I love when this blog gives me the chance to explore an area of the city that I don’t typically venture into. University City is such a fun and vibrant part of Philadelphia, and one that I, admittedly, don’t get over to as much as I’d like. But after Louie Louie invited me to come in for dinner, I know there are going to be a lot more ~Center City dwellers~ venturing across the Schuylkill soon! Cue the food pics. 😉
Spring Dining at Fogo de Chão Philadelphia
I’m always up for excuses to get a little fancy and head out to a nice dinner. I haven’t been to Fogo de Chão (1337 Chestnut Street) in quite a bit (they were definitely on my original top Center City Restaurant Week picks back when they still did Restaurant Week . . . gosh I need to update that list. #RIPsalento), so when they invited me in to try some things from their new spring menu, I was obviously all for it (#meat).
{Neighborhood Gem} Little Spoon Cafe
Just so we’re all on the same page before we start: brunch is great. Waking up late on the weekends is a joyous thing, and we’re lucky that our city has so many great places to feed us as soon as our eyes open. I, like many other Philadelphians, are on a constant search for Philly’s newest gems in the brunch department. So, despite not wanting to give away my latest discovery, I must share adorableness that is: Little Spoon Cafe (1500 South Street).
How to Treat Yourself on Valentine’s Day
Like I said in my Philly Valentine’s Day Gift Guide, I’ve never really gotten worked up over the big V-Day. What I do get worked up about is taking the time to appreciate yourself – your body, your mind, your friends, and your blessings. So this past Valentine’s Day (excuse the 30+ days it took me to get this post up), I celebrated by treating myself. I’m not going to lie, at one point I even thought about presenting myself with my own personalized gift, (Personalisiertes Geschenk) as who doesn’t want socks that have their own face on? At least it would’ve been unique. Unfortunately, I decided not to follow through with this thought and treated myself in other ways instead. Although among all the personalized gifts I came across during my search, the Spotify Glass plaque (or Spotify Verre Plaque if you’re french) did pique my interest for a moment. However, I went for something else, and the result was pretty much a Philly dream day for me, and I hope by sharing, I can encourage all of you to take the time to treat yourselves, too.
{Philadelphia Restaurant Week} Zahav
Living in this city, answering the “what’s your favorite restaurant?” question is a tough one. I mean, obviously we are extremely lucky that Philly is regarded as such a fabulous city for dining . . . but the judgement one could get for the wrong restaurant choice is pretty substantial.
Lucky for me, I have Zahav (237 Saint James Place). {Disclaimer: If you’re about to click through that link, please beware, the site has some groovy autoplay music that has startled me approximately 45 times this month alone.} I have loved Zahav since the first time I tried it, and it truly has yet to disappoint me since. I always go in craving my favorites, but come out in love with something I never thought I’d try.
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Philly Guy Gift Guide 2014
Even though I have resisted putting on my *NSYNC Home For Christmas Pandora station so far this year, there’s no avoiding it – the holidays are pretty much here. My shopping has not been that productive thus far, so I was really excited to put together a little bit of inspiration in the form of my annual Philadelphia gift guides. This year I expanded my recommendations to 10 whole ideas to gift your boyfriend, brother, friend, cool boss, cooler dad, etc. for the holidays this year. Most of the items can be shopped online or picked up around town, so let’s get shopping!
How To Conquer Philadelphia Restaurant Week
I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about Philadelphia Restaurant Week, but I am not one of them. I thoroughly enjoy any excuse to get out to some of my favorite places in Philly. Restaurant Week dinners become traditions amongst friends, simple date ideas, and an easy way to further explore our city. Several years and many $35 dinners later, I have figured out a few ways to get the most out of one of my favorite times of year.
Chef’s Tasting Menu at High Street on Market
Checking off a restaurant that’s been “on your list” for awhile is a great thing, but what makes it even better is when that restaurant is everything you could have hoped for (and, hopefully, more). Last week, my friend Kelly and I ubered on down to Old City for dinner at High Street on Market (308 Market Street). I’ve been crushing on High Street since I had dinner at a.kitchen (135 South 18th Street) and was really impressed at Eli Kulp‘s ability to get me to eat things I wasn’t entirely sure I would like, or even fully know exactly what I was eating, to be honest (I am a disgrace . . . this is why I am not a food blogger).
Summertime Dining: Crabby Cafe & Sports Bar
In my opinion, the best dining experiences are those in which you actually share an experience with others. There are a ton of ways to achieve this in our city: themed restaurants, unique dining styles, and sampling dishes designed to be shared. I am a firm believer that part of the joy of living in our city is going out to eat – you just have to do it to get the full Philadelphia experience.
Last week, I was invited to Media Night at Crabby Cafe & Sports Bar (1050 North Hancock Street, Unit 1) in the Piazza. I don’t make it to NoLibs that frequently, so I was excited to pop on over and see how she looked on a beautifully warm summer evening.
Philadelphia Mother’s Day Idea {Tea Time}
Mother’s Day has always been a tough holiday for me to shop for. While my mom is wonderful and appreciative of everything my sister and I get her, I don’t really care for those cheesy knick knacks from the card store, and I can only buy so many pairs of pretty earrings before it becomes standard.
The Rittenhouse Hotel (210 West Rittenhouse Square) reached out to me and asked if I would like to come in and experience the Mary Cassatt Tea Room. Not even knowing such a place existed in my neighborhood, I immediately said yes and knew the perfect person I should bring along: my mother.
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