|
|
|
Icepack Illustrated
Sacre bleu: Georges Perrier wants his name back. The French chef who sold Le Bec Fin to Nicolas Fanucci was pleased last year that the new owner wanted to keep Perrier’s flame burning with a namesake basement boite, Chez George. This year, not so much: Word has it that Perrier needs his name back for his own business concerns and enterprises, vite vite. With swift dispatch, the recently re-done room will now be known as Le Bar.
Philly boxing giant Joey Eye is taking over Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino in a big way starting Jan. 26. The cut man/promoter has a huge lightweight bout brewing between Lebanon PA’s Esteban Rodriguez and Victor Vasquez. Eye will fill that bill with seven other matches, starting at 7 p.m. Put up your dukes.
Shake Shack, Danny Meyer’s burger chain (number one at 20th and Sansom is still packed daily), is indeed opening its second Philly link as the cornerstone of Drexel’s Chestnut Square complex along the 3200 block of Chestnut. Students can get the shake on by autumn 2013.
This week in loss is a big hard one. Tattooed love boy/burly chef Matt Levin left Walnut Street’s Square Peg but not the Cohen/Gutin fiefdom as he will still make elegant fare for their Brulee catering concept.
Legendary free rock radio jock/folk singer Michael Tearson was sadly let go from his decade-plus WMGK-FM gig with no goodbye-shift yet thankfully can still be heard on Sirius XM.
Dan Gross. Ah Dan Gross. He jumped from his gossip spot at the Daily News and Philly.com (full disclosure: I work there, too) as well as his head position at the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia to do God-knows-what. I’ll miss Dan there, it was nice knowing that I had someone solid reporting on the same beat as I.
View gallery
Jackie Weaver, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, David O. Russell and Philly’s own Bradley Cooper, come on down: Your locally-lensed Silver Linings Playbook just got nominated for Oscars in every major category, save for song. Too many Jack White tunes. Whee, ya’ll.
Underground Arts bartender/manager Jesse Andreozzi, the possessor of one twirly mustache, is have a Prohibition party on Jan. 16. No big deal, you say? You’ve toted out your apple caps and jodhpurs a-whole-bunch-of-times this season, right? Well this happens to be the anniversary of Prohibition’s start, and Andreozzi’s planning a whole new cocktail menu for Underground Arts including one drink called “Another,” his shaken-stirred blend of Dad’s Hat rye, ginger orange peel syrup, club soda and Peychaud’s bitters. Along with comedian N.A. Poe, era-specific band leader Drew Nugent and Cherry Bomb Burlesque being on board for the event, Andreozzi himself will take the UA stage with his flare bartending death defying routine.
Hey Fond on 11th Street, we see that you’re looking to host outdoor seating. And 600 Washington? You want to put in a pool hall. These are just a few of the things that the South Philly licenses peeps had on their docket at the Jan. 8 public con-fab.
This holiday season, you’re going to drink and eat, hard and heartily. You gosh-damn gluttons are going to do so until yer heads spin Linda-Blair-stylee. Two food things are most titillating this week. The first is Fette Sau, Stephen Starr’s recently opened rootsy-chic barbecue collaboration with Joe Carroll of the NYC Fette Saus. This smoked meat salon on Frankford Avenue, managed by longtime Starr Restaurants stalwart Greg Root has unending supply of scrumptious Duroc St. Louis ribs and pork belly, Nicolosi hot Italian sausage and black angus brisket and bone-in short ribs to go with its New Yawk famous Guss’ brand half sour pickles and sauerkraut. But like during the Thanksgiving holidays, Fette Sau has been brining and smoking tongue and turkey, separately that is. So pleased was I with the t-n-t combo, I nearly wore a gobbler as a hat and the tongue as a tie. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.
Next up, the Trestle Inn has served food since it started, ambitious stuff like tasty bone marrow nibbles for a PG-rated go-go dancing Eraserhood hang. Now though, under the auspices of GM-turned-chef Alex Bokulich (once in the employ of DiBruno’s Ninth Street cheeserie), the Trestle is looking to find a way to keep their menu erudite while making sure it appeals to bar-snacking habitués and boozy late-night eaters. With that, they’ve heightened their small plates to include garlic aioli deviled eggs, smooth-as-silk-but-spicy-as-all-get-out chili and a soft cheese selection inspired by Bokulich’s time in the Italian Market.
Miley Cyrus is back in town and already her boyfriend is all hot-n-bothered. OK, not really. Yes Cyrus returned to her man, currently residing in NJ while filming Paranoia in Philly. No word yet on when/if she’ll finish those MilkBoy Studio tracks started in August that we dropped exclusives on weeks ago. As for her fiancé Liam Hemsworth, there he was Saturday night at Midtown Continental, being nice to the crowd, taking pictures with pre-bridal revelers and POWEE, he very possibly gets pelted with a rock and goes into Saturday-night’s-alright-for-fighting mode. Cheggitout.
The annual holiday DeBella DeBall has gone lowdown and dirty and upscale and tony in its history. For year 30, it’s a spruced up, dressy affair at Vie on North Broad, this Dec. 14. This invite-only faithful listener affair of his WMGK-FM radio show will feature music from Johnny O & The Classic Dogs of Love, David Uosikkinen’s In The Pocket, featuring The Hooters, Tommy Conwell and The A’s’ Richard Bush.
No vandalism is good vandalism, but when you graffiti Le Bec Fin on Walnut Street and steal Fergie’s bike, you hurt us all, especially considering that, according to bike-know-it-all Michael McGettigan, that bike of Ferg’s has seen 20 years of faithful service. Tis a shame at any time, this season in particular.
If you haven’t read my Southwork preview in CP, you really should. Beyond gearing up for the release of its debut CD this weekend, the Philly septet drops its first-ever video for “Peace of Mind” today. They liken the video to brainwashing techniques used on characters in the TV show Lost. Ooh, spooky.
Before we hit WHOWHATWHERE, let us thank Lindsay Lohan for not punching anyone in the face or ramming into our cars during her time here to see-and-hear her man Max from the Wanted at Wells Fargo Center’s Q102 Jingle Ball last night after a stay at the Omni Hotel. There was no attempt to keep LiLo’s visit a secret. Her arrival was announced from the stage and the station took a photo that wound up on TMZ. Flaunt it.
Philly’s good film news is that Paranoia has been back for a week with filming having resumed on Monday. So far, Liam Hemsworth and co. have lensed at the long unused Tangerine (for a club bar scene), the Four Seasons (a hotel bar scene) and Rogue’s Gallery (a bar bar scene). Solid stuff. Sadly though, Greater Philly Film Org doyenne Sharon Pinkenson tells me that David O. Russell and Bradley Cooper’s next film (after Silver Linings Playbook) the one Cooper told us in August during The Words premiere at the Prince would start filmin in spring 2013 (the ABSCAM flick with Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Remer) — is now headed for Boston. “Pennsylvania is out of tax credit money,” exclaims Pinkenson. Is there no Kickstarter we can cobble together for this?
Speaking of getting money together for something worthy: Philly’s Ropeadope record/apparel label, along with the Nelson Riddle Foundation, is looking to benefit musicians of New Jersey and New York hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. Ropeadope did the same in 2005 with its “renew Orleans” program which raised nearly $100,000 for musicians hit by Hurricane Katrina. Buy a shirt and proceeds go to “renew jersey” and “renew york” relief efforts.
Tashan publicist and all around gadabout George Polgar told me Tuesday morning that Bob Dylan ordered take out before his Monday night show at the Wells Fargo Center. Not just any old meal but a nosh (a largish nosh at that) from Tashan delivered to his dressing room. Weirdly enough, he used his real name (Robert Zimmerman) after paging through the modern Indian menu from which he got four orders each of gol gapa, goc naan, tandoor shrimp, lamb chops, Afghani chicken kabab and the Mangalorean sausage. That’s a big order. I hope he gave some to Charlie Sexton, his guitarist. So skinny that boy.
Greater Philadelphia Film Office doyenne Sharon Pinkenson says the second round of Paranoia shooting is “scheduled for second week December.” That’s a wrap.
After George Perrier's collaborative dinner with Al Paris at Heirloom the master French chef must have wanted to lighten his load — which is why he unburdened himself of cookware and the like in his still-for-sale Chestnut Hill home according to Craigslist, Curbed and Dan Gross.
If you like happy hours but hate to drink, shame on you. OK, no shame. Sazz and Briar Vintage, the next-door-neighboring girl and boy antique clothier at 60 and 62 N. Third are having big storewide sales with 40-30 percent off of scores of stylish goods on Black Friday, Nov. 23. I buy all my monocles there.
If you’re even thinking about that second casino license, the application deadline is due now, Nov. 15, to the Pennsylvania Gaming Board by the end of the business day. So far, Bart Blatstein and his friends at Hard Rock gaming, Wynn Resorts, Penn National Gaming and the Goldenberg Group are supposed to be ready to drop $50 million to the Gaming Board if they get the license. We’re guessing these boys have the loot. But do they have the pencils to fill in the dots by today?
Philly big media week: Oyyyyyyy, c’mon now. First Arthur Kade got a new vocation (“celebrity interviewer”) on Extra for having interviewed Gen. David Petraeus’ m-m-mistress Paula Broadwell on his self-named blog. (Two things here: First, I think he calls himself that and second, how come the one day in nine years I’m not watching premium cable do I have to see Kade? KAAAAAAAADE.) Then Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman, who we love but he’s straining the bromance here, got hit upon by Radar for trying to get back the diamond ring he “engaged” Octomom Nadya Suleman with when she fought for him in Feb. 2012. The pricey publicity stunt gone bad — 1.5 carats, a $7,500 diamond ring marriage proposal now unrequited — got filed this week with the Marple Township Police Dept.
The first Philadelphia Annual Philadelphia Dog Fashion Show is back for year two this weekend at the Hyatt at the Bellevue, Nov. 16, and the whole event from the cocktail reception to the pooch runway walk to the Philadelphia Boys Choir performance benefits the PSPCA Humane Law Enforcement. Not only will your door charge purchase the HLE Team new bullet proof vests, you’ll get to see Philly DA Seth Williams, the dog show’s honorary chairman, model on the catwalk. I mean dog walk.
Let’s start with two worthy charities, shall we? Everyone should be flooding into Atlantic City to keep that town afloat fiscally. All the casinos and hotels, quite frankly. Revel, the new kid on the block, is pushing that agenda with its nightclub, Revel’s HQ, donating all ticket and door sales from this weekend’s entertainment to Hurricane Sandy relief in AC. Check out, Bambin AN21 and Afrojack, the toast of Jay-Z and Grandmaster Nutter’s Made in America fest this summer. Then there’s 102.9 MGK’s 11th annual John DeBella Turkey Drop with its partner City Team Philadelphia. On Nov. 20 starting at 6 a.m. DeBella and his mustache will broadcast live and accept monetary and turkey donations at Love Park on 16th & JFK Blvd. They’re looking to top last year’s goal of 10,000 turkeys that will go out to less fortunate families, individuals and shelters in the area. Do that.
It’s nice that Penn grad John Legend still ID’s Philly as his home. He’s doing this show, My City, My Music on Fuse TV (see Comcast Xfinity On Demand) where he’ll speak with Jose Garces at Distrito and White Dog Cafe manager Michael Hodges, both near the campus he loved.
The Tiberino family will not be denied. While muralist Raphael Tiberino goes small starting Nov. 9 (at Locust Moon Books at 34 S. 40th) and shows off paintings, prints and dread-and-sex filled sketches that you catch him doing while bartending at the Troc, his whole clan (dad Joe, sister Ellen) pull out the stops for a big-screen showing of their most recent film, The Mural which, unless my scene hit the cutting room floor, I’m in. Nov. 15. Trocadero. Yes yes, y’all.
- Activism
- Arts
- Arts Events
- Books
- Dance
- First Person Fest
- Last Chance
- Museum
- On the Fringe
- Philly Artists
- The Curator
- Theater
- Visual Art
- Arts News
- Artist Profile
- Arts Preview
- Street Art
- Been There, Done That
- Big Ups
- Comedy
- LOL With It
- Stand-up
- Critical Mass
- DVD
- Events
- Friday Fill-in
- Ice Cubes
- In Memoriam
- Interview
- Just Do It
- Just Opened
- Kaleidoscopic
- LGBTQ
- Art Phag
- Mailbag
- Movies
- Film Fest
- Movie Review
- On set
- Scenester
- screening
- trailer!
- Music
- 10 Track Mind
- Album
- Album Review
- Concert Review
- DJs
- Local Support
- Now Hear This
- One Track Mind
- Philly Bands
- Show
- Somebody Else Was There
- Song
- The Showdown
- concert photos
- jazz
- DJ Nights Blogged
- Night Watch
- Now See This
- Poetic License
- Printed Matter
- Radio
- Shopping
- Coveted
- Fashion
- What We Heart
- TV
- 24
- Idol Hands
- Mad Men
- ProjRun
- True Blood
- Useless Lost Recaps
- Couch Potato
- Shore Trash
- Turned ONN
- TopMod
- Video Games
- Free Online Game
- PSP
- PlayStation 2
- The 1-Upper
- Wii
- Web Junk
- CAGE MATCH
- Free Online Toy
- Weekend Omnibus
- Win
