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Suburban restaurateurs Marianne Gere and Kim Strengari, the duo behind West Conshohocken’s Gypsy Saloon and Stella Blu are kicking off 2013 with the launch of new venture, Southern Cross Kitchen. A rep for the two tells Grub that the new restaurant, which just opened in the recently acquired 8 East space along East 1st Avenue in Conshohocken proper, specializes in southern- and comfort-focused plates. Traditional southern and low country fare, like blackened catfish and shrimp and grits share the menu with more contemporary creations, like a Southern Cobb salad, and Texas hot wings. It’s currently serving lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and brunch on Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check out the menu straight ahead.

There’s a new scourge on our streets, and in addition to making Portlandia reruns a little funnier, and Taco Bell’s Doritos tacos a little more loco, it has parents in the burbs freaking out. It’s being called weed candy, because it’s, like, candy made from weed, and although the little green lozenges have been making the rounds in these parts for quite some time, Action News reports that the law enforcement community in Upper Merion is just getting hip to it. And while police are issuing warnings to parents about the dangers it presents, Action News delivered a crude recipe for the menacing candy in its report.

Though political wags in Washington left the Superstorm Sandy-ravaged portions of the Jersey coast on the hook in their bickering over the fiscal cliff and how to avoid it, but that’s not stopping Atlantic City’s iconic sandwich shrine, White House Subs, from resuming operations today. The shop’s been out of commission since late October, when the storm shut down the entire resort city, flooded its streets, and pummeled its businesses with wind, and rain. Press of Atlantic City reports that after extensive renovations, and replacement of all of the waterlogged and flood-damaged equipment, the 65-year-old Arctic Avenue landmark, is looking almost as if nothing ever happened, and is ready again to start serving customers. If only the same was true for gridlocked Congress. [Press of Atlantic City]