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Explore With Cassie

Lifestyle & travel blog finding the unusual out of the ordinary.

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  • Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Chow Down Casual Comfort Food at Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille in North Wales, PA

    February 6, 2019 /

    Lighting paints the bar’s liquor bottles green or “greene,” as it were. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden What do you do when you don’t feel like dolling up for a four-star restaurant experience, yet you also don’t want to hole up at home with takeaway, and the effort involved in cooking a meal is just too daunting? What works for me is what lies between, namely a sports-bar and grill’s casual dining experience. No primping necessary. It’s doubtful anyone would even notice if I wore jammies, as so many sports-bar enthusiasts are typically tuned into some sort of game on one of the plethora of televisions lining the bar area…

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    Sharon Kozden

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  • Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Three Time James Beard Award Winner Chef Sherry Yard Tantalizes Tastebuds with Tanzy Restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona

    November 28, 2018 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Located right next to the new, pimped out iPic Theaters in Scottsdale, Arizona, Tanzy restaurant also had a makeover recently. Award-winning Chef Sherry Yard, Chief Operating Officer for iPic® Theaters and Tuck Hospitality Group, is proud to introduce the new Tanzy Restaurant in Scottsdale. Presenting a new menu featuring garden-fresh ingredients and handmade dishes inspired by bold flavors and delicate techniques, Tanzy’s offerings are complemented by Executive Bartender/Corporate Sommelier Adam Seger’s innovative beverage program. Tanzy’s artisanal Italian concept remains the prominent backbone of the restaurant’s new menu, which features time-tested classics alongside original new dishes, all of which are handmade under Yard’s direction by Tanzy’s Corporate…

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    Cassie Hepler

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  • Destinations,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Blown Away by Bank and Bourbon’s Fine Dining at Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA

    October 16, 2018 /

    Photos, story by Lauren Aynn From the moment you enter Bank & Bourbon, you know you are in for a first class experience located inside Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. Upon entering for the first time, I was in awe of the atmosphere they have created. From the wooden beams and exposed pipes on the ceiling, to the tufted leather banquettes, Bank & Bourbon offers up a space filled with a rustic, yet modern opulence.               The bar itself features a “bourbon barrel-aging program for unique house-aged cocktails and liquors” as well as a list of craft beers and wine. Also for the coffee lovers like myself Bank &…

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    Lauren Welinsky

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    Watch Out for Altitude Sickness in Sparkling South Lake Tahoe, Nevada

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    Century Grand Phoenix Transports Guests into Locomotive Luxury Era

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    Hike Point Lobos State Park in Monterey, California Where Land Meets Sea for Spectacular Views

    August 31, 2018
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Xolo Tacos in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Dishes Out Delicious Mexican Food

    September 20, 2018 /

    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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    Sharon Kozden

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    Get Tipsy, Enjoy Jose Garces’ Food, City Views at Balcony Bar at The Kimmel Center

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    JDRF Celebrates Hope with One Promise Gala at Loews Philadelphia

    August 1, 2018
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Round of Applause for Bravo! Cucina Italiania in Lehigh Valley Mall, Pennsylvania

    September 19, 2018 /

    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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    Sharon Kozden

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    Feast Your Eyes and Soothe Your Spirit on the Fresh Foodie Trail in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona

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    Full Breakdown of Flavors on the Avenue Street Festival Featuring 27 Award-Winning Restaurants

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  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage

    Membership Not Required at Springfield Country Club’s Tavola Restaurant

    September 12, 2018 /

    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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    Sharon Kozden

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  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Escape to Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch Resort for Otherworldly Cuisine

    August 21, 2018 /

    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…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Dreaming of Tropical Paradise? Explore Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

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    Cirque du Soleil’s VOLTA Electrifies Audiences Under the Big Top in Oaks, PA

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  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Redz Restaurant Inside DoubleTree Suites in Mount Laurel, N.J. Sizzles for Brunch

    July 24, 2018 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Redz Restaurant connected to the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton is known for their American inspired fare in Mount Laurel, N.J. But what most people don’t know is they work with local New Jersey farm stands to add farm-fresh lunch and dinner options with seasonal flair. Seasonal and recently added lunch and dinner menu items feature Jersey fresh produce and locally sourced ingredients. On the lunch menu, patrons can find healthy options like the Spinach Salad with Seasonal Fruit’ for $12 and an “Of the Day” section highlighting the kitchen’s choice of Soup du Jour for $8 ranging from Jersey tomato-sweet gazpacho or heart healthy asparagus puree to Quesadilla of the…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Balboa Supper Club and Stateside Vodka Perform a Festivus Miracle!

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    It’s a Wrap: Philly Fireworks Ends Wawa Welcome America 2018

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  • Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Fox 29’s Karen Hepp’s Tasty Talks Rocks at Yangming in Bryn Mawr, PA

    July 17, 2018 /

    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…

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    Sharon Kozden

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  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Lifestyle

    Escape to Foodie Paradise at Bucks County Restaurant Week in Washington House Hotel

    June 6, 2018 /

    The Washington House Restaurant’s prix fixe menu tantalizes in its choices. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “Going to a restaurant is one of my keenest pleasures. Meeting someplace with old and new friends, ordering wine, eating food, surrounded by strangers, I think is the core of what it means to live a civilized life.”  –Adam Gopnik I’m not sure why it took so long for Bucks County to establish a restaurant week comprising all of its towns. I’m just glad that 2018 was its inaugural year and that I was a part of it. Hopefully (and judging by what I tasted and witnessed), it’ll become a tradition for the ages.…

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    Sharon Kozden

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