Aldine is closed by the city over tax issue

Aldine, the decorated restaurant perched above the intersection of 19th and Chestnut Streets, was closed Wednesday by the city Revenue Department over tax violations.

Owner Jennifer Sabatino declined to comment.

Sabatino and her then-husband, George, opened Aldine in late 2014, winning three bells from Inquirer critic Craig LaBan in 2015.

George Sabatino left the restaurant in January, seven months after their split as a couple. He is now chef at Rooster Soup Co.

Jennifer Sabatino then hired chef Chad Gelso, whose previous job was chef de cuisine at Fiola, Fabio Trabocchi's Michelin-starred restaurant in Washington, D.C.

Taxes, of course, are a cost of doing business, and the cash-strapped city has stepped up collection. The city does not comment on specific cases, citing privacy issues.

Tax debt forced the shutdown of Kanella South in Queen Village in January. Though its owners have been trying to save the Cypriot bar-restaurant, the landlord is offering the space for rent.