Year in year out the South Street Head-House District is the city's most enduring and always exciting dining and entertainment destination. And more than ever before South Street is the best place to dine in all of Philadelphia.

3rd Annual “8 Days of Eats” Dining Week Wednesday April 29 thru May 7

With over 100 restaurants and casual eateries in the South Street area, there is no better place to eat in Philadelphia! The area's dramatic resurgence of great restaurants continues with the recent opening of the highly acclaimed Supper 926 South St., Las Bugambilias 148 South St., Irish Times 2nd & Bainbridge, and Coquette 5th & Bainbridge. Still going strong are other standouts from recent years Xochitl (so-cheet), Zot, Tori's, Ansill and Gayle.

And South Street has also become a Mecca for home cooking too since the enormously successful season of the Food Trust Head-House Farmer’s Market, which will start again May 3rd and held every Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 2 pm through Thanksgiving.

To celebrate good eating on South Street, the District hosts this 8-day dining event April 30 – May 7 offering discounted $30 dining specials at many of the most popular restaurants and small eateries. Since the”8 Days of Eats” falls on two Wednesdays, parking throughout the South Street area is FREE for two of the 8 days!

“8 Days of Eats” Kick-Off Party: Tuesday, April 29, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Participating restaurants and sponsors host a menu sampling and refreshments Restaurant Festival at the Historic Head-House. This event is open to the public with $10 per person donations to go to the Head-House Conservancy, which maintains the historic Head-House.

Participating restaurants include: Bistro Romano – Bridget Foy’s – Chicks Café & Wine Bar – Core de Roma – Downey’s – Hosteria da Elio – Pad Thai – Sonam – XoChitl – Zot… and much more to come!

Last Tuesday, I went to the Trolley Car Diner (7619 Germantown Ave) in Mt. Airy for a local beer tasting course taught (in conjunction with the Mt. Airy Learning Tree) by none other than Joe Sixpack himself, Don Russell (pictured above). I attended the event with my good friend Pat who, along with his wife, bought me a ticket to the event as a Christmas present. After reading Tony's account of the February class, I was quite excited for the event.

About 30 attendees sat in booths and shared each bottle/can beer between them. Our table only had 3 so we had slightly larger portions per person than the rest of the class! Each student received a packet for the night complete with a list of all the beers we'd be sampling that night (I had had 5 out of the 11); a list of some of Don's favorite bars and a list, with examples, of various styles of beers. The first thing I learned was that all beers fall into one of two categories: Ales or Lagers. I never knew that. According to the handout, an Ale is "Brewed quickly with top-fermenting yeast at warm temperature." A Lager is "Brewed slowly with bottom-fermenting yeast at cool temperature." Who knew Beamish and Yards Philly Pale Ale were in the same family!

The first "beer" sampled was the most popular beer sold in Philadelphia. The watered down beauty taking this crown is Miller Lite. I thought, for sure, that Yuengling Lager would take #1, but nope. Don served this one first for the class to have an understanding of the baseline of beers in the town was. Moving on to the first real beer... a can of Phoenixville, PA's Sly Fox Pikeland Pils (German Pilsner, 4.9% ABV). The label on the can had a set of hops right on it so I knew I'd most likely not be a fan (not into hoppy beers yet at my young age). It was hoppy, but not overpowering. Don took a sec to explain the aluminum can phenomenon in craft beers these days. Apparently, a Canadian company has found a way to produce small quantities of aluminum cans (relative to the output of the Coors/Busch guys I suppose) at an affordable price. More durable than glass bottles, they end up being easier to transport. He said to be on the lookout for more and more small breweries to produce aluminum can versions of their beers. He added that the cans had a special coating to protect the beer from getting a tinny taste to them, but the psychological tie to drinking straight from the can still remains; he advised us to pour it into a glass instead.

MIRO DANCE THEATRE presents Cinco de Miro: ¡Super Salsa Sensacional!
First Annual Fundraiser @ Founder’s Hall, Girard College, May 9th
featuring music, Salsa dancing competition, Latin food & drinks and more

PHILADELPHIA – Miro Dance Theatre is thrilled to invite dance enthusiasts, supporters and members of the Philadelphia community to Salsa the night away at Cinco de Miro: ¡Super Salsa Sensacional! – the company’s first annual fundraising event, on Friday, May 9th from 6 – 11 p.m. This “Party for the People” includes Latin music, a Salsa dancing competition featuring Philadelphia personalities, a live auction, Latin inspired food catered by Breath of Life Caterers and a cash bar with Margaritas, Martinis and top shelf Tequila by Gran Centenario. Held at Girard College’s Historic Founder’s Hall, located at 2101 South College Ave. (at Girard Ave. & Corinthian Ave.), the unique social and fundraising event promises to be an exciting night for all, with proceeds benefiting Miro Dance Theatre programs including the free monthly Open Studio Series, local educational outreach and development of new work.

Cinco de Miro tickets are $25 and are available online at mirodancetheatre.org, by calling (215) 962-4773 and at the following Philadelphia locations: Halloween (1329 Pine St), Black & Brew (1523 E Passyunk Ave), and American Mortals (729 Walnut St).

The highlight of Cinco de Miro is the live Salsa dancing competition featuring Philadelphia personalities Marisa Magnatta of WMMR’s Preston & Steve Show, President of Girard College Hon. Dominic Cermele, hip-hopper Michelle Byrd-McPhee of Montazh Performing Arts Company, Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer Rita Jean Clark, Bucks County Community College student Chelsea Davis, Miro’s Producing Artistic Director Tobin Rothlein, and Antony Giblisi and Heidi Hirjak of American Mortals Salon. Led by Salsa Professional and DJ Victor Colon, the contestants will team up with professional salsa dancers from Fuzion Creativa Dance Company to strut their stuff on the dance floor. Prior to the event, each contestant will receive professional training with their dance partner in preparation for the competition. Audiences are invited to cheer on and cast their vote for the best dance team along with guest Judges including Kathy Romano of WMMR’s Preston & Steve Show, Ms. Tess Tickle and Jose Guillermo Ortega Tanus.

The competition will be followed by a dance party for all, with Victor Colon as DJ for the evening. Cinco de Miro will also include a live auction with items such as private Salsa lessons, dinner with Miro Artistic Directors, gift certificates to local establishments, and more.

A vital member of Philadelphia’s independent dance community, Miro Dance Theatre creates and performs original work that explores the collaborative intersections of dance, video, and visual art. Miro uses classical technique as a departure point from which to explore new and challenging dance vocabularies, ideologies, performance disciplines, and the way media co-exist within the performance space. The company was founded in 2004 by dancer and choreographer Amanda Miller and video and visual artist Tobin Rothlein, following five years as Co-Artistic directors of Phrenic New Ballet. Miller, with ten years experience as a dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet and choreographic studies in Europe under Siobhan Davies, is at the helm of Miro’s choreographic exploration. Rothlein, whose work as video artist and visual designer for Rennie Harris Puremovement and others has garnered national and international accolades, oversees the company’s work in combining dance, multi-media and visual arts. As the 2007-08 Girard College artists-in-residence, the company also oversees an outreach program with the school’s students.

Cinco de Miro is supported by Gran Centenario, 1800, Three Olives, Whole Foods, American Mortals, and Black and Brew. Catering for the event is generously provided by Breath of Life Caterers; Smiley Ferebee, Rodney Gains and Munirah King.

Miro Dance Theatre and the Open Studio Series are supported by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Independence Foundation, Advanta Foundation, Samuel S. Fels Fund and Girard College.

Schedule of Upcoming Events & Performances

Thursday, April 17th, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Open Studio Series: Behind-the-scenes of Self-Portrait
Girard College, Mechanical School
2101 South College Ave. (at Girard Ave. & Corinthian Ave.), Philadelphia
Admission is FREE.

Friday, May 2nd, 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
World Premiere of Self-Portrait
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Art After 5 series
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
For additional information about the Museum’s Frida Kahlo exhibit and Art After 5, visit www.philamuseum.org.

Friday, May 9th, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Cinco de Miro: Super Salsa Sensacional
Girard College, Founder’s Hall
2101 South College Ave. (at Girard Ave. & Corinthian Ave.), Philadelphia
Admission is $25. Miro Dance Theatre is recognized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization by the Federal government; all contributions and event proceeds are tax deductible. Tickets are available online at www.mirodancetheatre.org, by calling (215) 962-4773 and at the following Philadelphia locations: Halloween (1329 Pine St), Black & Brew (1523 E Passyunk Ave), and American Mortals (729 Walnut St).

Miro Dance Theatre is recognized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization by the Federal government. All contributions and event proceeds are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Press Contact:
Canary Promotion + Design
Emaleigh Doley, emaleighATcanarypromo.com

WHEN: Saturday, April 5th, 2008 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Depart - First Person Arts, One South Broad Street, Philadelphia
Arrive - Phillips du Pury & Company, 450 West 15th Street, New York

WHAT: First Person Arts announces an exclusive one-day excursion from Philadelphia to NYC to view the work of legendary photographer, Diane Arbus and hear the story of the discovery of vintage Arbus prints. On April 5th, a collection of Arbus photographs that have been missing since the 1960s will be exhibited for the first – and possibly last – time, after which they will be sold at auction by Phillips du Pury in NY. The First Person group will travel by chartered bus with antiquities dealer and discoverer of the lost photos, Robert Langmuir (recently featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer and whose story is the subject of a new book, Hubert's Freaks). A champagne breakfast will be served en route. Upon arrival, they will have a private reception at Phillips du Pury, a tour of the collection with Langmuir and curators from the auction house, and a seminar by experts on Arbus.

The discovery of the photographs in this collection came to light when Langmuir, a Philadelphia-based rare books dealer and collector of African-Americana, purchased the archives and memorabilia of a performer and manager of Hubert’s Dime Museum and Flea Circus located in Manhattan. Langmuir learned that Hubert’s is where Diane Arbus met many of the people who later became subjects of some of her most famous works. He also discovered 27 of her photographs, packed away in the box. These images turned out to be some of the first photographs she took of sideshow freaks and others on the margins of society – a subject that revolutionized her art and led her to create some of the most compelling photography of the last half century. The fascinating story of this discovery has been chronicled in Hubert's Freaks: The Rare-Book Dealer, the Times Square Talker, and the Lost Photos of Diane Arbus by author Gregory Gibson, and is being published on April 1.

Langmuir, who grew up in Delaware County in the primarily African American neighborhood known as Morton, began researching, collecting and selling memorabilia in his youth, including African American cultural objects and forms of artistic expression. He has spent his life exploring – as a Merchant Marine, traveler and wanderer who has lived in Europe and Russia, and roamed the United States as a roadie for the legendary blues musician Muddy Waters. In 1978, Langmuir settled in Philadelphia, where he operated the Book Mark, a Center City book shop that existed for twenty years. Now, Langmuir has turned his focus back to rare books and the collection of African-Americana.

The Now or Never: The Lost Photos of Diane Arbus excursion benefits First Person Arts, a nonprofit organization and producer of the annual First Person Festival and other programs featuring fascinating real life stories. Funds from the event enable First Person Arts to offer programs that share the power of personal stories with people from underserved and isolated communities. First Person Arts is guided by the belief that the sharing of personal experience is a powerful way for people to celebrate uniqueness, bridge differences, and find common ground. For more information, visit www.firstpersonarts.org.

ADMISSION:
Admission is $145 for the full trip or $55 for the New York portion only. A champagne breakfast with Robert Langmuir will be served en route to New York from Philadelphia. First Person Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; all contributions and a portion of the event proceeds are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. For ticket information, please call (267) 402-2056 or email dang@firstpersonarts.org.

Press Contact:
Canary Promotion + Design
Emaleigh Doley, emaleighATcanarypromo.com

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Here is the newest update regarding the Shut the Duck Up! campaign.

Shut the Duck Up! is a running campaign to quiet down those annoying Duck Tours that literally ruin the beautiful nostalgia in Philadelphia. On April 4th at 10 am, our campaign efforts will be shown through a large protest at the Philadelphia Ride the Duck Tours Penn’s Landing water entrance (Where Race Street meets the water).

Over the past few months the local Philadelphia community has positively responded with arms wide open. In addition to the public and community, the local media has shown an enormous amount of support. Our petition has received over 100 signatures, and since the release of the Shut the Duck Up! Documentary video on YouTube, there has been over 2700 views.

If you would like to join us in our fight to preserve our beautiful city of Philadelphia, and send those ducks back to their pond, please attend the Shut the Duck Up! protest. We will be standing strong and demanding hard so that this mission can be considered a success.

For more information as well as updates please visit the Shut the Duck Up! website at http://shuttheduckup.blogspot.com/. I hope you will help us get the word out!

Best,

Walt Sherman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpynoYuFEBw
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/shut-the-duck-up

February 29 might only come once every four years, but Morton's STeakhouse in Philly is helping those with this specail leap year bday to make it a night to remember. They're offering a FREE dinner to the first 29 leaplings that make a reservation for Feb. 29. call 215-557-0724 or go to www.mortons.com

Hi, Everyone!

Celebrity chef and author Rocco DiSpirito wants to cook with YOU in YOUR HOME in Philadelphia! If you are planning an important meal or just want to share a significant moment over food, then A&E’s new show “Rocco to the Rescue!” (working title) wants to help.

Invite Rocco into your kitchen, and he will teach you what to cook, where to find the ingredients and how to prepare the ideal meal for your extra special occasion. Are you cooking for your first housewarming? A soldier’s homecoming? A very special birthday, anniversary or reunion? Are you going to propose marriage or make an announcement? Do you need to impress someone, thank someone, or tell someone that you’re sorry?

A&E is looking for people who need Rocco’s help. To apply for the show, email cookwithrocco@gmail.com with your name, age, phone number, a recent photo and the reason you need to cook with Rocco. You can also call our casting hotline: 818-752-5559.

Everyone loves to share the important moments in life over food, and Rocco knows exactly how to make those moments memorable!

Hello Friends,

I am so pleased to be joining this virtual community on phillyfuture.org.

My first post is to alert you to an Ethnic Peace Festival that is going to be held in January 2008.

When: Sunday, 20 January 2008
Time: 1 to 5:30 pm
Where: The Ethical Society, SW Side of Rittenhouse Square
Who: Sponsored by Peace Action--Philadelphia
What: Food, Drink, Exhibits, A Speaker and Community

This event is being planned in conjunction with the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, and we would love you all to attend.

Thanks,
Dr. John G. Duesler, Jr.
Chairperson, Peace Action--Philadelphia

Phyllis Gilbert
Executive Director, Peace Action--Philadelphia

(Copyright SaveArdmoreCoalition 2007)

The Save Ardmore Coalition has a new, yet familiar mantra we want citizens to follow: “BE VOCAL, SHOP LOCAL...Discover MORE in ArdMORE”

Make Ardmore your Main Street for the holidays. Shop and dine!

The Save Ardmore Coalition ( SAC) announces its new "BE VOCAL - SHOP LOCAL" campaign. SAC urges all Main Line residents to be vocal in their support for local businesses and to shop in our towns' stores.

To promote community awareness of the need to support our local businesses, SAC will shortly be distributing BE VOCAL - SHOP LOCAL buttons and urging residents to wear them this holiday season and into the months ahead. Without local residents' support, our independently owned stores and businesses can not prosper.

BE VOCAL - SHOP LOCAL buttons will be available at numerous stores in Ardmore for free. Contact comments@saveardmorecoalition.org for more information.

( Copyright SaveArdmoreCoalition2007 in case anyone wants to steal our tag line, we expect properly attributed credit and a donation would be nice too)

Friday, November 9, 2007
8am-5pm
PA Convention Center

The time has come for us to stop talking about the problems in our neighborhoods and start acting. This year’s conference is inspired by the community activists and youth leaders who work hard to make our neighborhoods places of opportunities where people excel, ideas grow and dreams are realized. By bringing together young people ages 14-21 and adults from around the region, we will begin to create real solutions to the many challenges in our communities. Workshops and interactive sessions will empower youth to effectively address the challenges they face everyday and enhance adults’ capacity to nurture the potential of every youth. We invite everyone, both youth and adults, interested in making a positive and lasting impact in their community to “Step Up!” and “Be the Change”.

**This year’s conference will feature an exciting keynote speech by Ephren W. Taylor, CEO of City Capital Corporation and the youngest African-American CEO of a publicly traded company ever!**

*The conference will also feature a lunchtime comedy performance by Philadelphia’s own Keith from Up Da Block!*

For more information, or to register, visit us online at www.greatsettlements.org or call Amanda at 215-925-7875.

Today is the grand opening of the new branch of Philly Flavors over at 13th St and Pine St, just up the street from Dirty Frank's. A little more info on the new store over at Messy and Picky.

I've never had their water ice before (but lots of their ice cream), but I've heard it's good stuff. I guess now's a good a time as ever to take a sampling of their goods.

Have you heard of Rose's Deli Too the deli on 21st and Parrish? Well if you haven’t it is a deli and they are now under new management. The food will be a lot better then it was before and it will be a great place. Come and try it. You will regret it if you don't. They have great food, trust me I am the daughter of the business owner. They have hoagies, sandwiches, salads, wraps, soup, meatballs, hot pork, hot beef, canned goods, and candy. Also, the owners have had lots of experience working with deli's. Their names are Tawn and Marge.

THANK YOU!

If you have any questions please call this number-
215-232-0302
ask for Tawn or Marge

Ecotourists of all ages will flock to the Delaware Riverfront this weekend to enjoy outdoor events highlighting the region’s best natural asset, the tidal Delaware River. These events include Southeastern Pennsylvania Coast Day and the “Cradle of Birding” Wildlife and Conservation Festival in Philadelphia, A Celebration of Jersey Fresh in Camden, and the Delaware Coastal Cleanup along 97 miles of coastline in Del.

Others still will immerse themselves in the Delaware County Riverfront Ramble in Pa. and Wilmington Riverfest in Northern Del. All told, more than 31,000 people will likely visit riverside events September 15 and 16, many of which will walk away with a better appreciation of their surrounding natural environment.

“Riverfront festivals can be a great way for people to reconnect with their local waterways and build upon their sense of stewardship,” said Lisa Wool, program director for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. “Studies have shown that people who actively use rivers for recreation are far less likely to knowingly pollute them.”

Riverfront events frequently address pollution problems by recruiting environmental organizations from throughout the region to host booths offering free games, prizes and food that make for a fun afternoon with a green theme. This is the case at Southeastern Pennsylvania Coast Day, for example, where some 20 or more organizations and six sponsors are pooling their resources to create one festival at Penn’s Landing on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors will have an opportunity to take a boat ride on the Delaware River, participate in games like a “Wonders of Water” treasure hunt, and sample freshly roasted Delaware Bay oysters, all of which are free to enjoy. And once festival goers have fully experienced Southeastern Pa.’s coast on the Delaware River, a free shuttle will be waiting to transport them to the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center on the banks of the Schuylkill River.

Those who are interested in these and other nature-related events and destinations can find more information by logging on to one of several ecotourism websites catering to the Delaware Estuary region. These include the Boundless Philadelphia section of www.GoPhila.com, the Greater Philadelphia Environmental Network’s website located at www.GPEN.org, and www.SchuylkillRiver.org, the online home of the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area.

Additional ecotourism websites are currently being developed by the Bayshore Discovery Project of Port Norris, N.J., the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary of Wilmington, Del., and the South Jersey Tourism Corporation of Camden.

What Do You Do After You Pray:
The Church's Response to Gun-Violence in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA – With more than 250 murders after the first half of 2007, the city once known as the City of Brotherly Love has instead quickly become known as Kill-a-delphia, forcing many residents to live and operate in fear as a result of the gun-violence inflicting the city.

On Saturday, August 25, 2007, Philly Koinonia Ministries (pronounced koy-no-NEE-yah) will organize its initial effort dealing with this problem, the "2007 Gun-drive and City Fellowship". This will be an outdoor effort beginning at 10 a.m. taking place at the Dorothy Emmanuel Recreation Center, located in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. To effectuate a change in our culture, we must not solely rely on the power of prayer, but also take responsibility with our actions to address the stronghold embattling our city; for our actions speak louder than our words. The organization identifies fear as the stronghold that simultaneously creates gun-violence, and results from gun-violence, and therefore will focus using this effort to present an understanding of God’s love to combat the stronghold of fear dwelling in this city as a result of gun violence; for God is love (1John 4:16) and in love there is no fear (1John 4:18).

In addition to the gun-drive (individuals will receive a gift card in exchange for their gun), this effort will also include an appearance by Mayoral Candidate Michael Nutter; messages given by local Pastors, such as: Bishop Keith W. Reed, Pastor Kevin M. Aiken, Pastor Chandra I. Williams, Pastor Daniel Sutton, Pastor Larry Anderson, Pastor Eric Mason, among others; performances by local choirs and other guest artists; and also a nonprofit/vendor area featuring more than 30 tables of advocates, businesses, and non-profit organizations that offer programs and services related to the focus of this effort.

For more information, please visit www.PhillyKoinonia.org.