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Discover a Trumped Up Weekend at Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal
Photos and Story by Dana J. Prophet Some people shy away from Atlantic City if they are not interested in gambling or that particular part of the Jersey Shore. You don’t have to be a high roller or spend more than a weekend to have an excellent time in America’s Favorite Playground. In 24 hours, it’s possible to have a fun-filled, nostalgic weekend in Atlantic City without going bankrupt. Arriving on Saturday afternoon, you can avoid much of the AC shore traffic. If you are riding shotgun, it just may be your responsibility to keep your driver comfortable with coffee and snacks. Want to miss the drive completely? Take Greyhound, Amtrak…
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Fanastic Food Porn: An Epic Philly Restaurant Roundup List That Will Leave You Drooling
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler We’ve eaten our way though Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, just to provide you with a stellar list of places – old and new – that serve just plain good food. And we’ve also done all the extra exercise that goes along with being a Philly phoodie! Philly is constantly churning through so many new restaurants (and we love and encourage all of them), however some are just classics that don’t get as much local love as they should. So cheers to a misfit food porn list that will certainly compel more than just your stomach to move. BonChon Chicken – 1020 Cherry Street (Chinatown)…
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Dressed in White, Diner En Blanc Treks to the Navy Yard
Story and photos by Dana J. Prophet / Photos by Lou Perri For those who never heard of Diner En Blanc, it might have been a curious sight to see couples and groups walking around dressed in white from head to toe, carrying picnic baskets, coolers, chairs, and portable tables. With a waiting list of over 30,000 people, only 4,500 lucky chosen few attended the annual pop-up surprise dinner location. Started in France 27 years ago and spreading across the ocean to the United States, Diner En Blanc is a surprise dinner function where people dress in their finest white clothes for an evening of refined and boisterous fun. Attendees of…
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Exploring The Comcast Building and Concourse Shops in Center City
Photos, story by Lou Perri Explore Philly recently re-visited the exciting Comcast Building at 1701 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in downtown Philadelphia. According to the site’s information, designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects, Comcast Center is a 58-story, 975′ high office tower encompassing approximately 1,200,000 rentable square feet, including 36,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space; multiple three-story stacked atria; a one-half acre landscaped public park; a new entrance to Philadelphia’s main suburban station via a dramatic 120 foot-high glass enclosed winter garden; a 500-seat concourse-level dining court and an 87 private-space underground parking garage. It incorporates a sustainable design approach and was awarded LEED® – CS Gold…
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Gone Country: Cruising to Chef Jose Garces’ Luna Farm for Summer BBQ
by Cassie Hepler Yes, we know… You hate driving long distances out of the city into the country. So we did it for you! After about an hour of driving, we parked at Palisades Middle School (4710 Durham Rd, Kintnersville, PA 18930) that provided yellow school bus shuttles (not the short bus) to Luna Farm as parking at the farm would have been packed. Upon arrival, port-a-potties awaited those who took the hour-long drive from the city and 20 minute bus ride. And although no one actually likes using them, they were some of the cleanest around! This was the second annual Garces Foundation Summer Barbecue at Chef Garces’ Luna Farm in Ottsville,…
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Explore Revisits EGO Lounge at Trump Taj Mahal
Story, photos by Lou Perri Explore recently received an invite to Atlantic City’s Trump Taj Mahal and its EGO Lounge where some of the hottest Latin Ballroom Dance couples heat up the dance floor. Kathy Krauthause, the marketing and public relations expert at the casino/hotel, also invited this photo/journalist to taste some of the fine appetizers at the hotel’s Il Mulino Trattoria. Eric Velasquez, a young chef who learned his expertise from the Il Mulino’s New York executive chef, Michele Mazza, learned his craft well. A table in the bar section was filled with classic Italian dishes including special meatballs, ricotta rice balls, and tender rings of calamari lightly coated in a…
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Grand Opening of The Chelsea Beach Bar
Story and Photos by Lou Perri Celebrity Corner owner Dominic Gaggiano has a winner in The Chelsea Beach Bar, which opened on August 6th and is located on the beach at the Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City. He also selected a wonderful interior designer Cynthia Cortopassi, to create a casual venue to sip a brew or enjoy a menu option. The night’s entertainment featured the Philly band, Steal Your Face, providing music for a crowded dance floor. Guitarist Paul Baroli is also the band’s leader. Opening night featured Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian snipping the ceremonial red ribbon to celebrate the arrival of one of Atlantic City’s unique beach bars. It highlighted a fun…
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Everyone Learned to Shimmy and Shake at the Comcast Center’s Salsa Under the Sun Event
By Jill Beckel Everyone got out their dancing shoes for Salsa Under the Sun on the Square at the Comcast Center plaza. Participants took part in an hour-long intro to Latin dance class where they were taught the Merengue, Salsa, Samba and more! The temperature reached into the 90’s, but that didn’t stop anyone from trying out some new moves. Colleen Cheong led the class. She is an instructor, choreographer and performer for Society Hill Dance Academy. With locations in Manayunk and Center City, Society Hill Dance Academy specializes in ballroom, Latin and social dancing. Everyone partnered up and then rotated partners throughout the class. A variety of singles and couples showed up, but everyone mixed…
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Up, Up and Away at the QuickCheck NJ Festival of Balloons
Photos by Cassie Hepler, story by Elspeth Misiaszek, Whether you’ve always loved watching these colorful globes float along wind drifts in the sky, or simply envied the romanticized concept of getting carried up, up & away from movies like The Great Oz, the QuickCheck NJ Festival of Ballooning gives you up close and personal access to 100s of gorgeously colorful hot air balloons. Nestled off the main drag at the Solberg Airport in Whitehouse Station, NJ, only one dirt road leads visitors between the parking areas. Arrive early to beat the crowds and get a parking space closer to the festivities. Like many festivals, you’ll find a variety of goods for…
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Rooftop Gardens and Beehives: A Farming Trend That Never Grows Old
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Just because you live in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection doesn’t mean that you are completely out of touch with your neanderthal roots. Sometimes you want to dig your fingers (and toes, c’mon don’t deny it) in some fluffy, scruffy dirt… or maybe some grass. And if that means you can eat the bounty of your fruit (and vegetables), even better! Many city dwellers go to the rooftop to build an urban jungle, a sort of high-as-the-sky garden and zen place to get away from the hustle and bustle below. Restaurants are savvy to organic and home-grown cooking as well as producing nature’s…