Race day respites, reality TV eats and dining for a cause
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- This week on FYI Philly, we round up the best spots for a race day respite and raise a glass with the official beer. Then, we visit a new restaurant born from a reality show and head to a Delaware food hall featuring a Philly favorite. Plus, see how you can dine out while giving back to neighbors in need.
Sweet and savory spots to take breaks while watching the Philly Cycling Classic
After a 10-year hiatus, the iconic Philly Cycling Classic returns on Sunday. For spots along the race route to chill with snacks and sips, choices go from sweet to savory. Tiffany's Bakery is a 49-year Philly institution that started in the original Gallery Mall, and just expanded to Manayunk with a location in the heart of Main Street. Crust in East Falls offers a 100% vegan menu, with baked goods and a variety of coffee and tea options. Also on Main Street in Manayunk, Saffron Cafe honors the cultural heritage of the owners, and offers beverages from cream sodas to Dubai Chocolate lattes, and bites from samosas to eggless croissants. All spots will be open during the race, and may offer race-themed items and specials.
Tiffany's Bakery - Manayunk | Facebook | Instagram
4254 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19127
844-Cake-Day (225-3329)
Crust | Instagram
4200 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19129
215-298-9969
Saffron Cafe | Instagram
4331 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19127
302-377-7543
Brewery crafts new lager for return of Philadelphia Cycling Classic
A Philadelphia brewery has created an official beer to mark the return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, which is set for Aug. 30 after a 10-year hiatus.
Mainstay Independent Brewing's new beer, the Philadelphia Classic Lager, debuts Thursday and is intended to celebrate the race's return to the city.
Brew master and partner Brian O'Reilly said the brewery set out to create a beer that would appeal to a broad audience while still standing out.
RELATED | 32 teams to compete in 2026 Philadelphia Cycling Classic
"This beer was designed in order to kind of be distinctively favorable and different, but we also wanted it to be kind of universal," O'Reilly said.
The custom lager was developed as the official beer of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic. O'Reilly said the brewery was eager to be involved because of its connection to the city and the event.
"I think this bike race is super special, especially the way it runs through the city of Philadelphia, and we are a brewery in Philadelphia, and we just couldn't not get excited about it," he said.
O'Reilly compared brewing the lager to preparing for a major cycling race, noting that both require significant planning and effort. He also said the event is a natural fit for a celebratory beverage.
"The race just is screaming for a beer in your hand while you are watching it," O'Reilly said.
Race organizers said bringing the Philadelphia Cycling Classic back after a decade away presented challenges.
"It took looking at a boulder and pushing it uphill," said Carlos Rogers, co-founder of Race Street Partners.
Still, organizers said the event's return and the debut of the official lager reflect partnerships with local businesses.
"It is just another notch under our belt of partnership with Philadelphia companies, and beer and bicycling go hand in hand," Rogers said.
The Philadelphia Classic Lager will be available for its first public tasting at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic Pep Rally at Craft Hall from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Afterward, the beer will be sold throughout Philadelphia and neighboring counties.
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is scheduled to return Aug. 30.
Hometown chefs cook for reality show cameras to build menu for new restaurant Recipe Philly
In what may be a first for Philly foodies, a reality tv show has built the menu for a new restaurant, Recipe Philly. The huge space across the street from the Convention Center is now up and running, with a restaurant, bar, and private dining room. Ed Baumstein of HomeBred Studios had the idea and led the charge to have home chefs submit recipes, then face off in a reality show competition. With culinary veteran Andy Ravella, host Josh Randall, and judges Clara Park, Jennifer Carroll, and Josh Moore, a tv show was shot in the restaurant over several weeks -- and the family recipes of the winning home chefs now comprise the menu. Recipe Philly is open daily from 10:30am to 9:00pm, and 10:00pm on weekends. Plans for release of the tv show are in the works.
Recipe Philly | Instagram
1401 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-560-8900
DE.CO Food Hall brings award-winning cuisine to Wilmington
DE.CO Food Hall houses 6 dining concepts under one historic roof inside the DuPont Building in Wilmington, Del. The destination is managed by the team behind Bardea Restaurant Group and with their help has brought in the first Angelo's locations outside of Philadelphia.
You can get an Angelo's cheesesteak on the same signature roll used on 9th street in Philadelphia or a pizza made on the same dough. The partnership started in 2025 when Angelo's brought the brand to Wilmington.
There are sushi, salad and Mexican options. Café Nonna offers an elevated dining experience with a bar and a separate dining room in the hall.
Bean by Bardea offers James Beard semifinalist Antimo DiMeo the chance to feature his sweet and savory pastries. The stand offers a variety of selections that pair perfectly with a full espresso drink menu.
The Bardea Restaurant Group took over management of the space in 2025 reimagining the food hall. The project was supported by WSFS bank, a Wilmington based institution that has worked closely with the owners to create dining destination for the community.
DE.CO Food Hall | Facebook | Instagram
111 West 10th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
Bardea Restaurant Group | Facebook | Instagram
WSFS Bank | Facebook | Instagram
Montgomery County celebrates 12th annual Freedom from Hunger food drive
Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board has a goal to donate 250,000 pounds of food to celebrate America 250 during its annual Freedom from Hunger food drive. The county-wide campaign raises money for the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network supporting food pantries in Montgomery County.
The program started in 2015 after Pope Francis visited for the World Meeting of Families and stayed in Montgomery County. The food drive was inspired by his visit. 12 years later support has grown for the initiative with dozens of local businesses offering special items to raise money.
Sweet Ashley's Chocolates created a box of chocolates featuring handmade candies created by owners Connie and Rob Lawson. The boxes are available through the end of the year and make a great holiday or corporate gift with portions of every sale supporting a great cause.
Shakia Williams is donating a portion of every wine tasting or bottle purchase at her Hatboro winery Cyrenity Sips. The donations start on October 1.
Blossom Café created the peanut butter fluff latte for the Freedom from Hunger campaign. Through the month of September, they will donate one dollar with every purchase of the drink. Pair that with some of the café's handmade pastries or grab a plant. The café shares a space with the Floral & Hardy garden shop.
Valley Forge Tourism Freedom from Hunger | Facebook | Instagram
Sweet Ashley's Fine Handmade Chocolate | Facebook | Instagram
70 Buckwalter Road, Royersford, PA 19468
Cyrenity Sips | Facebook | Instagram
31 South York Road, Hatboro, PA 19040
Blossom Café at Floral & Hardy | Facebook | Instagram
Skippack Village: 4007 Skippack Pike, Skippack, PA 19474
Philadelphia eateries Honeysuckle and Sao make Bon Appétit Magazine's 19 best new restaurants in 2026 list
Two Philadelphia restaurants are in the national spotlight.
Honeysuckle and Sao both made Bon Appétit magazine's list of the 19 best new restaurants in 2026.
Honeysuckle is a Black-owned spot in North Philadelphia, featuring twists on soul food and pan-African cuisine.
Sao in South Philadelphia, which has been featured on The Dish, is the second restaurant from James Beard winning chef Phila. The Cambodia-inspired seafood forward menu is an extension of Lorn's other popular restaurant, Mawn in Center City Philadelphia.
Artist John Wind creating visually stunning works of jewelry and art in South Philadelphia
Artist and jewelry designer John Wind seems to be living a charmed life.
"Our most popular product is a custom charm bracelet or necklace," says Wind, founder and chief designer of Maximal Art, also known as John Wind Jewelry. "A charm is a way of telling a story."
With his signature John Wind Jewelry, he's created all kinds of options for personalization.
"Customers can pick from hundreds of charms and create a self-portrait through jewelry," he says.
His artistry shines in his creative collaborations and other collections, like the 'Grand Hotel' Collection.
"I've been buying chandeliers that used to hang at the Plaza Hotel and the Waldorf Astoria," he says. "Taking the crystals off the chandeliers and then turning them into jewelry."
The jewelry is hand assembled and Wind does all the original designing.
His evolution in jewelry is displayed in cases around his studio and includes one of the very first brooches he ever made in the 1980s while a student in London.
Wind says by day he was an art school student and at night he was going out, wearing fun DIY accessories he created to the clubs.
"People started asking me about this jewelry," he says. "And it took on a life of its own."
He started selling to top stores overseas, then moved the business stateside, eventually building a high-volume gift brand.
"There wasn't really time for the art," he says. "So when I turned 50, I just felt like it was going in a direction I hadn't anticipated and I missed being an artist, not making art."
He scaled his jewelry business back to an online store and started doing paper collage work.
"But pretty quickly I found my way into more sculptural work," he says.
His interest in history and humanity led to the temporary installation "'DEAR JOHN': John Frederick Lewis, John Yaron Wind, and the Rosenbach Brothers." It's on view now within the permanent exhibit "Treasures from the Rosenbach's Collection: History of the Material Text" at the Rosenbach Museum & Library.
"I just love the translation from an idea to a physical reality," says Wind. "And not surprisingly, the language of jewelry, in particular charms, became a big part of my art."
"Charm Offensive: Part 2" is a record of his work on a collection of Revolutionary War statues at the Reilly Memorial behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It's on view at Park Towne Place's South Tower on the Bejamin Franklin Parkway.
For one weekend only in April, Wind physically dressed the statues with charm necklaces that told their story through a more modern lens, from the research he'd done on the history of these men.
"I have a really good balance now between the jewelry, the art making," he says. "It's really fun."
John Wind Jewelry is sold online and can also be found at Joan Shepp's shop on Walnut Street. In addition, Wind also runs the Dina Wind Art Foundation, named for his mother, in a shared space with his studio in South Philly. Monthly tours are available to see both Wind's Studio and his mother's outstanding artwork as well.
For more information:
"DEAR JOHN" at Rosenbach Museum & Library
"Charm Offensive: Part 2" at Park Towne Place South Tower
Eventbrite Tours of the Dina Wind Art Foundation/John Wind Studio
John Wind Studio/Dina Wind Art Foundation
1610 S. 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
1812 Productions presents "This Should Never Be A Musical" September 4 - 27
"This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show" may be unlike anything you've seen before. It's the same characters, but in a different musical every night.
"1812 is all comedy all the time," says Jennifer Childs, co-founder and producing artistic director for 1812 Productions. "And I've always wanted to do a sort of reality TV thing with theater."
She says the production is taking 1812 "back to our improvisational roots."
Childs teamed up with longtime friend Mary Carpenter to co-create and co-direct this world premiere piece.
Carpenter says the actors on stage are going to get suggestions from the audience for titles that "should never be a musical."
One suggestion they improvised was "An Arbor Day Story."
"And then these four performers are going to pitch them as if it's their idea for a musical," she says.
1812 Productions is presenting the 3-week run on the Arden Theatre Company's Arcadia Stage.
"We have an incredible cast of improvisers," says Carpenter. "We're just practicing a lot of different skills."
"If you're familiar with 'Waiting for Guffman' or 'This is Spinal Tap,' or any of those kinds of movies, it has very much that vibe," says Childs.
The actors will face reality TV-style challenges.
"And it's like 'Great, oh, you get to sing a villain song,'" she says.
Two actors sing, "We'll Push Her Off The Train."
"And we have an incredible musical director, Jay Rosen, who is so gifted at playing in all different styles," says Childs.
The audience votes after each challenge until only two are left to compete in a final duet challenge.
"When the audience comes back from intermission, they will vote on which one is the winner and then we'll do a 30-minute version of that musical," she says.
"And the fact that it is completely made up every night, the magic trick of it is kind of astounding," says Carpenter.
"It feels unbelievable even though I know they're improvising. Even as I watch them in the room, I'm still like, 'No way, no way!'" says Childs. "It's a really fun room to be in."
"This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show" runs September 4 - 27, 2026, on the Arcadia Stage at the Arden Theatre Company.
1812 Productions - "This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show" /
Link to tickets - The Arcadia Stage at Arden Theatre Company
Arden Theatre Company
The Arcadia Stage
40 N. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
