Philly Chit Chat

I decided to start yet another segment of PhillyChitChat called About Last Night. As you know I like to troll the bars and restaurants to see who what and where everyone is. I can go out and in a couple hours I have interesting pixs and stories of what happened the night before. Occasionally I might write about what happened during the day too, like today’s entry…
Yesterday I met Marilyn D’Angelo for lunch at Davio’s. Marilyn recently left Philly2Night where she did editorial work, and is now on her own as a freelance writer as well as writer & editor for her own blog called Know it All Philly which is a cross between uwishunu and original opinions on subjects. (She’s also available to write for your publication.) Above with Executive Chef David Boyle who made us a delicious lunch including the best gazpacho soup with mozzarella & curry, crab salad and Panco encrusted fluke, which I tweeted was the best dish I’ve had. http://lockerz.com/s/123874517Also From Tuesday, July 26th, 2011 to Thursday, July 28th, 2011, guests that order the ‘Cheesecake War Dessert’ will be served 1/2 portions of both the Philly-favorite and ‘CESCA’s (The Northern Italian Steakhouse is known for their highly acclaimed “Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote,” created by Pastry Chef Thomas Heck.) acclaimed New York dessert on a plate along with a comment cards. With the honor system at work, each restaurant will tally their numbers and announce the winner live on each other’s Twitter and Facebook pages along with a photograph of the losing restaurants general manager wearing the other cities baseball jersey and eating a little humble pie.
Ruby Tuesday’s with Mike’s family. His mom, uncle in law Barry, Aunt Harriet and Mike. Have you tried their white bean chili, delicious.
I have a flag fetish and Freeman’s auction house has a great one in the window.
Then I took a stroll along Rittenhouse Row Restaurants. If you call out my name and PhillyChitChat.com I’ll take your pix and put it here. Unfortunately I didn’t have a notebook for names. I do recognize the girl on the right but can’t recall her name. The girls had mussels and they looked delicious.
I was on my way to check out my friend Anne Nikolaus’ Stella & Dot jewelery show.
Tina Lamsback, Anne Nikolaus and hostess of the party Becca Greller. I’m trying to convince Anne that we should take our Philly biz licenses, find a corner and set up shop on the weekend. I have some photo note cards I want to sell. Would that be tacky? What’s on the Menu? Delicious Rice Krispy Treats – Gluten Free, great tortilla chips & fruit. Afterwards though a few of them headed for Lil’ Pete’s cause they love the club sandwich.
Then I headed to Serafina to see who’s who was there. Passing a.kitchen which has a few diners inside, and a packed sidewalk made for another great place to sit back and people watch. Serafina also had a healthy outside presence at 9PM, and it was even more packed inside.
I checked in with Serafina Restaurant executive Chef Carlos Jeronimo who was checking the dishes before they left the kitchen. He tells me everything is going well and is glad the guests are enjoying Serafina as it’s busy from the time the doors open til they close.
I saw a few familar faces in the main dining room including Erin Elmore, Steve Rockman and Lesley Kozloff Goldstein. Erin just returned from Croatia and told me it is the most beautiful country, with gorgeous beaches. (What did they eat? Drinks at the bar.)I found this pix on her FB from the trip and well there were a lot of beautiful things in Croatia last week.
Finally I had a nite cap, Dinner for them was a tasting of the menu, then coffee for a nite cap, with Laura Burkhardt, Kelly Boyd and food writer Beth D’Addono. Also spotted was former congressman Patrick Murphy, a bevy of Cashman & Assoc alumni Ellie, Holly, Christa & current Ashley. and G Lounge hostess Samantha Marzullo.

Thanks to Opa restaurant at 1311 Sansom St, Phila. for throwing PhillyChitChat.com a 4th Anniversary Party. It was a hot time and I am grateful for all the peeps that came out in the suffering 100F weather to celebrate with us. Earlier in the day I had sent out a note to a bunch of people telling them I would understand if they couldn’t make it, and even Mike backed out. Thanks to Midtown Springboard Media president Everett Katzen for the computer set-ups that showcased the pictures that I took in the last 4 years. And to my friends brother-sister team George and Vasiliki Tsiouris who own Opa restaurant.
I can’t thank all my friends and supporters who showed up, did I mention in the 100F weather. Really have we ever had such an oppressive winter. (Update: I usually keep it a secret that I am dyslexic, but just now I see I wrote winter instead of summer. It’s so irritating to be dyslexic. I often forget the last letter on words too. Writing a blog has been very helpful to me. Although I am also orally dyslexic and have been know to say the opposite of what I mean. Mike doesn’t cross the street unless he actually see that the light is green. In our early years together I almost got us killed a couple times thinking the light was green. That’s my 4 yr anniversary confession.) But the parties and life go on, and that’s my bread and butter for PhillyChitChat.com Here’s two stylish peeps: Elaine Graber and Julianne Glatz. Julianne as I mentioned last Friday, was in town from Chicago, for the Philly Style Magazine party.

Ellen Rohlfing and Dave Maser
Thanks to Springboard for setting up these monitors to show some of the photos I’ve taken over the past 4 years.

Magee Rehab’s Meg Rider, G-Philly’s Natalie Hope McDonald and Jimmy Contreras, PhillyStreetStyleSara K, Ashley Brielle and Nnamdi
Karen Gross, who is now behind the scenes with the Constitution Center and friends stop by.Thanks to Opa, George Tsiouris and Vasiliki Tsiouris, Garden Wellington, and Noel Zayas, from Noel Zayas events for throwing me this party. And to all my readers for an amazing 4 years. Thanks so much for supporting my advertisers, if I didn’t have them I’d have to get a real job and hang up my key board. Follow me on twitter @iphillychitchat as I usually give out info & sightings there hourly, that doesn’t make it here. Back to the party.
Greta Baith, guest and Autumn Ashby
Thanks to photographer Patrick Hagerty and DJ Rahasaan for spinning. To see Patrick’s pixs go here. It was hard to give up the power of shooting pictures even at my own party. It’s just not in my nature. Thanks to Sandy Smith and the others who I may have missed cause I’m a dizzy blogger.
George Tsiouris, Vasiliki Tsiouris and Maria Papadakis
Kristyn Aldrich and Lauren Smith looking fabulous!!
Honeymoon glow Dan Reinherz and Hasdas Kuznits with best bud Marlo Polonsky
If you had told me that two of the guys from ABC’s Bacherlor show, that women fantasize all over the world, would come to a party held in my honor, 4 years ago, I would have called you crazy. But it was reality when Craig Robinson and Reid Rosenthal both came out on Thursday night. Thanks guys.
Sleek, sexy, stylish Lianna Shabin, Jaimie Donahue and Danielle Shwendman
Fran Fattah, Noel Zayas, Noel Zayas Event and Megan Smith, Brownstone PR
Craig Robinson, Monica Glass, Pastry Chef from 10Arts, guest and Ilana Waber, Gloss PR
Kei Kurimoto, Yakitori Boy (There’s a great article in Phila Weekly about Brittany Lynn’s weekly drag show.) Eden Blair and Matthew Vlahos, Vlahos PR
Thanks to the Cool Kids, especially because they were having a party that evening at Recess for their friend’s bday. Reggie Berry, and Jackiem Wright with Lauren Smith, Kristyn Aldrich

Thanks to the Where Magazine team for coming out and their continuing support (I promise to stop in soon), including the years that Laura Burkhardt was at the helm. Bret Copol, Kristina Jenkins, and Kari Oriolo, with Ilana Waber, Monica Glass, George and Demetri Pappas, Xochitl
Michael Biwa, George and Shelton Mercer. My tweet from Saturday night made it into the new revamped Phila Daily News today: http://lockerz.com/s/123542841 which I then saw on Fox 29 only because they were commenting about Dan Gross’ column.

WMMR’s Marisa Magnatta, and Marissa Nalani. And yesterday’s mysterious question can now be revealed it was Marisa. Question here.

Behind these non-descriptive doors you will find
a beautiful space, an unique idea and an engaging visionary named Lêe who created “Hop Sing Laundromat,”. He says it will serve the best Chinese food in Philadelphia, but don’t call it a restaurant, it’s a bar that serves food. Why is he so confident it will serve the best Chinese food? He’s come up with a novel idea where his menu will consist of the top 5 best meals from the top 5 best Chinese restaurants in Chinatown (25 items). (Thursday night at 1AM he took me and a few of my friends to one of the restaurants. It was the best I’ve ever had and I didn’t even know it existed.) After the guest orders the dishes, the Hop Sing waiters will pick up the food and deliver it to the tables in Chinese wedding banquet boxes.
The entry to the restaurant, don’t call it a lobby, it’s the waiting room or shoe shining room, will house yes a shoe shine stand and a dozen chairs from an old movie theater to sit in (He doesn’t want anyone cooling their heels outside on the sidewalk.) There’s a dress code at Hop Sing, and sandals are not allowed. If you bothered to get dressed for a night at Hop Sing, more along the lines of the dress code you would wear to the Union League in the summer (no suit, but a collared shirt), then he is happy to shine your shoes for free as a thank you. The floor of this room has nearly $400 worth of pennies all on tails. He says there is one on heads, but it will never be found. He’s right I don’t have the patience to look for it, which Lêe seems to possess.
Especially with his attention to details like this chandelier that he’s hung in the shoe shine room, as you walk through the doors. The books he’s chosen to display in the main room, the light fixtures from an old church with the crosses still attached.
Elements stressed by Lêe was his customer service, everyone should enjoy themselves in his bar without the stress of a photo showing up somewhere. Posted right in the lobby will be a NO Cameras, Video or Phones allowed in the main dining room. He even has a room for you to tend to your important phone calls so that you don’t have to go out side and cool your heals. (I’m not going to sweat it as there is no sign that one can’t observe and then report, just no twittering at that moment or a nice, but large man may come over and crush my phone. OK not really but )
Although the kitchen is in place, the only equipment that will be operational is the fancy Kold Draft ice machine, capable of making up to 12 different kinds of ice including crushed. Lêe is a fan of days gone by, where women were ladies and men held the door for them. He is a fan of the golden years of Hollywood and I think is trying to capture that era with the cool sleek feel of Hop Sing Laundromat. The attention to detail, the message he is trying to convey. When you go into Hop Sing Laundromat and see something that stirs you, know that Lêe probably placed it there after a long thought out process; nothing is where it is coincidentally.
Along the far wall couches will line up with end tables between them. The outlets are already in place for the lamps and your laptop. Between the wall and the 40 foot bar, on the opposite side of the room, there will be a few well placed dining tables for dinner as well as lounging.
The only thing Lêe wants you to call mysterious is probably who is my mysterious friend that checked out the place last Thursday at 1Am with us and what are those prints of framed so nicely by Gould Frame in Philly. He doesn’t like mysterious as an adjective, his bar is more like surprise. A gift that will be unwrapped in due time (with lots of off the records for me as he describe the surprises that await his guests each and every day even.) He keeps telling me it’s just a bar, but I’m telling you it’s something special. Nothing of the likes has been conceptualized like the Hop Sing Laundromat in Philadelphia, opening soon. (Great articles regarding design and tidbits await you here Meal Ticket, Michael Klein, and one of the best articles I’ve read on the place and in general of late, really captures my afternoon with Lêe can be found at Foobooz; Hop Sing Laundromat represents the American dream.

Friday night while I was at the Italian Market’s Anastasi Seafood enjoying the broiled seafood combo, Dawson’s Creek James Van Der Beek was sitting in the window at Rouge enjoying his dinner. Earlier in the week he had filmed a few scenes from his movie “Backwards” up the street at the Art Alliance.
Part time Actor, new resident of Philly, Larry Giuffra poses with Juventus’ forward Alessandro Del Piero outiside the Four Seasons Hotel on Sunday. They are using Philly as their home base this week between games played in NY 7/26 and NC 7/28, using the empty Eagles NovaCare Center. Philadelphia Union loss to the Real Madrid, who stayed at the Ritz-Carlton with what seemed to be their entire families. Saturday night I was down in Atlantic City at Scarduzio’s at Showboat. When I returned home I saw a big tour bus. Thinking in was Rihanna’s I gave it a chase. Turned out to be the Real Madrid players, their parents, spouses and wives. Look for Giuffra in the James van Der Beek movie Backwards.

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Friday kicked off the 9th Annual Charlie Mac’s Party 4 Peace in Philly. The star power that flies into Philly to lend their support to the charitable organization was very impressive, but the biggest surprise was actor Will Smith, who surprised the audience who turned out for the Charlie Mack Talented Teens Finals Competition Saturday night at the Yesha Fellowship Hall. Started in 1990 solely as a celebrity basketball game, The Charlie Mack Party 4 Peace Celebrity Weekend has evolved into a charitable benefit to raise awareness and money for organizations that work tirelessly to eradicate violence in Philadelphia. Smith also walked the red carpet at the Suzanne Roberts Theater for the Sunday premiere of “Streets,” a film Mack produced and which features local actress Nafessa Williams. Also appearing during the weekend Tyrese, Toccara Jones, Lil Mama, Reggie Berry, Jackiem Wright and above with Smith is Arthur Kade.

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Tuesday I had dinner at 10 Arts with my buds from Fox29 Good Day Jennaphr Frederick and Sheinelle Jones, as Mike Jerrick enjoyed dinner at an adjoining table with Food Channel’s Marc Summers and David Neff. (Look for my segments with Jenn beginning this Friday at 9:40AM [nervous])
Owner and Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin came to Philadelphia to help kick off the 10 Arts Bistro & Lounge tasting menu that benefits Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization. Top Chef alumnus and Chef de Cuisine of 10 Arts, Chef Jennifer Carroll has created an exclusive tasting menu that has been carefully crafted and is available for lunch and dinner. For each tasting menu ordered, $1 will go directly to Philabundance and help drive hunger from the Delaware Valley.
Susie Celek, Amber Stires, and Julie Dorenbos, outside their new spray tanning salon and so much more store, Skin Palette on 19th Street a stone’s throw from Rittenhouse Square. Friday was opening day. Stop on by and tell them PhillyChitChat.com sent you.
Newman’s Gallery on Walnut Street is closed for renovations. The sign says they will open in the fall, but where I wonder? The permit says the first floor is going to be a clothing retail store.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel holding his 1210 radio show at the Shops of Liberty Place. Once a month he broadcasts his radio show from the Center City shopping center.
Talking Phillies it’s been rumored that they’re willing to trade Jonathan Singleton for the San Diego Padres’ Mike Adams, seen here leaving the Ritz-Carlton on Friday afternoon as he heads out for the game.
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Saturday night as I mentioned I headed to AC for my birthday and celebrated at the opening night of Scarduzio’s – Steak Sushi Lounge inside the Showboat Casino. I had a 12oz sirloin, that was delicious and Mike had the rack of lamb which he declared was the best he ever had. We even had a dueling fork fight as I tried to grab a few off his plate. For dessert we had the chocolate cake mouse prepared by Pastry chef Deb Pellegrino (above, who just won the chocolatier’s crown and $10,000 on last Sunday’s popular TV series Food Network Challenge. ) with Chef Chris Scarduzio (also owns Mia at Caesars and Table 31). It was delicious. Mike said he would drive down to AC just to buy the cake, and that says a lot since we go to NYC every once in awhile just for his favorite seafood paella. The space is gorgeous with a sleek dining area with reds and dark wood. On the other side of the room is a beautiful lounge area, which I for see will be a beautiful place to hang out for a glam evening.
Today Saxby’s at 21st & Walnut is offering two for one Froyo’s.

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Upcoming Philly Celebrity Sightings:

Top Cheftestant Jennifer Carroll is going to be a busy girl on Monday, August 1st as she will be hosting the Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR. The charitable motorcycle ride supports amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research and takes place July 31-August 6, 2011, making five stops along the East Coast to raise funds and awareness for amfAR. The ride will be led by Chris Salgardo, President, Kiehl’s USA and Alain de Cadenet, Le Mans racer and ESPN “Speed Channel” host, with reputable motorcyle enthusiasts eager to join the fight against HIC/AIDS, icluding Tyson Beckfor, Saved by the Bell’s Mark-Paul Gosselaar, actress/model Tricia Helfer, actor Justin Chatwin and many more. The August 1st 11AM the route will be from KOP Mall to the Center City Kiehl’s on Walnut Street where a ceremony take place until 1PM For Info: www.kiehlsgives.com

Also Monday for Jen, her 10Arts team is hosting Industry Night at Marc Vetri’s Amis for those folks in the restaurant business. Their theme: Down The Shore. No word on if Jen or pastry Monica Glass would be wearing their bikinis when preparing the seafood dinner.

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Check this out:

July 28 at the Philadelphia Library check out Josh Ritter, singer/songwriter, signing copies of Bright’s Passage at 7:30PM

Check out Ryan Howard’s Charity Event with his Phillies team mates at Morton’s http://www.phillychitchat.com/2011/07/ryan-howards-celebrity-servers-at.html

Last night at Morton’s steakhouse in Center City, Philadelphia Phillie Ryan Howard and teammates traded in their uniforms for aprons and acted as waiters, all for a great cause as proceeds from the $350-a-ticket event went to benefit The Ryan Howard Family Foundation.
The place was more packed than any of the other previous years, and the price of the ticket went up $100. Do you know what that says, people are very charitable and the Phillies are HOT!!
Trading in home plate for dinner plate was Chase Utley and Kyle Kenderick. I swear they kept getting in the weeds as they exchanged notes on what it will be like to be new dad’s in just a few short months. Chase’s wife Jen is due in December and Kyle’s wife Stephenie due next month.
Raúl Ibáñez with a few fans including Juliet Gabriel next to him.
Ryan Howard’s fiance Krystle Campbell chats with some of the Phillies wives including Melissa Victorino and across the table Johari Rollins.
Teryvette Ibanez and Johari Rollins were in a mean battle at the silent auction for this Muhammad Ali signed boxing glove. Last bid I saw was near the end of the night at $2300 going to Johari. (A bargain I think)
Cole Hamels better get used to it as his wife Heidi Hamels, on right is just about to have their 2nd child soon and she’s gonna need a little help around the house. I’m looking forward to covering their big shindig at the Crystal Tea Room 8/11. I think all the tickets are nearly sold out, but there are sponsorship opportunities.
I caught Cliff Lee checking out the bidding on the sports jerseys. I asked him if he was planning to pick up one for himself, but he responded he was checking to see who was in the lead with bids. He was proud to say that his shirt was going for $220 more than Roy Halladay’s, as he gave out a chuckle.
Ryan Howard showing off a young man’s art work that he just signed.
Jimmy Rollins posing for a pix for some fans.
Shane Victorino was in the weeds most of the night, but got some assistance from John Mayberry Jr and Donnie Brown. It was a great night for a good cause.

Goodbye over priced Academia del Caffe by Massimo Taurisano and Carrie Lapp. Hello City Hall Coffeehouse, Seth Williams is gonna have a new place to hang his hat when he leaves his office next door. The Coffeehouse will still be offering a delicious lunch selection including sandwiches, salads, coffee, home made Italian soda’s as well as home made ice cream and water ice. And the owner might also be familiar to you as
Cosimo Tricarico is no stranger to the restaurant business as he already owns three other business including Caffe Valentino in Pennsport, pizzeria’s Paolo’s Pizza on Pine St. and Mama Mia on Spruce Street; and the recently closed DiVino, a small-plates wine bar.
To celebrate his grand opening he’s going to be giving away free water ice beginning at Noon on Friday for about an hour depending on how long it lasts. So get there early and tell him you saw it on PhillyChitChat. I had the mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil from his own garden, salad, and it was delicious!