This Weekend: WaWa Welcome America, Taste of Philadelphia & Fireworks at Penn's Landing

Ok Philly - prepare for the tourist onslaught. Believe it or not, July 4th celebrations begin tomorrow here in the city. On Friday, June 24, the WaWa Welcome America Festival will kick off 11 days of events and activities.

There will be street closures, lines for cheesesteaks and of course, walking through Center City / Old City will become abominable.

On the bright side, for those of us who live here and simply pass by all the historical sights on our ways to and fro, it may be just the reason we need to slow down and appreciate our fair city.

Start with the three-day long Taste of Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing this Friday, June 24 from 5pm – 9pm, Saturday, June 25 from 11am – 10pm, and Sunday, June 26 from 11am – 7pm. The event has grown so large that it’s now spilling out of the event area and down the Chestnut Street ramp to Front Street.

There will be music, food trucks and tables with tastes from some of the city’s best chefs. Entertainment and admission are free, but the food does cost.

Saturday will also bring the first of three fireworks displays, this one at Penn’s Landing around 9:30pm.

Will Philly’s Shake Shack Have a VIP Grill?

With the newly confirmed information that NYC’s Shake Shack will be opening up here in Philadelphia, the city’s foodies and bloggers are all a-buzz. Some seem to be over the burger binge. Others seem to be more excited.

I am included in the latter. During an overnight to New York in May, I got the chance to try out a little Shake Shack myself. I am sold. The burgers are totally delicious and I can’t wait for the Philly location to open at 20th and Sansom next year.

But there’s more to the story than whether or not a foie covered burger tops whatever the secret sauce is on the Shack’s. There are doggie treats on the menu named the Puchini; a total win. And even more impressive / amusing, the alleged VIP grill saved just for New York’s most elite customers.

As New Yorkers go, and pretty much anywhere else, getting a VIP in is a must. And at the newly opened Shake Shack at 1 WTC, mediaistro's fishbowlny blog reported that there’s a special grill set aside for the Goldman Sachs employees, so that the long lines and waits may be avoided.

If in fact this is true, which it seems to be, my question is:

Will Philly get a VIP Grill?

It’ll be better than pre-ordering 5 Guys and beating the line for pickup! I can’t wait to find out who makes the VIP cut.

Beer Camp Philly at Jamaican Jerk Hut

Beer Camp, the oh-so-popular home brewer festival, is back and this time, it’s happening during all of the excitement of Beer Week. On Saturday, June 4, from 6pm – 9pm, the Jamaican Jerk Hut will host 10 different teams of home brewers and all the local beer enthusiasts that the colorful field can fit.

Collectively, the teams have produced nearly 100 gallons of over 20 different flavors and style of beer to sample.

Tickets to the event are $35 each and include entrance, beer, food by Jamaican Jerk Hut, and a takeaway Beer Camp pint glass with a 4oz tasting line printed on the side.

There are also VIP tickets available that will get beer lovers in the door an hour early to try out the local home brews with the brewers themselves from 5pm – 6pm. There are a limited number of VIP tickets available and they’re going to sell out quickly.

For more information, check out beercampphilly.com. Click Here for Tickets!

Jamaican Jerk Hut 1436 South St. Philadelphia, PA 19146

Berwyn Chef Goes Green in a Big Way

These days, everyone is under tremendous pressure to conform to the new green standards of living and business. And for local chefs the spotlight is shining brightly. Not only do sustainable practices make for good buzz, increasingly, diners and patrons are calling for local and plentiful food sources.

In Berwyn, Chef Patrick Feury and his partner Henry Chu of Nectar are blazing a trail when it comes their dedication to renewable, sustainable and local resources. The Nectar team is in the process of installing the largest solar panel system in the county, made up of 238 panels, at a cost of roughly $300,000. A government subsidy will ease about 30% of the cost for the restaurant’s investors.

The system should be up and running by June and will generate enough electricity to cover 30% of the restaurants total energy bill.

Adding another layer to the locally sourced produce used to compliment the sustainable seafood Feury continues to offer, a new patio garden will also be added to the property featuring vegetables and herbs used frequently in Nectar’s menu. Feury will also be launching a composting program in order to fertilize the new garden.

Nectar 1901 Lancaster Ave. Berwyn, PA 19312

Everyone’s Italian at the Italian Market Festival

Generations of supporters and patrons will fill the streets in celebration of the nation’s oldest outdoor market and one of Philadelphia’s most notable attractions (thanks Rocky) during The Italian Market Festival this Saturday and Sunday, May 14 – 15. From 10am – 5pm, rain or shine, come out to celebrate and appreciate the history and impact that the Italian Market has made over the past 100 years. There will be food, drinks, music and most importantly, families.

As a kid who grew up in South Philly, there’s something very special about the Italian Market, aka 9th Street. Wandering the crowded market on the weekends with my grandparents – the smells, the sights, and the sounds will be forever branded into my memory. As will trying to choke down a hunk of cheese without a drink at the tender age of nine.

Some things never change; they just become appreciated. And for those who grew up shopping for cleaning supplies and produce with their families, choking down cheeses and pointing at dead fish, this weekend is for you.

This year, there will be three stages set up along 9th street with music for all ages. The festival’s Main Stage will be set up at 9th & Washington where WMGK will be pumping out classic rock. On 9th & Christian, DJs will be spinning 9th Street dance and party favorites – a little Sinatra and Dean Martin are probably a solid bet. And on 9th & Federal, expect a mix of music and entertainment.

A new addition to the festivities this year will be the Half Ball Tournament to benefit The Mummer’s Fancy Brigades. Three-man teams will compete in elimination rounds at the Christopher Columbus Charter School at 9th and Christian.

And this year, the party doesn’t end at 5pm; keep the party going at South Philly Bar & Grill on 9th and Passyunk. SPB&G will be featuring an Italian tasting menu as well as Italian drink specials including $3 anisette shots, $4 Peronis, $4 sambuca shots, $4 Limoni Di Sicilia shots, $5 Sangrias. There will be Italian music, entertainment, prizes and give-aways.


Check out the Italian Market Festival website for more information.