DJ Dinners, Guest Chefs and more at Morgan’s Pier
various times
Fast becoming a favorite summer destination, Morgan’s Pier is rolling out new menu items to complement its rotation of DJ nights. Monday nights heat up with jerk chicken, sweet plantains and Jamaican Soul courtesy of Bloodface Man and Browner. Peel-and-eat shrimp and corn on the cob are on special for chilled-out Tuesdays with Dirty South Joe and soulful racks of ribs on Wednesday for Rocktits!
The restaurant/music venue also now has early-morning and late-night needs covered with a new sandwich-centric brunch menu (hello, crispy pulled-pork patty sandwich and maple Monte Cristo) and an after-hours selection of American tacos and fries, all under $5 and available until 1 a.m.
And beginning July 24, Morgan’s Pier will kick off a series of monthly chef nights where big-name Philly culinarians will be stopping by on Tuesdays and taking over the kitchen to create a special. First up is Terrence Feury of Fork fame, followed by Kevin Sbraga on Aug. 21 and closing out the season is Michael Solomonov on Sept. 10.
Morgan’s Pier, 221 N. Columbus Blvd., 215-279-7134, morganspier.com.
Meat and Greet Side Project Jerky
Tue., July 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m., pay as you go
Head over to Pub and Kitchen on Tuesday for a chance to sample Philadelphia’s very own jerky for gentlemen. Side Project Jerky is the meaty masterpiece of Marcos Espinoza (aka Fidel Gastro), Daniel Olsovsky and Mark Novasack. During the Meat and Greet, samples of Mongolian (think the best Chinese takeout), Southwestern (toasty cumin meets roast-y green chiles) and original (a subtle ode to the cheesesteak with just a hint of Whiz) jerkies will be on hand along with plenty of happy-hour beer from Six Point to combat the inevitable dried-beef-induced thirst. Espinoza and Olsovsky will be on hand to answer all of your jerky-related queries.
Pub and Kitchen, 1946 Lombard St., 215-545-0350, thepubandkitchen.com, sideprojectjerky.com.
Top Chefs Collide at Sbraga
Fri., July 13, 5-9 p.m., $100
Top Chef season 7 cheftestants reunite on Friday when Kevin Sbraga hosts a cookbook dinner for Angelo Sosa’s newly released Flavor Exposed. Sosa designed the five-course menu to showcase the flavor map outlined in his book: Utilizing different combinations of sweet, salty, smokey, bitter, sour, umami, spicy, earthy and nutty, he finds balance and comfort in all manner of pan-Asian flavors. Look for cured-watermelon crudo with thyme, green-papaya salad with candied tamarind vinaigrette, scallop-banana tartare with jalapeño vinaigrette, grilled duck breast with honey-pepper glaze, and curried pots de créme. Each guest receives a copy of Flavor Exposed.
Sbraga, 440 S. Broad St., 215-735-1913, sbraga.com.
Summertime at Meritage
Tue.-Thu., 5-10 p.m., Fri-Sat., 5-11 p.m., $39
Meritage has pulled out all the stops for a new summer tasting menu, with fruits and vegetables from local farms and a few from chef Anne Coll’s own garden plot. Combining luxe ingredients like foie gras, scallops and duck with the summer’s freshest offerings, Coll is working sweet corn into every course. Foie is served alongside a corn pancake and peach chutney, scallops are set out with crab-and-squash custard, duck paired with corn and smoked-cheddar pudding and cherries, and a peach and blueberry cobbler is topped with delicate corn ice cream. Wine pairings are available.
Meritage, 500 S. 20th St., 215-985-1922, meritagephiladelphia.com.
Bastille Day Bites
various times and locations
Francophiles will find no shortage of Bastille Day celebrations this weekend. Peter Woolsey of Bistrot la Minette is hosting his annual Bastille Day Feast, a multi-course affair with a groaning salad buffet, roasted leg of lamb and beaucoup des bonnes desserts. London Grill, right next to the big Eastern State Penitentiary festivities, has French trivia, proximity to the comic re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille with quasi-historically accurate figures like Ben Franklin, Joan of Arc and a life-sized baguette — and, of course, plenty of escargot. The tres francais Parc just so happens to be celebrating its fourth birthday this Sunday, too: They’ll celebrate in style with a jazz brunch and prix-fixe dinner on the 14th and special cocktails and rosé all day long.
Bistrot la Minette, 623 S. Sixth St., 215-925-8000, bistrotlaminette.com; London Grill, 2301 Fairmount Ave., 215-978-4545, londongrill.com; Parc, 227 S. 18th St., 215-545-2262, parc-restaurant.com.
Beers and Brats at 30th Street
Thurs. July 12, 4-8 p.m., Fri. July 13, 12-8 p.m., Sat. July 14, 12-5 p.m., pay as you go
The scenic Porch adjacent to 30th Street Station will be home to a pop-up beer garden this weekend thanks to the good folks at Bridgewater’s. German brews will be flowing, brats and Italian sausages grilling, and just to lock in the fun factor, there’s free mini-golf. Live jazz will accompany your sips and putts all afternoon long. universitycity.org.
