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Explore With Cassie

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

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  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    An Apple a Day Doesn’t Keep the Judges Away: Best In Pomme at Manayunk’s StrEAT Food Festival

    November 9, 2017 /

    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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    Sharon Kozden

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  • Explore with Cassie

    Meltdown at Ruby’s Diner with Debut of 35th Anniversary Burger

    September 27, 2017 /

    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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    Sharon Kozden

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    Three Philly Restaurants Compete in James Beard Foundation’s Mushroom Blended Burger Project

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

    Get Licked at Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero ‘Yappy Hour’ Benefit During Dog Days of Summer

    August 15, 2017 /

      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…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Exploring the South End of the Strip at The Berkley, Las Vegas in Nevada

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  • Destinations,  Entertainment,  Food & Beverage

    18 Atlantic City Restaurants with Waterfront Views

    April 23, 2015 /

    Thanks to its location on a band of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Absecon Inlet, Atlantic City, New Jersey is surrounded by water. Restaurateurs have ample opportunity to capitalize on this asset by designing dining rooms and decks to maximize the “ooh” factor of the resort city’s priceless views. And with dining options from luxury to casual there is a restaurant with an ocean view to suit every taste. Here is a sample of options inside the casinos and around town. Inside the Casinos Capriccio: One of the most acclaimed and highly regarded fine-dining establishments in Atlantic City for decades, Capriccio at Resorts is a Zagat-rated AC institution…

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    Whitney Ullman

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

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    July 20, 2017
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