New restaurants, gluten-free bakeries & The Best of Philly | FYI Philly August 3
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Alicia Vitarelli and Christie Ileto are at Grace & Proper, Philadelphia Magazine's 2024 pick for Best of Philly Happy Hour. They check out a hidden garden that's become a summer hot spot, try tea with a touch of soul and sample gluten-free bakeries.
Rittenhouse chefs revive historic garden with summertime vibes at Amourette
Amourette is the new summer pop-up from James Beard nominee, Amanda Shulman, of Her Place Supper Club, and Alex Kemp of My Loup.
The word translates to 'summer fling' in French, fitting for the idea behind the concept - here for the summer, only for a short time.
Housed inside the Philadelphia Art Alliance, just off Rittenhouse Square, the building's garden sat vacant for years. The young chefs - recently married and still busy with their own restaurants - set up the space and brought the kitchen back to life.
Drinks and dishes are crafted to be light and fresh, with salads, a rotisserie chicken dish, and Pimm's Cups to name a few.
Amourette| Website |Instagram
251 S. 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Wednesday-Friday, 5-10 p.m. rain or shine
Akwaaba serves up high tea with a touch of soul and a B&B
When Essence Magazine Editor-In-Chief Monique Greenwood started a new career as the proprietor of a few bed-and-breakfasts on the East coast, she chose Philly for one of her three inn locations - other spots are in Brooklyn and the Poconos.
Akwaaba Philadelphia brings contemporary touches with a music theme to the University City property.
Just down the street, Monique recently opened the Akwaaba Tea Salon and Event Space where every weekend, 'high tea' is served. Just as in the British tradition, scones with clotted cream and perfectly steeped tea varieties are on hand. But Monique adds soulful creations like deviled eggs topped with a piece of fried chicken and honey hot sauces, and sweets like Southern peach cobbler.
Akwaaba Philadelphia Bed & Breakfast | Website | Facebook | Instagram
3709 Baring Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
866-466-3855
Akwaaba Tea Salon & Event Space |Instagram
3811 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
866-466-3855
Reservations required, via Open Table
Seatings: Fri.-Sun., 11am, 1pm, 3pm
Philadelphia Magazine's 2024 Best of Philly Winners
This is a monumental year for Best of Philly. It's the 50th anniversary of the issue, with 215 winners across six categories:
Philadelphia Magazine 2024 Best of Philly Issue | Website | Facebook | Instagram
CATEGORIES
Food & Drink | Shopping & Style | Fun & Games | Health & Self | Helpers & Fixers | City Life
The magazine's writers and editors work on the issue all year long, drilling down on the nitty-gritty of the city.
Along with this year's winners, there's a two page homage called the Philly Phifty, a Hall of Fame for Best of Philly winners over the past half century, with people like Dawn Staley, Quinta Brunson, Will Smith, and Jim Gardner and places like Reading Terminal Market, John's Roast Pork & John's Water Ice.
You can party with the winners and sample some of the top food and drinks at the Best of Philly Soiree
Best of Philly Soiree | Tickets
Wednesday, August 7th: VIP opens 5:30, general admission 6:30pm
Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130
New Day Bakery serves Southern Style Desserts
Adjoa Garrett is the baker and owner behind A New Day Bakery. She makes southern-style desserts like sweet potato cheese-a combination of cheesecake and her sweet potato pie recipe.
She also offers bean pies, bread pudding, and cookies for those who are vegan, gluten-free, and diabetic.
Garrett learned how to bake from her mother, Brenda Akiva Collins, and the two bake alongside each other at Kitchen Korners, a shared commercial kitchen space in Northeast Philadelphia.
For now, Garrett sells the desserts at farmers markets and popups around the city and she takes orders through social media. But eventually she'd like to get her own dessert truck.
A New Day Bakery Facebook| Instagram
GF Sweeties satisfies the sweet tooth with gluten-free options
Sachiko Levinson started GF Sweeties during the pandemic. After being laid off from a job in business, she decided to try her hand in the kitchen. Inspired by her daughter's dietary restrictions. she chose to share her family's gluten free favorites with the world.
GF Sweeties operates out of the SoHa Arts building in Haddon Township, N.J. Sachiko designed a kitchen dedicated to her gluten free creations.
There is a storefront attached to the kitchen where you can find daily creations like scones and muffins. There are also cookies, small and large, and cupcakes filled with house made surprises like strawberry and vanilla cream. Many of the products she makes are also vegan and dairy free.
Her goal is to provide a variety of products for those who are often left with few choices because of dietary restrictions.
GF Sweeties | Website | Facebook | Instagram
SoHa Arts Building, 1001 White Horse Pike, Haddon Township, NJ 08107
Localish: Great on Skates shares passion for roller skating and performing
Great on Skates is teaching roller skating to a new generation of performers.
Indian Bernardino created the group to teach roller skating to people of all ages and backgrounds. She calls her team her crew and together they spread their passion for 8-wheel energy through teaching and performing.
They have performed across the country but take pride in their Philadelphia roots.
India describes the roller-skating community as robust with each city having its own style of dance. As they travel the country performing, they bring those lessons back to Philadelphia teaching young kids across the region.
They also offer three levels of teaching for adults from beginner to advanced. The hope is to grow the community and build a bigger Great on Skates crew.
Great on Skates | Facebook | Instagram
Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival Runs August 9-18 |
The Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival is celebrating 10 years.
"Our mission is to create a platform for women, nonbinary artists, femme-identifying artists in Philadelphia to uplift and tell their stories," says Glynnis Nadelbaum, Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival. "We're really celebrating everything that we've accomplished."
This year the festival spans 10 days. Chosen writers live within an hour of Center City in Philadelphia. Nadelbaum says the focus was to find pieces empowering women.
Playwright Brie Knight returns with her play, Pancake Queen.
"This play is about and for Nancy Green," says Knight. "The first woman to portray the marketing icon that we now know as Aunt Jemima."
Knight did an early reading at the inaugural festival in 2014. Now, it will be the festival's first fully staged production. She says the play discusses themes of "commodification, capitalism," but it also looks at Nancy's life and elevates the "smart, charismatic" woman.
Other performances explore a variety of genres.
"We have two staged readings, and we have a night of one-person shows," says Nadelbaum.
Those will be held at Theatre Exile, along with Pancake Queen.
"The Theatre for Young Audiences' Day is happening at the NKCDC Garden in Fishtown, so it'll be an outdoor day full of activities for kids to engage in the arts," says Nadelbaum.
There is also a comedy night happening at the Sawubona Creativity Project.
"There is no one woman's story," says Nadelbaum. "We are many things, and we have many different experiences, backgrounds, voices, so we try to show a diverse range of those things."
The Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival runs August 9 - 18.
Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival | Tickets
Theatre Exile | 6abc Loves the Arts
1340-48 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
