June 08, 2022
Courtesy of/Lexy Pierce
The Dutchess, a new restaurant from Chefs Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki-Styer, opens on Wednesday in the former location of The Dutch, the couple's breakfast and brunch spot that moved to East Passyunk in February. The new restaurant will serve breakfast sandwiches and coffee by day and burgers, sandwiches and ice cream by night.
The Dutchess, the newest restaurant by Chefs Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki-Styer, officially opened its doors on Wednesday morning in Pennsport.
The name is a play on The Dutch, the brunch spot owners previously operated in the same Pennsport location, at 1527 S. 4th St., before the husband-and-wife duo moved it to East Passyunk in February. The new, fast-casual spot will serve coffee and breakfast staples by day, while offering burgers, sandwiches and ice cream at night.
The Styers have been in business together for more than a decade. After meeting in culinary school in 2003, the two worked together at Le Bec-Fin before opening their first restaurant, Fond, in 2009. The restaurant was a perfect blend of the Styers' individual culinary styles – Lee Styer's Dutch and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry, along with Prawlucki-Styer's pastries and desserts.
The French-American restaurant closed in 2021 due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the duo are set to return to Pennsport with their latest endeavor.
"We're exceedingly excited to return to the original location of The Dutch with a new, tweaked concept The Dutchess," said Lee Styer. "We're thrilled to bring house-made ice cream, burgers, sandwiches and more to the community of Pennsport."
After its opening Wednesday, The Dutchess will be open on Wednesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., with dine-in seating, outdoor seating and takeout options available.
Highlights from the new menu include:
• Breakfast Burger: bacon, dippy egg, lettuce, tomato, special sauce
• Double Cheeseburger: American cheese, special sauce, lettuce, tomato, brioche bun
• Falafel Flatbread: grilled sourdough, tomato cucumber salad, tahini sauce
• Crispy Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwich: buttermilk, Red Hot-marinated chicken, spicy breading, lettuce, celery, tomato, bleu cheese sauce, brioche bun
• House-made Ice Cream: choice of malted milk chocolate and salted caramel, served in single-serving cups
Styer told PhillyMag that he hopes to bring back some of what made Fond special through pop-up dinners at the Pennsport restaurant, without having to commit to the signature style all the way.
Visitors can expect some weekly craft beer pop-ups as well, particularly in the coming weeks. Additional information can be found on The Dutchess' social media accounts.
