When Mark Bee, the owner of the popular N. 3rd bar in Northern Liberties, bought the beloved Silk City Diner in 2006, he gave it a thorough (and badly needed) scrub down and reinvigorated both the diner side and the nightclub halves of the business. And promised to open a beer garden in an adjacent parking lot.
It's been a long time coming (about three years now) but Silk City's beer garden is finally expected to (metaphorically) open its doors this Memorial Day weekend. There are no guarantees, of course; when it comes to restaurant openings (and Mark Bee), dates are flexible, but the outdoor drinking could start as early as Friday.
The transformed lot now has a rustic wall to block out the cars whizzing by on Spring Garden, an assortment of gargoyles and other whimsical and weird decor, plus a dedicated bar serving up the same respectable local beers as the rest of the establishment.