Chef Michael Schulson’s Sampan (124 South 13th Street) is an oasis of contemporary Asian small plates located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia’s hot Midtown Village neighborhood. A dramatic back-lit wall mural sets the scene for Chef Schulson’s artful food, emerging from the restaurant’s centrally located open kitchen. while a carefully curated selection of wine, beer, sake and cocktails complement guests’ experiences. The restaurant is also home to Graffiti Bar, a private all-weather patio.
Tag Archives: Philadelphia
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats At The National Museum Of American Jewish History
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is the first major exhibition in this country to pay tribute to award-winning author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats (1916–1983), whose beloved children’s books include Whistle for Willie, Peter’s Chair, and The Snowy Day. The exhibition invites visitors to discover over 80 original works by this groundbreaking American Jewish artist, the first to feature an African-American protagonist in a modern full-color picture book. With works ranging from preliminary sketches to final paintings and collages, the exhibition also offers a reading area for visitors of all ages, drawn from Keats’s art and stories.
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is organized by The Jewish Museum, New York, from the collection of the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, The University of Southern Mississippi. The exhibition was funded at The Jewish Museum through a generous grant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Joseph Alexander Foundation, the Alfred J. Grunebaum Memorial Fund, and the Winnick Family Foundation.
The exhibit runs through October 20, 2013. Visit nmajh.org for more information.
Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis At The Philadelphia Museum Of Art
This interdisciplinary exhibition will shed new light on the vitally experimental decade of the 1920s in Paris when the great French modernist Fernand Léger (1881-1955) played a leading role in redefining the practice of painting by bringing it into active engagement with the urban environment and modern mass media. This will be the first exhibition to take as its inspiration and focus Léger’s monumental painting The City (1919), a cornerstone of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection and a landmark in the history of modern art, placing it in dialogue with the urban art and culture of modernity.
The exhibition will present a core group of Léger’s exceptional paintings on the theme of the city, along with film projections, theater designs, architectural models, and print and advertising designs by the artist and his contemporaries. In a multi-media installation of more than 120 works, including loans from American and European public and private collections, this exhibition will demonstrate the varied strategies through which artists and designers of the European avant-garde, with Léger in the lead, sought to participate in the complexity and excitement of the metropolis. The exhibition will also feature work by Cassandre, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Theo van Doesburg, Alexandra Exter, Abel Gance, Le Corbusier, Piet Mondrian, Gerald Murphy, Francis Picabia, Man Ray, and many others.
The exhibition runs from October 14, 2013 – January 5, 2014. Click here for more information
Laurel Hill Cemetery for ’Til Death Do Us Part: The Love Stories of Laurel Hill
Gravesites don’t usually come to mind on the most romantic day of the year, but couples looking for an out-of-this-world Valentine’s Day can head to Laurel Hill Cemetery for ’Til Death Do Us Part: The Love Stories of Laurel Hill. Red wine and snacks follow the hauntingly romantic tour. February 12. 3822 Ridge Avenue, (215) 228-8200, thelaurelhillcemetery.org
The Philadelphia International Auto Show
When: January 30 – February 7, 2010
Where: The Pennsylvania Convention Center
See new vehicles ranging from next year’s models to high-concept cars.
Macy’s Dickens Village& Holiday Light Show
http://social.macys.com/believe2010/#/events/santa-land-philadelphia
Macy’s carries on a Philadelphia tradition with a life-size recreation of Victorian London, where you can walk through and imagine yourself in A Christmas Carol. It is on the 3rd floor of the new Macy’s downtown store which is located in the old John Wanamaker building at 1300 Market Street. The the 6,000-square-foot exhibit has remained a popular holiday attraction with more than 100,000 visitors each holiday season with 10,000 on Black Friday alone.
Holiday Cruises
Toast to the holidays on the high seas this year with December Holiday Cruises aboard the spirit of Philadelphia. There’s a festive atmosphere, harbor view, a buffet, holiday music for dancing and even four different levels of holiday spirit to choose from.
http://spiritofphiladelphia.com/Philadelphia/december-holiday-cruises
Plan an Urban Adventure in Philadelphia
Exploring a new city can be overwhelming. Fortunately, sites like ours can help give you the inside tips for Philly hotspots. However, sometimes it is nice to have someone take you by the hand to help you really experience the city. Philadelphia Urban Adventures provides a knowledgeable fun team that offers a variety of tours. Every vacation deserves a few beers, so what not learn something along the way? The Philly On Tap Tour, run by Philadelphia Urban Adventures, takes you to the city’s most unique, friendly, and eclectic watering holes. The tour runs from 5pm-7pm, providing an unforgettable happy hour. Enjoy staple Philadelphia beers; learn about local breweries and the history behind popular drinking establishments in the city. You’ll quickly find out why Philadelphia is one of America’s best beer cities, and be ready in time for a night out on the town! Visit www.philadelphiaurbanadventures.com to book your tour!
Insiders Tip: Tours are unavailable on Sundays and Mondays, so keep that in mind when planning your next Philadelphia trip!
Creperie Beau Monde/L’Etage: French Food, European Night Life
Off the beaten trail, and nestled in South Philadelphia this French sensation offers an experience unlike any other. A savory lunch or dinner at Creperie Beau Monde is something unique. From hearty buckwheat crepes to sweet crepes, mouthwatering salads to flavorful cheese plates Beau Monde is a foodies dream. The fresh vintage setting brings a feeling of France to the intersection of sixth and Bainbridge. On top (literally) of all of the wonder that is Beau Monde is L’Etage, where the French flare is illuminated into the night. There you can find a DJ pumping beats in a cozy cabaret setting well equipped with a dance floor.
If you are looking for a night of dinner and dancing or a memorable luncheon, Beau Monde/ L’Etage has it all under one roof. The Creperie is open Tues-Fri:12-12, Sat:10-11 and the cabaret upstairs runs Tue-Thu,Sun 7:30pm-1am; Fri-Sat 7:30pm-2am.
Insider’s Tips: L’Etage offers special nights for live cabaret, music, film and Djs.
Jolly Weldon’s Dueling Piano Bar: Jolly Good Time
Located in the heart of Rittenhouse, at 2006 Chestnut St, Jolly’s Dueling Piano Bar is small venue that creates a lot of noise! Jolly Weldon’s 125-seat space surrounds two baby grands for pianists Anthony “Tony T” DeCarolis and “Wildman Joe” Marchetti. Every Tuesday through Saturday, these talented musicians battle to encourage the crowd to sing along with them to a 2,000+ song repertoire.
An abundant menu of snacks will feed your hunger as you work up an appetite singing along to all of your favorites. There’s also a two-hour happy hour from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. nightly with $3 well cocktails, $3 glasses of select red and white wines and $3 domestic beers, to help you sing your best!
Insider’s Tip: Make sure you don’t throw out your cocktail napkin, because each one acts as your song request form.
Best Place for an Autumn Stroll
Best Place for an Autumn Stroll
The historic homes of many of Philadelphia’s rowing clubs provide one of its most famous sights—Boathouse Row, which is even prettier at night, when the lights outlining the homes reflect onto the Schuylkill River.
The boathouses are home to several active rowing clubs overseen by the Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia, but rowing isn’t the only recreation that takes place here. Take a stroll down Philadelphia’s most popular paved trail, the Schuylkill River Trail, which is especially beautiful during the Fall. This is a perfect place for walkers, runners, bikers, and everyone else who simply wants to enjoy the stunning scenery.
Philly Neighborhood Food Week October 11-18
Philly Neighborhood Food Week
October 11-18
Over 30 restaurants in Northern Liberties, East Passyunk, Penn’s Landing, and Chestnut Hill are offering menus for $20 and $30. A portion of the proceeds from this Alterna-Restaurant-Week will benefit Philadelphia Academies, making the week not only good for your stomach and good for your wallet, but also good for the community. A restaurant week focused away from Center City allows you to see and experience places in the Greater Philadelphia area you would normally miss, but the locals love.
Design Philadelphia October 7-17
Design Philadelphia
October 7-17
Design Philadelphia is marking its sixth year with a city-wide celebration honoring the historic role of design in the region while showcasing the creative innovation yet to come. They will be teaming up with The University of the Arts during the nation’s largest festival of its kind. They aim to celebrate and promote Philadelphia as a design capital and destination.
Nearly 500 artists, professionals and students alike, will be represented in practically every design discipline, including automotive, product and interior design, graphic design, architecture, multi-media and urban planning. Events planned for Design Philadelphia 2010 include exhibitions, lectures, workshops and demonstrations to help shine a light on the city’s design scene and history.
Pennsylvania Coast Day Sept. 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Discover the wonders of Philadelphia’s tidal rivers at Southeastern Pennsylvania Coast Day, where more than 20 interactive displays and children’s activities will be featured near the RiverLink Ferry terminal at Penn’s Landing.
Parisian Sculptures in the Heart of Philly at Rodin
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) changed the face of figurative sculpture and ushered in a whole new era of artistic expression, and Philadelphia is lucky to hold the namesake museum and the lush gardens that surround it. Based on the collections of Philadelphia’s great movie theater magnate and philanthropist Jules E. Mastbaum, the Rodin holds most of the sculptor’s works and strives to preserve and restore his art. It’s one of the only places outside of France that you can experience his work!
Perhaps the most exciting part of the Rodin is the collaboration between the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Fairmount Park Commission, and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to renew and exhibit this urban oasis. These Philadelphia big wigs are making the Rodin into the flowering utopia it was meant to be, showcasing both the artwork and the nature that inspires it. Sometimes trying to pay a visit to a national museum in one stop can be overwhelming, but the conciseness of the Rodin makes it perfect for an afternoon stop.
Philadelphia Zoo’s Wild at Heart Valentine’s Day
Twosomes and families can compare human romance to that of other species during the Philadelphia Zoo’s Wild at Heart Valentine’s Day-themed weekend, featuring a self-guided tour of the most famous couples and animals at the nation’s first zoo. February 12-13.
3400 W. Girard Avenue, (215) 243-5254, phillyzoo.org