FYI Philly: Enjoying views for food, music and luxury living
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- From high above Center City Philadelphia, Alicia Vitarelli and Christie Ileto have great views of new places to live, eat, and have some fun after dark.
Alice brings seasonal American dishes to the Italian Market
Chef Dave Conn has been a staple in Philadelphia kitchens for more than two decades. The veteran has worked in kitchens for Stephen Starr and Jose Garces and for the first time he is running his own restaurant.
Along with his wife, Sara, the chef is featuring a menu of seasonal new American dishes with every ingredient handpicked, from the huckleberry sauce on the sirloin to the mustard blossoms that garnish the Iberico carpaccio.
At the heart of the kitchen is a charcoal grill, which he uses on most of the menu items for a touch of flavor and for aroma in the dining room.
The corner spot has found a home in the Italian Market.
901 Christian Street, Philadelphia PA 19147
Gaucho's Prime brings Brazilian culture and all-you-can-eat meat to King of Prussia
Anderson Winck has been living the gaucho lifestyle since he was a kid growing up in Southern Brazil.
Since moving to the United States in 2006 he has worked at a variety of steakhouses, but now has three to call his own.
Gaucho's Prime in King of Prussia is his latest venture and first in the Philadelphia area.
The all-you-can-eat fixed price menu features 18 cuts of meat served tableside by the gauchos, who prep, cook and serve the food.
There is a salad bar that features more than 60 items and a full bar with Brazil's national cocktail, the caipirinha, made with imported cachaa liquor.
Anderson hopes people leave with full bellies and a glimpse of the culture he grew up with in Brazil.
Gaucho's Prime | Facebook | Instagram
220 North Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Sofi Corner Cafe blends French and Moroccan cultures and cuisines
There is a brand new eatery in the Washington Square West neighborhood and, only a few months since opening, many nights are selling out before closing.
Sofi Corner Cafe is named after co-owner Soufiane Boutliliss' nickname.
As the chef, he uses the cooking methods and recipes of his Moroccan upbringing to create dishes like tagines as well as sandwiches, salads, and egg dishes.
His partner Christophe Mathon handles marketing and operations, but also comes from a French family that had restaurants, so he puts his hospitality know-how to work front-of-house.
Together, they have created a cozy and inviting space that combines their backgrounds and the cuisines they grew up eating.
French croissants and baguettes are baked fresh onsite every day, and the clay pots of Moroccan cuisine are used to slowly cook meat dishes on the stovetop for hours.
The BYO cafe is open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch every day except Monday.
Sofi Corner Cafe | Facebook | Instagram
1112 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Tuesday-Friday, 7:30 am-4 pm and Saturday-Sunday, 9 am-4 pm
A tour of Arthaus with jaw-dropping views in every direction
Arthaus is where condominium meets 5-star resort.
There are two full floors of amenities, including a fitness center and salon, a library, cafe, club room, dog run and spas for both pets and their people.
That's not all.
A junior Olympic-sized lap pool, kept at 84 degrees year-round, makes you feel like you're on a tropical vacation. Residents will also enjoy an enormous communal terrace with a grill and a reflecting pool. There's even a greenhouse and garden plots for those with green thumbs.
Arthaus is developer Carl Dranoff's 36th building, his 4th on the Avenue of the Arts. It is, Dranoff says, his "tallest, most expensive, and most grand building."
Prices start at $1.6 million and go up to $15 million for the 5,400-square foot bi-level penthouse unit with an elevator to transport you between floors. It's like a single-family house dropped atop a high rise, with a 1,200-square-foot terrace. Even the laundry room comes with stunning, panoramic views.
The three penthouse units include room-sized his-and-her closets, and there are his-and-her en suite bathrooms where you can soak in the tub while soaking in river-to-river views.
Kitchens come with subzero appliance packages, Lincoln Marble countertops and a choice of all-white custom cabinetry or a tuxedo blend of white and wood.
There's an entertainment space with a full catering kitchen that residents can reserve for special events and an onsite amenities manager to serve as a concierge.
The Loch Bar restaurant just opened on the ground floor so dinner can be just an elevator ride away. There's valet parking too and a chauffeured town car that can ferry you about town.
Arthaus | Facebook | Instagram
311-319 S Broad St, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107
(215) 375-7200 | mharris@dranoffproperties.com
Vinyl adds a new twist to the live music scene in Philadelphia
Vinyl is a new venue in Center City for live music, entertainment, and nightlife.
Rob Wasserman, owner of Rittenhouse restaurant Rouge, and Josh Zwirzina, owner of nightclub The Ave Live, joined together to create Vinyl.
Vinyl opened this past July and is first come first serve at the bar and high-top tables.
Owners give local musicians the opportunity to play at Vinyl and provide a good time for those in the city.
Happy Hour is every Wednesday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. where all items on the menu are half off. Vinyl offers Sunday Brunch where you can watch the Eagles game on the big screen.
The menu consists of bite-size snacks like pierogis, beef burger sliders, and flatbreads.
Each cocktail has a unique name inspired by song lyrics. Try their take on a Black Manhattan called "Lightning Strike"; a Rihanna reference from the Calvin Harris song, "This Is What You Came For."
Latenight Vinyl transforms into a nightclub where DJs play different genres of music.
Vinyl is open Wednesday through Sunday.
215 S 15th Street, Philadelphia PA 19102
How a photo of a cheesecake turned into a sweet business venture, Nothing But Cheesecakes
It all started in 2021, when Jarredd McQueen posted a photo of a homemade cheesecake on his Facebook page and his friends were quick to request a slice or two for themselves.
As the number of orders began to rapidly increase, Jarredd and his wife Candace knew they had to start a business.
As a result, Nothing But Cheesecakes was born.
After building the business over the course of several months, Jarred suddenly passed away. Despite the challenges of this sudden loss, Candace found solace in baking and ultimately decided to keep running the business in her husband's memory.
The cheesecakes are available in about 20 different flavors and you can request your own if it is not on the menu.
Options include Strawberry Shortcake, Peach Cobbler, Banana Pudding, Oreo, Biscoff Cookie Butter and many more. There are also alcohol-infused flavors to try.
Orders can be placed online or by phone with options for pickup and delivery within the city.
Nothing But Cheesecakes | Facebook | Instagram
310 South 48th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19143, United States
215-360-3509|orders@nothingbutcheesecakes.net
