Eat up at the Fringe this year: La Peg opens on the waterfront

When they broke ground at the old pumping station by the Ben Franklin Bridge in early 2013, FringeArts said the new building would be open to anchor last year’s newly rebranded festival (formerly the Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe). That didn’t quite come true, but before 2013 was out and before all the details were quite finished, FringeArts was welcoming shows like a rowdy revival of Pig Iron’s Twelfth Night.

Back then, FringeArts president and producing artistic director Nick Stuccio promised that an on-site restaurant would welcome patrons of the citywide theater party, split between a curated festival and a localized, open-to-all-artists Neighborhood Fringe. This spring, while half the city’s hungry young theater nerds decide what show they'll direct for the 18th annual festival, FringeArts says a place for all the cool kids to dine is on track to open by September.

Enter chef Peter Woolsey, a veteran of French cuisine who trained in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu. Philly foodies have sampled his skills at restaurants like Le Mas Perrier, Striped Bass, and Washington Square, before Woolsey opened his own Bistrot La Minette in 2008.

Now he’s launching La Peg at FringeArts, which will boast 100 seats inside, summer patio seating for 40, and a full bar. FringeArts and Woolsey are calling it a brasserie, but don’t worry — ce n'est pas too fancy.

FringeArts says the joint will be simple, unpretentious, and affordable. In a release, Woolsey explains that brasseries “began as German-style beer halls that served comfort food and brought people together in an informal, relaxed setting.”

Chatting with Woolsey, Zagat reports that the large Alsace-inspired menu, consisting mostly of small plates, could offer diners as many as five dishes per meal. Those will include sauerkraut with sausage and potato, bone marrow, steak frites, burgers, and ice cream for dessert.

Stuccio emphasizes that Woolsey and FringeArts will be “programmatic partners,” and yeah, “art and cuisine” will be rubbing shoulders at La Peg.

Once the restaurant and its patio are finished, there’ll be a grand opening celebration to coincide with the 2014 Philly Fringe Festival, Sept 5-21.