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Concord, California Offers Country Cool Coastal Vibes in Small City Setting
Story, photos/video by Cassie Hepler All I knew about Concord, California before this visit through the tourism board was that is was a San Francisco suburb style city in Northern California. But Concord has its own pulse and rhythm that is relaxing and refreshing. There seems to be that unhurried city pace the country offers but somehow still maintaining a city full of activities for those inclined. Arriving straight from the Goddess Ganja Getaway in Pescadero, CA, I was feeling a bit crunchy. I didn’t wash my hair for a couple days as it was super cool in the mornings and didn’t pack enough layers to keep my core solidly warm…
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Award-Winning Treno Pizza Bar Features Fantastic Pig Roast in Westmont, NJ
Eye-catching sign’s arrow with nostalgic design directs me in can’t-miss fashion. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden There will be pig. Pork talk. Porcine photos. After all, it was a pig roast I’d attended. Just sayin’ because I’d shown a friend my snap of the roasted pig, and her less than enthusiastic reaction made me realize there may be others similarly sensitive or put off, and who don’t realize (despite the telling title) that this review is about a pig roast. Okay then: disclaimer- and spoiler alert stated right off the bat, I can proceed. On an August evening, I nipped over the Ben Franklin Bridge and made my way to…
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Relax and Enjoy Slow, Southern Style in Clarksville, Tennessee
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler (unless otherwise noted) Nashville, Tennessee gets all the fame. They also have that horrible reality show knock off of The Kardashians, The Cavallari’s which is like the Southern version of scripted, dramatic nonsense. But if you look about an hour Northwest of Nashville, there’s a slow, Southern style oasis that offers a much more relaxing experience. Rolling green hills, trees and nature abounds in this surprisingly funky little city full of hipsters and impressive growing gastronomy. It’s the perfect place to escape to – and yet close enough to Nashville to get your fix if you really need it. Small enough that it’s walkable, but…
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Deco on the Delaware: Picnic in Roaring 20’s Fashion at Glen Foerd Mansion in Philadelphia, PA
Picture-perfect and pastoral picnic. I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything. – F. Scott Fitzgerald Story, photos by Sharon Kozden When finding out about 20’s themed party at the Glen Foerd estate and mansion along the Delaware River, and that the event’s theme was “Deco on the Delaware,” my first thought was, “What to wear?” An English major, my thoughts quickly turned “all things Gatsby,” specifically the two flawed characters, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. I’d read somewhere that F. Scott- and Zelda Fitzgerald were known as the Jazz Age’s “Golden Couple”. I located the perfect flapper dress at Phoenixville-based LuLu Boutique & Gifterie. It was…
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Xolo Tacos in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Dishes Out Delicious Mexican Food
Double-duty welcome! Story, photos by Sharon Kozden I had a hankering recently for something with a bit of spice and sizzle. I found my hanker-worthy sizzler of a dinner with a platter of fajitas at Xolo Tacos, billed as a Taqueria and Tequila Bar in beautiful Bryn Mawr, PA. Did I mention it was my birthday dinner? I’m one of those birthday- and anniversary-specific divas, who believes in maximizing celebratory antics. And if the day falls on a Friday or a Monday, I’m in heaven, anticipating a three day- and night-long event. I know someone who refers to her special day as “Birthday Month.” Girlfriend’s got me beat. Naturally, I…
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Round of Applause for Bravo! Cucina Italiania in Lehigh Valley Mall, Pennsylvania
Story, photos by Sharon Kozden While June 6th is known far and wide as the anniversary of 1944’s “D-Day Invasion,” it’s overshadowed each year in my family by the occasion of my mother’s birthday. She turned 91 this year (her longevity secret’s a secret!), and I was pleased that she could accompany me to Bravo! Cucina Italiana for a celebratory dinner. The day was a hot one. Consequently, I was concerned the heat would cause appetite suppression, resulting in side-salads-as-entrée orders rather than the anticipated chow-down with gusto. But no worries necessary as, once inside, the cool air hit and the foodie fest was on! Bravo! Cucina Italiana is a…
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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…
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SPiN into a Funky Ping Pong Bar at Newest Spot in Philadelphia
Story, photos by Jennifer Ferrell In the spring of 2007, Friday night ping pong parties in a Tribeca loft hosted by Jonathan Bricklin and Franck Raharinosy, known as “naked ping-pong”, quickly grew from a few friends to a few hundred. Artists, models, bankers, hipsters and celebrities mingled to create quite a SPiN. In the summer of 2009, Bricklin and Raharinosy joined forces with Andrew Gordon to launch SPiN, with the opening of its flagship location in New York City. Today, SPiN has grown into a global brand, with venues in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Philadelphia, Seattle, Austin, and soon Washington, D.C. with more on the way. Except nobody is…
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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…
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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…
