The Christmas Village in Philadelphia presented by NRG Home has transformed Philadelphia’s LOVE Park (15th and JFK Boulevard) into a traditional, open-air German Christmas Market, open daily through, Sunday, December 27. Shop for high-quality, international and local gifts and decorations. Enjoy holiday sights and sounds with thousands of twinkling lights, the LOVE ParkChristmas Tree, live music, children’s activities and photos with Santa Claus. Warm up with a glass of warm mulled wine or hot cocoa while enjoying European food and drink. Watch for new decorations, seating, vendors and tasty treats! Admission is free, with food, drink and shopping pay as you go. Spread the cheer by following @philachristmas on Twitter and Instagram, liking Christmas Village on Facebook and visiting www.philachristmas.com.

Old City Fest This Sunday!

Old City District presents Old City Fest on Sunday, October 11, 2015. This unique festival will draw over 15,000 people to the streets of our most historic square mile for a day filled with food, drink, music, street performance, design, arts, fashion and family fun. Unique activities will include a design showcase as part of DesignPhiladelphia, two fashion shows, clay throw battles, chocolate making demonstrations, “Independents Row” with Old City makers and artists, gallery exhibitions, free demonstrations from museums and cultural attractions, plus appearances by some familiar neighbors from long ago! Old City Fest is also unique in that vendors and participants are from or associated with Old City. For more info, visit oldcitydistrict.org, tweet @oldcitydistrict or call (215) 592-7929.

Amadaversary Garces Has Three Ways To Celebrate Amada’s Tenth Anniversary

Amada Inspired Anniversary Tasting menus offered October 11-16: From Sunday, October 11-Friday, October 16, Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Garces Trading Company and The Olde Bar will all offer a $39 tasting menu in addition to their regular a la carte menu. The tasting menus include a complimentary glass of sangria or punch. $4 from each tasting menu goes to the Garces Foundation. The Garces Foundation is an IRS registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to ensuring that Philadelphia’s underserved immigrant community has access to health and educational services. During Amadaversary week, select guests will be surprised with gifts and giveaways from Garces. Sample surprises include complimentary dinners, wine pairings, lunch in Distrito Taqueria’s Volkswagen Bug for four people, Tequila classes, $100 gift certificates, signed copies of Jose Garces’ cookbooks, and more. Participating restaurants include: Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Garces Trading Company, JG Domestic, The Olde Bar, Village Whiskey and Buena Onda.

Amadaversary Paella Festival

Garces will host the Amadaversary Paella Festival on Sunday, October 18 from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. The event will be held on 2nd Street between Market and Chestnut Street (enter at Chestnut Street next to Amada). In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Amada, the festival will include: A Paella Cook Off, three bars, meet and mingle with Chef Jose Garces, live music from American Deluxe, DJ from Synergetic Sound, flamenco performances, photo booth, raffles & prizes, face-painting and children’s activities from Nest. Village Whiskey will feature a hot toddy station and Buena Onda will feature K38 beer from Yards. Competing paella dishes include: · Amada- Lamb paella · Distrito- Mole poblano and duck paella · Garces Events- Traditional paella, clams and Spanish chorizo · Garces Trading Company- coq au vin paella · JGD- local vegetable paella · The Olde Bar- crab and bellota paella · Tinto- bacalao and shellfish paella · Volver- Asian Paella $10 per person includes tastings from each of the restaurants and two drink tickets for beer, sangria or the Village Whiskey hot toddy station. Attendance is free for children 12 and under Tickets are available at www.garcesgroup.com.

Amadaversary VIP Party

On Sunday, October 18 from 8 p.m.-11:00 p.m at Amada, Chef Garces will host an exclusive reception honoring Amada’s tenth anniversary. This unforgettable evening will feature 11 alumni chefs and beverage professionals who had previously spent time with the Garces family. Each has crafted a selection inspired by their time with Chef Jose. Chef Garces and the alumni will be present to great throughout the reception. Only 50 tickets are available. Tickets are $125 each and available at garcesgroup.com. Amada Alumni Chefs will prepare dishes inspired by their time at Amada include: · Joey Baldino – Paella Arancini · Jimmy Ciampaglia – Pork Belly Coca, Onion Crema, Apple Mostardo, Mahon · MacGregor Mann – Roasted Calabaza, Pepita Escabeche · Kevin Sbraga – Langosta Ceviche, Coconut Habanero Sauce, Lime Sorbet · Tim Spinner – Kobe Beef Tostada, Tomato Escabeche, Truffle, Crispy Potato · Lemond Adams – Pulled Pork Slider, Peach BBQ, House Pickles · Chad Williams – Chicken Liver Crostini, Wood-Fired Fig Jam · Adam Zensinger – Mergeuz “hot links,” Butter Beans, Pickled Onion Cocktails will be mixed by Amada Alumni Beverage Professionals including: Katie Loeb, Keith Raimondi and Paul Rodriguez. The event is cocktail attire. # # # For more information please visit www.garcesgroup.com/events/amadaversary #Amadaversary.

On Sunday, October 4, RSVP has partnered with Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown to host their 10th Annual Run Wild 5K & 1 Mile Walk, benefiting RSVP’s Children’s Programs in Montgomery County. The event/run will take place at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown. The course will start at the Zoo and continue on the quiet neighborhood streets before ending at the zoo’s Canopy Pavilion, offering participants a chance to visit with some wild friends. One mile Animal Safari Walk travels through shaded course inside the zoo. Crafts are planned for children and story time by noted children’s author Chyrsa Smith. Admission to the zoo is free with race registration, making this a family-fun event. USAT&F Certified course and chip timing by Run the Day ensures state-of-the-art accurate race results.  The event begins at 9:00 a.m. (registration at 8:00 a.m.) and finishes at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. This is a rain or shine event. Register before October 1st to receive a free tee-shirt. To register visit www.rsvpmc.org or www.runtheday.com/registration/race_info/31698 or call (610) 834-1040, ext.30.

RSVP welcomes NBC-10’s Deanna Durante as host. Durante will present awards to medal winners. Cash awards will be given to the overall male and female winners. Additional medals will be awarded in eight age-division categories, allowing participants to run and compete with their peers. Special 10th place overall award to commemorate RSVP’s Run Wild 10t. h Anniversary.

Rosa Blanca Café at Dilworth Park, in collaboration with the Center City District, has opened a newly designed garden seating area on the PNC Terrace. In addition, Wednesday and Thursday nights will now feature live musical performances, DJs and happy hour specials, complementing other programs and free events at Dilworth Park throughout the summer season.

Renowned landscape architect, Groundswell Design Group designed the enhancements to the PNC Terrace, featuring a new garden bar, with elevated planters with colorful flora, new furniture, umbrellas and market lights to enhance the al fresco dining experience in Dilworth Park. Read the rest of this entry »

For the first time, CoZara is offering a Hamachi dinner as a unique summer delicacy prepared by Chef Phila Lorn. The dish costs $250 and will feed six to eight people. The hamachi is salt roasted and comes with three varieties of hamachi maki including: yellowtail jalapeño mango, yellowtail scallion and spicy crunchy yellowtail. The hamachi is served with three accompanying sauces, including ponzu, Hiro’s spicy sauce and mango mint. Grated daikon, soy pickled jalapeños and grilled lemon are served alongside each dish. A limited number of Hamachi Platters will be available each day, and must be reserved 24 hours in advance by calling CoZara at 267.233.7488.

CoZara is located at 33rd and Chestnut Streets in Chestnut Square.

Buena Onda Offers Online Ordering 

Buena Onda is now offering online ordering through their website www.buenaondatacos.com. Orders placed on-line are typically ready in 20 minutes or less for guests wishing to carry-out the Baja-Inspired deliciousness at home, work or wherever the day leads. Guests can also plan ahead for future pick up. Buena Onda continues to offer delivery via Caviar (www.trycaviar.com). The house specialty is fish tacos, featuring Atlantic mahi mahi and jumbo Pacific shrimp. Other favorites include carnitas tacos, chicken tacos and mission-style quesadillas. Fish is fresh, sustainably sourced, and chosen in partnership with seafoodwatch.org. 50 cents from every guacamole and bottled water purchase
will go to the Garces Foundation. Founded in 2012, the Garces Foundation is an IRS registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that raises funds to provide Philadelphia’s immigrant community access to the care and education they need.

The Fifth Annual Burger Brawl

The Fifth Annual Burger Brawl takes place this Sunday, June 14 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at XFINITY Live! 60+ restaurants will compete to win the title of Best Burger and raise funds to increase literacy through technology for Philadelphia’s children. The Brawl funds literacy programming through technology for Philadelphia’s underserved children in public elementary schools. The event has raised more than $500,000 in the last four years for the cause. Tickets for the event are $35 for general admission, $100 for VIP. Open to all ages. Free for children 10 and under. Tickets are available at www.phillyburgerbrawl.com

Competitors:

Aldine, Baby Blues BBQ, Bank & Bourbon, Barbuzzo, Bareburger, Beast and Ale, Bierstube, Blue Duck Sandwich Co., Bridget Foy’s, Brigid’s, Brittingham’s, Bru Craft & Wurst, Butcher and Singer, Circles, City Tap House, The Dandelion, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, Dettera, Dog and Bull House, Ela, Eulogy Belgian Tavern, Fat Jack’s BBQ,

Good Dog, Harvest Seasonal Grill, Hip City Veg, The Industry, Iron Hill Brewery, Jerry’s Bar, JJ Bootleggers, Kildare’s Irish Pub, La Peg, Lo Spiedo, London Grill, Lucky’s Last Chance, Masters Bar & Restaurant, Misconduct Tavern, New Wave Café, Nick’s Roast Beef in Old City, P’Unk Burger, Pacific Prime, Parc, Paesanos, Prohibition Taproom Prime Stache, Red Star Craft House, Rex 1516, Rogues Gallery Bar, Smiths, South Bowl, Spot Burgers, Taproom on 19^th, Tredici, Twisted Tail, Village Whiskey, Vintage Wine Bar and Zavala. Rouge and 500 Degrees will participate but will not compete.

CoZara Introduces New 3,4,5 Happy Hour

This week brings a new happy hour menu to CoZara, Chef Zama Tanaka’s Izakaya at 33^rd and Chestnut Streets. The menu is available Monday-Friday from 4:00-close, downstairs. The outdoor patio on the second floor will remain available for dining only. The menu includes a value-based sipping and snacking menuHappy Hour offered Monday-Friday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Featuring $4 draft beer, $6 house red and white wine, $8 specialty cocktails and $5 tartines, cheese and charcuterie.

Garces Trading Company

Garces Trading Company completed its transition to a full service, refined, neighborhood Bistro offering the best of Spain, France and Italy.  Chef de Cuisine Kyle Baddorf is offering new brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour menus effective now. Garces Trading Company originally opened in 2010 as a multi-purpose space with a gourmet market featuring house-made and imported foods sold under the Garces Trading Company label, coffee service to go and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s first wine boutique. The restaurant has evolved over recent years and is now officially the casual, comfortable and chic bistro the neighborhood craves.