‘Geno’s Steaks celebrated their 50th Anniversary on Saturday October 1, 2016 with a block party complete with cotton candy, popcorn, entertainment and of course their iconic cheese steaks. Opened in 1966 by his dad Joey Vento with a couple of hot dogs, some steaks and $6, the South Philly cheesesteak staple is now run by his son, Geno Vento, the namesake of the eatery, even though Geno’s is 5 years away from being 50.

 

Nearly 1,000 people stopped by through out the 6 hour celebration including Tony Luke, Jr and Frank Olivieri, Pat’s Steaks, where he handed out checks to various charitable organization including Morris Animal Refuge, The Philadelphia Police Foundation, Local 22 Widows Fund, FOP Lodge, Coaches vs Cancer, and Santino’s Dragons.

I grabbed a cheese steak with a visiting friend last week, and I noticed the controversial sign to speak English only when ordering was gone. There are new signs where that sign used to reside, and it says Cash Only. When I was at the anniversary party, Geno’s peeps told me the sign was removed before the DNC as they didn’t want to offend anyone.

and I love the new branding, done by Steve Rosen, Managing Director at ab+c Creative Intelligence

Marc Summers was MC for the day. Check out the Philly.com article on his breakthrough show “Double Dare” who is celebrating
an anniversary of it’s own today. (Source)

 

There was a lot of love for these guys, especially from Brownie and Laura Burkhardt

Not only is the sign gone, but “rivals” Tony Luke, Jr and Pat’s Steaks Owner Frank Olivieri

Came by to express their wishes on the 50th Anniversary.

There were lots of family fun at the celebration

Thanks to Neff & Assocs’, Geno’s PR for helping me get all the shots I needed.

Then  Fletcher Cox held a meet and greet with fans, as OPS Security kept close watch

Sheena Parveen Is Leaving NBC 10, The Philly Ducks are Outta Here, Jessica Boyington Stays – Philly Gossip
Every Sunday and Thursdays on Philly Chit Chat

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but friends of Sheena Parveen (c) knew the time would come.  I’m kinda jealous she’s heading to DC where our BFF Erin Como (r) lives where she is a Traffic Anchor/Reporter @Fox5DC #GoodDayDC. Sheena and Erin met just as Erin was leaving NBC10 to head to Nashville to do traffic 5 years ago. The two hit it off and became fast buds. Traveling back and forth to hang out, as well as going on exotic vacations. On one of those vacations Sheena met her current bae about 2 years ago, he lives closer to DC than to Philly.  Yesterday the popular meteorologist Sheena Parveen announced she was leaving NBC10 and heading to Washington NBC4 (WRC-TV). Former alumni of NBC10 and CBS3, Doug Kammerer is the chief meteorologist at WRC-TV in Washington, DC. Coincidentally I met Erin Como at Doug’s 35th Birthday party at the Roosevelt in 2010.

Bon voyage Sheena to a happy life and white picket fences near the White House.

Speaking of Bon voyage, the Philly Ducks are no more. Kinda a bummer, I never did ride the ducks here in Philly, but I do
go to other cities and ride them. I love them, such a unique experience. Seems their insurance went up 330% after a few deadly accidents.

Jessica Boyington isn’t going anywhere. I noted I had an uptick in searches for her name on my blog, and looked into it.
Rest assure readers, Jessica is just on vacation.

In the meantime, enjoy Francesca Ruscio‘s (r) traffic reports during the morning rush.

A shop specializing in Korean fried chicken and rice bowls is coming to Rittenhouse reported Michael Klein in August. I strolled by yesterday
on my way to the Armory, and ran into the owner. They’re looking for a cashier, and expect to open on Tuesday.

 

Also opening soon

 

Now Opened Target at 19th and Chestnut Street

Happy Birthday to my baby sister Crista. We celebrated at Parc restaurant last Thursday.

Last Friday I hit up the Oxygen Bar at the Wistar Discovery Gala. Check out the photos here.

THIS WEEKEND
I will be covering the Tapping of the first keg at the
 Armory Oktoberfest Presented By Brauhaus Schmitz
Tickets Here
Friday night at 7PM and Saturday at 1PM

They have lots of sessions, and the place really looks authentic. I’ve been to the one in Germany.

Then I’m headed to Old City Fest on Sunday.

Then Outfest mid-afternoon. So many fest, so little time.
See you tomorrow for more of Philly Chit Chat out and about.

Happy 7th Year Feastival. Over the years I’ve had to miss it as it coincided with my client – Mt Airy’s Fall Festival, but this year Mt. Airy didn’t have their festival so I made sure to hold the date for Feastival (although my sister was in town from Charlotte for her birthday dinner with friends; I caught up with her afterwards – BTW HAPPY HAPPY Birthday Crista, whose birthday is on Saturday.) I remember the very first Feastival, 7 years ago, held in one of the “theaters” near Northern Liberties. I loved it then, and I really love Feastival now; It’s energetic, lots of visuals, with great energy, and a delicious delight of an event.

 The 2016 Audi FEASTIVAL will bring together a dynamic roster of restaurants, bars, and eclectic local  performances for its 7th year, held on Thursday, September 29, 2016 from 7:00-10:00 PM at FringeArts (140 N. Columbus Blvd.,  Philadelphia, PA 19106). Each ticket purchase to the 2016 Audi FEASTIVAL includes a one year FringeArts membership, which  offers priority access to tickets and discounts for all Presented shows in the 2016-17 season, as well as the 2017 Fringe Festival.  Tickets to the event were $300 (Press Release)

Mayor Jim Kenney with co-hosts of Feastival for 7 years: Audrey Claire Taichman, David Lipson,
Ryan Hummel and Tony Forte

with Nick Stuccio, President & Producing Director – Fringe Arts (l)

Not Pictured: Jesse & Beka Rendell

It’s also great to see all the chefs that helm some of Philly’s most delicious eateries like
Greg Vernick, Vernick and Chef Peter Serpico, Serpico on South Street. Who will be joining Chef Vernick in the
Rittenhouse area when he opens his Korean restaurant where the former Il Pitore used to reside
at 2025 Sansom Street

Vernick’s delicious Pickled Shrimp Salad.

Four other performances will occur over the duration of the night. Circadium, the nation’s only school of contemporary circus, will  blend modern-day circus entertainment with physical theater, presenting stiltwalkers, jugglers, contortionists, and aerialists.  FringeArts’ favorite funk clowns Red 40 & The Last Groovement return for their second FEASTIVAL, bringing disco and funk to the  21st century and will be further sassed up with an LED video stage provided by Tait Towers. Inside FringeArts, the Audi Artist Lounge  will feature Philadelphia muralist Juan Dimida who will live paint a 2017 Audi A4 over the course of the evening, integrating  traditional painting styles with cutting-edge digital art in the spirit of innovation and technology. Brian Sanders’ JUNK, (photo above) a Fringe  Festival favorite, known for their ingenious use of found objects and clever inventions, will also perform in the Audi Artist Lounge.

Sembat Dramgotchian

Michael Strauss, co-owner of Taproom on 19th, Christopher Ritter, Chef at Taproom on 19th and Pete Fry, co-owner of Taproom on 19th

Delicious pork belly on pretzel toast

George Moore, Lisa Cataldi and Jerry Novick

 

Kevin Simon and John Modler – High Street

Sheneeka Ocasio, Kevin Castro, Chef/Owner of Townsend & A Mano –  Townsend Wentz and Colin Leary, prepared their traditional dish
a whole roasted pig

Malik Ali, Chef Joncarl Lachman, Kevin Watters, and Chef Lee Styer; Chefs Joncarl & Lee have restaurants across the street from each other on East Passyunk, and now own an eatery, Dutch, together in Bella Vista.
That’s how our cooking community works. Everyone is a cheerleader for each other, and that’s very
prevalent theme on East Passyunk.

 

Circadium, the nation’s only school of contemporary circus, will  blend modern-day circus entertainment with physical theater, presenting stiltwalkers, jugglers, contortionists, and aerialists.

Christine Morano, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, Nick Jonczk, Red 40 & The Last Groovement and Zachary Chiero, actor, has appeared in Fringe Festival performances in the past.

Jeff Karwowski, Amanda Mazzoni, Christian Kassis and Chef Shola Olunloyo

French native Abigail Dahan runs the dessert program at Parc, Stephen Starr’s Rittenhouse brasserie and Parc pastry chef Stephanie Avbelo

Liam Geoghegan and Anne Strong, The Dandelion

Butternut Squash Soup

Topher Patterson, and Ashley Patterson, Publisher of Philly Mag

Jenny DeHuff, Sara Conners and Rebecca J. Grausam, Esquire

Phil Asbury, Mural Arts Program, Dr. Nyasha George, MD, James Clayborn and Sosena Solomon, Film Maker/ Art Director 

Paula Glazer and Bill Glazer, Bill Glazer founder Keystone Property Group. Look for P.J. Clarke’s in the Curtis Center to open
before the winter starts. He filled me in with what the new Curtis Center is going to look like, the condo’s etc.

Lauren Carroll, blogger Love_Philly with Mollie Dronson, Philly Foodies

Carol Serena, GM Parc, Christian Kassis and Hacina Saadi

And before you know it I had to leave Feastival dodging the rain drops, to the sunny atmosphere of Parc to meet my sister
Crista

 

The Mainline’s best kept secret, or at least I thought so as I had never heard of Revivals Boutique when my friend Jillian Dunn contacted me to photograph their Pop-up Boutique at the Capital Grille.

I did a quick Google search to see it was a consignment shop for top of the line authentic premium designers such as : Chanel, Gucci, Prada Fendi, Miu Miu , YSL, and thought how come I never heard of them. What a great shop, great labels and for a discount. Also how clever they were having it at one of the premier steak houses in the City, Capital Grille, in the David Beckham Room, it’s really not called that but a few years back the legendary futbol player had a dinner in this room.

In business for more than 20 years Robin’s store is located at 258 Haverford Ave Narberth, PA 19072 . It’s a cute store where women can shop for high-end consignment items, consign or sell their luxury handbags and clothes and shoes for cash, and get some terrific advice on what to wear.

Bernard Perris Black Blue and Red Sweater Dress (r) $300

Many of the Louis Vuitton Monogram Artsy Bags sold that day, but new ones come in weekly

The ladies enjoyed a fashion show

Hermes 35 Birkin Brown Matte Alligator Leather Handbag w Receipt and Box
$49,500

Chanel 2006 Black and White Houndstooth Zipped Jacket $999

Burberry Classic Plaid Raincoat Trench Coat $585

Save the Date for Upcoming Revivals Boutique Pop Ups

The Gilmore Girl’s Favorite Hang Out Luke’s Diner Pop-Ups in Philly 10/5

You know I love me some Gilmore Girls. It was my summer binge watch two years ago, and this year I am re-watching the series to get
up to speed on where the series, which ran from 2000 – 2007, left off.  In November, Netflik is reviving the series
with 4 new episodes. Soooo

They’re sponsoring hundreds of Luke’s Diner pop-ups across the country in anticipation of the episodes, which will be 90 minutes each.

The Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life arriving November 25, and here are the locations in and near Philly

Pennsylvania Luke’s Cafe Pop-Ups

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life premieres on Netflix Friday, November 25.

Netflix will supply each location with “Luke’s Diner essentials” including T-shirts and branded aprons, and will also be footing the bill for fans’ coffee habits by providing the first 200 customers in each establishment with free 12-ounce cups of coffee, as well as a “fun surprise under their custom Gilmore Girls coffee sleeve.”

The pop-ups will run from 7 a.m. to noon Oct. 5.

 

 

Sunday October 2, 2016 over 5,000 walkers came out to the Annual Philadelphia Out of the Darkness Walk.  Over $500,000 was raised to help support AFSP in it’s education and prevention programs to help turn the tide on suicide statistics. I’ve been volunteering for them for 5 years, and am the 2015/16 Recipient of the Humanitarian Honor, which was given to me at their gala last November. Hope you’ll come out and support the 2017 Gala on January 7, 2017 at Union Trust. I’ll have a live link for your support in the next few weeks.  I am living proof that suicide is not the answer. Had I been successful in my attempts, I would not have been here to shine the light on the many charities and great people who give hope in our lives. xo HughE

Supporters of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention wear beads that symbolize their person connection to the cause.

(I’d wear purple, blue, teal and green)

Shelley Leaphart-Williams, Founder, CEO at Lifesavers University, and friends

Jan Evans , supporter/sponsor extraordinaire and Garden Wellington, PR extraordinaire, both who have had loved ones
commit suicide.

Rep. Maria Donatucci I lost my cousin Michael 10yrs ago.I lost my nephew Michael 3mths ago.It’s time to lose the stigma #MentalHealthAwareness #suicideprevention, with Rep. Donna Bullock.

Pat Gainey, Philadelphia regional director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) being acknowledge for her 12 years of service, as she retires this year. She really brought the organization from obscurity to where suicides/mental health is discussed with out the media sensationalizing it. Catherine M. Siciliano, AFSP associate Philadelphia area director (r)

 

 

 

 

The team captains pay tribute to the people they are walking in honor of

 

 

Arthur C. Evans Jr., Ph.D, commissioner of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services

Pax Tandon, Wellness Coach, warms up the crowd with deep breathing exercises and thoughtfulness

 

 

The ROTC Color Guard kicks off the walk.

Over 5000 walkers registered this year. Philadelphia has the largest registered walkers, beating even NYC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only In Darkness Can You See The Stars

 

Caryn Hersh and Vickie Nomiddle 

 

 

According to the World Health Organization, almost one million (1,000,000) people die from suicide each year. In the last 45 years, suicide rates have increased 60% worldwide. In the United States, there is an average of one suicide every 15 minutes.

We All Matter, and someone loves you. Call Suicide Prevention, reach out to a friend, head to a church, an AA, NA Meeting. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Love yourself, it’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

 

 

 

Greta Greenberger is the Tour Guide Director for Philadelphia’s City Hall Tours for one last day, today.  For 25 years she conducted tours for visitors and school groups of our beautiful gilded City Hall.

I met Greta nearly 20 years ago, when I wandered into the City Hall Tour Office on my lunch hour, cause I was always a tourist in my own city. I loved reading Where Magazine to see what interesting events would be happening for each month, and since it was a tourism magazine, it was the place to pick it up. It was a decade before I would become PhillyChitChat.  Along the way in our friendship, Greta encouraged me to take the architectural tour program, which I did; I became a guide giving tours at City Hall, Old City, Society Hill after work and on weekends (I was still a paralegal).

When not giving tours on lunch hour, Greta and I would go to lunch, eventually I gave up the tours and just went to lunch with Greta. I did volunteer at the City Hall Tour Office on my days off , or sometimes during my lunch as I worked across the street. What an honor it was to work under her direction.

Nearly 100 friends and family gathered to celebrate Greta at the Independence Visitor Center

 

 

George Evans, volunteer City Hall tour guide, Christine Keates, General Manager at Independence Visitor Center Corporation – ‎Independence Visitor Center Corporation and James Cuorato, CEO of the Independence Visitor Center

Ivy Silver, Philadelphia region CEO / entrepreneur and Cynthia MacLeod, Superintendent. Independence National Historical Park.

 

Brulee Catering

 

Greta Greenberger, City Hall Tour Director, Ann Linn Glaser, JCRC vice president, Cynthia Kishinchand, founded East Falls branch of the Friends of the Free Library & a East Falls Tree Tender for PHS, and Julia Greenberger, Friends Select School

 

Alan Greenberger chairs newly appointed Art Commission and Margot Berg, Public Art Director at City of Philadelphia
Margot tells me that AMOR currently at the top of the Phila Art Museum Steps will be moving to Sisters’ Cities Park soon, and “Symbiosis”
,the stainless steel tree across from The Phila Art Museum, will remain permanently in the spot located in from of the Philadelphian Condos.

Greta with her “Please Touch Museum Friends”

The Gordon’s Josh and Julia

 

Teresa Johnson and Maureen Carson

Former Gov Ed Rendell and Jim Cuorato pay tribute to Greta. It was under the Gov administration as Mayor of
Philadelphia that he recruited Greta to become the tour director of City Hall. Originally the tour office was independent, operating under the Phila Foundation
of Architect, then when that organization ceased to exist, the tour office was picked up by Phila Visitor Center.

 

Joan Reilly – Chief Operating Officer of Mural Arts Program signs the greeting card, which Greta plans to frame in her creative way, because before she was
tour director of City Hall, she was an art teacher.

Michael DiBerardinis is Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia under Mayor Jim Kenney, presents Greta Greenberger with a Citation from Philadelphia for her 25 years of service.

The Philadelphia Inquirer did a wonderful interview with Greta, which can be found here

 

Thank you Greta, my friend. One of my biggest life supporters.