Courtesy of Two Bells Meats
Chef Todd Ginsberg, known for The General Muir, Fred’s Meat & Bread, Yalla!, TGM Bread, and most recently, Ida’s Kitchen Counter, is bringing a tiny burger and cheesesteak shop to Marietta Square. Replacing Boru Ramen, Two Bells Meats is targeting a mid-November opening, with a menu as concise as its 500-square-foot space is small.
Drawn by the square’s family-friendly appeal and foot traffic, Ginsberg says he’s wanted to open a cheesesteak and burger shop on the square for several years. When the space became available three months ago, he and business partner Josh Kim moved quickly, making plans for an intimate and welcoming space with up to eight barstools at a rail and a few outdoor tables on the square.
Ginsberg wanted a Philadelphia feel without being too heavy-handed. So, he named the counter-service spot Two Bells Meat as nod to both Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and the bells at the two churches near the square.
The menu features two burgers, one cheesesteak, and thin-cut fries, with periodic specials that may include hot dogs, burger, and cheesesteak variations. Ginsberg says the burger will be different from that at Fred’s. Two thin Certified Angus Beef patties will come on a TGM bun with cheese, special sauce, onions, and pickles.
The cheesesteak will be 9 ounces of ribeye, white Cooper Sharp cheese, and onions, served on a sesame Cuban-style baguette. Pickled cherry peppers and roasted long hot peppers will be available as add-ons. Thin fries cooked in beef tallow will be sold on the side. Expect bottled vintage sodas like Cheerwine and Lemmy Lemonade.
Martin Avila, a Fred’s alum, and Noah Richards, an alum of The General Muir, will run Two Bells, while Ginsberg is in the kitchen downtown at Ida’s.
Still, he wants the experience to start at the door with a greeting as soon as guests walk in.
“When people eat these sandwiches, I want them to feel like they got their money’s worth and the experience exceeded expectations,” he says.
