Okay, so there have been a couple of delays. But we now have it on excellent authority that Rex 1516 will be opening for dinner service at 5pm tonight.

So with that in mind, here’s a quick look at the space, the kitchen, the crew hard at work and some of the food.

Of special note: That plate of shrimp and grits? One of the best I’ve had in quite some time. Even tasting it cold, after we were done shooting all the pretty, pretty pictures, they were still some of the best grits I’ve had in quite some time. And do you know why? Because chef Regis Jansen (who you can see in the video assembling said plate) comes to Philly by way of Alabama and knows his way around a bowl of grits. And that’s the thing with grits: You can’t cook them well if you’ve never tasted them prepared well–something Jansen knows in his bones.

His are phenomenal. Something to keep in mind if you decide to drop in at Rex tonight.

Rex 1516 [Official website]