-
Vault Brewing Company Expands Bank Brewery to Yardley Warehouse
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Located in the suburbs of Philly, the Victorian town of Yardley in Bucks County houses Vault Brewing who does not consider themselves a bar, a pub or even a traditional brewery. Entering in the “faux vault entryway,” you’ll notice you may have entered an old school bank except that the entire brewery and wood-fired kitchen oven are completely open to view. The brewery that once sat directly behind the bar is now expanding down the street and up the hill. The décor is a combination of regal bank, stark industrial, old-world and modern. What is not modern is there are no TVs, pub traditional menu items and no pop or rock…
- Culture, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Fashion, Food, Latest News, Music, Restaurants, Style
Mixing and Mingling at the Philadelphia Wine and Cocktail Festival at Sugarhouse Casino
Story, photos by Jill Beckel The Philadelphia Wine & Cocktail Festival was the perfect event for wine connoisseurs, mixologists and just about anyone who loves a great wine or cocktail. The event took place at the brand new Event Center at Sugarhouse Casino. General admission for $40 included dozens of wine and cocktail samples in a custom sampling glass. VIP admission tickets went for $60 and included unlimited wine and cocktail samples, extra VIP-only wines and cocktails, a custom sampling glass and also allowed an hour early entry to the event to beat the rush. All attendees also received $20 in free slot play (new rewards members, $10 current members) at SugarHouse Casino. Event-goers…
-
6th Annual Dinèr En Blanc Takes Over Franklin Square for Biggest Fête Yet
Story, photos by Tyra Gardner Philadelphia hosted the 6th Annual Diner En Blanc Pop Up Dinner on a summer Thursday in August 2017. This is one of the highly anticipated premier events of the summer with 5,300 attendees starting at 6 p.m. All attendees dress in all white, meet at various designated locations throughout the city from 30th Street Station to the Sugar House Casino, some attendees walked from their locations while others that were at further locations were escorted their by Group Leaders on Chartered Buses. Each attendee was to bring their white fold up chairs, roll up tables, white table linens, white china wine glasses and picnic baskets…
-
Wine Loving Tria Taproom Adds Cocktails to the Boozy Menu
Story by Tiffany DuBois, photos by Eric Morales On a beautiful and warm afternoon, local Philly favorite Tria Taproom launched a new series of cocktails that will leave you feeling really good. The trio of Tria restaurants have always been known for their incredible selection of wine and craft beers but now they have thrown their hat into the cocktail ring with four new cocktails and all four were delicious. Your hardest decision will be which one to try first. I recommend you try them all but make sure you have a safe way to get home afterwards! Tria has always been in the forefront of being environmentally conscience. There…
-
Garces Foundation Gala Urges to Think Local, Give Local at Lowes Hotel
Story by Jennifer Ferrell, photos by Renee DiPietro “America is immigrants.”- Chef Jose Garces The Think Local, Give Local Gala hosted by Philadelphia’s very own restauranteur and Iron Chef, Jose Garces, gave patrons an opportunity to aid in the Garces Foundation created to benefit Philadelphia’s immigrant community. As a child of immigrants hailing from Ecuador, Garces’ created a foundation that provides health and education services to the underserved immigrant population under his employment. To celebrate this worthy cause, the gala, held at the Loews Hotel in Center City, boasted delicious tastings from numerous Philadelphia restaurants while attendees bid silently on food themed items whilst sipping Tito’s Homemade Vodka and tasty wine.…
-
Carrabba’s Italian Grill Begins Wine Pairing Dinners for a Steal
Story by Meg Arbo Let’s face it, Tuesday is generally nothing to get excited about. In fact, it can be pretty ho-hum at best. So when Explore Philly was invited to a wine pairing meal at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Willow Grove, we were pretty happy because, hey, that beats the usual Tuesday night of nothingness. This was a chainwide, national event for Carrabba’s and was touted as the World’s Largest Wine Dinner with over 4000 bottles of wine uncorked for the 7000 diners’ viticultural pleasure. Four curated wines with four courses for $40 – a steal! The dinner began with a salad course with a Northern Italian pinot grigio…
-
Chaddsford Winery Delves into Wine Pairing Dinners with The Vitner’s Table
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler The Vintner’s Table is an intimate, five-course pairing dinner that makes drinking wine accessible, familiar, and fun throughout the changing seasons of the year at Chaddsford Winery in Chaddsford, Pa. Whether you’re a wine rookie or veteran connoisseur, take a seat at the table to explore seasonal wine-and-food pairings, experience a range of wine styles, and enjoy an educational and exceptional, five-course tasting menu. Our dinner started at 6 p.m. and with the falling back time change, we arrived early to capture that beautiful sunset and twilight hour which we highly recommend to get in the country groove. The winery also requests that you arrive on time to not hold…
-
French Wine Dinner at Lou Bird’s Full of Great Food, Company and All The Wines
Story, photos by Jennifer Ferrell On a chilly Thursday evening, I had the pleasure of dining at Lou Bird‘s warm brick and wooden elegant neighborhood bar and restaurant. The restaurant hosted a French wine pairing cuisine price fix menu. Greeted with a friendly face and a warm handshake at the front door, I was shown to my seat at the bar. Immediately upon arrival, I was greeted by the bartender, Shane who ended up tending to filling my wine glasses and delivering my delicious colorful plates. I immediately felt at home under the red glow from the specially selected votives adorning the bar. I met with the owner, Norris Jordan,…
-
Back to School to Solve the Food and Wine Pairing Puzzle at Drexel’s Center for Hospitality
Story, photos by Dana J. Prophet Most people choose a wine that’s their favorite, suggested by a server or sommelier, or whatever is on sale. What most amateur oenophiles don’t know is that the meal’s components (sauce, protein, sweetness, and/or acidity) will affect the taste of the wine. Hannah Bellemare (formerly Dalälva) teaches lovers of wine the intrinsic properties of how one wine should be enjoyed with what type of food. Hannah is a Gastro-Sommelier who currently runs Dalälva Wine Tastings & Consulting in Philadelphia. More than a flow chart of what works and what doesn’t, students learn that where a wine comes from makes a difference as much as how it vinified. Although you…
-
Husband and Wife Duo Making Waves with Balboa Supper Club at New Hope Winery
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Don’t let New Hope Winery fool you. There is not a vineyard there, the grapes are actually located in Erie, Pa. and shipped all the way to New Hope, Pa. Well known for its sweet Pennsylvania table wine, the charming wine and gift shop is housed in a rustic 18th century barn, located right between New Hope and Peddler’s Village since 1993. The New Hope Winery showcases a large selection of fine Pa wines, accessories and gourmet foods from light, fruity whites and versatile blush wines to sophisticated reds and of course seasonal fruit wines. The tagline there is, “We’re not just a winery!” and that is…