FYI Philly checks out Chicken Boom, spots for National Brunch month, LeDiva Dolls
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Alicia Vitarelli and Maggie Kent jump on Philly's hot chicken craze and indulge in some new options for National Brunch month.
Baba's, IDK & Crisp Chick'n feeding Philly's Hot Chicken craze
Hot chicken spots are popping up across the city.
We round up three spicy destinations serving chicken and more on the menu.
At Baba's Hot Chicken & Brews, the Osmanollaj brothers have created a menu featuring chicken sandwiches, tenders and a variety of other savory side dishes for a fast-casual experience that will spice things up.
The brothers also include beer from their Mt. Airy brewery, Tosca, to cool things down with your meal.
Baba's Hot Chicken & Brews | Facebook | Instagram
725 South Trooper Road, Audubon, PA 19403
Crisp Chick'n specializes in spicy chicken.
They have varied heat levels for taste buds of different degrees.
The space has been open for three years with a menu that has expanded to include salads, wraps and smash burgers.
Crisp Chick'N | Facebook | Instagram
27 North Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, PA 19050
IDK in Old City opened in March.
The grab-and-go spot put Nashville hot chicken and smash burgers front and center.
You can try everything from a wagyu smash burger to loaded fries with Nashville hot chicken.
Everything is made to order with a menu that is expanding each week.
IDK Philly | Facebook | Instagram
6 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Gazzo's wheels into Pottstown with South Philly style cheesesteaks
Gazzo's Steaks co-owners Mike Lamson and Joe Lewis are originally from South Philly, but moved to Pottstown when they married sisters from the area.
When they couldn't find cheesesteaks in the style they grew up with, they set up a food truck to make them on their own.
The initial plan was to have the truck as a weekend hobby, but the overwhelming popularity of the product forced them to build a business that is now expanding.
They use a full pound of ribeye on every steak, and the cheese is cooked throughout.
Varieties include a steak with 14-hour smoked Cooper Sharp, one with pieces of pork roll added, and a take on the McDonald's Big Mac that has its own special sauce.
(Grand opening for the new shop will be on May 11th, 2024 at 22 S. Hanover Street in Pottstown.)
Gazzo's Steaks - food truck | Facebook | Instagram
1386 N. State Street, Pottstown, PA 19164
484-802-7070
hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., or until sold out
Eleven Eleven bedazzles breakfasts, serves a wish with every dish
Legend has it that whenever you see a clock hit the time of 11:11, you should make a wish.
Banesha Whitney, the owner of Eleven Eleven, grew up doing just that and also named her first restaurant after the concept.
As an entrepreneur with an eye for decor, she did all of the interiors herself.
The standout feature is a wall of clocks that are all set to 11:11 -- in addition to a 'make a wish' selfie wall, and light fixtures designed as cotton clouds.
Breakfast entrees are the specialty and are served all day long.
Every day at 11:11, all customers are given sparklers and encouraged to make a wish.
(pictured: Owner Banesha Whitney, holding sparkler she gives every customer at 11:11 daily)
Eleven Eleven | Instagram
727 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-650-9443
Tuesday-Friday, 9:00am-3:00pm, weekends until 5:00pm
Brunchaholics delivers Southern Comfort food, brunch with a twist
Brunch is one of the best meals of the day and if you cannot get enough of it, there's a new place in Chester to satisfy those cravings!
Brunchaholics is serving up Southern comfort food with a twist.
Their menu includes dishes like the jerk salmon cheesesteak, a French toast cobbler and a mainstay dish called the Seafood Gumbo Grits, nicknamed "The SGG."
It has gravy, chess grits and a seafood feast of lump crab meat, shrimp and crispy fried fish.
Another popular dish is "The Lunchaholic", a culmination of menu favorites, including fried shrimp, fried fish, hush puppies and chicken wings.
Brunchaholics is the creation of Aaron Anderson, who started out in the Philly food scene back in 2020 as a franchisee for the Original Hot Dog Factory.
Anderson is now adding brunch to his resume, a concept he came up with after meeting Chef Terrance Clarke.
Clarke is a self-proclaimed brunchaholic and says his food is inspired by his childhood summers spent in Maryland with his great-grandmother.
The Chester location joins the Fishtown and Cherry Hill, N.J., spots in the Brunchaholics family and there are plans for a new location in Rittenhouse Square later this year.
Each location features live music and a DJ on the weekends.
512 Avenue of the States, Chester, PA 19013
484-480-5151
Fishtown Location
2499 Aramingo Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
267-519-2031
Cherry Hill Location
1200 Haddonfield Rd, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
856-330-4857
La Diva Dolls pays homage to Black women with their line of dolls
Tiffani Dean is the owner of La Diva Dolls, crafting handmade dolls representing Black women and girls.
Dean has been making dolls for 27 years and started in hopes of helping provide for her family.
Each doll is one of a kind and poseable.
It wasn't until 2020 that her business gained more due to using Facebook Live and TikTok.
Dean now sells dolls and artwork on her website with the option of customizable dolls called Tailored Divas.
Her dolls have been shown at doll shows and The Colored Girl Museum.
Creating is an outlet that helps Dean with her mental health, and she hopes her dolls help Black women and girls feel recognized.
This puzzling mansion will test your wits in Wilmington
Community members of Wilmington are putting their wits to the test at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science.
"The mansion is split up into four separate rooms, with three different puzzles in each one...this is an interactive exhibit in ways to engage problem-solving and test your brain power," said Communications Manager, Johnny Garcia.
Through May 12, the museum is hosting the Mindbender Mansion, a puzzling room full of twists and turns for your next day out.
"In each room of the mansions, you'll get a clue...you enter that word into a screen in each room of the mansion. After the video, you get a little password. Once you get all of the passwords...get your picture printed on the wall of fame," said Garcia.
The mansion has found a home in Wilmington and originates from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
For more information check out the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science,
It's a Big Deal: Best Mother's Day Gifts
As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below*
This week on 'It's a Big Deal,' ABC anchors Sam Champion and Dani Beckstrom are exploring the best Mother's Day gifts you can shop right now. Each of these options will arrive in time for the holiday and will be sure to put a smile on mom's face. For more Mother's Day coverage, check out our full coverage on Mother's Day gifts and unique gift ideas.
Best Mother's Day gifts on sale: Coffee Makers, Lululemon bags and more
Philadelphia Ballet closes out season with The Dream, Prodigal Son
Paid Sponsor Partnership: Philadelphia Ballet
As the Philadelphia Ballet continues to celebrate its 60th season, the company is dancing The Dream.
Frederick Ashton's The Dream is adapted from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
"There's a lot of comedy involved," says Angel Corella, Artistic Director for Philadelphia Ballet.
It's paired with the dramatic Prodigal Son.
Shelly Power, Executive Director of Philadelphia Ballet, says Prodigal Son is "one of these deep stories about unconditional love."
"It's one of the few storied ballets of George Balanchine and we always want to keep our father figure in all of our programs," says Corella.
"The juxtaposition of the two pieces is really going to be an experience for the audience," says Power.
There will be five performances over four days at the Academy of Music.
Corella says A Midsummer Night's Dream is a cute story about summer love and all these different fairies.
There are many principal dancers.
"Titania and Oberon and Puck - they're the three main characters," says Corella. "It's a lot of twists in the story."
"It's hard to do ballets with comedy in it, because you have to have that timing, that perfect timing," says Power.
"The dancing is also very, very challenging," says Corella.
He says the most difficult part in the ballet is the part of the donkey since it's played by a male dancer on pointe.
"It's a really, really fun ballet," he says.
Power calls George Balanchine's Prodigal Son, "a beautiful ballet - very deep and meaningful."
Corella says it's about "a son that thinks he could do better on his own," and also "the importance of family."
"There's really the experience of a lot of different emotions," says Power.
"They're both very different, but at the same time, they're telling two very beautiful stories that I think the audience are really going to enjoy," says Corella.
Philadelphia Ballet performs The Dream and George Balanchine's Prodigal Son May 9 - 12 at the Academy of Music.
The Dream and George Balanchine's Prodigal Son | Tickets
Academy of Music
Broad and Locust Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19102
SHOW EXTRAS
Bartram's Gardens receives $100,000 grant for new trees
In celebration of Earth Day, the Bellwether District announced a $100,000 grant to support the Bartram's Garden tree program.
Bartram's Garden is a free public park in Southwest Philadelphia.
Over the next two years, the Garden will plant 200 trees throughout that neighborhood.
