In The News

Two Philly bars make national "Bucket List"

Bucket List Bars Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A compilation of the bars you gotta visit before you die features two local legends: City Tavern and McGillin's Olde Ale House:

Their motto--and we'll admit it's a good one--is that they opened their doors the year Lincoln was elected. If you're not sure of the date it's 1860.

Opened by Irish immigrant William McGillin and originally called the Bell in Hand, this place has a legacy all unto itself. Not only has it survived 150 years, it is still one of the most popular watering holes in Philly.

Original source: Bucket List Bars
Read the complete list here; read the McGillin's entry here.

Cira Centre's 'Pong' transformation garners national attention

MTV Tuesday, April 09, 2013

As part of Philly Tech Week, the north-facing wall of the Cira Centre will be transformed into a massive, functional version of the classic arcade game Pong. MTV has the scoop.

Dr. Frank Lee, a teaching professor in Drexel University's College of Engineering and co-founder of the Drexel Game Design Program, is the man behind the event. He'll be turning the building into his own personal game console thanks 1,514 LEDs lights that were installed on the building during its construction in 2005. He's also getting some help from Technically Philly (who founded Philly Tech Week), Brandywine Realty Trust, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Knight Foundation.

"This is something I’ve been envisioning for quite a while," Lee said. "Not only is this something that’s just fun for anyone who’s ever played a video game, but it’s also a uniquely interactive art installation. One of the main goals of this event is to inspire wonder and creativity in anyone who sees it, especially kids."

Original source: MTV
Read the complete story here, and stay tuned for more Philly Tech Week coverage from Flying Kite.

Momofuku hosts Zahav for pop-up dinner

Zagat Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Middle East meets East as Philly chef Michael Solomonov takes Zahav's modern Israeli cuisine to Momofuku Ssam bar for a late-night dinner.

After teasing us earlier this week, we now have confirmation: Momofuku Ssäm Bar will be hosting Zahav for the first in a quarterly late night dinner series at the East Village hot spot. Tickets are $85 per person for the 11 PM dinner, inclusive of food, drink and gratuity. No word on menu yet, but looks like at least some of the drinks will come from Singapore brewery Tiger Beer. Reservations are available via e-mail only, and the likelihood is they’ll sell out quickly (if they haven’t already).

Eater Philly had more details:

Solomonov said that David Chang & Co. requested an all-Zahav menu, so they're going all out with the "Mesibah" option that includes his legendary lamb shoulder (which is almost as famous as Solomonov himself). As for dessert, the Federal Donuts crew is whipping up a special fancy doughnut created specifically for the event, as well.

Original source: Zagat
Read the complete post here.

Developers vie for Philly's second casino license

Philadelphia Inquirer Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Developers are pulling out all the stops, feverishly vying for the city's second casino license. It remains to be seen what kind of impact a second gambling facility would have on the city -- of course these folks are making big promises.

Last week marked the kickoff of the second coming of the city's second gambling emporium: six developers vying to win the golden license, sort of a Mr. Philly Casino pageant. If you have a weakness for hyperbole and neon, the season's best show took place at the Convention Center, fitting given that the place was a huge gamble. It was a pitchfest on steroids.

Original source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Read full story here.

Foobooz names Philly's top 50 bars

Foobooz Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Local food-centric blog Foobooz releases its annual list of the city's best bars. It's no surpise that the top ten are dominated by spots with serious beer programs—top-shelf suds have become Philly's calling card. Pub & Kitchen takes top honors, up from no. 10 last year.

If you want to be number one on the Foobooz Top 50 Bars list you had better bring it every day. And Pub & Kitchen does just that, with excellent food, a well curated beverage program plus excellent and dare we say, attractive service.

Source: Foobooz
Check out the full list here.

GQ: Philly is top-5 beer city and home to the perfect pub crawl

GQ Monday, October 01, 2012

GQ makes a pretty decent run at a perfect pub crawl in Philadelphia, which it identified as one of the top five beer cities in the U.S.

1. The Beer-Bar Brunch

Memphis Taproom

Wake up with microbrews and delicious bar grub at this Kensington standby. The mellow front dining room is fine if you're a slow starter, but things are much livelier outside by the picnic tables and the former ice cream truck that's now a bar.

Original source: GQ

Read the full story here.

NY Times undresses Live Arts Festival

The New York Times Monday, September 24, 2012

A New York Times theater critic peeps skin, among other things, at the Live Arts Festival, which wrapped on Sunday.

Self-indulgence of a rather livelier, albeit self-destructive kind was a definite problem for the characters in “27,” from the Philadelphia company New Paradise Laboratories. This stylish-looking production imagines the afterlives of the famous rock figures who died at the age given in the title, the victims of booze, drugs and the pressures of celebrity. With the exception of Jimi Hendrix they are pretty much all here: Janis Joplin (Allison Caw), Amy Winehouse (Julia Frey), Jim Morrison (Kevin Meehan) and Kurt Cobain (Matteo Scammell).

Original source: The New York Times

Read the full story here.

Toronto's love song for Philadelphia's art scene

Toronto Globe & Mail Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Toronto Globe & Mail absolutely gushes about Philadelphia and it's proximity, affordability, easy-to-navigate grid and art attractions.

A friend had told us not to miss the massive mural in the Curtis Center building. Luckily, the doors were still open so we stepped into the deserted foyer to soak in Dream Garden – 100,000 pieces of hand-blown glass that were installed in 1916 by by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who based the design on a painting by Philadelphia-born Maxfield Parrish.

We were almost back to our hotel on Rittenhouse Square when we found Parc, a French bistro with sidewalk tables, and couldn’t resist stopping for a kir royale and some people-watching before turning in.

Original source: Toronto Globe & Mail

Read the full story here.

Frugal travel: Philadelphia as a midweek deal

Washington Post Monday, August 20, 2012

The Washington Post writes about a city that "more or less belonged to" its travel section as it went in search of some midweek travel deals.

We found ourselves alone in a museum, befriended bartenders and shopkeepers who had nothing better to do than share their life stories with us, stumbled upon some sweet weekday-only deals and happenings, and never waited for a drink or a table. Our only regret: that we hadn’t also been there for Monday and Tuesday.

Original source: The Washington Post

Read the full story here.

Esquire declares Philly 'late-night capital'

Esquire Friday, August 10, 2012

Good brew and food for hungry fellas in the wee hours puts Philadelphia on Esquire's radar as the late-night capital of the U.S.

Once referred to as the "workshop of the world," the great factory city of Philadelphia still has a third-shift appetite: It gets hungry after midnight. And it doesn't hurt that the local love for microbrewing, dating to the late 1600s, shows up on beer lists so intricately compiled they'd be described as curated in more pretentious cities. (Yes, Brooklyn, I mean you.) Epic jukeboxes and random dartboards, roasted meat and melted cheese, super-hard-to-find beers and whiskey neat — all served up without judgment in an American stronghold for going big into the wee hours: Welcome to the dark side.

Original source: Esquire

Read the full story here.

Percy Street Barbecue No. 1 place in America to get a can of craft beer

craftcans.com Monday, July 30, 2012

Memphis Taproom, BAR Philadelphia and Percy Street Barbecue, which earned the top spot, gave craftcans.com a distinctly Philadelphia flavor on its list of America's 15 top places to enjoy beer in a can.

Over the past couple years Aric Ferrell, Manager at Philadelphia's Percy Street Barbecue, has been on a mission. He has been on a campaign to have Percy Street feature the largest selection of canned craft beers in the country and we are proud to say that he has definitely accomplished his goal. But, its not just the vast array of craft cans available (at last count there are over 100) at this South Street eatery that put it at the top of the list. Nope, Percy Street is also home to some of the most amazing barbecue in the northeast. Two words: Turkey Tails. Everything we've had there was delicious and you can even get cans to go now! If it comes in a can and is available in Pennsylvania than Aric has done everything he can to put it on his can menu. Serving up Texas-style BBQ in a clean, modern environment with a ridicu-list of canned craft beers available as well as a serious whiskey list, Percy Street is our top choice for best place to grab a can of beer in America. They've earned it.

Original source: craftcans.com

Read the full story here.

Philadelphia leaders take to Toronto to share and 'steal'

Yonge Street Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Greater Philadelphia Economy League Executive Director Steve Wray talkes to Flying Kite sister publication Yonge Street about his organization's Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange, which visits Toronto this week.

One the focuses of the Economy League is what it means to be a world-class region and what it would take for Greater Philadelphia to attain status as a world-class region. As we select places to go, we look for regions that are world class or striving to be world class. Clearly Toronto has attained the status in the global community as a city and region on the rise, as a global financial capital and as an international city. We thought there were a lot of lessons we could bring back to Philadelphia from Toronto that would serve us well.

Original source: Yonge Street

Read the full story here.

With "Made in America" in Philly, Jay-Z helps Budweiser get back on music stage

Ad Age Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Ad Age goes behind the scenes of Jay-Z's big announcement on Monday, which aims to breathe new life into the old Budweiser Superfest music series.

Rebranding the event "Made in America" is a play on words: It underscores the Anheuser-Busch brand's American heritage, as well as a song featured on Jay-Z's 2011 album with Kanye West, Watch the Throne.

Company execs say this is part of an effort to target a younger, more multicultural demographic.

Original source: Ad Age

Read the full story here.

Women draft their way to the front of craft brewing

Washington Post Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Washington Post profiles prominent ladies of the craft brew scene, including Rosemarie Certo of Dock Street Brewing Co. iN West Philadelphia.

Certo’s interest in beer started when she began making beer at home because she wasn’t happy with what was available domestically at the time. She started Dock Street in 1985 and remembers in the early days going to make a sales pitch to a distributor and being the only woman in a room of more than 50. “I remember not being bothered by it,” she recalls.

Original source: Washington Post

Read the full story here.

Kensington's New Paradise Laboratories recreates theater for a connected generation

Mashable Monday, March 26, 2012

Mashable writes about Kensington's New Paradise Laboratories and its incorporation of social networks into the production and presentation of its shows.

This innovative experience takes audiences through a rabbit hole on a visually stimulating online adventure. Stories evolve on social networks with multimedia components from YouTube and Sound Cloud. It can be hard to decipher what’s real and what’s fiction.

Original source: Mashable

Read the full story here.

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