Category: Philadelphia

If you were wondering what was behind the plywood at 1518 Sansom for the last 3 years, wonder no more. Willy Bouikidis ran Race Street Pizza at 13th and Race Streets from 1976 to 2006 with his brothers, when the Convention Center expansion took over the property.
Retirement wasn’t easy for Bouikidis, a Greek who tells me he loves food, especially Italian. And the Italian/American menu reflects this with entree selections like Penne Bolognese, Mushroom Risotto, Grilled Kosher Chicken and Red Wine Braised Short Rib. There’s also an extensive drink menu, including wines. (Willie told me the dishes were out so the chef can choose which ones to use, and the rest he will store for the future.)
The 80 seat restaurant will be opened 7 days a week 11AM to 2AM, adding to the excitement of the street which already has a few of my fave hang outs like Nodding Head, 500 Degrees, Ladder 15, The Oyster House and shortly the Grasso Brothers sports bar at 15th & Sansom Streets. (With Mark Marek’s nightclub, RUMOR, opening in the basement.)
I liked the color and the vibe, yes I said vibe of this new eatery. The chairs were thoughtfully chosen for comfort and style, the floor porcelain tile to look like wood. I mentioned that the floor was similar to Marabella’s Meatballs on Walnut Street, which started Bouikidis and I off on a restaurant chat for 40 minutes. He has the stories that will keep you entertained. Happy Hour is Monday thru Friday 5PM – 7PM. Each day brings a $5 price to a cocktail, and $1 off draft & bottled beers (Draft beers: Bud Light, Bed, Guinness, Heineken, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Sierra Nevada, Yuengling, and Woodchuck cider to name a few.) Bottle: Domestic $4 and Imports $5. Non-Alcoholic brews $4. Appetizers for Happy Hour include Hummus, Calamari Fritto Misto, Mussels with White Wine Sauce and Salt and Pepper Wings.
Lunch will be served 7 days a week 11AM – 2AM, and include salads, yum like Roasted Beet Salad (oranges, Frisee, Sherry Vinaigrette, and Goat Cheese.) similar apps as Happy Hour, but adding the ever popular Pork & Lamb Meatballs. Sandwiches T.E.D (Thanksgiving Every Day) Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Brioche and mayonnaise; flank steak, tuna melt chicken cutlet and grilled portabello reuban all for $8.50 then a reasonable burger, The 1518 Burger $10. All sanwiches served with house salad or hand cut french fries. Now that’s an affordable lunch. But we still have to wait, seems the delay has been paperwork, hearings and more paperwork. Willy says with in 3 more weeks, he hopes to be open by the end of the month. The restaurant is ready.

Birthdays and Going Away Parties were on the agenda this weekend. For this edition I’m going to cover Doug & Holly Kammerer as well as Erin Elmore’s 3rd Anniversary of PhillyChitChat covering her birthday party. I popped into Roosevelt Pub (as I was on my way to a birthday party at Positano Coast, which I will chat about tomorrow) on Saturday night for The Kammerer’s going away party. It didn’t matter that they went away at the end of the summer as Doug took a job in DC at NBC Washington Ch 4; seeing them on Saturday night was just like seeing them yesterday. It was really fun getting to know them during the time I did PhillyChitChat, and Doug Kammerer was one of the first “news people” that I got to know socially. Then over time I met Holly Kammerer and enjoyed catching up on her life, as I did Saturday night. They were back in town to pack up their house as they finally found a nice house to call home outside of D.C. “It needs a litte TLC” Holly tells me, and the couple is looking forward to lots of house projects and painting, but there will be no stenciling going on, Holly tells me. Congratulations you two and Philly will miss you.
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On Friday night

I stopped by Union Trust to help former Celebrity Apprentice, current beauty and attorney, Erin Elmore celebrate her 29th birthday again, but the theme was prehistoric birthday. I was also curious how packed UT was as I rarely get a chance to visit the restaurant; the restaurant was doing a brisk business and the bar downstairs was crowded. There was a whole bunch of new people at the door greeting the guests and they were very friendly, but I had not a clue who they were. Guess they hired a few new people.
Here’s Erin with beau Tim Lucey who flew in from overseas that evening to be at the party, and Gossip columnist Dan Gross. Dan just participated in the Mummers with wife Holly, if you have a chance check out his clip on his FB page, precious.
Michael Piszek and Jamie Reibenbach; I’d like to follow Jamie around for a weekend, the girls FB page is always populated with fun.Erin Lavelle and Garret Miller. Erin co-chairs the YPN’s Events Committee and is involved with the charity Little Smiles, which Erin volunteers at too.
Lauren Furst and Dave Maser, were introduced by matchmaker Corie Moskow of GlossPR a few months back, and it was a great fit. If her PR biz ever slows down I see another calling.
Jen Grover, Lindsay Kravitz and Tony Rufo. Although the Eagles lost yesterday, Lindsay and Tony enjoyed their box seats and kept each other warm. Jen’s business is booming and she’s just about to set up another branch in Mexico buenas suerte!
Cute couple Rob Dailey and Monique Crawford; clear your calendar as a 2012 wedding is planned
The story of how the song “Happy Birthday to You” came to be, began as a sweet one, that later soured. Two sisters, Mildred Hill, a teacher at the Louisville, Kentucky Experimental Kindergarten, and Dr. Patty Hill, the principal of the same school, together wrote a song for the children, entitled “Good Morning to All.” When Mildred combined her musical talents, as the resident expert on spiritual songs, and as the organist for her church, with her sister’s expertise in the area of Kindergarten Education, “Good Morning to All” was sure to be a success.
Lauren Beloff and Anthony Sembello, looking like a million bucks those two. Everyone seems to be doing the portion control diet, and it works. Doggie bag half your meal when it is served to you.
Dinosaur tattoo
Stephanie Rybczyk and beau Larry Walker
Elaine Grabar, Ali Smith, Tamar Olitsky and Jill Rizen. Elaine and Jill are always styled out.
Brian Bosonac and Ashley Elmore. Since celebrating Erin’s bday last year, Ashley has appeared in The Bachelor and The Bachelor Pad. Currently working as a teacher in DC, don’t rule out a move to Philly someday where one hopes a reality show will be in her future with sister Erin.
Biana DeMarco, Kerri Smith, Jen Groover (photos), Ashley Elmore, Elaine R. Grabar (photos), Stephanie Rybczyk (photos), Heather HyeLim Heo (photos), Lindsay Kravitz (photos), Lauren A. Beloff (photos), Danielle Poe (photos), Christa Mangiello, Jill Rizen (photos), Valerie Daily, Monique Crawford (photos), Danielle Krupa (photos),
The only problem with having a birthday is that you keep getting older. However, if i could have a party like i did last night every weekend, I would. So fun. Thank you everyone for coming! It means so much to me! – Erin Elmore (At the end of the week I will be putting all the pixs in the online album with a link here and on FB in case you want copies of the shots above for merely $4 FB size or $10 full size)

Five years after Starwood’s acquisition of Le Méridien, the brand ushers in its new brand strategy at a reception for local cultural leaders, taste-makers and hospitality industry VIPs. Le Méridien is poised for a new era with a renewed focus on global customer and guest service initiatives and programs designed to capitalize on an emerging trend toward positioning hotels as cultural hubs for its guests.

The party was held at one of the newer Le Meridien’s right here in Philly at 1421 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 422-8200
Renowned photographer Ralph Gibson took the fabulous picture that greeted people as they entered the ballroom
Entertaining the crowd was Hisham Akira Bharoocha, was born in Nidata, Japan and is an ex-member of the Providence, Rhode Island bands Lightning Bolt and Black Dice. Currently, Bharoocha is involved in his solo band Soft Circle, and as an artist in New York City.
Their was a communal table in the middle of the room. It was stocked with colored pens, markers and chalk to inspire the guests artistic flair to shine through as they were encouraged to express themselves on “the table cloth.”
Susan Fortin & Annie Heckenberger, Red Tettemer & Partners
hmm hmm good
Steve Loving, Justin Weeks, Lynn Garner, Evan Evans, Le Meridien Philadelphia General Manager

Estella Paza, Kerry Hsu, Anna Lloyd, Caroline Rippetbau, Sourcing Coordinator at Starwood Hotels , Audra DiSimone, Director of Design at Starwood Hotels & Resorts | LEED AP , Aliya Khan
Vivi He, International DJ Nigel Richards, Beke Rendell, Nicole Cashman, Cashman & Associates
Trey Sarten, Global PR, W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien and Lyman Carter, Partner at Radar Entertainment. (If Lyman looks familar it’s because his brother is Dawson Creek’s actor Joshua Jackson)
Now represented by 105 properties in 50 countries spanning five continents, Le Méridien has undergone a dramatic re-launch to become a sought-after, contemporary, design-led lifestyle brand. With 85% of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts provides an international complement to Starwood’s strong North American portfolio and has accelerated Starwood’s leadership as the most global hospitality company.
Nick Schroeder, Lauren Goshman
Tiffany Taverz and Karna Kacala, Arts and eats in the City of Brotherly Love. Marketing Coordinator for First Person Arts.
Artist Yan Lei who currently lives and works in Hong Kong and Beijing traveled to Philadelphia to participate in the celebration. He stands in front of one of his art works.
Stephanie Brandow and Andrea Lawrence

The Le Meridien Team including Eva Ziegler, SVP at Starwood Hotels & Resorts,
Nicole Bowden, Judy Chu, Olivia Ward. Olivia would go on to win a 3 nights stay at a Le Meridien in Taipei
Fabrice Penot is half of the driving force behind cult perfume house Le Labo.

Then there was the raffle drawing and guests had a chance to win trips to various Le Meridien around the world, as well as various products like a coffee machine
Today, there are currently 105 Le Méridien hotels globally.

• Since the Starwood acquisition in 2005, the company has exited 45 Le Méridien hotels that did not meet standards under Starwood.
• 50% of Le Méridien hotels have been renovated or will be renovated by end 2012.
• Starwood has opened 20 new Le Meridien hotels in the past five years, including San Francisco (USA), Minnesota
• There’s a great article at Luxist.com on the new direction of the Le Meridien:
• The landmark Philadelphia hotel marks just the beginning for where Ziegler and her team are taking the Le Meridien brand in the future. 2011 marks the triumph of a very successful social experiment in building a travel hub for the creative class. With Paris as her guide, Ziegler is continuing to focus Le Meridien properties everywhere on targeting creative minds and their cohorts and opening them up to a new experience through the lens of arts and cuisine.

Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro star in Limitless, a paranoia-fueled action thriller about an unpublished writer whose life is transformed by a top-secret “smart drug” that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life in this darkly comic and provocative film.
Wednesday afternoon I received a tip that the film crew was setting up near 23rd & Market (thank you), so on my way over there I passed the old Triple AAA building as the empty building doubled as his campaign office
The Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert DeNiro film “Dark Fields” now “Limitless” filmed earlier this yearturning Philadelphia into New York City
Now they are again in town doing new scenes. Last time they were here (Fall) I captured Bradley Cooper & Abbie Cornish making out in Rittenhouse Sq (clip on NBC10 Website)
The filming at the election headquarters takes place on Monday during the day. Should be crazy since Market Street won’t be closed during the shoot which will take place inside the former AAA building, so bring a long lens or 20/20 vision cause Market Street is wide.
Today (Friday) they filmed at Sampan between 7AM and 2PM with Abbie Cornish and Bradley Cooper
This shot I will call “Unfortunate” cause a big old water drop fell from melting snow above my head darn. I did get some other awesome shots which I will write about next week when I file my complete story.

I walked by earlier in the day and the stones were looking well stoney
and then around 9PM they had covered the stones with plastic. I imagine they did this because if it snows, they can easily brush the snow off the stones, then lift the plastic off to reveal the stones for continuity of the scene. The reason I think the shoot is on Saturday is there was no signage around the perimeter of the building saying “no parking”. Last month I posted the trailer for the newly renamed movie here
Here’s a link to Michael Klein’s Insider blog about the filming on Monday:

PhillyChitChatter:

Tammy Jean wants you to “Please watch me on WMMR’s Preston and Steve’s Hottie Cam on Friday morning, January 7th, starting around 6:30/7am. I’ll be promoting my Playboy publication! Preston & Steve Girls “
Photographer and Copyright: Arthur Eisenberg
Snake: Oriana Hair and Make up: Tammy Jean
Overbrook’s Seth Green and his father Herb in 2008 at the Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night – World Premiere of ‘Baby Mama’ at Ziegfeld Theater NYC (this is my photos). Tuesday, 1/4/11 Seth joined the Stan Lee Celebration at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, CA. The Wolfgang Puck restaurant has begun the transformation of the space where the former Kimmel Gift Shop at the Kimmel Center stood. A source tells me the new space will not have a kitchen but the food will be cooked downstairs and brought up to the diners. Look for it to open in 2012.
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Finally Patti LaBelle ended her run on Broadway in Fela!, (playing Fela’s mother) the widely acclaimed Broadway musical inspired by the life, music and activism of Afrobeat maestro Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. In attendance on closing night Sunday 1/2/11 was producer Spike Lee, Tony Award Winning Choreographer Bill T Jones, as well as former LaBelle singing partner Sarah Dash and opera singer, Jesseye Norman. EXCITING NEWS: The London production of Fela at the National Theater will be filmed on January 13 and broadcast to 370 movie theaters in 20 countries. The producers plan that each theater could have four screenings of the filmed version. The producers plan to sell tickets for $22 each, offering audiences in the United States and all over the world a chance to see an enthralling film version of Fela!
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Tutti Frutti slows down on the selling of their delicious yogurt at their 1315 Walnut Street store, but they are carrying bettysfudge.com cakes, cupcakes and their Choux Cakes. I refrained, but did stop in to say hi.
Nothing happening with Letto Deli yet
but the rumor is that the Gramercy is going to have a boutique gym on the ground floor.
Looks like Le Pain Quotidien is just about to open
Freshii at the Ritz-Carlton Residences opened Monday and already has a Yelp review.

2011 brings another facet to PhillyChitChat and that is of roving reporter when I come upon news happening. Yesterday I had a few errands to do and while window shopping at XIII on 13th (You really have to stop by that shop it’s adorable) I notice several police cars driving down 13th Street. Being the curious guy I am I followed them enticing red flashing lights to the row of houses between Spruce and Locust, right down from the street of the Parker hotel, and across from the Wellington on Spruce where I first lived when I moved to Philly oh so many years ago. This stretch of block really hasn’t improved much since the time I was mugged there one warm August night, back then it was known as the red light district, and if you wander about after midnight you still might catch a glimpse of a lady er lady like of the night.

So I get to the scene and I am trying to figure out what was going on. I identify myself as part of the media, because I guess I am, I have a press pass. I always wonder is a blogger media, but am I more than a blogger now, I had that fun PhillyMag column, I contribute news to NBC10 Non-Stop, my pictures go in the Philly Inquirer etc; I think I’ll own that name member of the media now I think. I wonder if I can join the Pen & Pencil Club now? Media schmedia the cops wouldn’t tell me what was going on, but shortly after I took this picture they started to panic and evacuate the block of all people.
Around this time the union shop boys were returning to their building, which is in the middle of the block, to change shifts. The police wouldn’t let them enter the block and the boys threw a lot of their testosterone around to no avail as the cops weren’t letting them through. It was so funny to her the brutes say “well you’re gonna have to tell out boss to pay us overtime then.”

Here are a few of their trucks which they basically just left in the middle of the road causes traffic mayhem. Oy By now I hear on Twitter from @ianthebush that it wasn’t a bomb, or meth lab as the crowd suspected, but a man who was holding a women hostage and barricaded himself in the house. Which is a pretty serious domestic situation, but I can’t figure out why the ladder truck would extend to the 3rd floor window. I guess they wanted to take a look inside. Shortly after getting the story right, the women was out of the house and the police just worked on getting the suspect out.
Next an ambulance came, and I will spare you the video of the predictable outcome when the policewomen attempted to hold down the yellow tape to allow the ambulance to drive over it, let’s just say she had to park her cop car in the street to block traffic after the ambulance went by
This was kinda funny. If you look closely there’s a yellow tape across the far sidewalk, now this I should have taped because the women in the blue coat was determined to make it to the mailbox which was behind me
and just walked by it like she was Casper the Friendly Ghost
through the throngs of police, and now you can see above the alleged suspect being led out of the house
and down the street
This picture was shot by “MelissaAshleyPR Melissa Thompson

to the police car. I’m sure that pissed off the Union guys who still couldn’t get back into their building for another 15 minutes
Oh ABC6 flew by to take a look. I have to clean my camera. The women was fine and didn’t leave via ambulance.
And life returns to normal on 13th street
except the police left a little souvenir on a tree that will remain there forever.

Happy New Year!! “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Jennifer Sherlock
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Thank you for making my year, PhillyChitChat year’s best year yet. I began thinking about what I was going to write on this last day of 2010 early in December, even jotted down a few notes. I was so excited of what I achieved, personally by bringing to you, the readers, interesting stories that weren’t being told, or from a different perspective, curious oddities, and although it’s called PhillyChitChat I could have easily called it HughE’s Curiosity, cause that’s pretty much how it started before I honed in on certain subjects.(lately it’s been a whole hodge podge of HughE’s curiosity.) Most of all THANK YOU MY READERS WHO TAKE TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO READ ME, AND OF COURSE HUGE CYBER HUGS TO EVERYONE THAT ALLOWS ME TO PHOTOGRAPH THEM AND WRITE ABOUT THEIR LIVES. The following are a few of my FAVORITE EVENTS to cover.
Most photographers would accept high paying jobs to work on this night, but for me I will be spending it with a handful of close friends, especially since all year long they have to suffer with me canceling plans so that I can shoot the exciting events that grace these pages.
Tomorrow will be like all my New Year Day’s when I welcome the new year with it’s new possibilities, new challenges, new friends, watching the Mummers Parade where I will hopefully run into a lot of old friends, make some new ones and maybe this year go to Two Street.

Random sister shot – Crista and her Mike (far left) celebrating the good news. People often ask me how I do it all, well there are cracks and one of them is very visible. This year I am really going to get healthier, eat better and go to the gym. Oh and get some sleep, at least 6 – 8 hrs up from my 4.
I love shooting ordinary folks, wearing extraordinary outfits and in this case all in the name of love for one Justin Bieber. (I never told you how that IHop picture got on TMZ. A reader tipped me off to the sighting, I didn’t have my phone on, I checked Twitter, only 2 people noted it, I taped my exclusive interview for my NBC10 Non-Stop Segment (Ch 248. or 10.2 if you don’t have digital, or on Fios Ch 68) the next morning with Justin Pizzi. I should have told them to post it immediately on the website, but I didn’t as I wanted to get a picture of the IHop & table they sat at. I called IHop for details, they didn’t realize that it was a big story and that it was going to go public. They said no comment, which triggered some lucky person into selling the picture and story to TMZ. A picture does says a thousand words.
Congratulations to Brian and Steffi Freedman who welcomed daughter Sophie Gabriella Freedman to the world in December 2010.
I send my pixs to a NY agency and get published in glossies and blogs. People always ask me how much I make when I sell these photos, or stories to the national magazines (they never ask me what I make as a paralegal) But I will tell you, a picture in a mag pays up to $150 and it doesn’t happen often that you actually get in a mag as it’s very political and they often choose pixs from LA, NYC, Las Vegas and it has to be an A-Lister or someone not wearing underwear. A pix on a blog gets between $5 – $25, which is where most of my shots go. But I love getting pixs and stories nationwide because it’s great PR for the City, fun and I like the challenge of getting the story.
Megan Smith – Brownstone PR lands in Black Enterprise Magazine. I don’t write about Megan enough, she runs a tight, top rate public relations company and does well by her clients by getting placements in national news, as well as locally. She’s one to watch in 2011

R2L opened last winter. It’s consistently one of the restaurants with a crowd and view. I can’t say anything about the food because I’ve never eaten there, but a lot of my friends have and that’s why I have gotten placements about the eatery in national magazines, namely breaking the Kendra & Hank Baskett story that they were moving into Liberty 2 Residences and that they enjoyed the food at R2l. More recently I’ve had placements in the national press when Barbara Streisand and Jamie Foxx ate at tables 94 & 95. So send me the tips: I always reward my tipsters with invites to exclusive parties, gift bags, gift cards and free photos of themselves that I take at events.
Also at R2L, Paige Wolf and Mike Bederka: Paige has an amazing letter on her FB page regarding the Business Privilege Tax in Philadelphia. (I got one a couple years back.) Friend her and read it.

Sometime this year I will be starting my greeting card business again. I missed doing it, and now I will have time to it.

Thanks to Parx’s Casino for hiring me several times last year to shoot their events. Congratulations to Carrie Nork Minelli and Dino Minelli on the news that they are having a little boy.

The same day I ran up to Allentown like a crazy nut, to photograph this crazy nut. Then I was tipped off to Bebe’s a the local mall where she was picking up an outfit for a red carpet event that night in NYC. I got a great shot of her there that ran on a few blogs.
The Red Ball is in March at the Please Touch Museum. Philly suburb kids Kristin and Eddie Alderson from One Life To Live attended. This year look for the Rock, Vin Diesel and Kevin Navayne to host this year 3/5/11. (& PLEASE WEAR RED, so many folks don’t. We need more styling in this City.)
I love the Philadelphia Flower Show put on by the Horticultural Society 3/6/11 – 3/16/11; I also love the Macy’s Flower Show which is held in the Spring
I started writing for PhillyMag.com in April. It was a dream come true, but later I was overwhelmed having taken too many things and working a full time day job, and left in November.
I love shooting celebrities too and telling you tidbits. Like do you see the orange fire-hydrant is painted black on the side which will be in the movie. I wonder if they painted it back.
Looking forward to spending Easter at my sister’s in Charlotte again this year.

Another exciting list coming up for Philly’s Dancing with the Stars to benefit the Sickle Cell Anemia organization this April 10.
The Dream Team: Chris Gabello, Rob Waserman (Rouge), Laura Burkhardt (Where Magazine), Michael Schulson (Sampan) and Alp Aktan (Delilah’s). Look for a couple of these people to do a project together really soon.
The dreamers team: Ashley Vanett, Maria Papadakis, Carol Tamburino, Sabrina Tamburino-Thorne, Avra S. Gross, Michelle Miller, and Lesley Kozloff at the Radnor Hunt

Friends I don’t get to see nearly enough of: Matt Vlahos, Diane Johnson (Christian DiCicco), Nina Tinari, Jimmy Contreras, Mia Tinari, (Phyllis Halpern, Jonathan Venderick, Jamyra Perry, Tim1 & 2, Deming & Norbert, Lisa, Lee Ann, Rick, Alyson, all my old friends before I was PCC and many more not listed)
Mia Tinari’s wedding was epic, as was Christopher and Tiffany Nork. Thanks for letting me cover them as “socially” for my readers, and Philly Magazine.
Other socially covered parties included: Doug and Holly Kammerer’s going away party as well as Doug’s birthday party at Roosevelt Pub.

The Beer Fest. Who’s getting married, having a bday party or something special and want me to come by and shoot it for PhillyChitChat socially, or if you want to keep the pictures too – hire me. Email me for rates.

The Cooking Class: Monica Glass, Top Chef’s Jennifer Carroll and Kevin Sbranga, flanking Iron Chef Jose Garces. I love exclusives like this. I was so lucky as I had to work late (paralegal job) and then run to the Navy Yard to shoot this highly desired Great Chefs event for Alex’s Lemonade. I was only there for the last 30 minutes, which is probably why I could get these 4 to leave their posts.
A huge honor to photograph her. It was 90F out and she wore gloves, classy!!

Jason Lewis, Dan Gross and Holly Maher. Good news to come? Dan Gross and Michael Klein have been really good friends to me and have been helpful as I hone my writing skills & gossip reporting.
New Friends this year: Erin Como, Justin Pizzi and Buffy Morgan
Caitlin Joyce and Christie Honigman celebrate their roommate ness this year
Delilah’s it’s performance art. No doubt people were talking when I got a few of the more PG13 Rated pixs in my PhillyMag.com column
I love covering celebs, but I really love covering the people who love the celebs and people in general doing ordinary things.
Happy new home to Michelle Cassidy (An Empty Fridge) and Arthur Etchells
First time Bar AIDS happened. Great PR by Vlahos PR got a lot of restaurants and bars to participate. Here we are at Tutti Frutti for a yogurt night cap. Earlier in the night we were at XIX where a party that wasn’t associated to Bar AIDS had a very public fight, where a notable guy screamed at a bold named girl resulting in one party getting kicked out. It was better than watching any Gossip Girl episode.
Thanks to Flemings Steak House for hosting the charity event I held in honor of my sister to benefit Gilda’s Club of South Jersey (And Cori Moskow & Ilana Waber of Gloss PR). And to Tweed in (& Michelle Miller, Carin Nouveau Image and GN Kang) Philly for hosting the PhillyChitChat 3rd anniversary party for Gilda’s; I am already working on the 4th Anniversary Party. And for the following companies and organizations that donated items to the event. Thank you to all who came and made donations. Thank u thank u

Lago’s Jewelry Brian Freedman Food & Wine Writer Freeman InteriorsR2L Sampan Loews Hotel Valanni Phila Trolley Works Crown Plaza Vietnam Café Max Brenner Chocolate Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Teuscher Chocolate, located in the Shops at the BellevueOmega Opticals Maximal Art Palomar Hotel Garces Mercato Rouge Starr Restaurants Fish
Eastern State Pen XIX Walnut Street Theater Lisa Gaudio James Zeleniak Waterfront Square Condos Mia Tinari and to anyone else I forgot, thank you thank you thank you.
Speaking of Lisa Gaudio here with her newly engaged daughter Brianna D’Amico at the Philadelphia Style Magazine’s Jersey Boys Welcoming Reception at the Palm
First openly lesbian elected official: Ann Butchart, Judge at First Judicial District of PA., with openly gay activist (he once chained himself to Walter Cronkite’s news desk, and wrecked havoc all over Philly in the name of gay rights) Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay Newspaper. Mark recently danced with his boyfriend, Jason, at the White House’s Holiday Party.
Susan Helfrich and daughter Miss Philadelphia Andrea Helfrich. WOW this year is going fast.

The Cole Hamels Foundation event at Union Trust. I broke the story that GN Kang was going to be their new Director of Operations for The Hamels Foundation
New eventures
My family
I covered some great charity events including PAWS here with Stewart Bradley
Caught a few celebs filming in town. Bradley Cooper & Abbie Cornish making out in Rittenhouse Square
Bonded with special people who make my life much more complete

Ate some great meals: I took this shot at my favorite steak place Little Pete’s with Little Pete.

Stacey Kracher, Anne Nikolaus, Monique Andes, Allison Smith and Aida

Sam Shoap, Ilana Waber and Jason Cichonski
By November I was writing a column 3 times a week for PhillyMag.com, my blog every single day, taping segments for NBC10’s Non-Stop Channel with Justin Pizzi, providing the Inquirer pixs for Michael Klein’s column, sending notable celeb pixs to my agency in NYC, attending events nightly, working out with a trainer, and then my paralegal job heated up and I was working 10 hr days.I just couldn’t do it, but now were something to come along, I wouldn’t have the same obstacles of learning.
I get excited when I shoot something that is fun like Danny Devito filming a press conference that Greater Philadelphia Film Office Executive Director Sharon Pinkinson is having.***************

Mayor Nutter doing the Rappers Delight at Mitchell & Ness

Love getting together with my long time friends, here Greta Greenberger and I are at Tweed. I always dreamed of being the next Philadelphia City Hall Tour Director, which is held by my BFF Greta. I’ll be volunteering twice a month at City Hall starting in January.

Last week I “chased” Kate Gosselin and the kids all over town til I finally got this great shot of her and the kids running up the iconic “Rocky Steps”. Thanks to a half dozen of my readers who tipped me off to their whereabouts. (I kinda knew after getting these shots that I would soon follow my dream find a new career in blogging/photography for a living.)
Tips Appreciated and rewarded with gift bags, Gift Certificates, Free Photos and hard to get party invites: email HughE Dillon email Buzz@ PhillyChitChat (dot) com thanks
Triumphs: The Carroll Women: Jen, Sunny, Joan and Jessica
Happy 10th Anniversary Cashman & Assocs. December was one of the most notable in my life. Philly Style Magazine & Mediaite.com did an analysis of local blogs, including ones own by corporations and media giants and found that I was the 5th most influential/linked blog in the City. That is huge. Then Philly Magazine’s article on the Philly Phamous came out and called me “THE NEW LUMINARIES in Philly’s somewhat finite stratosphere got there mostly thanks to an unlikely star-maker: photographer and society blogger Hugh E. Dillon. Dillon — who spells his name “HughE” and pronounces it “Hughie” — is a sweetly eccentric, portly paralegal who spends his off-hours snapping photos at parties, the lone paparazzo [I forgot Kirstin Henri named me last year] in a town where news anchors, PR reps and politicos serve as celebs. He has access to just about everyone.”
Plus it was a hugely flattering article showcasing my work with charities. When you brush away the glitter and fun, for the most part I want people to support the charities via donations, promotion or attending the events. I like the glitter and fun part too, but it’s just the window dressing.
Kohn, Swift & Graf: This was taken on the 2nd to my last day as a paralegal in the 2nd to last day of 2010 (I’ll miss those guys, I started there when I was in college).

2011 brings a new beginning where I will take on the HughE Dillon/PhillyChitChat brand full time, finally accepting advertisements, promoting events, and taking on jobs as an event photographer. Stay tuned for details. After 3 years of non-stop work, blogging, events & a little bit of sleep, I have to get a few things in order before I roll it out, but it will be soon.

When I first heard this song last year, I used to tweet about it and say it was my theme song; I know I wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m excited to have found something I really enjoy doing, that’s fun, and even helpful to some I hope. So come with me as I go on an adventure won’t you?

Happy Birthday Tim Young

Tim Young, Tim Graham, Lanina Cavicchio and Laurie Rentz

The table started off with oysters. 3 of the folks had never had oysters and are now fans, but let me tell you the oysters Jen prepared were like no other oysters I ever had. Delicious. Flash fried and the taste was indescribable, and I love oysters especially with a little caviar on top like dad used to make.

While the rest of the table had salad I had Jen’s buffalo sweetbread’s. Another winner. I remember having my first sweetbread a few weeks back at a special dinner ‘Top Chef’ winner Kevin Sbraga had at the Omni Hotel. I asked my twitter followers what sweetbread was and I got several different answers back. Still confused, but I do love buffalo wings so I was happy. BTW this is leaving the menu soon so if you love sweetbread you’d better get in there. Jen and Eric Ripert love to offer new things on the menu and change the items out when they get bored. Of course the trout is their signature dish and will always be on the menu.
Laurie got the bay scallops like I recommended, as I had them last week, and I nearly had to pull her off the ceiling. She loved, loved, loved them. Now here’s a girl who’s favorite restaurant is at the Four Season’s so she does love fine dining, especially at hotel’s where dining is not just for special occasions. Lobster noodle was a table favorite.
I had the rabbit. I would have had the trout which I haven’t had in a while, but choose the rabbit because I understand that Jen is about to switch it out again and tweak the recipe. Last time it was lightly baked on the edges, this time it was wrapped in bacon, and in two weeks it’s going to be cooked with chocolate and cherries. I can’t even imagine, but Laurie, who we now have discovered is a gourmet cook, lover of fine foods, was able to sing in harmony with Jen on the sweet and tangy rabbit flavor heaven it would be. I guess I will be in again at the beginning of February.
Ten Arts does it up right if it’s your birthday and Tim was served the chocolate rice pudding, which is my favorite dessert, er when I’m not on my diet to loose 50lbs so I can fit into my white tails for the Academy Ball at the end of the month.
The table shared 10 Art’s Pastry Chef Monica Glass’ Peppermint Pattie, which comes with the $59 tasting menu.
I loved this pear, sorbet dish and I had a taste of Tim2’s pumpkin bread which was delicious.
The Tim’s are huge fans of Top Cheftestant Jen Carroll and were thrilled when she came out and spent a bit with us answering questions regarding the show Top Chef. Jen is about to go to the Cayman Islands to participate in their Wine & Food event. Two of the judges from that infamous episode where she was booted will be participating too. Then soon after wards they all head to NYC for the finale of Top Chef. Ohhh maybe it will be during NY Fashion Week and I’ll be there too. Jen tells me that she gets fan letters/emails every day since her departure from the Bravo Network show. 10x’s more mail rolls in now than her first stint on Top Chef. She wants all the fans to know she is grateful for your support, and when you’re in Philly stop on in and have a bite to eat.
I was kinda thrilled when I left because I caught an article I wrote for my Philly Mag column near the 10 Arts Concierge Desk. Now that is