This is still the old site, the new site launches this week!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’d know that each day I submit a photo of the Art Museum, which I take when my shuttle bus passes it or when I’m walking by. I live a cross the street so it’s not a stretch for me to know when something different is happening. I’ve notice the past couple weeks that a food truck parked itself up there. I wonder what it was but I just haven’t had a minute to run over.

Today I got a fairly good shot of it and posted it on my Social Media Channels.

I got a message back from the Art Museum. It’s their custom food truck.

Operated by culinary partner STARR Catering Group, this food truck dishes up delicious burgers with an artistic twist on the East Terrace. 

Try the classic Easy Eakins, the Italian-inspired Rocky Balburger, the Peale’s Portobello, or one of many others with a side of crispy, old-fashioned fries. The names are killing me, Easy Eakins, Rocky Balburger, Disco Fries – love. 

The food truck is open the same hours as the museum, weather permitting, AND is located at the top of the Rocky Steps, to reward you with a treat for running up them.

Last Friday night, beer-chugging , philanthropic beer guzzlers gathered at Field House for a good ol’ fashioned flip-cup championship to raise funds for National Multiple Sclerosis Society  and  Mazeppa Productions .   For the third annual event, which is co-sponsored by Chatterblast, 400 people showed up to play (58 teams) and watch, and $14,000 was raised.

IT’s FRIDAY AGAIN, enjoy this entertain clip from last week as well as blasting the best party song EVER!!

 The follow is a pictorial of the very generous, sometimes custom tshirt clad participants in what has become a must participate outing

 And it’s downright fun too.

 The participants included the who’s who of the Philly young set

 Tim Adams, of Public House, returned to MC the event with his usual flair

 Congrats to Joey Conicella and  Alex Marin on their move to Dallas, for Todd’s new position in Aramark.

 You have to be pretty confident to go out like this

 Everybody loves Marissa

 Yeah it was crowded

 Ernest Owens doesn’t drink beer, but he does dance

 Duck Dynasty was in the house. They told me they saw the event on FB and had to come and support. They had no idea how overwhelmingly friendly the crowd would be.

 Did I mention it was crowded?

 with serious game players

 raising money for charity

 yeah I did and even the losers knew it was all for a good cause

  Coming in 2nd place were We Got Legs, who won last year.

 Ta Da this year’s winners One and Done

You’ll recall that last year chatter was that PHS was going to POP UP with a beer garden at

Philly Mag has all the deets on it and the other one PHS is doing.As Oprah Would Say: You Get A Beer Garden, You Get A Beer Garden, You Get A Beer Garden

 

Did you know that Fairmount Park is planning Pop-up Beer and food concessions spots within the Fairmount Park system.

A list of potential parks and recreations sites are linked below:

• Aviator Park/Logan Square
• Paine’s Park (Franklin’s Paine Skatepark)
• Schuylkill Banks (between Walnut & Market)
• Water Works / Lloyd Hall, lawn area between the two along the Schuylkill river
• Lemon Hill Mansion (park also available if desired)
• Playing Angels (Kelly Drive)
• Sedgley Woods Disc Golf Course
• Mt. Pleasant
• Clark Park
• Belmont Plateau
• Japanese House & Gardens (Shofuso)
• Horticulture Center
• Smith Memorial Arch/Whispering Wall
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park
• Jefferson Square Park
• Hawthorne Park
• Penn Treaty Park
• Powers Park
  From the press release: This innovative reuse of outdoor space invites people to experience an old Philadelphia tradition in the parks,
  harkening back to the mid-19th century when German immigrants brought
  ‘biergartens’ to Philadelphians. The Mobile Food and Beverage Garden
  program revives the old tradition with an original 21st century twist,
  offering families throughout the City the opportunity to experience a
  nearby food and beverage garden with their
  friends and neighbors. Patrons and visitors alike will have a chance to
  celebrate Philadelphia’s rich culture, history and beautiful parks while celebrating the city’s burgeoning status as a global food and beverage destination.
  

The Philadelphia Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier raises funds to provide scholarship money to women who wish to pursue a course of study in the food, fine beverage, and hospitality industries.

 On Monday April 4, 2016, the local chapter held “Women in Food”  celebrating amazing women in the food industry, at The Philadelphia Foundation. The event was co-chaired by Lynn Buono, Feast Your Eyes with event committee members Natanya DiBona, Patti Klein, Donna Barnett, Lari Robling and Samantha Johnson. The cocktail party was well attended and guests enjoyed a lite buffet by the local chef members.’

 Pedro Ramos, President and CEO of The Philadelphia Foundation, Barbara Samson, President, Les Dames d’Escoffier Philadelphia, Thomas Mesko, Professional Advisors Officer The Philadelphia Foundation, and Pat Meller. Vice President for Finance & Administration The Philadelphia Foundation

 Lynn Buono, Feast Your Eyes greets the guests

 Shelby Zitelman Stamm, co-founder & CEO of Soom Foods, LLC,  Barbara Samson, President Les Dames d’Escoffier, and Danya Henninger, Culture Editor at Billy Penn

 Vicki Pohl, Director of Catering at Garces Catering , Beth Koenig, Director of Sales at Starr Events, Gordana Kostovski, General Manager of Volvér and Ginevra Reiff

 Alethia Erwin, Geechee Girl, Chef Jill Horn and Denise Gorniak

 Ann Karlan, Executive Director of Fair Food and Linda Samost, Director at Sunday Suppers

 Wendy Wolf, Sommelier Paris Bistro and Natanya DiBona, Co-Chair Diner en Blanc Philadelphia

 Manette Richardson, Certified Diabetes Educator at Achieving Better Control – ‎4-F Lifestyles, Inc and Dottie Koteski,  ‎Professor, Department of Allied Health at Community College of Philadelphia

 Chef Adrienne Abramson, The Artful Chef, and Judy Rusignuolo, USA Rice Federation

 Stormy Lundy, Lundy & Assoicates, Hadas Kuznits, CBSRadio, Natanya DiBona, co-chair Diner en Blanc Philadelphia, and Dottie Hagerty, event planner at feast your eyes, inc.

 Claire Boasi, Les Dames d’Escoffier International President of 1986-1988 and Vicki Pohl, member  Les Dames d’Escoffier

 Ginevra Reiff with mom, Chef Aliza Green, author of 15 books, and Wendy Wolf

And welcome back to the old PhillyChitChat site. The site has successfully been moved onto the new “server” or something like that, and now the developers tweak it, but I can post on our beloved site. This is kinda an emotional crazy time for me, and a huge game changer. The new site should be up and live next week thanks to Chatterblast and 2ONE5

Going forward I’ll be posting a lot more content on PhillyChitChat than in my other outlets, plus since I’ve been gone, yes just since Friday, I have hired a new Business Development person, someone you all know, and who has big plans for Philly Chit Chat and will also be contributing stories going forward – I’ll announce who it is next week at the PCC Party 4/19/16. A more chitchat with people of interest. I’m very excited as is the rest of the team – Ian M Crumm, Creative Director, Janine DeFeo- Admin Guru and Crista Bateman – PCC Social Media Giant and Mike Hirata – 2nd String Photographer extraordinaire. Suggested donation $5 for MS Society

Not surprisingly I got a little behind on the stories, as has some of my outlets. SO I’m just going to drop as many stories as possible in the next week to get up to date with some of the fantastic events

April is national Donate Organ Month, and it’s no joke that on April 1 Donors Are Heroes held their 14th Annual THE Party which is really one of the most wild and fun parties of the year. They did not disappoint this year, in fact I’d say it was the best year.

Illustrator Denise Fike has carved a nice career out for herself, a career that has always been in and around the art community.  She’s been a full-time professor and a self-employed artist for most of her career, always creating amazing illustrations for clients like Andre Leon and Sarah Jessica Parker, some of the illustrations were life size and adorn many homes in the area. These day’s you can find her at some of Philly’s best parties doing live illustrations for guests to bring home as a keepsake. She can always be found with some elaborate, fantastic hat on.

For the past several years Donors are Heroes was held at the late great Four Seasons hotel. The hotel closed last year in anticipation of its new home at the top of Comcast Tower 2 next year. The building went under an extensive renovation, and is now called The Logan, but The Party needed to make arrangements for a location before all the details were in place for the new hotel, so they returned to a familiar place, The Hyatt at the Bellevue, where they held The Party 8 years earlier. The first party I attended was when it was at the Bellevue. In those early days it was much smaller and held on the 19th floor in the Rose Garden Room. This year, it was held in the GRAND BALLROOM, and it was packed. I don’t see The Party leaving anytime soon, it was the perfect room to hold it. Love the

the room which was designed and created and produced by the following generous vendors.

ROBERTSON’S FLOWERS AND EVENTS,

LOUNGE AROUND ,

EVENTIONS

Wei-Wei Weintraub Circus Entertainment performed artistic performances in the center of the ballroom adding to the excitement of the night

The evening kicked off with a VIP cocktail party on the balcony overlooking the ballroom. Guests enjoyed a buffet dinner by the Bellevue, and relaxing songs by songstress Jessy Kyle

Mike Jerrick hosted THE VIP Party and then quickly rushed back to Fox 29 for their 20 hour broadcast celebrating Good Day’s 10th Anniversary. Long time supporters of Donors are Heroes –  Bernard and Joan Spain were honored during VIP Party Reception for their support.

While waiting for his life-saving heart transplant during the spring of 2000, Don Freeman and his wife Renee Freeman realized firsthand the need for and scarcity of organ donations. Since then, Don, Renee and a group of dedicated friends have committed themselves to raising public awareness of the importance of becoming an organ and tissue donor, to dispel myths and provide a means for people to share their donation wishes with family and friends. “Organ Donors Are Heroes, They Choose to Save Lives” is the group of friends/volunteers supporting Gift of Life and its charitable supporting organization, the Transplant Foundation.

Brian Kaufman, Christina Carnevale, Jen and Brian Toner. Brian’s company Eventions Productions created the lighting and sound design of the party.

Suby Ross, CBS Radio, Emily Ross, Steffi Freedman, Fox & Roach, and Brian Freedman, fooddrinkandtravelreport.com 

 Cheryl Ann Kennedy, Mary Pat Kessler – co-chair of The Party 2016 (along with Angela Giannetti) , Anne Mascari (Mary Pat’s sister and the recipient of her kidney 8 years ago.) and Maria Hughes – The Chestnut Hill Alumni Crew

Louis Rose, MD, Claire Rose, Sabrina Pray, GM of Nicole Miller boutique located in the Bellevue, with  Mary Dougherty owner of Nicole Miller Philadelphia. 

Earlier this year there was a great profile piece in Shoppist on PhillyMag.com about Mary. Check it out here SHOPPIST

Amber Joe and Tommy Domalski stopped by on their way to another great charity event at the Crystal Tea Room.

If you haven’t seen their wedding photos, check them out here AMAZING

John Colabelli, Philly Style Magazine and Lauren Colabelli looking fabulous as usual.

Adriana Piper, Barclay Prime with her chocolate Popsicle and Abigail Dahan, Parc pastry chef with her macaroon. Guests enjoyed desserts and dishes from more than thirty of Philadelphia’s most fabulous restaurants and bakeries.

The ballrooms alcoves were turned into cozy lounges, here Cheryl George and Dr. Reinal Marino, both of deme Dental Care | deme cosmetic

enjoy a prime viewing spot of the happenings.

Vita Shoaff from Talula’s Garden with treats

and then out in the vestibule there was what seemed to be miles and miles of delicious treats from so many fabulous bakeries who donated to the night

The most fabulous frock of the evening was worn by Jaclyn Dolan, it just brighten up what was already a fantastic night of fashion and fun and Eli Mudrick is pretty fancy himself.

There were no slouches at The Party, which is why this event is always the highlight of the spring if not the year.

Stacey Kracher and Brandon Morrison. The most dynamic duo of the Philly philanthropic scene. Before meeting, individually they were great connectors, now that they’re connected the sky is the limit for them. Next up for Brandon – The ADL Walk on May 15th.

I’ll be walking and if you would like to support my efforts Please Make A Donation.

http://www.walkagainsthate.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1152820&lis=1&kntae1152820=03FA748F3C3642AB9B8BC8BF08D4D5AC&supId=435936692

OK who were these fabulous girls who just made the party. In the background is DJ Eddie Tully and songstress Jessy Kyle, who kept the dance floor pumping all night.

I even made an appearance on the dance floor

I got the most fabulous shots too

Eric Allen finds a friend. 

Make sure that you attend The Party next year, and remember 

DON’T TAKE YOUR ORGANS WITH YOU, no one can use them in Heaven! 

Donors Are Heroes

One more thing… April 17

The 21st Annual Donor Dash, scheduled for Sunday, April 17, 2016