Education
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On the Riviera: Seafood Dinner with James Beard Winner Chef Greg Vernick at Osteria
Photos, story by Tyra Gardner James Beard Award winner Chef Greg Vernick and Chef Jeff Michaud took over the kitchen at Osteria located at 640 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia and prepared seafood inspired by French and Italian cuisine. The amazing evening is part of a growing and glowing private chef series hosted by URBN Food & Beverage. Osteria has been open since 2007 and is one of the country’s most critically acclaimed Italian restaurants. Osteria customers at this event shared how the food here is “one of a kind and keeps them coming back for more”. The five course meal began with stuzzichini (appetizers), which included: Second courses were…
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Experience Luxury at Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose CA, the Only Boutique Hotel on Santana Row
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Luxury, style, class and comfort are the key ingredients at this modern boutique hotel on San Jose’s Santana Row, Hotel Valencia. Nestled in the heart of bustling Silicon Valley, elegant Old World Mediterranean style meets sleek modern design to create the ultimate in cosmopolitan sophistication. Polished and recently renovated by Houston-based Rottet Studio to include 215 guest rooms and suites, more than 4,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, two on-site restaurants – Oveja Negra Restaurant (Black Sheep) and The Terrace, full-service VBar (ultra-modern and sleek, Vbar is one of the hottest spots at Santana Row) and seasonal rooftop bar, Cielo. Located at the heart of the vibrant Santana Row urban oasis,…
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HGTV’s The Scott Brother’s Hit Merriam Theater for “An All Out Party with 2,000 of Their Best Friends”
Video, story by Whitney Ullman The Scott Brothers, Jonathan and Drew, published a new book titled “It Takes Two: Our Story” and every attendee at this Philly event will receive a copy! The two are most known for transforming ordinary houses into stunning dream homes on the HGTV show Property Brothers, so during this tour stop one of the coolest perks is that they will offer digital makeovers to select fans who have submitted footage of the worst room in their house. All-in-all, the Scott Brother’s candidly dubbed this event as an all out party with 2000 of their best friends and promised attendees a fun exciting show. Click the…
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Get Crafty at Huge A.C. Moore Store in Center City
Story, photos by Tiffany C. DuBois On a crisp spring day, A.C. Moore opened its doors to the public in true artistic fashion in Center City Philadelphia on 100 South Broad Street. The day before the grand opening though was the press preview and I got a sneak peek into the newest addition to the A.C. Moore family. For a little background, A.C. Moore has been open to the public since 1985. Their headquarters are in Berlin, New Jersey, and this new 27,000 square foot store makes 137 stores across the United States. This new Center City store has taken over what was formerly an entertainment center and there is…
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Eat and Drink Your Face Off in San Antonio, Texas While Exploring the City
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler When the tourism board for Visit San Antonio, Texas invites you on a press trip, you go. Especially when it’s a culinary tour and the itinerary includes eating, exploring (hey, that sounds familiar), sleeping, wining and dining at some of the best spots that this massive city has to offer (its the 7th largest city in the U.S. while Philly is 5th). The night before the scheduled 4 a.m. flight from Philly by Southwest (hint: never agree to early flights while having spotty reception in the Poconos the previous week), I was bouncing around from back to back events and packed at 8 p.m. the night…
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Three Philly Restaurants Compete in James Beard Foundation’s Mushroom Blended Burger Project
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler The James Beard Foundation is challenging restaurants and diners nationwide to reach for a better burger this summer – a blended burger – which adds at least 25 percent earth-friendly mushrooms into the patty. The Blended Burger Project kicked off on May 29 with more than 350 restaurants participating across 45 states, from fine dining to chain operators. “A ‘Blended Burger’ is a much more sustainable and plant-forward opportunity for chefs to menu the iconic burger,” said James Beard Foundation vice president Kris Moon. “We are excited to see so many restaurants of all types take part in the Blended Burger Project.” We came, we…
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Save on Lodging, Food in Bermuda with Celebrity Cruises
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler This Spring and Summer have been really heating up in my world! Since getting back from Breathless Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and catching the traveling bug again, I’ve been doing a lot more travel which alway makes my soul happy. I promised one of my besties to go on a cruise with her through Celebrity Cruises which were very nice… and old. Not so much the ship itself but the crowd. Our favorite couple at dinner asked us why we were on this ship with a bunch of old people and we immediately adopted them as our cruise parents. Celebrity is known for…
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Garces Foundation Gala Urges to Think Local, Give Local at Lowes Hotel
Story by Jennifer Ferrell, photos by Renee DiPietro “America is immigrants.”- Chef Jose Garces The Think Local, Give Local Gala hosted by Philadelphia’s very own restauranteur and Iron Chef, Jose Garces, gave patrons an opportunity to aid in the Garces Foundation created to benefit Philadelphia’s immigrant community. As a child of immigrants hailing from Ecuador, Garces’ created a foundation that provides health and education services to the underserved immigrant population under his employment. To celebrate this worthy cause, the gala, held at the Loews Hotel in Center City, boasted delicious tastings from numerous Philadelphia restaurants while attendees bid silently on food themed items whilst sipping Tito’s Homemade Vodka and tasty wine.…
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3000BC WellMed Spa in Philadelphia is a Place for Zen Relaxation and Pampering
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Philadelphia has a gem that is not so hidden away. 3000BC was founded in 1992 by Korin Korman as a result of her MBA thesis at the Wharton Business School. During her research, she discovered that Egyptians had fully developed the use of essential botanical oils in and around the year 3000 B.C. In 1993, 3000BC began to provide services as a testing ground for its name sake product line. The flagship spa established a cult following that enabled the relocation of the flagship. In 2008, 3000BC became 3000BC WellMed Spa merging the world of wellness and the world of medicine, with the addition of FDA…
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Here’s How To Have Unlimited Networking Contacts
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler There is really no big secret to networking. Yet people make it seems like it’s some mysterious endless array of pay-as-you-go business mixers that usually leaves them deflated and uninspired. Don’t be silly. You can literally network everywhere you go. All you need is some inspiration. People (even my niece) said to me, “You have a friend who does everything,” and in part that is true. I have been building a network of professionals, creatives and friends since I moved to Philadelphia in 2006. But the key element of that is the follow-up. No matter if I’m going to a private dinner or a gala,…
