruition. The hole in the 1700 block of Walnut will now be filled with a vibrant community gathering place, and will bring energy, excitement and vibrancy to a key address.”
“Walnut Garden is an exciting step forward for West Walnut,” added Paul Levy, founding president of the Center City District. “Retail and restaurant occupancy has almost fully rebounded in Center City, but this gap on the 1700 block of Walnut has been a break in the continuity and momentum for full recovery. By creating a vibrant and attractive setting for both adults and families with children, Walnut Garden will boost vitality in the entire area.”
FOOD
Green Papaya salad, Herbs, garlic, bird’s eye chiles, fish sauce, peanuts. Comes in a mild or spicy option.
Marinated Cucumber salad, Pork cracklins, chile crisp, fried garlic, radish with an option to add shrimp
Cold Sesame Udon Noodle salad, Local mustard greens, red onion, sesame dressing
Korean spicy bbq pork slider, Cucumber, spicy mayo, scallion x two per order
Korean Bulgogi beef slider, Cucumber, Asian Pear, ginger x two per order
Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage, Wasabi mayo, kimchi
Charcoal grilled Sate, Three pieces of Pork, chicken, or fried tofu, marinated, skewered and grilled on charcoal, all served with a peanut dipping sauce
Fries, Sea Salt, Szechuan spicy mayo, ketchup
Crispy Scallion pancake, Sesame, soy, kimchi
Green Papaya Salad, Herbs, sliders, pork and beef satay
DRINK
As an urban cocktail destination, Walnut Garden will offer a variety of created, draft and canned cocktails. A sampling of the featured cocktails on the menu are:
Flying Melons, Union Forge Vodka, Red Bull Red, Melon Liqueur, Watermelon, Lime | $13
Federal Cucumber, Stateside vodka, cucumber, lime, club soda | $12
Center City Tropic, Bluecoat Gin, Guava, Pineapple, lime | $12
Munchkin Land, Holla lollipop vodka, cranberry juice, line | $12
Guests can also select from a selection of local beers on draft and by the can including our signature Walnut Garden Lager, a refreshing pilsner at 4.5% ABV. Additionally, a few featured beers on tap include:
Mainstay Bowline IPA (7.1%) | $7
2SP Summer Ale, blonde ale (5%) | $8
Yards Summer Crush, citrus wheat beer (5%) | $8
Rusty Rail Fog Monster, hazy IPA (6.8%) | $8
There are also a number of wines from around the world, including two on tap in an organic unoaked French chardonnay ($11/$44 carafe) and a refreshing Rose varietal as well ($11/$44).
There are five other wines available by either the glass or the bottle.
Badissa Pinot Grigio | $13/$52
Pullus Sauvignon Blanc | $14/$56
Laurent Family Pinot Noir | $13/$52
Zweigelt Halozan | $12/$48
Cielo Prosecco | $12/$48
