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National Honey Bee Day Buzzes Over to Sofitel
Story, photos by Deja Cromartie Explore Philly was on the scene to celebrate National Honey Bee Day and savor the delectable honey produced by Sofitel’s rooftop bee hives with the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild. Sofitel and Liberté Lounge take their advocacy for the freshest ingredients to a whole new level – the Fifteenth Floor, as a matter of fact. The hotel and restaurant lounge plant an annual seasonal rooftop garden and provide a home for 100,000 honeybees that yield ingredients for Liberté Lounge’s menu. We had the pleasure of meeting the beekeepers from the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild as well as sample honey from the Sofitel hives and other hives around the…
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Dîner en Blanc Steps Up Fifth Anniversary to Art Museum
Photos, story by Deja Cromartie Dîner en Blanc Philadelphia celebrated its fifth anniversary with an unforgettable evening filled with elegance, food, art and music. The Art Museum was transformed into a beautiful “All American Paris.” There were about 5,000 people adorned in white clothing and accessories that taking photos with the Rocky Statue as well as running up and down the infamous Rocky Steps. The view was also a beautiful sight once everyone was set up with their tables. As a first time attendee of Dîner en Blanc, I was really impressed by the table decor. There was a lot of lighting, crystals, and beautiful flowers. Here are a few of my favorite tables:…
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Ocean Prime’s 5 and 10 Happy Hour Might Just Lead to Delicious Dinner
Story, photos by Deja Cromartie Often known as the official date spot in my circle of friends, Ocean Prime is switching things up a bit to cater the millennial on the go who might want to wind down after a long day of work. 5 & 10 is a happy hour menu featuring bites, beers, and bubbles for $5 & $10 bucks. That wasn’t a typo, for $5 you can taste 13 beers. If beer isn’t your thing, the cocktails are $10 and they also offer bottles of bubbles for half off on Mondays. As a cocktail type of girl, I was excited to experience the delicious cocktails that Ocean…
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The Great Chefs Event Combines Food, Fashion and Charity Deliciously
Photos, story by Deja Cromartie The Vetri Family restaurants and Vetri Community Partnership brought together more than 40 chefs from around the world to the city of Philadelphia for an amazing dining experience that benefited Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Vetri Community Partnership. There were also a few surprises such as the burger king, chef Bobby Flay serving his delicious burgers to guests and a custom gin drinking station that provided a show to guests that waited for their beverage. The food was amazing and there was something to try for everyone. There were so many options it was hard to make it around to each table. However, it was…
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Square 1682’s Kickoff Party gets Philly in the Mood for Summer Lovin’
Photos, story by Deja Cromartie Restaurant Square 1682 located in the Rittenhouse section of the city, kicked off Summer the right way with its “Summer in The City” event. Guests enjoyed delicious bites prepared by Chef Caitlin Mateo and summer inspired cocktails in the restaurant’s patio. Square 1682’s is a tribute to William Penn, Pennsylvania’s founding father, who created Rittenhouse Square and four other similar plazas in order to establish urban open spaces in the heart of the city. Like Penn, the restaurant has a vision for the future as well by implementing sustainability measures throughout the restaurant which include the in-house herb garden, locally sourced produce, and energy conscious engineering of the building design.…
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PRUM Philly Pimps the Prom Theme with Crossfit University City and Helps Veterans, Travis Manion Foundation
Story, photos by Deja Cromartie The 2nd Annual PRUM got much more fancy than your high school prom and also benefited the Travis Manion Foundation for veterans at the Arts Ballroom. The black-tie optional event included a 3-hour open bar, delicious hors d’oeuvres, items for raffle, and an awesome DJ. Attendees were dressed to impress and had an awesome time raising money for a great cause. The Travis Manion Foundation was founded shortly after the death of 1st Lt. Travis Manion in Iraq on April 29, 2007 and Crossfit University City is a huge supporter, sparking the idea for a more lively “prom” fundraiser. The organization “engages with veterans and families of the…
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Nick’s Adds New, Fall Off the Bone BBQ Items To The Menu
Story, photos by Deja Cromartie Explore Philly was on the scene for an exclusive tasting party for the new BBQ menu at Nick‘s in Old City. Owners Joseph “Joey Dog'” Schultice and Nicole Viechnicki invited us to celebrate the exciting changes to the restaurant. New dishes included smoked applewood chicken wings, St. Louis BBQ spare ribs, pulled pork with jalapeño slaw, pulled pork sweet potatoes, a 7-layer “Jar-BQ” parfait, mac ‘n cheese, house-made sauces and more. Along with the new dishes, we sampled whiskey and spirits to accompany the delicious food. This was my first time visiting Nick’s , but it won’t be my last visit. I’m looking forward to visiting again!…
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YB Connected Gets Green with Grow Your Own – Cultivating a Leadership Ecosystem at Philadelphia Union League
Story, photos by Deja Cromartie YB Connected hosted an amazing networking soiree at the Philadelphia Union League in March. The event supported the Germination Project, which is an organization that has “a mission to create a self-sustaining, and perpetuating ecosystem for Philadelphia’s next generation of leadership.” Utilizing the region’s current leaders, the Germination Project seeks to catalyze and energize the crème de la crème of ambitious young men and women. This group is brought together by the following : their talent, drive and commitment to putting their gifts into service for the benefit of our city. Philadelphia’s best and brightest are invited, regardless of circumstance, into a committed and empowered fellowship–bestowing…
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Independence Business Alliance Teams Up with Borgata at Holiday Party
Photos, story by Deja Cromartie The Independence Business Alliance (IBA) hosted their annual holiday party to spread the holiday cheer with business owners, professionals, corporate and community partners in Philadelphia’s vibrant LGBT business community. The fully packed Holiday Soiree was held at the beautiful Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel. Guests were dressed in festive attire and enjoyed a delicious selection of hors d’oeuvres, several impressive food stations and double open bars. During the event, the Director of the IBA announced a new partnership with the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City. The Independence Business Alliance is a membership-based business advocacy organization dedicated to making the Philadelphia region an influential and diverse LGBT business…
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Mix and Mingle with YB Connected and Philadelphia VIP Legal at the Philly Fillmore
Photos, story by Deja Cromartie YB Connected hosted the Ultimate Mix & Mingle event dubbed Advocates for Justice with an incredible turnout. Guests of the event had the opportunity to connect with Philadelphia’s top young leaders. YB Connected stands for connecting young leaders together all while giving back to the community and with Philadelphia VIP‘s help had successfully raised funds and most importantly, friends. The amazing event was held to support Philly VIP in the spacious and brand new Philadelphia Fillmore. Philadelphia VIP works collaboratively with the many public interest legal organizations in the city. The crowd featured over 200 leaders within the business, political, cultural, and arts communities in the city. YB…