Cheesesteaks for Charity at Pat’s King of Steaks to Benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation  

In an effort to join the fight against childhood cancer, Pat’s King of Steaks Guest Chef Series will feature Master Mixologist Owen Rothstein’s lemon-inspired sandwich to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation on Thursday, June 9 from 11 AM – 4 PM. The event will also feature a lemonade stand hosted by the local Ventresca family. Pat’s King of Steaks Guest Chef Series brings special cheesesteaks from celebrity chefs for great causes. Guest chef Owen Rothstein will cook up a delicious and mildly healthy, lemon pepper ribeye tossed with pan-roasted sunchokes, emerald kale and tart, dried cherries topped with Tavoliere cheese whiz. The “wit” option comes with shallot-lemon confit. Each cheesesteak is $10, which will be matched by Pat’s King of Steaks to benefit ALSF. Culinary excellence provided by Chef Dr. Neil Gottlieb. Philanthropic generosity provided by Frankie Olivieri. Members of the City Representative’s Office will be in attendance. Each cheesesteak is $10, which will be matched by Pat’s King of Steaks. 

 The Food Truck Border Brawl

On June 11, some of the Garden State’s finest food trucks will go head to head with the Keystone State’s most creative mobile food eateries in the inaugural Food Truck Border Brawl at SteelStacks. The event, which takes place from noon-7 p.m., will feature eight food trucks from the New Jersey Food Truck Association going up against eight food trucks from the Greater Lehigh Valley Mobile Food Alliance and Philadelphia Mobile Food Association, with the winning truck taking home the “Best Overall Food Truck” Award and earning bragging rights for his or her state for the entire year. Tickets for the Food Truck Border Brawl, which takes place at PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, are $8 in advance and $10 day of the event and go on sale today, 10 a.m., at www.steelstacks.org and 610-332-3378. A special VIP Pass, which includes a Mu sikfest 2016 Mug and early access to the Border Brawl from 11 a.m.-noon to enjoy all of the food trucks without the crowds, is $21 in advance and $23 day of the event. All proceeds from Border Brawl ticket sales will go to support the nonprofit ArtsQuest’s free music, arts and education programming for the region, including Musikfest, the largest free music festival in the nation, set for Aug. 5-14.

11^TH Annual Great Chefs Event

On Tuesday, June 14, more than 45 of the best chefs from across the country and around the world will convene in Philadelphia for the 11th annual Great Chefs Event hosted by the Vetri Family restaurants and Vetri Community Partnership. The event will benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Vetri Community Partnership. More than 1,200 guests will gather from 6-9 p.m. at the beautiful Urban Outfitters, Inc.’s corporate campus in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard for the culinary event of the year. The party will continue into the night at the equally in-demand After Party at Lo Spiedo for chefs, sponsors and VIP ticketholders. General admission and VIP tickets are currently on sale at www.vetricommunity.org.

Jose Garces Kicks Off Summer School Culinary Classes!

Summer School at Volvér kicks off with the culinary opportunity of a lifetime! Join Iron Chef Jose Garces when he leads an intimate master-class for 12 lucky students. Guests will work alongside the James Beard award winner to prepare a menu of recipes selected by Chef Garces himself. This hands-on lesson will feature tips, techniques and tools straight from the modern master of Latin cuisine. Currently, Chef Garces is the owner and operator of more than a dozen restaurants across the country, plus a thriving event planning division and 40-acre Luna Farm. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from one of the country’s most gifted chefs and restaurateurs! $225/person. For tickets and the full schedule of events visit volverrestaurant.com.

Embracing the Contemporary: The Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Collection at the Philadelphia Art Museum

This month the Philadelphia Museum of Art will open a major exhibition entitled Embracing the Contemporary: The Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Collection. The exhibition will present one of this country’s finest collections of contemporary art, which includes outstanding works by some of the most influential European and American artists of the past half century, including Jasper Johns, Howard Hodgkin, Ellsworth Kelly, Jeff Koons, Brice Marden, Bruce Nauman, Gabriel Orozco, Charles Ray, and Cy Twombly. Many of these works have either been donated to the Museum or pledged as promised gifts.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Fundraiser Lemonade Days 

2016 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Lemon Roll Benefitting Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation 

In her continuing efforts to raise funds and awareness for the fight against childhood cancer, Leeann Morris is hosting the 2016 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Lemon Roll during Alex’s Lemonade Days on Sunday, June 5 through Sunday, June 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Leeann has been busy recruiting other academies, gyms and sponsors to participate in the Lemon Roll. Her national network of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners will participate by holding their own fundraising events to raise money toward her goal of $4,000. The event will take place at World Class Martial Arts located at 2133 Macdade Boulevard.

Alex’s Original Lemonade Stand

Each June, on the Saturday of Alex’s Lemonade Days weekend, Alex’s “Original” Lemonade Stand is held. The stand invites Alex’s family, friends and all supporters of the battle against childhood cancer to an event complete with lemonade, food, games, crafts, face-painting, music and raffles. The inspiring event, held at Penn Wynne Elementary where Alex attended, includes a butterfly release to celebrate the lives of all children fighting cancer as well as those who lost their life to the disease. This year the stand will take place on June 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Alex’s “Original” is presented by Country Time and Volvo, with additional support from GEICO local office of Wynnewood, PA, Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, Sila Heating & Air Conditioning, Dr. Ian Thomas-Springfield Orthodontics and Sabrina’s Café. The event is free to attend, but supporters can purchase Alex’s All Access passes, including a t-shirt, to cover all donations for activities and food; for more information visit: www.alexslemonade.org.

11^th Annual Great Chefs Event

On Tuesday, June 14, more than 45 of the best chefs from across the country and around the world will convene in Philadelphia for the 11th annual Great Chefs Event hosted by the Vetri Family restaurants and Vetri Community Partnership. The event will benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Vetri Community Partnership. More than 1,200 guests will gather from 6-9 p.m. at the beautiful Urban Outfitters, Inc.’s corporate campus in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard for the culinary event of the year. The party will continue into the night at the equally in-demand After Party at Lo Spiedo for chefs, sponsors and VIP ticketholders. General admission and VIP tickets are currently on sale at www.vetricommunity.org.

In addition to the stellar selection of food and drink, guests will have the opportunity to bid on silent and live auction items. Auction items include one-of-kind culinary experiences, such as private dinners with participating chefs, hard-to- get concert tickets, autographed memorabilia, and much more.

At the Great Chefs Event After Party at Lo Spiedo, VIP ticketholders and sponsors of the event will have the exclusive opportunity to rub elbows with all of the event’s talented chefs in a laid back setting. Acclaimed barbecue chef Adam Perry Lang will be behind the grill once again, joined for the first time by James Bead Award Outstanding Chef finalist Michael Solomonov who will be representing Federal Donuts. After Party guests can also count on additional bites from select food trucks and vendors, as well as specialty cocktails and entertainment. Read the rest of this entry »

Inside Out Philadelphia Museum of Art Public Art Initiative

Inside Out is presented by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The framed reproductions represent key works from the Museum’s world-renowned collections of American, European, Latin American, and Asian art, and are placed within walking or biking distance of each other. All of the works will either be mounted on walls or placed on free-standing posts, displayed in frames representative of the time period in which they were created, and accompanied by a descriptive label.

Old City’s exhibition of Inside Out runs now through July 28, 2016. This is the second year the Museum has participated in the program, having brought Inside Out to towns across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties last year.

Uptown Beer Garden

Uptown Beer Garden will returns with a new Three Bell rated Chef in the kitchen! Chef Jonathan Petruce will fire up an outdoor grill with an expanded food menu starting this Thursday (opening day). Along with a new chef and expanded food menu, they will also have more seating, additional bars and bar space, and access to new event space. At the bar, look for an exclusive IPA developed just for Uptown by Pizza Boy Brewing.
For more information, call BRU at 215-800-1079, visit BRU Craft & Wurst on Facebook and follow @bruphilly on Twitter.

South Street Headhouse District serves up the best tastes and sips of the city during South Street Spring Festival, on Saturday, May 7, from 11:00am to 8:00pm. Philadelphia’s largest annual spring block party announces 30+ restaurants, bars, bakeries and food trucks that will fill the 12 blocks of South Street and surrounding streets. Brauhaus Schmitz will return with Maifest on the 700 block with with German beers, dancers, music, food, flower crowns and even a Maypole. The giant all-ages outdoor party will also include a new Philly Taco eating contest featuring a Jim’s Steaks cheesesteak wrapped in a giant slice of Lorenzo & Sons pizza. South Street Spring Festival is free and open to the public. Rain or shine. For the full schedule and roster of events, visit www.southstreet.com and follow @officialsouthst #SouthStFest on Twitter.

On Wednesday, May 4 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., Rittenhouse Row celebrates the 2016 Spring Festival Preview Party presented by Capital One. Guests will enjoy and sample cuisines from Rittenhouse Row’s best restaurants, cocktails created from their best bartenders, informal modeling of spring trends from Rittenhouse Row member boutiques and salons, and a silent auction with Rittenhouse Row experiences and merchandise. The event will take place at the Westin Philadelphia; for tickets and more details http://rittrow.ticketleap.com/the-2016-rittenhouse-row-preview-party/

The 2016 Philadelphia Flower Show

The 2016 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is finally here! The annual treat celebrates the centennial of the National Park Service and our country’s majestic landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture through March 13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This year’s theme is “Explore America”, from Acadia and Cape Cod, to Valley Forge and Shenandoah, to Yellowstone, Yosemite and other iconic parks and historic sites, American beauty and glory will serve as inspiration for exhibits created by the nation’s premier floral and garden designers. For more information or to buy tickets visit: http://theflowershow.com/

 
Jose Garces Guest Chef at Pat’s King of Steaks

On March 14, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Chef Jose Garces will be a guest chef at Pat’s King of Steaks! He will be preparing the JG Cheesesteak: provolone fondue, To-Jo wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, black truffle, with Pat’s rib eye and rolls. The sandwich will be sold for $10. All proceeds will benefit the Garces Foundation. One lucky cheesesteak customer will receive two tickets to the Garces Foundation’s Think Local, Give Local Benefit on March 18 at the Loews. The tickets are valued at $300.

Garces Foundation Presents Think Local, Give Local

Garces Foundation presentsThink Local, Give Local on Friday, March 18 from 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market Street. Tickets are $150 General Admission. $250 V.I.P. Admission: receive exclusive access to the after party on the 33^rd floor and a preview tasting. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/garces-foundation-benefit-tickets-20798751626; Cocktail attire.

The benefit will feature tastings from the area’s brightest chefs and a food themed silent auction to benefit the lives of Philadelphia’s immigrant community.  Chef Jose Garces has handpicked a group of local chefs to deliver an unforgettable epicurean experience, which will highlight Philadelphia’s unique culinary talent.  Throughout the evening guests will enjoy cocktails made with local spirits, local beer, locally created décor elements and more. Entertainment will be provided by American Deluxe, with pop up performances from the Philadelphia Girls Choir and Flamenco troupe De Luna a Lunares. Denise Fike will provide complimentary fashion illustrations of each guest . Guests will enjoy a Tito’s Vodka Lounge and signature cocktail station from Philadelphia Distilling with mixology demonstrations and tastings. A farm stand exhibit will offer guests tastings from local independent makers of gourmet products such as Weckerly’s Ice Cream, Baba’s Brew, Subarashii Kudamono Gourmet Asian Pears, and Gilda’s Biscotti. Billy Harris and Alicia Vitarelli from 6ABC will emcee.