Food : In The News

Check out Kensington urban farmer Nic Esposito's Notes From the Urban Homestead series in Paradigm Magazine.

For many people, the concept of farming in any city is strange, let alone in this neighborhood. No matter that there’s a family who lives out of their car, or a heroin addict who sleeps in the park all winter, or a woman who prostitutes herself just for a bed to spend the night and maybe a hot shower: I’m the weird one on the block. But that doesn’t bother me. We all have to fit somewhere in this world.

Original source: Paradigm Magazine
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The Sip...A Wine Store in Cary, N.C. sells organic, sustainably produced wines and recently did a testing with Chester Springs-based Y + B Wines, which gives new life to boxed varieties.

The organic wine business, although only 3% of all wine sold, is the fastest growing segment, experiencing 35% growth last year. Y+B ‘s business has quadrupled since opening in their base town of Philadelphia.

Original source: Cary Citizen
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The Philadelphia Flower Show, which came to a close on Sunday, went Hawaiian this year, and judging by these reports from WHYY, Forbes and Big Island, Aloha is a five-letter word for breathtaking.

(from Forbes) The central thematic display this year is the "Orchid Wave," a semi-enclosed glass space in the shape of a wave with projections of 3-D fish, sea turtles, surfers, and other images that roll over the heads of visitors. Between the segments of constantly moving 3-D scenery are rows of what Flower Show officials say is the largest display of white orchids and anthuriums ever assembled. It has the feeling of being in an aquarium as it does a wave.

Original sources: WHYY, Forbes and Big Island

The New York Times catches up with Georges Perrier's exit at Le Bec-Fin and the changing tastes of fine dining in Philadelphia.

In recent decades, though, that din was starting to get a lot louder elsewhere. Around the same time that David Lee Roth stopped sleeping, diners in cities like Philadelphia -- diners, like me, who were totally psyched to have some ethereal hummus before, say, going to a Van Halen concert --  started waking up to a new way of going out to dinner.

Colman Andrews, the editorial director of The Daily Meal, told me that Le Bec-Fin represented “the last of a dying breed. Every city of any size used to have at least one ‘fancy’ French restaurant, where the food was serious, the atmosphere was a little starchy and the service was correct. But the audience for good restaurants today wants their dining experiences to be casual and comfortable. They may still demand good, complex food, at least some of the time, but they don’t want to have to dress up to enjoy it, or to feel as if they’re dining in a museum.”

Original source: The New York Times
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Baltimore Ave.'s Dollar Stroll in University City makes MonkeyDish's list of 50 great ideas among national restaurant innovations.
 
Each Stroll has attracted over a thousand patrons who don’t mind waiting in line to sample the familiar at shops such as Milk & Honey Market, which specializes in local cheese, produce and their own urban honey, and far-away cuisines at Desi Chaat House and Vientiane Cafe.

Original source: MonkeyDish
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The Atlantic Cities reports on online grocer Peapod's placement of virtual storefronts at select SEPTA stations throughout Philadelphia.

While awaiting a train, users can download the Peapod app, peruse the items in front of them, and scan the barcode of anything they'd like to purchase. The groceries are delivered to their homes later that day.

Philly marks the idea's American debut, but a number of international cities already have similar services.

Original source: The Atlantic Cities
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It's down to Philadelphia and Asheville, N.C., according to the Philadelphia Business Journal, for Fort Collins, Col.-based New Belgium Brewing's new East Coast site, which would create up to 120 jobs and 500,000 barrels of beer a year.

New Belgium, which is sold in 28 states but has limited availability on the East Coast, started by looking at "dozens" of areas before narrowing the list to 10 and then two, Simpson said. It is looking for a site to build from the ground up.

News reports from North Carolina and Colorado have indicated that a decision was imminent, but Simpson said Monday the decision might not be made before June.

Original source: Philadelphia Business Journal
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Philadelphia sisters Claire and Nikka Landau and friend Jason Tucker have established PhilaSoup as a monthly dinner bringing together dynamic educators to fund the most ambitious and innovative projects, reports NPR.

On a recent Sunday night, the trio of friends welcomed about 45 teachers and other members of the local education community to a cozy gathering at the University Barge Club, a 19th-century boathouse on the banks of the Schuylkill River. As folks walked in, they were asked to fill out name tags -- with their names and the names of their favorite children's books.

"Teachers all over Philadelphia are doing terrific projects," Claire said. "It's really exciting to gather and break bread with teachers from across the city doing exciting things."

Original source: NPR
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The doughnuts are still falling fast and furious in Pennsport at Federal Donuts, reports The New York Times.

Some cities have speakeasies where would-be customers step into an antique phone booth to petition for entry. Others have underground supper clubs. At the moment, though, Philadelphia's most dedicated eaters covet no prize more than a red ticket at Federal Donuts, with the possible exception of the morning’s last glazed doughnut.

Original source: The New York Times
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Eulogy, Memphis Taproom, Monk's, Grey Lodge and Standard Tap made Draft Magazine's list of America's 100 best beer bars. They really love Monk's:

Monk's Café’s place in the upper echelon of watering holes is well-deserved. Its Beer Bible, which covers style guidelines, brewing 101 and an intoxicating list of more than 300 beers, acts as a visitor’s guide for patrons packed into the venue’s two intimate bars. The selection makes ordering tough; have a pint of the house brew Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Red and a pot of award-winning mussels while you sift through the list.

Original source: Draft Magazine
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