Suburbs
-
Membership Not Required at Springfield Country Club’s Tavola Restaurant
Enjoy the country club’s 6,000 square foot-expansion (all outdoors!) of Tavola. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard Within the past year, I’ve become a country mouse, who doesn’t much get out and about to country clubs. I’m so country, in fact, that local honey is produced by honeybees on the property where I live. Hens lay eggs. Doves coo. Woodpeckers peck. Trees hang low with fruit. All number of critter sounds abound, while cars pass infrequently along a quiet, solitary road. I even have a screen door that can slam. Still, when my editor offers an assignment, I’m at the…
-
Meet the Inspiring Boss Babe Behind PNPK Wine Bar and Restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ
Story, videos/photos by Cassie Hepler (unless otherwise noted) Once upon a time there was a restaurant called Grape Bistro in North Scottsdale. And most people still remember that wine bar and were sad to see it close. Fast forward to present time and Grape was revamped and renamed like a Phoenix rising through the ashes into something even better thanks to owner Kellie Pruitt. PNPK opened in March 2018 and is named in honor of closeby Pinnacle Peak Mountain. Located on the Southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Pinnacle Peak at 23335 N. Scottsdale Road, the space is deceptively huge – 2,600 square feet and you can bring Fido too while you chill…
-
Scotland’s Glenmorangie Whisky Launches Spicy Spios at Holt’s Cigar in Philadelphia
Story, photos by Meg Arbo (unless otherwise noted) Earlier this year, Glenmorangie proudly launched Spios, the ninth offering in their Private Edition series. The event was given the due it deserved and celebrated in fine style at Holt’s Cigar in Philadelphia. But this occasion was so noteworthy that other cities got in on the party, too, via closed circuit TV making this launch truly international. Scotch aficionados from Vancouver, Calgary, San Francisco and Miami all awaited the tasting eagerly. The tasting itself was lead, virtually, by Dr. Bill Lumsden and Brendan McCarron all the way from Scotland. Is it bad that I was thrilled that the Philadelphia party seemed the…
- Culture, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Restaurants, Suburbs, Travel
Escape to Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch Resort for Otherworldly Cuisine
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Tucked away in the lush forests of the Santa Lucia Mountains, Carmel Valley Ranch resort enjoys luxury and simplicity. And the attached California casual dining spot, Valley Kitchen, offers the luxury of simplicity. Plus the food doesn’t get any more local than this. The fun, vibrant restaurant embodies the unique values, spirit and tastes of the Carmel Valley Ranch experience. Think fields of lavender, fresh honey and even it’s own small batch winery. Inspiration comes easy with the breathtaking natural surroundings to the local gardens, orchards, pristine oceans and neighboring vineyards. Designed by Rodrigo Vargas Design at the resort’s social hub and heart, Valley Kitchen…
-
Visit the Eccentric Fonthill Castle Built Out of Cement and Trash in Bucks County, PA
Story by Cassie Hepler, photos courtesy of Fonthill Castle Fonthill, also known as Fonthill Castle, was the home of the American archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Upon his death in 1930, the eccentric Mercer left his concrete “Castle for the New World” in trust as a museum of decorative tiles and prints. There is also the adjacent Mercer Museum where they still make tiles to this day. While you are not normally allowed to take photographs inside, we were invited on a Bucks Country press trip (along with fellow fitness retreats Ketanga Fitness), and were allowed to shoot and poke around more than usual. Once you start…
- Art, Celebrities, Charity, Dessert, Drink, Education, Events, Explore with Cassie, Food, Health, Latest News, Restaurants, Suburbs, Television
Fox 29’s Karen Hepp’s Tasty Talks Rocks at Yangming in Bryn Mawr, PA
Karen Hepp is on point with Yangming owner Michael Wei. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.” -Barbara Bush “What preys on my mind is simply this one question: what am I good for, could I not be of service or use in some way?” – Vincent van Gogh Tasty Talks. Sounds, well, tasty. Tasty and talk-y. But what, really, is a Tasty Talk? I would soon find out…
- Art, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Events, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Restaurants, Suburbs, Travel
Tempting Tastes at 19 Bella Tapas Restaurant in Skippack Village, PA
Readers, get thee to Cedars, Pa. “Go out and see your friends and eat tapas and drink red wine and be in a beautiful place.” – Anthony Bourdain Story, photos by Sharon Kozden One doesn’t have to head to Spain for a first-rate, authentic tapas experience. Cedars, PA – just outside quaint Skippack Village – will do just fine. Grant Langdon Brown, owner and head chef at 19 Bella, has a top tapas spot worth the travel involved to enjoy extraordinary meals. I envy the locals’ proximity. I arrived one chilly evening to discover an understated, functional exterior with patio I imagine bustles with activity during more temperate climes. The contrast between outward appearance and color-blazing interior was a fun surprise.…
-
Philly’s Landmark Americana Tap and Grill Delivers Good Grub
Façade of Landmark Americana Tap & Grill’s City Line locale in the heart of St. Joseph’s University campus. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden When life gives you lemons, add drinks, wings and ribs! – In part, me. Just sayin’ before you read on … with apologies to Clement C. Moore ‘Twas the week before Super Bowl LII, when all through Landmark Americana Tap & Grill’s City Line location, all the sports’ fans were stoked and rocking the house. The wings were outstanding, all chicken, little bone, and my ten were divided between sauces mild with spice bite and honey barbeque sweet. The wings were all nestled, snug in their sauce, while not overly so…
- Art, Beauty, Culture, Drink, Education, Events, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Music, Nature, Suburbs
Size Matters at Era Contemporary’s ‘Small Beauties’ Art Exhibit
The Cynwyd Club hosted “Small Beauties” art exhibit, providing a spacious setting and ample room for guests to mingle and study displayed works. “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh Story, photos by Sharon Kozden It really is about the little things, isn’t it? I used to wish that one – just one – gentleman caller would know me well enough to gift me with a blade of grass, a pine cone or even a dandelion – you get the idea. Don’t get me wrong: I’d never turn up my nose at any offered gemstones, swanky vacations or the like. It’s…
-
Tasty Wings, Burgers and Beer at P.J. Whelihan’s Pub & Restaurant in Oaks, PA
Story, photos by Jill Beckel The newest member of the P.J. Whelihan’s brand, P.J. Oaks, will be your new go-to spot for happy hour, game nights and meeting up with friends. P.J. Oaks opened its doors in Montgomery County, PA in 2016. P.J. Whelihan’s Pub + Restaurant is part of the well-loved P.J.W. Restaurant group. Now with 14 locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and an additional 3 arena locations, P.J. Whelihan’s is quickly becoming a Philadelphia area staple. Known for a massive craft beer selection, an incomparable game-day experience, and of course, The Official Wing of Wing Bowl, P.J.’s demonstrates every day just how much #PJsDoesItBetter. We stopped by the…
