The team behind Emmett is building a second, far more intimate restaurant right above it. Jean, a 15-guest tasting counter centered on a 7-foot live-fire hearth, is set to open on the second floor of 161 W. Girard Ave. in late fall 2026, according to whatnow.com.
Jean will be operated by managing partner Julian van der Tak and executive chef Evan Snyder, the same duo behind Emmett, according to whatnow.com. The new concept will occupy what was once a second-floor living space, converted into a dining room with bold colors inspired by Moroccan architecture, per the same report. Where Emmett offers guests a choice between à la carte dining and a tasting menu, Jean will run as a tasting-menu-only experience, serving a 12-course meal with most dishes cooked over open fire, whatnow.com reports.
The restaurant's name carries generations of family history. Per whatnow.com, Jean draws on several family names: the middle name of van der Tak's son, the maternal grandfather's first name, and a paternal grandmother's middle name. That grandfather was Jean-Pierre Bell, a prominent Washington, D.C. chef who cooked at the French embassy, for U.S. presidents, and for celebrities including Elvis Presley and Sonny & Cher, according to Philadelphia Magazine. Van der Tak grew up in southern France before entering Philadelphia hospitality, the magazine notes.
A Menu Built Around Fire and Family
Jean's food will lean into southern French and North African flavors, including a seasonal tagine, with most dishes cooked over the restaurant's centerpiece hearth, whatnow.com reports. Van der Tak said Jean will create a more intimate and connected atmosphere than Emmett, and described the project as a way of carrying his family's legacy forward through a meaningful restaurant close to home, according to whatnow.com. He also said Jean fulfills a restaurant concept that he and Snyder dreamed of creating years ago, per the same report.
That dream predates Emmett itself. Snyder and van der Tak originally envisioned a live-fire hearth tasting counter, but space constraints led them to open Emmett on the ground floor first, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Converting the second-floor living space finally allowed them to build the intimate hearth dining room they had planned, the Inquirer reports.
Emmett's Rapid Rise Set the Stage
Emmett, which Snyder and van der Tak launched in January 2025, has climbed quickly through the national dining ranks. In December 2025, Esquire named it to its list of the 33 best new restaurants in America, making it the only Pennsylvania restaurant selected, according to PhillyVoice. Esquire praised the restaurant's Middle Eastern techniques and dishes, the outlet notes. In 2026, Emmett was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award in the Best New Restaurant category.
Snyder brings serious fine-dining credentials to the fire-lit new venture. He trained at Le Cordon Bleu and worked at Michelin-starred Washington, D.C. establishments Blue Duck Tavern and Bresca before serving as executive chef at Philadelphia's Redcrest Kitchen, per PhillyVoice. Van der Tak, meanwhile, built his front-of-house experience at top-tier Philadelphia venues including Jean-Georges at the Four Seasons and Vernick Fish, according to Drink Philly.
A Storefront Steeped in Culinary History
The Girard Avenue address has hosted a string of acclaimed restaurants before Emmett and Jean arrived. Cadence, which Food & Wine named the number one Best New Restaurant in America in 2019, operated there before closing in 2021, according to the Inquirer. Primary Plant Based has also been identified at 161 W. Girard Avenue. Those earlier tenants, including Cadence, preceded Emmett and Jean at the address.
To serve alcohol legally, Emmett's owners partnered with Northeast Philadelphia's Camuna Cellars under a Pennsylvania limited-winery license, allowing the restaurant to pour state-produced wines and spirits, the Inquirer reports. General Manager and Wine Director Marissa Chirico, who joined the team during Emmett's 2025 launch and previously managed front-of-house operations at James Beard-nominated River Twice, is curating Jean's beverage program around Old World wines and batched classic cocktails, according to The Adventurist Magazine.
Local Artisans Shape the Room
Jean's design leans on Philadelphia craftspeople as much as its menu leans on the hearth. Local artisans Lauren Rider and Megan Stover were commissioned to create handcrafted ceramics, while Remark Glass built bespoke glassware for the space, the Adventurist reports. The magazine also describes the room as Moroccan-inspired.
No official opening date beyond late fall 2026 has been announced, according to whatnow.com. With just 15 seats around the hearth, Jean is positioned as a far more exclusive counterpart to Emmett's larger dining room, capping off a project years in the making for the two owners.
