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CiderFest Rules Fairmount Park’s Historic Houses in Philadelphia
Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “The older I get, the more I become an apple pie, sparkling cider kind of guy.” – Scott Foley What was Fairmount Park Conservancy thinking on the perfect autumnal afternoon in late September when introducing CiderFest, featuring cider samples from over 20 Pennsylvania cideries, self-guided tours of the six historic houses at Fairmount Park, free house-to-house transportation, live music and pay-as-you-go food trucks? I’d say they had their thinking caps spot-on with the aforementioned perfect confab of fall delights. Proceeds from the event benefitted the “ongoing stewardship, maintenance and promotion of the Historic Houses of Fairmount Park.” That alone was more than enough for this itsy bitsy spider to drink from the…
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An Apple a Day Doesn’t Keep the Judges Away: Best In Pomme at Manayunk’s StrEAT Food Festival
Chowing in the StrEAT (sorry, not sorry to Bruce Springsteen’s “Racing in the Street”). Kicking off Restaurant Week is the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits.” – Henry David Thoreau Autumn and apples “pear” well together. What can I say about this pun but that I’m fruity? Separating fall from those crisp, pomaceous and antioxidant-laden fruits would be akin to depriving myself of post-meal desserts. So when I was pegged (along with Explore-Philly team member Dana Prophet and Dana’s friend Amy) to spend two hours judging the best apple-themed desserts at Manayunk’s StrEAT Food Festival on the evening of September 14th, I was all in. Arriving at a…
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Bar Amis Adding Flavor to Vetri Empire at Navy Yard
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Bye bye Lo Spiedo and hellooooo Bar Amis! The Vetri Family empire replaces Lo Spiedo with Bar Amis at the Navy Yard and we welcome this new concept in its place. Located right next to the Navy Yard gate at 4503 South Broad Street, executive chef Brad Spence takes the helm of this Italian tapas style eatery. Another location opened in Westport, CT this year but in order to save yourself the hike, we’ll cover the East Coast location. The spacious location offers whatever dining style you may feel that day – indoor bar style setting, more formal dining upstairs and outside patio style with views of the magnificent…
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The Turtle Always Wins the Race at Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille
Photos / Story by Jill Beckel Explore Philly recently got a chance to check out the brand new Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille in North Wales and we had a blast! From tasty appetizers and filling entrees to fancy happy hour drinks, the Greene Turtle has something for everyone. Whether you want to stop in for Happy Hour with some coworkers, have a nice family dinner, or catch the game, the Greene Turtle is the perfect spot. The atmosphere is welcoming, fun and relaxing. “The Greene Turtle is more than a sports bar and grille. We believe in being a community hangout for all ages, that serves great food and drinks…
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Boardroom Spirits Distillery Launches ‘C’ Made Entirely from Raw Carrots at Aldine
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler What’s up, doc? Someone had to do it… take carrots and make booze out of it. And we’re glad it was a relatively new startup company Boardroom Spirits from Lansdale with awards to back them up. C, a first-of-its-kind 92-proof eau de vie-style spirit created entirely from carrots, literally and figuratively, follows ‘B’, distilled entirely from beets, and is expected to have the same kitchen to bar versatility. Sold in their Lansdale, PA Distillery, it is available at Aldine, Martha, and Harvest as well as nationally through Ezra’s. It takes about 12.5 pounds of carrots to create one 375 Ml bottle of C. Much like all of Boardroom Spirit…
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From Farm to Home Grass Fed Meat Delivery, Lil’ Ponderosa is a Grill Master’s Dream
Story by Explore Philly, Photos courtesy of Lil’ Ponderosa Lil’ Ponderosa is a new farm-to-home grass-fed meat service for Philadelphia and surrounding areas. The sustainable ranch based near Lancaster, PA provides grass-fed meat for its own award-winning farm-to-table restaurant John J. Jeffries, and now offers its meats through special combination boxes and a monthly subscription service. Shop all cuts of beef and organ meat, house-made jerky, and farm heritage pasteurized pork from the neighboring farm. Now carnivores don’t even need to move off the couch to order home delivery of locally raised grass-fed beef and pork products. Products are currently available a la carte or in special combination boxes, and…
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Meltdown at Ruby’s Diner with Debut of 35th Anniversary Burger
Photos, story by Sharon Kozden Celebrating 35 years of all-American classics, Ruby’s Diner has introduced a new, aptly named 35th Anniversary Burger. As a kid, a burger dine-out the Kozden way meant a meal comprised of single patty, small order of fries and an equally small-sized cola. No frills, no deviation from the spare. Little Sharon, a minimalist before her time. My father had four hungry mouths to feed on a humble meter reader’s salary, which ensured that I lived for years in ignorance of the vast and varied manners in which foodstuffs could be prepared. Descendant on both sides from Anthracite coal miners (as far from to-the-manor-born as one can get), imagine my bugged-out eyes when I discovered such grub-stuffs as toppings,…
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Sit Outside and Enjoy Sunset Views, Chews at Winnie’s LeBus in Manayunk
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Winnie’s in Manayunk is a Main Street Manayunk staple, full of fresh food and sweet sunny – or sunset – views. Usually I always do brunch or lunch there and once upon a time, they did quizzo during happy hour for a steal and I would leave every night with a ridiculously large chocolate cupcake as a snack for later. This time we were invited for a lazy Sunday dinner with a fresh abundance of summer fruits and vegetables prepared the homemade way. In a culture of pre-prepped, packaged and ready-to-eat, it’s nice to know that there are still some hometown Philly favorites that are…
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Era Ethiopian Bar and Restaurant Expands to Breezy Sidewalk Cafe
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler If you know where the Philadelphia Zoo is located, Era Bar & Restaurant is about a mile from there. Where North Philly meets West Philly, you can find this hidden gem for over 15 years in Brewerytown. A fantastic new addition to the row home bar and restaurant is the outside patio space where guests can people watch, feel the summer breeze and enjoy sunsets with a medley of music rolling by in various cars. What makes this place unique is there is something for everyone. You can be adventurous and eat your way through traditional Ethiopian cuisine, you can play pool in the throwback…
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Get Licked at Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero ‘Yappy Hour’ Benefit During Dog Days of Summer
Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Welcome to the dog days of summer. The Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero Lounge hosted their inaugural Yappy Hour to benefit Hemlock Edge Rescue, a non-profit organization “dedicated to rescuing homeless, abandoned and abused animals”. As I made my way to the iconic hotel on one of the hottest days to date, I pondered the dog days of summer phrase. Its perception as we know it – one of listless and seemingly catatonic canines stilled by heat so sultry and oppressive – allowed me to feel at one with man’s best friend. I ascended the Ritz-Carlton’s steps, panting and tugging my dress loose from sticky skin as sweat rivulets collected…
