Recapping Best of Philly winners in food categories, a trip to the Southeast Asian Market
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Hosts Alicia Vitarelli and TaRhonda Thomas highlight the best that Philadelphia has to offer.
For the full list of 2023 Best of Philly winners, visit here: Best of Philly 2023: 240 People, Places and Things we love.
Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park named one of best in country
The Southeast Asian Market started humbly, with just one or two vendors nearly 40 years ago.
For years, they were unlicensed and unwelcome in FDR Park, regularly chased out by police.
But then the Vendors Association of FDR worked with the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, and the city's Parks and Recreation Department to make the market legit.
Now the market, with more than 70 vendors, is being touted as one of the best in the country by Food & Wine magazine, self-described as the global authority on food and drink culture.
It's a place where you can take your tastebuds on a tour, sampling the flavors of Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
Food & Wine suggests starting with Vietnamese coffee or sugar cane juice made from raw sugar cane that some vendors shave by hand on site.
Then move on to the stuffed Cambodian chicken wings; each family has its own recipe.
For dessert, Food & Wine says the mango sticky rice may very well be the best in the country.
While the food offerings are diverse, many of the vendors share a common story.
They are refugees, resettled in Philadelphia after fleeing war in their home countries.
If you're a truly adventurous eater, try the seasoned and fried crickets. It's a common snack food in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park | Website | Facebook | Instagram
1500 Pattison Avenue & S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19145
The FYI on some of Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly Winners
Philadelphia Magazine announced 240 winners in its annual Best of Philadelphia August edition.
We take a closer look at some of the winners from the city's best new BYOB to the home of Philly's best meats.
We visit restaurants, and specialty vendors covering food and drink, meat and vegetables and, of course, desserts.
Philadelphia Magazine | Facebook | Instagram
BEST NEW (OLD) RESTAURANT
4 West Palmer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125
BEST NEW BYOB
Tabachoy | Facebook | Instagram
932 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
BEST ALL-DAY EVERYTHING
Honeysuckle Provisions | Facebook | Instagram
310 South 48th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
BEST SOUTHERN COMFORT WITH A TWIST
Amina Restaurant & Lounge | Facebook | Instagram
104 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
BEST NEW READING TERMINAL MARKET STALL
Saami Somi | Facebook | Instagram
1136 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Suite 479 @ Reading Terminal Market
BEST MEATBALLS
Grandma's Philly | Facebook | Instagram
1304 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
BEST VEGAN COMFORTS
Nourish | Facebook | Instagram
177 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa 19123
BEST MEATS
Heavy Metal Sausage | Facebook | Instagram
1527 West Porter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145
BEST NEW VEGETABLES
Pietramala | Facebook | Instagram
614 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
BEST FRIED CHICKEN TO RUIN ALL OTHER FRIED CHICKEN
Doro Bet | Facebook | Instagram
4533 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143
BEST ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
Brazas BBQ Chicken| Facebook | Instagram
326 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
The Funplex adds stay & play to fun & sun with new hotels
The Funplex in Mt. Laurel already has seemingly unlimited options for a day of family activities and entertainment.
Now, guests will have the option to stay after they play.
Construction is almost completed on a new dual-brand hotel - the La Quinta and Hawthorn Suites will have a combined 125 rooms, an indoor pool, lobby libations at night, free breakfast in the morning, and much more.
At the park, the outdoor sections feature amusement park rides, a mini-golf, and a waterpark complete with slides, tubes, and pools.
Cabanas offer privacy and shade, each with a television and a fridge.
Indoor features include an arcade, bowling alley, go-karts, and more rides.
With food options offered throughout, you get a fun-filled experience for kids of all ages, and soon a place right next door to rest after an action-packed day.
The Funplex - Mt. Laurel | Facebook | Instagram
3320-24 Route 38, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
856-273-9061
open 7 days a week
PTN visits Oneka Camp
Our paid partners at the Pocono Television Network take you to Oneka summer camp.
It's right on Fairview Lake in the town of Tafton and it's where little girls go to make lifelong memories.
Camp Oneka hosts girls from all over the world at summer camp.
And when camp is not in session, they host weddings and other special events.
Camp Oneka | Facebook | Instagram
325 PA-390, Tafton, PA 18464
Theatre in the X hosts Zooman & the Sign at Malcolm X Park
Theatre in the X is bringing a powerful performance to the streets with Zooman and the Sign.
"We always try to choose a show that is relevant to the community and time that we're in and we thought this was a great one for right now, when there is so much conversation around community violence," says LaNeshe Miller-White, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Theatre in the X.
The play by Charles Fuller will be performed at Malcolm X Park and directed by Ozzie Jones.
The show starts with a family being fractured.
"A little girl is killed by a teenage boy named Zooman," says Miller-White. "Her family is expecting the community to come forward."
However, that doesn't happen, even though many people were outside when the shooting occurred in the neighborhood.
The victim's father, Reuben, posts a sign calling them cowards for their silence.
"The neighborhood actually gets upset at him for making them look bad with the sign," says Miller-White.
The sign creates a rift within the community and between the parents of the victim.
She says Rachel wants to focus on the loss of her daughter, but the sign has created a distraction and the retaliation of the neighborhood is affecting her.
The play also gives voice to the shooter.
Jones says it's important for audiences to remember that Zooman is only about 15, so he's a kid too.
"You're just seeing Zooman's situation play out and who he becomes, versus who our son is being in a stable home and family," says Miller-White.
She says they hope the outdoor performance for the community will open up a discussion, since the play very specifically asks, "what is the community's role when it comes to preventing community violence?"
Theatre in the X will perform Zooman and the Sign August 17-20 at Malcolm X Park. There will be a post-show community discussion following each performance.
Zooman and the Sign Show Schedule -- Tickets are free, BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair)
Thurs., August 17 & Fri., August 18 at 7pm -- talk-backs led by Philly Truce
Sat., August 19 & Sun., August 20 at 5pm -- talk-backs led by UrbnSEEK and Forget Me Knot Children and Youth Services
Theatre in the X at Malcolm X Park
5100 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Holy Apostles & the Mediator Episcopal Church(260 S. 51st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139)
Forget Me Knot Children and Youth Services
1628-30 North 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19121
