PARTY HOPPING IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT – Boyd’s, Hersha @ Fish, Klehr Harrison, Philebrity Awards, Rumor and Happy Rooster

If Google was measuring holiday parties, last night would have been ranked high on the Google Zeitgeist of holiday Parties. I am crazy and thought, let’s see how many I can hit.
I started at Rittenhouse and worked my way down towards City Hall. First I went
To Boyds where jeweler Jeff Kellmer and the landmark clothing store held a private shopping night cocktail party.
Kristin Detterline-Munro and Jamie Reibenbach checking out the Rolls-Royce parked outside the store.Patrick O’Hare and Ralph Yaffe, co-owner of Boyds. Yaffe had been an executive with Boyds since the 1980s, and in 1995 when the opportunity arose he bought it along with third-generation Kent Gushner, and Jeff Glass.
Tia Triplett, GM Ruth Chris Steakhouse and Laura Burkhardt, The LAB

Lex Wainwright and Thomas Finnegan told me that the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund’s annual holiday fundraising event was a huge success last week. I was sorry I missed it but it was the same night as the Daroff Design Holiday Party.
Terri Anne Benedetto and Erin Humphrey. Terri Anne and I used to work together occassionally, in my previous life as a paralegal. She at Levin Fishbein, me at Kohn Swift & Graf. Then it was off to the famed KLEHR HARRISON HARVEY BRANZBURG & ELLERS party in two cabs with the girls, Sabrina Tamburino, Stephanie Rybczyk, Heather Heo, Jill Rizen and Kristin Foote.
Zarwin Baum may throw a throw down awesome March Madness party, but KLEHR HARRISON throws THE (pronounced as Thee) party of the holiday season. Even before I was Philly Chit Chat and worked as a lowly paralegal I had heard about the Klehr Harrison party filled with mover, shakers, notables and politicians. I appreciate the folks at Klehr Harrison allowing me to photograph their party. (Especially William Harvey, The Managing Partner of the firm.)
Craig E, Ronald Christy and Ronald J. Patterson. Co-Chair of the Firm’s Zoning and Land Use Practice Group.
Claudia Rosales, with Gary Shusman and Ksenia Shusman, co-owners of Rumor
Matthew McManus, Jeff Pustizzi and Roland Kassis. Long time no see. Roland has been busy in No Libs with his two business, Café La Maude, Amrita Yoga and Wellness. It was great to catch up.
Robert Reynolds, Robert Reynolds Design and Celebrity make up artist Carie Brescia.
Getting a leg up, Sabrina Tamburino with Nina Tinari, T2 Consultants, LLC, Michael Schulson, Sampan and Ronald McCay. Sabrina’s always a good sport. I was telling her that for the rest of the year, and maybe into the next year I was going to try and post more pixs of candid, fun shots or people who tell me a fun story shots (for people I regularly shoot). I’d shoot her any which way, cause she’ll always be my PhillyChitChat “IT Girl”. Next year is my 5th Anniversary year, and in that fourth year when I met Sabs, things began to happen, no doubt she helped draw a lot of readers in with her vivaciousness, story and beauty. Thanks babe!!
Thank you to Hersha Hospitality for inviting me to their holiday party. I was euber excited as it was being held in the new Fish restaurant, which is located in their Independent Hotel at 13th and Locust Streets.
Now there’s a new door that leads from the hotels lobby right into the restaurant, which used to be Bump, an eatery/bar.
Neil H. Shah is President and Chief Operating Officer of Hersha Hospitality Trust, Erin Fitzharris, Brittany Root and Mary Gollhofer, Independent Collection Manager at Hersha Hospitality
Ashish R. Parikh Chief Financial Officer, Hersha Hospitality Trust and Radhi Parikh
Jim Evans, GM Independent Hotel, Carol Davis, Eric and Jason Becker
The Fish Team – Lisa, Chuck, Justin Petruce, chef de cuisine at Fish and Chef/Owner Mike Stollenwerk. This is the Oyster Bar located in the main restaurant. The kitchen is behind this area through a doorway.
The bartender that you loved at the old Fish, Theo, loves his new bar. It’s spacious, has lots of storage space and a bigger refrigerator. Can’t wait for the place to open, soon, real soon. Mums the word on my part though since someone probably told me accidentally.
Radhi, Sandi, Susie and Stephanie; Someone at the party told me that one of the philosophy’s of the Hersha organization is when you have the “largest home” in a neighborhood, and certainly a hotel would be the largest home, it is their responsibility to be a good neighbor, to take care of the neighborhood, and that is how they look at the communities where their hotels. They strive to be a good neighbor, get involved, help where help is needed and with the opening of Fish, bring to the corner a sense of pride and quality.
Jason Becker, Nel Rock, Blair Braun and Jay H. Shah is Hersha Hospitality Trust’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Trustees. Mike Stollenwerk is the kinda guy they were looking for to open a restaurant in their space. He cares about the community where he runs his business. Note: And that is so true. I know that the neighbors where the old Fish was located, really wanted him to stay at 17th & Lombard. He did the next best thing, he’s going to open a small bistro that will serve the neighborhood. It will still have some of the mainstay items that were on the menu before, plus a few more noshes. (I’ve seen the menu, it looks like it will attract more than just the neighborhood, yum good.)
Philebrity Awards. Thank you so much to Philebrity for nominating me as someone who brings Fabulous (or as I see it photographs how fabulous Philly is!!) I really mean it when I say it was an honor just to be nominated. Everyday I read Philebrity. I always say Joey holds the mirror up to the hypocrisy of society and says take a look at this. I don’t always agree with him, many times I cringe, I live in fear that he’ll discover I celebrate the Philebrities that he takes shots at. He has called me out a couple times, bad press is good press isn’t it sometimes? Once he called me a vapid shallow paparazzi that sucks the air out of Western Civilization (that was because I left a comment that when he saw Kate Moss at Johnny Brenda’s he should have taken a photo of her and cashed in.) But since then he’s been nothing but awesome. Thanks again.
The winner in my category, and someone I am a huge fan of Comedian Doogie Horner, and Jennie Thwing
The one act I caught as I was running late and didn’t get there til about 10PM. I had run into my bud Hadas Kuznits on the street. I was asking how her new gig/segment at KYW radio was working out. check it out here: What’s Cooking on 1060.
Joey Sweeney singing the closing number on stage

A few Philebrity Fans that let me take their photos.
Heading to my last party around 11PM I ran past Rumor to chat with my bud the always first class & friendly -Tee Fish – who runs the door at Rumor, as I was hanging the always stylish Brian Taylor – Door at Zee Bar stopped by with friends. (Then I had a 500 Degree burger next door. That place is making a killing day and night. It’s open til 3AM on Thurs – Sun

Then it was off to the Happy Rooster for Lindsay Furman’s and Sean Edwards Joint Holiday Party

Where I learned that what Dave Warren is doing is called a photo bomb. Hi to Michelle Kim’s stylish shoe, also a photo bomb. Those were the only bombs of the night, the party was a blast.
I’m glad I got there 5 hours late, the place was still packed, but if you like lots of bumping and grinding this was the party to be at cause to get through the crowd a lot of that was going on at every step. Hacina Saadi, Samuel J. Lassoffand, Lindsay.
Christie Honigman, Flyers great Eric Lindros, Erica Smitheman and John Bolaris. Erica just returned from Florida and has a golden tan. Philadelphia Flyers Eric Lindros and John LeClair just participated in Lunch with a Legend at Morton’s The Steakhouse yesterday. It was the center piece of three part fundraising campaign to benefit CHOP that Lindros and LeClair have initiated tied to their appearance in the 2011-2012 Winter Classic Alumni Game. Eric tells me they raised over $100,000 at the event.
Nigel Richards and Steve Gartner. This weekend check Experience 611 Lifestyle’s Pop-Up Shop
225 S.18th St Unit 103, on Locust St between 17th St & 18th St (behind Parc)
For more details visit the 611 Lifestyle website –
Thanks to all my advertisers this week, normally I mention them here but I know you have to get back to work. I do want to say today is my 20th Anniversary of being sober. The gifts of sobriety have been given to me tenfold. If I hadn’t given up the bottle 12/16/91 I’d be dead today. You don’t have to lose a job or drink everyday to realize you are an alcoholic, you just have to be fed up that this can’t go on any longer. Thank you to AA, my higher power (God) and to all those who supported me in this journey.