ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Samschick Nation vs. Grasso Village / Tom Moon vs. the haters / Carman's Country Kitchen vs. the world

Carman's Country Kitchen on S. 11th Street is going the way of the Edsel and the 8-track come December and I couldn't be sadder. Apparently the woman who put "the cunt into country" has a landlord who'd rather open a pizzeria in South Philly (no way!) than host a an always adventurous brunch-a-teria.

options

ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Samschick Nation vs. Grasso Village / Tom Moon vs. the haters / Carman’s Country Kitchen vs. the world

POSTED: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 1:30 PM

Filed Under: Icepack Illustrated

Old City, what gives? You’re ready for a high end crab shack (Craft & Claw, 126 Chestnut starting Sept. 20 from the desk of Max Tucker and one-time Anastassia’s chef Nick Fabian) and a pricey good old American bistro (Red Owl Tavern at Fifth and Chestnut on Oct. 4 thanks to chef Guillermo Tellez from Square 1682) but you can’t handle a steak house? Bye, Reserve.

Now that realtor/developer Michael Samschick is turning ye old Ajax Metal Company near Frankford and North Delaware into his swanky Canal Street North — complete with C&W eateries, bowling alleys and a 3,000+ seat venue booked and operated in tandem with Live Nation — what will become of the long-discussed (by me) live venue at the corner of Delaware and Spring Garden? For a minute, that corner spot at the old Egypt nightclub complex looked as if it would be the live mid-level venue that Live Nation was looking for since it split with Larry Magid and Bryan Dilworth who together kept the 2000+ person Electric Factory club for themselves. But 3,000 seats is 3,000 seats and whomever got it built first was more-than-likely going to get the Good Housekeeping Live Nation seal. Joe Grasso’s Egypt property will not be denied or ignored and folks from Rumor (Grasso’s after-hours property run by Mark Marek) are on point to open the venue as an all ages DJ-centric/live electronic/nu-rave hot spot called Soundgarden Hall (Columbus & Spring Garden) with Live Nation this Saturday. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission have their work cut out for them.

Carman's Country Kitchen on S. 11th Street is going the way of the Edsel and the 8-track come December and I couldn’t be sadder. Apparently the woman who put “the cunt into country” has a landlord who’d rather open a pizzeria in South Philly (no way!) than host a an always adventurous brunch-a-teria. Carman Luntzel is one of this city’s last great-tasting eccentrics and in 22 years we still haven’t had enough of her wonderful madness. I’ll be eating in her red pickup truck any day now just to feel the wheels beneath my chicken wings.

They said it wouldn’t last and they was wrong: saxophonist Tom Moon’s chamber jazz floating player Tuesday nights at Milkboy Philly is still hot and getting hotter with the reed man claiming that last week’s set with Masami Kuroki, quite possibly the most gifted guitarist in Philly, set a new live music standard. Moon marked his first anniversary at Milkboy on Sept. 18.

It’s not often that a restaurant can sneak under the radar in Philly. Then there’s Sotta, an as-yet un-opened Italian restaurant/café underneath the Walnut Street Bridge, just doors away from what-used-to nightlife hot spots such as the long-closed still-missed El Mariachi and the jazzy 23rd Street Café.

As Philadelphia Collection 2012 winds down, two new nearly-haute fashion houses open their highly decorated doors. While the nu-designs of Intermix can be spied along an 18th and Chestnut starting on Friday, the indie lingerie shoppe Hope Chest opens down the block on Chestnut at 19th.

Sadly, last weekend was the finale of Daffy’s fine discount clothiers — mannequins, fixtures and all. I’ll never buy another set of boxer-briefs or suits with epaulettes without thinking of the Daf.

Farmer/Iron Chef Jose Garces will be at The Porch at 30th Street Station from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 20 to gather cash for Philabundance. Here’s the nice part for those of you who don’t choose giving from your heart as an option: For a $10 donation, not only do you get samples from Amada, Chifa, Distrito, Guapos Tacos and JG Domestic, Garces will be cooking. Daaalllllllllllllmn, that’s righteous.

WHOWHATWHERE: Jacky Bam Bam meets Motley Crue. That’s what happened when the WMMR DJ spun songs in between sets at the KISS/Crue show at the Susquehanna Center in NJ. Along with getting an opportunity to chat with Motley Mick Mars, Bam Bam earlier that week hung tough with one-time Liberty Place resident/Bon Jovi member Richie Sambora who is currently yakking to anyone who’ll listen about his second ever solo album. Something a bit less heavy than the Crue and Bon Jovi was Florence & The Machine who happened to stop at 104.5 FM’s studio on her way to a Flo-Macs gig at the Susquehanna. OK, I’m still not fond of Michael Vick, dog-killer of renown. But I can’t deny that he’s seriously trying to do the right thing. That’s why it almost seemed OK that his Team Vick Foundation held a fundraiser event at the Aloft Hotel near the airport for the Hunting Park Recreation Center through the Fairmount Park Conservancy. I love Muhammad Ali, think he’s an American idol and a religious freedom fighter but can’t deny I’m angry that a draft dodger won the National Constitution Center’s 2012 Liberty Medal. But there you go. Yes, it’s a stupid name for a film, McCanick. Bu t that shouldn’t stop you from being excited that co-star/producer/homeboy David Morse, Cory Monteith (Glee), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Tom Delconte (Silver Linings Playbook) and Ciaran Hinds (Political Animals) are around town shooting the cop-partner crime thriller. We spied Haddad film trucks along Penn’s Landing next to Festival Pier on Wednesday, thought we heard a choir singing “Don’t Stop Believing” and assumed it was that crew. Morse was also spotted at City Hall already and unless he was getting a license for something, he was probably filming. No way he didn’t wear his top hat: Slash ate at Alma de Cuba before heading down to AC to play with his band at the House of Blues. No word yet on where his hat ate. Tony Danza was at the Free Library. Yes, after pretending that he was a teacher and fooling an entire television network and school system (ours) Danza has decided to pretend how to read and write, authored a book, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had and signed copies of it at the Library. That’s some method acting. Atza nize. What do Owl City, Action Item and new fangled pitchwoman Ellie Goulding have in common other than nice voices and annoying music? They each hit up Q102's iHeart Radio Performance Theater this week. WWE star Daniel Bryan hit up both Mix 106.1 and Power 99 FM in one day and didn’t give any body a scissor hold or a Doctor Tanaka. Know what nobody does any more? Mini-drag racing. Nothing to do with men in high heels mind you — I’m talking go-cart racing very, very quickly. That’s why it’s super cool that the Speed Raceway in Horsham, PA just opened. Now, if the guys just wore dresses while driving that would really be something.

Share link:

Click to skip ad »

Show Thumbnails

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 1:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Comments (0)

Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
SEXY TIME Q&A: I've never had an orgasm during sex with a man — and I'm 30!
NOW SEE THIS: Transit cop arrests marijuana activist for alleged disorderly conduct.
What we're trying to do this weekend
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Indian fare rules, Dunder Mifflin lives on, Tom Jones is a god
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: The Archbishop meets the Geator, the Mayor goes suit shopping, Le Bec Fin fin.
Q&A with Goon’s Seann William Scott
Bradley Cooper promises he's not an asshole

About this blog

Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

Follow Critical Mass editors Patrick Rapa and Emily Guendelsberger on Twitter:

@mission2denmark | @emilygee

Local display advertising by PaperG

Search this blog:

Topics:

Blog archives:

May
April
March

February
January

Past Archives: