• About Us
  • CassieHepler.com
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Explore With Cassie

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

  • About Us
  • CassieHepler.com
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • CassieHepler.com
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • CassieHepler.com
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

No Widgets found in the Sidebar Alt!

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

    Philly’s Landmark Americana Tap and Grill Delivers Good Grub

    July 4, 2018 /

    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…

    read more
    Sharon Kozden

    You May Also Like

    Explore with Cassie Celebrates 5 Years of Lifestyle and Travel Blogging

    March 5, 2020

    Pennsylvania SPCA Gives Something to Bark About at 10th Annual Bark & Whine Gala

    May 15, 2023

    Philadelphia’s Nightmare Before Tinsel Halloween Pop-up Complements Day of the Dead

    October 21, 2020
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Tasty Wings, Burgers and Beer at P.J. Whelihan’s Pub & Restaurant in Oaks, PA

    June 21, 2018 /

    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…

    read more
    Jill Beckel

    You May Also Like

    Stay at Affordable Architectural Gem Medieval Town of Avignon, France

    January 5, 2026

    Four Diamond We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort Offers Stay and Play Adventures

    June 17, 2021

    Explore Retro El Cortez Hotel and Casino on Fremont Street in Las Vegas, Nevada

    February 24, 2025
  • 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.…

    read more
    Sharon Kozden

    You May Also Like

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

    August 31, 2018

    Cruise Along the Pacific Beach on 17 Mile Drive in Monterey, California

    April 19, 2018

    Live Out Your Wild West Fantasies at White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona

    August 18, 2020
  • Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    The Place to ‘Vie’ was Philly Wine Week’s ‘Opening Corks’ Event

    May 24, 2018 /

    Hip hip valet (parking)! “The best way to learn about wine is in the drinking.” – Alexis Lichine Story, photos by Sharon Kozden I don’t do beer. Exception: when at Citizens Bank Park, cheering on the Phightins’. Neither is hard liquor my cuppa char. Exception: Margaritas. I just like reading drink menus’ whimsical “drinks with names” (as I call them) – creative descriptions of specialty cocktails. Same with cookbooks. Not being a cook doesn’t stop me from appreciating the photos, asides and foreign-sounding ingredients. So no brew. Nothing hardcore. What remains? WINE. Now we’re talking! Wine is in a glass (and a class) by itself, as was the 5th Annual…

    read more
    Sharon Kozden

    You May Also Like

    Fall in Love with Whistler in British Columbia, Canada in Autumn

    August 15, 2019

    JDRF Celebrates Hope with One Promise Gala at Loews Philadelphia

    August 1, 2018

    Scotland’s Glenmorangie Whisky Launches Spicy Spios at Holt’s Cigar in Philadelphia

    September 4, 2018
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Shake Shack’s Chicken Creation is White Hot Meaty Goodness!

    May 16, 2018 /

    Story by Kelly Kusumoto, photos by Colleen Cahill Shake Shack unveiled its newest item to an already difficult-to-choose-from menu. The “Hot Chick’n” sandwich made its debut and ever since it has been taking over sales at the King of Prussia establishment. Store manager Charlotte was kind enough to take a few minutes from her hectic schedule to tell us a little more about it. She said there had been more orders for the new sandwich than for their regular chicken sandwich and that it is on par with sales for their famous ShackBurgers over the past week. While we were waiting for our food, we overheard patrons say they’d rather…

    read more
    Kelly Kusumoto

    You May Also Like

    Live Out Your Mermaid Fantasies in a Shipping Container Pool Studio

    July 15, 2024

    The Big Island Secrets of Hawaii

    July 10, 2023

    Marriott Irvine Spectrum Offers Restful, Upscale Hotel to Explore Orange County, California

    October 6, 2025
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Enjoy Upscale, Eclectic Asian Food at Yangming in Bryn Mawr

    March 28, 2018 /

      Run, don’t WOK! “we are the fortunate cookies, we who were flat but now curl moonlike around thick middles, cradling happy advice and lucky numbers in our crisp bellies” – Unknown Story, photos by Sharon Kozden While Walt Whitman sang his praises of the “body electric,” I’m here to sing similarly about Yangming’s foodstuffs eclectic. Yangming is an upscale, never-duplicated, well-known and loved establishment, offering an eclectic bounty of Chinese and Asian fusion cuisine. The cocktail offerings are creative, the wine list award-winning and the desserts a blend of either decadent or light. Indulge in the sweetest of treats or restrain with a fresh berry-based, naturally sugared more healthfhttp://yangmingrestaurant.com/reviews/ul choice. Lychee nuts…

    read more
    Sharon Kozden

    You May Also Like

    Harvest the Moon’s Energy to Live Your Best Spring Equinox Life

    March 17, 2025

    Explore the Center of the World in Felicity, California

    April 13, 2026

    Say Yes to the Wedding Dress at Nicole Miller Bridal Trunk Show

    March 22, 2018
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Old Man Winter Is No Match for Zoup’s! Comfort Soup

    March 7, 2018 /

    “A Jewish woman had two chickens. One got sick, so the woman made chicken soup out of the other one to help the sick one get well.” – Henny Youngman Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Full disclosure: I don’t much care for soup. I fault my mom for that as well as for having sent me to charm school at 12 years of age. But that’s another story altogether, which I’ll reserve for my memoir. The onset of my soup-phobia began in childhood, when our soup staples alternated between thin chicken-noodle with two pea-sized bits of poultry of questionable authenticity. It’s alternative was chicken with rice, equally runny and with the same meager addition of a barely-there protein…

    read more
    Sharon Kozden

    You May Also Like

    Amina Slays Southern Cuisine with African Influences in Old City, Philadelphia

    August 12, 2024

    Crawlin’ with the Undead in Northern Libertie’s Zombie Invasion

    November 8, 2017

    Don’t Steal from the Petrified Forest in Arizona

    April 23, 2021
  • Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News

    The Inn at Villanova: Brainstorm and Stay the Nova Way at New Hotel

    January 18, 2018 /

    Story, photos by Sharon Kozden I’m no architect, but am I “Wright” in vibing something “Frank Lloydian” at the eye-catching entrance? Arrows point the way. There’s a new kid in town – a new kid on the Main Line’s block. Erstwhile Villanova Conference Center, previously run by Aramark, closed in November, 2016. Fast forward to July 1, when The Inn at Villanova set out its welcome mat to public and community alike, proudly presenting a sleek, ultramodern and fully renovated 56-roomed hotel and conference center situated on the 32-acre site of the former Montrose Estate, home to its historic Montrose Mansion. Moreover, Villanova University is now firmly entrenched in the owner-operator seat. Boasting 14 innovative meeting rooms and a ballroom…

    read more
    Sharon Kozden

    You May Also Like

    Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Fall Foliage Spots to Visit this Fall

    September 8, 2025

    Step Into Art Deco Opulence at Loews Philadelphia Hotel

    September 2, 2024

    Make the Most of Your Visit to Los Angeles, California

    September 20, 2019
  • Day Trips,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Saint Benjamin Brewery Offers Craft Beer with a Side of History

    December 19, 2017 /

    Story, photos by Dana J. Prophet If you drive a bit past Temple University’s Main Campus, you’ll come to a brewery and tap room that’s within the Kensington section of the city. Saint Benjamin Brewery offers modern brewing techniques and also holds onto history that reaches back to the days of prohibition while presenting both distinctive and magical craft brews along with a menu of tantalizing food. The brewery is nestled within the middle of the street and it was also previously a historic carriage house and stables of the defunct Theo Finkenauer Brewery. Sadly, that brewery is now an empty lot. Fear not though because Saint Benjamin has all…

    read more
    Dana Prophet

    You May Also Like

    Best Hidden Gem Hiking in Las Vegas, Nevada

    March 16, 2026

    Don’t Steal from the Petrified Forest in Arizona

    April 23, 2021

    Animatronic ‘Xtreme Bugs’ Invade Philly’s Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University

    November 20, 2018
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Eighth Annual Audi Feastival Celebrates FringeArts 21st Birthday

    December 6, 2017 /

    Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “I think eating is one of the most delectable experiences of radiant, sweet, sour, hot splashes biting at your taste buds that you could ever have. Now imagine knowing how to maneuver and manage these flavors from a cook’s perspective. Pure power.”  – Christopher Staab I’m remembering with gastronomic bliss the evening of September 28th, when Audi FEASTIVAL joined FringeArts for what arguably deserves its reputation as Philadelphia’s “Party of the Year.” For eight years running, an assembly of over 75 of Philadelphia’s renowned restaurants and bars has combined their award-winning fare samplings with FringeArts raise-the-bar, always innovative entertainment, artistic and cultural wonderment. FEASTIVAL first came to light, life and belly (in…

    read more
    Sharon Kozden

    You May Also Like

    Anthrax Guitarist Scott Ian dubs Atlantic City’s Iron Room a “Fancy Pants Bourbon Bar”

    February 24, 2015

    Deco on the Delaware: Picnic in Roaring 20’s Fashion at Glen Foerd Mansion in Philadelphia, PA

    September 25, 2018

    Four-Diamond Loews Philadelphia Hotel Welcomes Guests Like Family

    September 24, 2023
 Older Posts
Newer Posts 

Recent Posts

  • Unique Things to Do in Ocho Rios and Kingston, Jamaica
  • Flip the Script about Kingston, Jamaica with Locally Owned S Hotel Kingston
  • Unique Things to Do in Montego Bay, Jamaica
  • Refresh your Soul in the Turquoise Caribbean Sea at S Hotel Montego Bay, Jamaica
  • Go Truffle Hunting, Foraging for Flowers & Shopping in Force with Italy Charme

Categories

  • Day Trips
  • Destinations
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Explore with Cassie
  • Food & Beverage
  • Latest News
  • Lifestyle
Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved · ExploreWithCassie.com and CassieHepler.com.
Ashe Theme by WP Royal.