Changes are on the way for the food menu at Two Locals Brewing Co. in University City. Liberty Kitchen will end its service on Saturday, making way for a new partnership with Chef David Feola, who runs the Italian restaurant Corio next door.
Feola and his partners, James Smith and Ryan Mulholland, are creating a menu called Two Locals Kitchen. This menu will include tasty items like wings, hand pies, and skewers that celebrate the Koilors’ heritage. Richard Koilor shared how excited they are about the Jamaican codfish fritters, a cherished family recipe passed down from his great-aunt.
The Koilors, Richard and Mengistu, opened the brewery just over two years ago. Mengistu hails from Liberia, while Richard was born in Philadelphia after his family relocated. This personal history is influencing the new menu direction.
Liberty Kitchen, which previously offered West African flavors at Two Locals, is narrowing its focus to its Fishtown and Chestnut Hill locations. A lack of a proper ventilation system at Two Locals hindered some of Liberty’s signature dishes, such as a popular kale Caesar salad that went viral last year.
Corio has been stepping in on Sundays and Mondays when Liberty was closed. They served limited dishes like a meatball hoagie to introduce brewery customers to Feola’s cuisine.
The collaboration between Two Locals and Corio isn’t entirely new. They previously worked together when Corio was obtaining its liquor license, allowing Corio to offer local wines, beers, and spirits through Two Locals’ license.
The forthcoming Two Locals Kitchen menu includes options like dry-rubbed wings, beef patties, and skewers flavored with spices from their cultures. They are also discussing dishes like curry chicken patties, shrimp skewers, and traditional Liberian peanut-marinated chicken skewers.
Corio plans to maintain its presence at Two Locals on Sundays and Mondays after Liberty exits. They hope to expand to daily service soon, aiming for early April as their full launch date.
For the Koilors, this shift isn’t just about a new food partner; it’s about crafting a menu that truly reflects their identity. “It’ll be a menu that’s a little more us,” Richard Koilor stated, emphasizing the personal connection behind each dish.
This change is part of a broader trend in the food industry, where local flavors and personal stories are increasingly valued. As restaurants pivot to focus on unique cultural backgrounds, they connect more deeply with their communities. Each dish shared becomes not just a meal, but a story that reflects individual and shared histories.
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