Article: Philadelphia old original bookbinders: a $4.5 million renovation revitalized this Philadelphia landmark restaurant, giving it a new open kitchen with enormous firepower, an oyster bar, a huge lobster tank and a restored, clubby President's Room with an Amazon mahogany bar.(facility design project of the month)

It's hard to imagine Philadelphia without the Old Original Bookbinders, once the city's largest and most famous restaurant. The city's residents and visitors, many of them high-profile entertainment stars and political figures, had a taste of this disturbing possibility when the restaurant was closed from Dec. 31, 2001, until Feb. 21, 2005, for a major renovation.

"The restaurant dates back to the mid-1860s and with additions and renovations consisted of a 54,000-square-foot, multi-level space with seven different dining rooms, three bars and 800 seats," explains John Taxin, the third-generation owner. "We had invested about $3 million in expenses during the ...

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