PHS fundraiser brings together the region’s great chefs and local growers 

The region’s leading chefs and mixologists will showcase their garden-to-table creations at “PHeaSt,” the delicious, fundraising celebration on Friday, October 7, from 7:00to 10:00 p.m. at the Navy Yard. 

Hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the fifth annual PHeaSt brings together renowned chefs, mixologists and urban growers for a special party to benefit the PHS City Harvest program, which supports community gardening and provides healthy, locally grown food for families in need throughout the Philadelphia region. This year the event celebrates the 10^th anniversary of City Harvest and will provide the opportunity to help “build” a new community garden. Guests will be invited to pull a plant stake from an interactive, model garden and choose from different levels of support that will fund the purchase of tools, soil, seeds, and other materials needed for the new garden.

The PHS Warehouse at the Navy Yard, home to repurposed props from the Philadelphia Flower Show, is transformed for PHeaSt into an industrial-chic party setting. Guests are invited to “graze” the garden-fresh dishes, chat with the chefs and mixologists, and get gardening tips from the City Harvest growers. The event has been a sell-out each year, as hundreds of area foodies come to sample new seasonal dishes by the culinary stars and the creative cocktails, spirits, wines and beers.

Culinary partners this year include Agno Grill and Yoku, Al Pastor, Bar Bombon, Bella Vista, Brûlée Bakery, Buddakan, Campbell’s Place, Capofitto, Charline was a sinner, Christina Cooks, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, Ela, Garces Trading Company, Melograno, Morimoto, Night Kitchen Bakery & Café, Red Owl Tavern,Stove & Tap, The Farm and Fisherman, Triangle Tavern, Whole Foods Markets, Your Personal Chef Joseph E. Shilling, and Zavino.

Sips partners include 13^th Street Cocktail Catering, Art in the Age, Backyard Beans Coffee Company, Bank & Bourbon, Bird Dog Whiskey, Boardroom Spirits Distillery, Caledonia Spirits, Don Julio, Fine Wine & Good Spirits, Firestone Brewery, Hendrick’s Gin, Jim Beam Apple Bourbon, Liberty Gin, Mac’s Tavern, Magical Spirits, Martin Millers Gin, Patrón, PHS Cider, Pinnacle Vodka, Round Guys Brewing Company, Russian Standard Vodka, Saint Benjamin Brewing Company, Saxbys Coffee, Stateside Urbancraft Vodka, Stoli Group USA, Tamworth Distilling, Tom Gore Vineyards, Whistle Pig Straight Rye, and Yards Brewing Company.

PHeaSt proceeds support the PHS mission to connect people with horticulture and create beautiful, healthy and sustainable communities. Through the PHS network of urban gardeners in the Philadelphia region, the City Harvest program feeds hundreds of families in need each week during the growing season. The growers involved in PHeaSt participate in City Harvest and also make affordable, locally produced food available at farmers markets in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.

Tickets are on sale now. General admission tickets are $165 (PHS members $150). VIP tickets are $300 (PHS members $275) and include early admission at 6 p.m. PHeaSt is held in the PHS Warehouse at the Navy Yard, 5201 S.13^th Street, Philadelphia 19112.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding cures for all kids with cancer, challenges supporters everywhere to go the distance in September for Alex’s Million Mile 2016 (AMM). Returning for its fourth year during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, AMM participants will collectively run, walk and/or ride one million miles to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. Last year, more than 15,000 participants logged over 963,000 miles in 24 different countries on 6 continents. Since its inception, AMM has raised over $1.8 million.

Individuals and teams who participate can log as many or as few miles as their ability allows, with each mile contributing to the collective million miles goal. Animal lovers rejoice – your four-legged friend’s miles count, too. So, don’t forget to add your dog or cat to your AMM team. Miles can be logged manually or by using MapMyFitness, Fitbit or Strava apps starting September 1. The event is free to participants, but fundraising is encouraged and can start as soon as participants register.

Participants can create their own team or search the AMM website for a variety of teams to join, based on location, childhood cancer types or teams led by ALSF researchers. New this year, childhood cancer teams allow participants to join a team for a specific type of childhood cancer and the money raised on that team will fund research projects for that particular cancer. Again this year, ALSF researchers who lead their own teams can raise money for their own projects and have up to $25,000 matched by the Foundation.

Once participants create their own or join teams, there are plenty of ways to log miles and raise money. Individuals and teams looking to log their first mile can join First Mile events on September 1. A list of First Mile events is available on AlexsMillionMile.org. More ideas to help participants achieve their mileage goals are available on AlexsLemonade.org/blog.

Participants can show support through social media utilizing #Journey2aMillion. To register for Alex’s Million Mile and get more ideas to help you reach your mileage and fundraising goals, visit AlexsMillionMile.org.

For one month only, this September, Tredici (114 South 13^th Street, 267-928-2092) will celebrate the debut of their new sister restaurant in Washington, DC with La Grande Dame, a raw bar plateau featuring a diverse and exciting assortment of fresh seafood and shellfish.   La Grand Dame ($150) will also benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer: $10 from each platter sold will be donated to the Bala Cynwyd-based charity, providing programs and services to help those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer in honor of their 25^th anniversary later this year.   La Grande Dame includes:

• 1 oz. of Hackleback American Sturgeon Caviar, served with egg whites, chives, red onion and blini
• 2 Joe’s Crab Claws, served with caper aioli
• 4 fresh, seasonal oysters, served with mignonette and horseradish
• 4 jumbo shrimp, served with cocktail sauce
• 4 pieces of rare seared Ahi tuna

WHERE: Tredici, 13^th and Sansom Streets in Philadelphia   WHEN: September 1-30, 2016   WHY: On November 12, 2016, Living Beyond Breast Cancer will hold their 25^th Anniversary fundraiser, the Butterfly Ball, presented by White House| Black Market. Tredici’s owners, Greg and Emily Dodge, are co-chairs of the black tie benefit, and created La Grande Dame to give back to Living Beyond Breast Cancer in a personal way. The Butterfly Ball will be held at 801 Market Street, honoring Dr. Jennifer Chalfin Simmons with the Founders Award; Andi and Abraham Morris with the Corporate Leadership Award; and Jenny Burkholder, Ayanna Z. Kalasunas and Judy Weinstein with the Going Beyond Award. Tickets are $350/person and can be purchased at lbbc.ejoinme.org/ButterflyBall2016

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.