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Author: Beatrice Forman

  • Philly is in festive mode: The holiday bars are here.

    Philly is in festive mode: The holiday bars are here.

    With the winter holiday season seeming to start before Thanksgiving turkey has even been served, it’s easy to feel like the Grinch. But if there’s one thing that can cure those early holiday blues, it’s over-the-top decorations and a novelty cocktail.

    Luckily, these Philadelphia-area bars have already begun to their deck their halls (or booths) with garlands, nutcrackers, and more string lights than we can count.

    One tip: Regardless of which holiday bars you chose, plan ahead and snag a reservation. The only thing worse than a stocking full of coal is waiting in the cold for a seat at the bar.

    I was shut out of the city’s holiday bars. Here’s how to get a seat.

    Tinsel — the annual pop-up holiday bar that takes over 114 S. 12th St. — returns for 2025.

    Diamond and Pearls at Suburban Station by the Wine Garden

    Wine Garden co-founders Nazaret Teclesambet and Favian Sutton are taking over three rooms inside Suburban Station through Dec. 31 for a luxe limited-edition holiday bar, not unlike last year’s at the Divine Lorraine. This go-round, the theme is diamond and pearls: Think gold-mirrored walls, grand Christmas trees, and enough bows and pearls for a tea party. Guests can sip on spiked hot chocolates rimmed with crushed candy canes, bourbon and apple cider holiday punches, and marshmallow-topped espresso martinis, among other cocktails. General admission is $14.64 per person for a 90-minute reservation. A $42.39 VIP ticket includes a welcome glass of sparkling rosé and a mini vintage cake. All other food and drinks are pay-as-you-go.

    1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd., 215-625-0988, instagram.com/winegardenwest

    Ever Eve in the Back Bar by High Street

    Unfortunately, Santa cannot call in favors to get you a table at High Street, one of Philly’s first-ever Michelin-recommended restaurants. The big guy, however, does recommend you spend $5 per person to snag a reservation at High Street’s holiday pop-up inside the Franklin Residence’s grand lobby. Ever Eve in the Back Bar runs Saturdays only through Dec. 27, and features a cocktail partnership with specialty spirits purveyor BOTLD alongside a menu of upscale bar snacks like crispy oysters, brown butter shoestring fries, and deviled eggs topped with trout roe.

    834 Chestnut St., 215-625-0988, highstreetonmarket.com

    Cocktails from a partnership with BOTLD will be served at Ever Eve in the Back Bar, a holiday pop-up from High Street taking over the lobby bar inside the Franklin Residences on Saturdays through Dec. 27.

    Harper’s Garden

    Dining at this indoor-outdoor restaurant near Rittenhouse Square is far more low-key than most of the city’s holiday bars — mostly because it’s not marketed as a holiday bar at all. Instead, diners can spend two hours inside one of Harper Garden’s private heated outdoor cabins, which can seat four to six people. Something about eating warm bowls of pasta under woodsy garlands screams cozy.

    31 S. 18th St., 267-886-8552, harpersgardenphilly.com

    Harry’s Jingle Bar

    There’s something about snow on the beach, at least according to that one Taylor Swift song. For a dose of holiday spirit down the shore, shoobies can check out the Jingle Bar inside Harry’s Ocean Bar & Grille. The beloved holiday pop-up bar inside the Montreal Beach Resort will run through Dec. 31 this year, with some new additions, like outdoor fire pits overlooking the ocean and a $90 Christmas tree cocktail tower that comes with six libations of your choosing.

    1025 Beach Ave., Cape May, N.J., 609-884-2779, harryscapemay.com

    The Blue Christmas from Harry’s Jingle Bar in Cape May, N.J. is a sweet coconut cream martini garnished with a candy cane.

    Holly Jolly Bar at Juno

    Juno’s Holly Jolly Bar is a collaboration with events company Bucket Listers that converts an outdoor summertime hot spot into a winter wonderland — with a roof. From Nov. 26 to Dec. 28, Juno’s patio will be draped in rows upon rows of string lights and ornaments designed as Instagram bait. Don’t expect any Mexican inspiration on the menu beyond a winter marg and some sangria. Tacos and ceviches have been swapped for giant french fries, chicken tenders, and a charcuterie-inspired snack board. Tickets cost $22.50 for a 90-minute seating and a welcome drink. All other food and beverage is pay-as-you-go.

    1033 Spring Garden St., 267-639-2892, junophilly.com/holly-jolly

    Holiday Rewind at The Prime Rib

    Is nostalgia on your Christmas list this year? The Library Bar inside The Prime Rib at South Philly’s Live! Casino and Hotel has transformed into a swanky-yet-quirky holiday pop-up with drinks inspired by classic holiday movies ranging from Elf to Die Hard. Guests can sip on an Ovaltine espresso martini and spiked sea salt caramel eggnog, among other cocktails, while cozying up by the fireplace through Jan. 10.

    900 Packer Ave., 267-682-7500, philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com

    Prime Rib inside the Live! Casino & Hotel at 900 Packer Ave. has been transformed into a cozy living room for Holiday Rewind, a pop-up inspired by nostalgic Christmas movies.

    Jingle Jawn at Libertee Grounds

    Philly’s first minigolf bar has also partnered with Bucket Listers to overload their course with a hefty dose of Philly-ified holiday spirit. From now through Jan. 31, guests can play nine or 18 holes of holiday-themed putt-putt with decor like a greased North Pole, snow globes, and a golf cart covered in Philadelphia Parking Authority tickets (of course). Libertee Ground’s seasonal menu features a standout tomato soup and grilled cheese duo alongside several holiday cocktails, including a cranberry and cinnamon mule and an orange-plum punch made with Stateside Vodka. Those looking to tee off can expect to pay $20 for nine holes of minigolf, plus a cocktail in a souvenir cup.

    1600 W. Girard Ave., 267-324-3487, liberteegrounds.com

    McGillin’s Olde Ale House

    It’s a gift from Santa himself: A walk-ins only holiday bar. Every holiday season, McGillin’s covers itself in floor-to-ceiling Christmas decorations. (That’s roughly 1,200 feet of lights and 1,000 feet of garlands for number-crunchers.) Holiday barflies can expect a lineup of festive drinks that include an eggnog martini and a spiced rum hot apple cider. Just around the corner from the bar at Sansom and Juniper Streets is holiday pop-up shop that sells McGillin’s merch (stocking stuffers, anyone?). The shop is open noon to 6 p.m. daily.

    1310 Drury St., 215-735-5562, mcgillins.com

    All 18 holes of mini golf at Libertee Grounds have been updated with string lights, ornaments and other holiday decor for a collaboration with Bucket Listers that runs through Jan. 31, 2026.

    Miracle on 8th Street at Craftsman Row Saloon

    It takes roughly 60,000 ornaments and 20,000 lights to transform Craftsman Row Saloon into the Miracle on 8th Street, its annual holiday pop-up bar best known for over-the-top milkshakes. This year’s shake lineup includes the seasonally confused Pumpkin to Talk About — blended pumpkin ice cream topped with a whole slice of pumpkin pie — and Santa’s cookies, a chocolate chip cookie dough variety rimmed with chipwiches. Reservations are recommended for Miracle on 8th Street, which runs through mid-January.

    112 S. Eighth St., 215-923-0123, craftsmanrowsaloon.com

    North Pole on South Street at Bridget Foy’s

    For the first time since its 1978 opening, Bridget Foy’s will transform into the aptly titled North Pole on South Street, a Christmas bar that will run from Nov. 28 through Jan. 4. The devil (or Santa) is in the details: The bar’s new Instagram account shows footage of craftsmen freezing tiny nutcrackers into custom ice cubes for a lineup of cocktails that includes a peppermint tea-infused negroni and honey-chili margarita floated with aperol. Reservations also include access to several holiday-themed photo backdrops.

    200 South St., 215-922-1813, bridgetfoys.com

    A line-up of holiday cocktails wrapped in scarves and topped with ornaments from Craftsman Row Saloon at 112 S. 8th St.

    The Lodge at Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest

    Take in views of the ice skating rink and the Delaware River from the lodge inside the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, a festival of all things festive that runs from Nov. 28 to March 1. Guests can choose to warm up inside the pop-up ski lodge or sip spiked hot chocolates and ciders around private fire pits or cabins available for rent.

    101 S. Columbus Blvd., 215-925-7465, delawareriverwaterfront.com

    Tinsel

    Annual pop-up bar Tinsel runs from Nov. 28 through January with the same over-the-top shtick in new dressing. Sip on cocktails in novelty cups (that you can take home!) under a blinking neon Santa tracker, oversized ornaments, and illustrations of pop culture’s wackiest holiday characters. This year’s naughty beverages include punch served in an adult juice pouch and a duo of festive red and green shots.

    116 S. 12th St., 215-398-1685, facebook.come/Tinselphilly

    Regulars at Evil Genius Beer Co. helped decorate the bar for the holidays by painting gingerbread houses and cutting paper snowflakes.

    Twas an Evil Christmas at Evil Genius Beer Co.

    Evil Genius regulars secured their spot on Santa’s nice list by painting larger-than-life gingerbread houses and cutting hundreds of paper snowflakes for the bar’s Twas an Evil Christmas holiday pop-up. Ornaments and wrapped presents hang from the ceiling while guests can sip on the brewery’s signature holiday saison Santa! I Know Him!, a 7.5% ABV Belgian-style brewed with rose hips, dark candy syrup, and chamomile.

    The brewery is hosting a 0.5K (a run around the block) on Dec. 3, where $30 scores runners free beer and a Santa Hat. All proceeds will go toward buying Christmas gifts for families in need.

    1727 Front St., 215-425-6820, evilgeniusbeer.com/our-taproom

    Señor Grinch Pop-up at Taqueria Amor

    This Manayunk Tex-Mex restaurant will dress up for any occasion, and the winter holidays are no exception. Taqueria Amor has transformed into its signature Señor Grinch pop-up for the sixth year in a row, playing classic holiday movies via projector every evening through New Year’s Eve, no reservations required. Taqueria Amor’s very-merry cocktail lineup includes a shot that purportedly tastes just like a gingerbread cookie and several margaritas the color of Rudolph’s nose or the Grinch.

    4410 Main St., 267-331-5874, taqueriaamor.com

    Thousands of string lights hang from the facade of Taqueria Amor at 4410 Main St. in Manayunk for their Señor Grinch holiday bar pop-up.

    Uptown’s Little Workshop at Uptown Beer Garden

    Santa’s workshop is taking over Center City’s Uptown Beer Garden through the end of 2025, and with it comes inflatable elves, oversized nutcrackers, snow globes, and fire pits for s’mores. All of the pop-up’s holiday cocktails are served in souvenir cups, including the Polar Espress-o — a peppermint bark-flavored cold brew martini — and the Apple Spice and Everything Nice, a caramel apple mule.

    1500 John F. Kennedy Blvd., 267-639-4493, uptownbeer.com

    Walnut Wonderland at Walnut Garden

    This popular Rittenhouse Square beer garden is winterized through Dec. 31 and features a 22-foot tall Christmas tree alongside plush life-sized penguins, a playhouse pulled by reindeer, and lots of neon lights. Also included inside Walnut Wonderland: make-your-own gingerbread house and s’mores kits for $9 each, plus $12 holiday drink specials that include a maple whiskey sour and a banana-flavored vodka and hazelnut liqueur number that’s meant to taste like banana bread.

    1708 Walnut St., walnutphl.com

    Santa greets guests at Walnut Garden at 1708 Walnut St., which is offering table side s’mores and gingerbread house decorating kits this holiday season.

    Yule Lodge at Butcher Bar

    Spend the winter inside Butcher Bar‘s heated covered patio, which looks kind of like a man cave inside a contemporary ski cabin. Butcher Bar’s seasonal cocktails make up for the macho decor. This reporter’s favorites include the Die Hard is a Christmas Movie (rye whiskey, sweet potato, marshmallow, toasted almond bitters) and the Christmas in Paradise (citrus almond spiced rum, mango, lime, herbal liqueur topped with a teeny drink umbrella).

    2034 Chestnut St., 215-563-6328, butcherbarphilly.com

  • It can take two years for a restaurant to get approved for outdoor dining. One Philly councilmember is trying to make it easier

    It can take two years for a restaurant to get approved for outdoor dining. One Philly councilmember is trying to make it easier

    Philadelphia City Council is taking yet another crack at streamlining the city’s complex and drawn-out permitting process for outdoor dining.

    At-large Councilmember Rue Landau introduced legislation Thursday to expand the “by-right” areas where sidewalk cafes can exist without a special zoning ordinance. The proposed bill, if approved, could hasten the daunting permitting process and dramatically increase the space available for outdoor dining.

    Currently the law allows sidewalk cafes to be licensed in certain areas that are largely centered on Center City and smaller commercial corridors in East Passyunk, the Italian Market, Manayunk, and other neighborhoods throughout the city. Restaurants outside those corridors must ask their district Council member to get legislation approved to authorize a sidewalk cafe license. The step can add months to a process restaurateurs say is already lengthy, confusing, and costly.

    All restaurants seeking sidewalk cafes must submit copies of plans to Philadelphia’s Streets Department and Department of Licenses and Inspections separately for approval before securing a $1 million insurance policy and paying an annual $227 licensing fee, according to the application’s website. Approvals and disapprovals should be ready within 30 days of applying.

    In reality, restaurant owners said, the process often involves thousands of dollars to keep an architect on retainer, as both departments can take months to review plans. And in the interim, at least one restaurant owner alleged, businesses can be fined for having tables and chairs outside while they wait for a decision.

    The sidewalk cafe at Gleaner’s Cafe at 917 S. 9th Street, one of the addresses covered under current outdoor dining legislation.

    Landau believes the new legislation stands to remove one hurdle from a system that is overall in need of reform.

    “The ordinance process alone takes many months, and is just one part of a lengthy and convoluted process,” Landau said in an interview Wednesday. “Currently, it takes approximately between 18 and 27 months just to put a couple of tables and chairs outside of your business.”

    Sidewalk cafes are different from streeteries, which occupy parking spaces and require a $1,750 licensing fee alongside myriad approvals from different city departments, depending on the structure. Both face similar challenges.

    Sidewalk cafes and streeteries proliferated during the pandemic, allowing many restaurants to keep serving patrons as COVID-19 limited indoor dining. At their peak, there were roughly 800 sidewalk cafes or streeteries operating in Philly. That number fell drastically after 2022, when the city made streeteries permanent and announced a web of since-revised regulations that many restaurants could not keep up with, often requiring businesses to consult engineers and architects to build structures that the city might request to be torn down only months later.

    Restaurant-goers dine at tables and chairs on a sidewalk outside Parc.
    Philly needs to fix its controversial ‘streetery’ outdoor dining program, city controller says

    There are just 28 active streetery and 287 active sidewalk cafe licenses in Philly as of November 2025, according to L&I’s business license dashboard.

    “The current outdoor dining licensing process in Philadelphia is characterized by complexity and high cost, which pose significant barriers for businesses seeking to utilize outdoor dining opportunities,” City Controller Christy Brady wrote in an August 2024 report on the licensing systems.

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    What would the proposed law change?

    Landau’s proposed legislation would increase the number of streets in Philly where sidewalk cafes are considered “by-right,” which means business owners would not have to call on City Council to preapprove their tables and chairs.

    Landau held more than a dozen listening sessions with community members in eight Council districts, she said, and worked with the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association to consult over 100 Philadelphia restaurant owners before drafting the legislation.

    From Sept. 2024 | Bob & Barbara’s must take down its new streetery for South Street repaving after spending $50,000

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    The proposed bill still follows the tradition of councilmanic prerogative, allowing each district Council member to select which streets receive the “by-right” designation for sidewalk cafes. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier included the entirety of the 3rd District — encompassing the majority of West Philly — while others carved out several streets. Councilmembers Cindy Bass and Brian O’Neill have yet to designate streets, Landau said.

    The bill will then go to the streets subcommittee for a hearing, Landau said, where blocks can still be added.

    “There’s plenty of time for councilpeople to get some skin in the game,” Landau said. “We don’t want to be exclusive here.”

    Bass, who represents the 8th District — which includes parts of Mount Airy, Germantown, and West Oak Lane — and O’Neill, who represents Northeast Philly in the 10th District, could not be reached for comment.

    The now-dismantled outdoor dining area at Booker’s Restaurant and Bar at 5021 Baltimore Ave., which some once considered to be one of the most beautiful streeteries in Philly.

    How do restaurant owners feel?

    The proposed legislation is cold comfort for Jeremy Page, general manager of the West Philly brunch institution Booker’s. The restaurant’s application for a revamped sidewalk cafe has languished with L&I since he filed in April, Page said.

    While Booker’s sits squarely within Gauthier’s district, the restaurant won’t be spared any red tape. It already secured the necessary ordinance and spent $2,000 on an architect to draw up plans for six outdoor tables.

    “I was very surprised I had to do that. Nobody tells you,” Page said. He said he was heartened by Landau’s legislation. “It feels like someone finally sees what’s going on and is locking in to make a change.”

    Setting up the new outdoor space was bittersweet: Between 2020 and September 2025, Booker’s had a 33-seat sidewalk cafe enclosed with wooden slats that staff would decorate with string lights, flowers, and garlands. It was lauded by some as among the city’s most beautiful outdoor dining arrangements.

    From 2021: Booker’s is one the most beautiful streeteries in Philadelphia

    When the city announced its new outdoor dining regulations in 2022, the structure was no longer compliant, Page said. But Booker’s kept the structure up for three years as it searched for a workaround, incurring roughly $10,000 in fines until Page said he finally tore down the covering in September. It has been replaced by simple tables and chairs.

    The change resulted in a loss in business that forced Booker’s to let go of five staff members, Page said.

    El Chingon at 1524 S 10th St. It took two years for the Michelin-award Mexican restaurant to get a sidewalk cafe license.

    “I miss it so much,” Page said. “It’s extremely impactful when you are getting fined for something that was legal at one point and then, all of a sudden, is not legal anymore.”

    Carlos Aparicio recalled a similar experience. The owner of South Philly’s El Chingón, now a Michelin-recognized restaurant, spent two years going back and forth with different city departments until his 12-seat sidewalk cafe was approved in fall 2023.

    During that time, Aparicio told The Inquirer, he was hit by fines and told by an L&I officer that the agency would remove his tables and chairs. After that, he started hiding the furniture at his house during off hours.

    From 2023: Someone has been mass reporting illegal sidewalk cafes in Philly to 311. Some people want user FD22 to stop.

    “It was very confusing and upsetting,” Aparicio said. “We’re not doing anything bad. We’re not selling drugs. We’re not trying to do anything but build community.”

    El Chingón is just one block outside East Passyunk Avenue’s by-right area. Aparicio estimated he spent $10,000 after securing his zoning ordinance to retain an architect, an engineer, and a lawyer to help him navigate the permitting process.

    It’s experiences like these that incense Landau, she said.

    “All the restaurants that we spoke to, they all said that the city does not waste any time to fine them or tell them what it’s doing wrong, but it’s not there to help them in a positive way,” Landau said. ”We must cut red tape to make it easier for restaurants to do a very simple thing: put some tables and chairs outside.”

    Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.

  • Is there a difference between a Michelin star, Bib, and recommendation? Yes, but all are good for Philly restaurants

    Is there a difference between a Michelin star, Bib, and recommendation? Yes, but all are good for Philly restaurants

    Tuesday night had Philly seeing stars — three, to be exact.

    Three Philadelphia restaurants won coveted Michelin stars at the Northeast Cities award ceremony at the Kimmel Center, the city’s first after announcing in May that the prestigious restaurant rating system was finally going to include Philly.

    The ceremony also honored restaurants from New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, which also made its Michelin debut as the gastronomic guide has expanded rapidly around the United States in recent years. Anonymous Michelin inspectors were dispatched to Philly months ago to scout, dining in secret and often visiting the same places repeatedly to ensure consistency.

    And while Michelin tends to be synonymous with stars (and, yeah, tires), there are other ways to earn recognition. Thirty-one other Philly restaurants — including three cheesesteak shops — earned Michelin honors below the star level. These included 10 Bib Gourmands and 21 recommendations.

    What’s the difference between a Michelin star, a Bib, and a recommendation? And who won top honors? We explain.

    What is a Michelin star?

    A Michelin star is the most prestigious honor a restaurant can earn from the Michelin Guide and typically recognizes fine dining restaurants.

    Restaurants do not apply to be inspected, nor can they be nominated. Anonymous inspectors visit restaurants repeatedly throughout the year — often on different days and at different times — and rate them on the following criteria, according to the guide’s website:

    • Quality of ingredients
    • Harmony of flavors
    • Mastery of culinary techniques
    • Consistency across menu and time
    • How a chef’s personality is reflected in the food
    Thomas Keller high-fives the the Michelin Man during the announcements Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

    Restaurants can earn up to three Michelin stars. One star is a restaurant that is “worth a stop,” according to the guide, for top-quality ingredients. Two stars is a “worth a detour,” while a three-star restaurant is “worth a journey” for cooking that feels like art. Three-star ratings are rare. Only New York City’s Sushi Sho hit the star maximum on Tuesday.

    Stars are awarded annually, and restaurants can gain or lose Michelin stars over time, kind of like experience points in a video game. They can also be a big boost for business: Chefs told Eater that one Michelin Star is worth a 20% jump in sales, while other chefs have reported three stars can increase them up to 100%.

    Which Philly restaurants earned Michelin stars?

    Provenance, Her Place Supper Club, and Friday Saturday Sunday all earned one Michelin star at Tuesday night’s ceremony.

    Chefs Chad and Hanna Williams took over Friday Saturday Sunday in 2016, transforming the old Rittenhouse Square restaurant into a James-Beard Award winning tasting experience that mixes Caribbean, Asian, and soul food references. “The long, narrow, lively, and warmly run restaurant is up a steep flight of stairs — and those stairs will seem even steeper when it’s time to leave,” Michelin said of the restaurant, which plans to expand. “Expect an atmosphere as spirited and enjoyable as the food.”

    Friday Saturday Sunday, run by chef Chad Williams and his wife, Hanna, earns a star at the Kimmel Center on Tuesday.

    Her Place Supper Club is another multicourse menu, only this one was born from the dinner parties chef Amanda Shulman threw in her college apartment while a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Shulman is known for explaining the inspiration and makeup of each dish as it’s set in front of diners, which Michelin wrote contributes to a “a real communal feel.”

    Chef Nich Bazik’s Provenance is the youngest Philly restaurant to receive top honors, open for a year in August. Bazik oversees an elaborate, seasonal 20- to 25-dish tasting menu that combines French and Korean flavors often inspired by his wife, Bazik said at Tuesday’s ceremony. Provenance is a “high-wire, high-stakes performance defined by precision,” Michelin wrote.

    Provenance sous chefs Zac Cohen (left) and Nicholas Piwinski present a collection of canapés to guest at the Headhouse Square restaurant on Oct. 17, 2024.

    What is a Bib Gourmand?

    The Bib Gourmand celebrates restaurants “that serve exceptional food at great value,” according to the Michelin Guide’s website. It was first announced in 1997 as a more budget-friendly companion to the stars.

    Previous honorees range from Katz’s — the iconic no-frills Jewish deli on Manhattan’s Lower East Side — and a counter-service-only sandwich stand in Atlanta, to small taquerias, dim sum restaurants, and the occasional hole-in-the-wall.

    Like Michelin-starred restaurants, Bib Gourmand awardees can use the designation in their marketing. In some cases, the honor has saved restaurants from closing.

    A trio of cheesesteaks from Angelo’s Pizzeria, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand on Tuesday.

    Which Philly restaurants earned a Bib Gourmand?

    Ten Philly restaurants took home a Bib Gourmand on Tuesday night. Naturally, three of them were cheesesteak shops. Here’s the full list:

    • Angelo’s Pizzeria
    • Dalessandro’s Steaks
    • Del Rossi’s
    • Dizengoff
    • El Chingón
    • Famous 4th Street Deli
    • Fiorella
    • Pizzeria Beddia
    • Sally
    • Royal Sushi & Izakaya
    Cemita clasica, remolacha, and al pastor tacos at El Chingón, which earned a coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand on Tuesday.

    What is a Michelin-recommended restaurant?

    Michelin-recommended restaurants are simply “establishments serving good food,” according to the guide’s website. They are judged on the same five signature criteria as starred restaurants.

    “A restaurant in the Recommended selection is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal,” said Michael Ellis, the former international director of Michelin Guide books, in the post. “It means that the inspectors have found the food to be above average, but not quite at star or Bib level.”

    In other words, shoot for the stars and hopefully fall among the recs.

    The Philadelphia chefs acknowledged at the Michelin Guide announcements Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

    Like restaurants with a Bib Gourmand, those that earned recommendations can also use the notation as a marketing tool. Admittedly, the designation used to be a bigger deal before 2020, when Michelin digitized the guide. Before, recommendations were listed in bound red travel guides that the tire company first used as a sneaky promotion to nudge people to take more road trips (and thus, buy more tires).

    Recommended restaurants are not precluded from earning stars later on. In fact, insiders think of it as a watchlist for establishments that might get a star in the future.

    The hot tamales from Honeysuckle at 631 N. Broad St., which is now a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant.

    Which restaurants did Michelin recommend in Philly?

    Michelin recommended 21 restaurants in Philly. They are:

    • Ambra
    • Forsythia
    • High Street
    • Hiroki
    • Honeysuckle
    • Illata
    • Kalaya
    • Laser Wolf
    • Laurel
    • Little Water
    • Mish Mish
    • My Loup
    • Pietramala
    • River Twice
    • Roxanne
    • Southwark
    • Suraya
    • Vedge
    • Vernick Food & Drink
    • Vetri Cucina
    • Zahav
    Honeynut squash with husk cherry, habanero, and pumpkin seed tahini at Pietramala. The vegan Philadelphia restaurant earned a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, as a well as a recommendation.

    Were there any other awards to take home?

    Yes. Aside from earning a recommendation, chef Ian Graye’s vegan Northern Liberties BYOB Pietramala also earned a Green Star for demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.

    There is no specific formula for awarding a Green Star, according to the Michelin Guide website, though criteria such as environmental footprint, the use of seasonal produce, resource management, and how food waste is treated are considered.

    Ian Graye, of Pietramala earned a Green Star award at the Michelin Guide announcement event at the Kimmel Center.

    “Chef Ian Graye seeks out foragers and small local suppliers for plants, herbs and fruits and also does his own fermenting and preserving,“ read the blurb included in the Michelin Guide for Pietramala. “His menu offers a selection of around 10 dishes designed for sharing — around three per person should more than suffice when ordering — and his cooking comes with a slight Italian accent.”

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  • Percy rebrands to all-day diner after mixed reviews

    Percy rebrands to all-day diner after mixed reviews

    Breakfast for dinner? Groundbreaking, at least in Philly.

    Just six months after opening, Percy — the swanky cafe-brunch-listening lounge-dinner joint hybrid from the team behind Forín — is now a permanent all-day diner, according to co-owner and general manager Seth Kligerman.

    The transition became official Thursday when the restaurant revealed a new (and cheaper) menu on Instagram that includes a 12-item all-day menu of revamped diner classics served from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., plus pared-down lists of breakfast and dinner-only options.

    The change embraces Percy’s “true identity,” Kligerman said, and comes after a spate of mixed reviews that called out how the restaurant’s brunch program outshone a dinner menu of $30-plus entrees that included a Thai curry, a lamb shank, and a Cooper Sharp-topped burger.

    Percy opened under the El at 1700 N. Front St. in May as the ground-floor anchor to Urby, a 200-unit luxury apartment complex. The restaurant earned fans and haters fast: Percy’s ¾-pound ricotta pancakes and babka French toast found an immediate following in Fishtown’s crowded brunch scene. And yet, Philly Mag food critic Jason Sheehan bestowed the title of “Philly’s most disappointing new restaurant” upon Percy in September, arguing the restaurant was “all vibe, with little else worth saying.”

    The reviews came with a silver lining, according to Kligerman. Percy was able to raise $4,000 for the Fishtown Community Library through a limited-run sale of shirts screen-printed with Sheehan’s headline.

    Plus, a bit of constructive criticism didn’t hurt.

    “I’m really grateful that we were able to spin something negative into something so positive,” Kligerman said. “We don’t have the runway that [larger restaurateurs] have, where they can collect a lot of data and open with a perfect concept … Now that we have the data from reviews, from the public, from our sales reports, we get to hit our stride.”

    Review | From Aug. 2025: Percy is a local brunch gem, but it’s no dinner destination yet

    Percy’s all-day menu leans heavily on what worked from its brunch. The cinnamon-crusted ricotta pancakes are still there, but customers can now order them until 9 p.m. along with other favorites such as the espresso-dulce de leche beignets, a roast pork croque monsieur, and a new mortadella club sandwich smeared with burrata and pistachio pesto.

    The biggest changes came for the breakfast and dinner menus, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. respectively. Breakfast’s star is the $11 Philly Grand Slam, a play on the standard diner breakfast with two eggs and home fries plus bacon, duck sausage, and a ricotta pancake for an additional charge.

    The $11 Philly Grand Slam from Percy has two eggs, toast, and homefries, with bacon, duck sausage, or a ricotta pancake for an additional charge.

    Dinner, too, got a makeover, swapping the Thai curry and lamb shank for a fried chicken Reuben and an elevated meatloaf served with a red wine jus, whipped potatoes, and purple cauliflower.

    The new menu nods to Tuckerton, N.J’s Dynasty Diner, where South Jersey-bred Kligerman grew up splitting disco fries and pancakes with his friends until their parents chastised them for running up against curfew. It also fills a hole in Philly’s breakfast-for-dinner scene, as the city’s diners continue to dwindle, with owners putting them up for sale or preparing for demolition.

    “When I think about Dynasty, I get that warm family feeling,” said Kligerman, 37, who now lives in Fishtown. “I want Percy to offer that.”

    The $26 pork cheek bourguignon at Percy, now served TV-dinner style on three compartment trays as part of the restaurant’s diner rebrand.
    As 24-hour diners dwindle in Philly, a few fight to remain

    TV dinner trays and cheap(er) eats

    Percy’s revamp also comes with a significant decrease in prices.

    Initially, all but the burger on Percy’s dinner menu cost between $30 and $40 per entree. Now the entire menu — save for the $31 half chicken with polenta — clocks in below $28. Most dishes had $4 to $6 shaved off, Kligerman said. The croque monsieur, for example, dropped from $24 to $17, while the burger had $3 knocked off, to now sit at $18.

    “We wanted to make sure the pricing allowed people to come back multiple times a week. And I think our opening pricing … definitely positioned us to be that one-day-a-week or special occasion-type restaurant,” said Kligerman. “Good diners are for everyone.”

    The plate-sized ricotta pancakes from Percy, which will now be available from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. as the restaurant transitions to an all-day diner.

    Good diners also have a look, he said: hard plastic cups that get constant refills, salt and pepper shakers on the table, and stacks of paper napkins. All of those elements have now been wrapped into Percy’s mid-century modern decor.

    Percy’s plating also reflects the change. All five dishes on the dinner menu will be served TV-dinner style, in compartmentalized trays with spaces for the protein, side, and a single bread roll.

    “It’s kind of playful,” Kligerman said. ”Everything is.”

    Percy, 1700 N. Front St., 215-975-0020, percyphl.com. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday; 9 a.m. to midnight Thursday to Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

  • Lakeside glamping, a presidential home, and international eats in Lancaster | Field Trip

    Lakeside glamping, a presidential home, and international eats in Lancaster | Field Trip

    Lancaster, Pa., is technically a city, but it’s packed with the charm of a Hallmark movie town: strollable streets lined with boutiques, Instagram-worthy late-fall foliage, and — yes — even the occasional Amish couple riding in a horse and buggy just beyond the city limits.

    Located about 70 miles west of Philadelphia, Lancaster is where centuries of Amish and Mennonite farm traditions meet (and often support) an up-and-coming restaurant scene with some of the best farm-to-table food and cocktails in the United States. It’s a place where tourists can learn how to churn butter the old-fashioned way and then end the night at a Brooklyn-cool listening bar. That’s exactly what an Inquirer reporter did when she took a last-minute trip to Lancaster.

    To get your weekend started, take a 90-minute drive past picturesque farms on I-76 and U.S. Route 222, or hop on Amtrak’s Keystone line, which drops you at the edge of downtown.

    @pennsylvaniajunkie 📍Lancaster, PA is so much more than horse and buggies. Downtown Lancaster is so one of my favorite cities to walk, wine and dine, especially during the holidays. 🎄✨🥂 @Discover Lancaster COMMENT your favorite place to visit in Downtown Lancaster and TAG who you’re bringing along on your next LancLanc getaway. 🥰 📍Places featured in video ✨ C’est La Vie ✨ Ream Jewelers ✨ Shot and Bottle ✨ The Belvedere Inn ✨ Lancaster Central Market ✨ Details ✨ Plough Don’t forget to follow me for all things Pennsylvania travel, adventure and lifestyle. 💙 #lancasterpa #lancasterpennsylvania #lancasterpagetaway #downtownlancaster #downtownlancasterpa #pennsylvania #pennsylvanialife #pennsylvaniacheck ♬ original sound – Pennsylvania Junkie

    Stay: Red Run Resort or Lancaster Arts Hotel

    Hear us out: This upscale campground is 30 minutes outside of Lancaster by car, but it has the vibe of an all-year summer camp for adults. Red Run Resort’s 21 lakeside A-frame studios and cabins are homey yet luxurious, with spa-style bathrooms with soaking tubs, plush king-size beds, and private firepits. The campground also has an on-site pumpkin patch and occasional line dancing and bingo pop-ups, so guests don’t have to go far for a bit of countryside flair.

    The living room of one of the A-Frame cabins at the Red Run Resort in New Holland, Pa., which overlooks a lake. The upscale camp ground is roughly 30 minutes outside of Lancaster by car.

    If you’re looking to stay in the city, the boutique Lancaster Arts Hotel transformed an 1800s tobacco warehouse into a living art gallery, displaying $300,000 worth of art from local artists across its 63 guest rooms. It’s walking distance from downtown and earns bonus points for free parking and complimentary bikes to explore the city.

    📍 877 Martin Church Rd., New Holland, Pa. 17557 (Red Run Resort) ; 300 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17603 (Lancaster Arts Hotel)

    Caffeinate: Square One Coffee

    After checking in, fuel up at Square One Coffee, a local micro-roastery whose Ethiopian blend beat out more than 2,000 entries to win a Good Food Award for best coffee. Their flagship Duke Street cafe is a solid pick for both coffee snobs and “little treat” connoisseurs, specializing in single-origin espressos and aromatic lattes in flavors like orange blossom honey or Blue Zen, a sky-colored concoction of butterfly pea powder, jasmine syrup, and chamomile tea.

    Home baristas can detour to Square One’s Elizabeth Avenue warehouse for public tastings or an Espresso 101 class.

    📍145 N. Duke St., Lancaster, Pa. 17602

    Thrift: Basura, Space, BUiLDiNG CHARACTER

    Take your coffee to go and spend the afternoon exploring a trio of downtown Lancaster’s curated thrift and vintage boutiques. This reporter’s advice is to pack light, because it’s easy to bring an outfit (or two) and a suitcase full of tchotchkes home.

    Start at Basura for racks of salvaged denim and leather, colorful sweaters, and quirky tees before heading over to Space, which specializes in mid-century modern wares that feel like they were ripped from a Mad Men set. Then, close out your shopping spree by heading to BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, a vintage and artisan marketplace with 80-plus vendors selling everything from butterflies preserved in glass and the occasional fossil to old school suits and antique jewelry.

    📍106 E. King St., Lancaster, Pa. 17602 (Basura); 24 W. Walnut St., Lancaster, Pa. 17603 (Space); 342 N. Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. 17603 (BUiLDiNG CHARACTER)

    Just a portion of the pick-n-mix candy selection from Sweetish Candy at 301 N. Queen Street Lancaster, Pa., which has been importing Scandinavian candies since 2019.

    Pick-and-mix: Sweetish Candy

    Lancaster’s Sweetish Candy was importing Scandinavian sweets long before pick-and-mix bags were all the rage. Sweetish Candy owner Tyler Graybeal started selling Swedish treats in 2019 and now stocks more than 70 colorful candies for shoppers to dump into customizable bags and buckets. Graybeal’s selection includes still hard-to-find BUBS gummies, plus varieties of licorice tubes, pastel marshmallows, and chocolate eggs. This sugar rush doesn’t come cheap, though: Two pounds of candy cost $47.

    For snacks that don’t cause a toothache, Lancaster Pickle Company is across the street with barrels of assorted pickle chips, dill pretzels, and — yes — even half-sour lip balm.

    📍301 N. Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. 17603

    Stroll: Conestoga Greenway Trail

    This 2.6 mile out-and-back trail wraps a horseshoe around the scenic Conestoga River and has three access points with parking lots at Duke Street, Broad Street, and Conestoga Drive. The greenway winds its away around the water and through the trees, so it’s perfect for late-fall leaf peeping and serene nature walks. The river is a favorite of duck flocks, turtles, and deers stopping for a drink.

    Learn: James Buchanan’s Wheatland

    Built in 1828 as a prominent lawyer’s mansion, Wheatland changed hands several times before landing in 1848 with James Buchanan — then secretary of state and later, by many historians’ accounts, one of America’s worst presidents. Buchanan lived there until his death in 1868.

    Preserved by the nonprofit LancasterHistory, the home offers guided tours of Buchanan’s original furnishings and 19th-century décor. From Nov. 16 through Dec. 20, the tours take on a festive twist for Yuletide at Wheatland, exploring the family’s holiday traditions.

    📍 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17603

    Imbibe: Hi-Fi Izakaya

    Tucked in the back of noodle bar Issei is Hi-Fi Izakaya, a speakeasy-esque listening lounge where DJs spin vinyl jazz, soul, and pop records until last call. The space is sleek and sexy, with a cocktail menu that adds Asian flair to standard drinks, like a gimlet mixed with matcha syrup, a Thai iced tea-infused espresso martini, and an old fashioned made with aged Japanese whiskey.

    📍 40 W. Orange St., Lancaster, Pa. 17603

    Dine: Quips Pub

    Tourists dine at Passerine, the French-inspired farm-to-table brasserie that landed on the New York Times’ best restaurant lists in 2024. Locals head to Quips Pub.

    The cozy British watering hole has been serving oversize platters of crispy fish and chips and traditional bangers and mash since 1984. Regulars come by often, bartenders said, for hefty burgers and sarnies (British slang for sandwich), plus an extensive list of imported German, Irish, and English beers.

    📍 457 New Holland Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17602

    Rows of seasonal ice cream flavors from Fox Meadow Creamery in Leola, Pa.

    Indulge: Fox Meadow Creamery

    Fox Meadow Creamery’s Leola location is exactly halfway between Quip’s Pub and your cabin at Red Run, making it the perfect place to cap off a day of gallivanting in the city. Fox Meadow churns its ice cream on-site with milk from cows raised on the creamery’s dairy farm in nearby Ephrata, resulting in ultra-thick and and rich scoops.

    Fox Meadow’s flavors change with the seasons, so the late fall comes with vats of apple cream pie, pumpkin patch cheesecake, and venetian tiramisu ice creams, among others. And — before you ask — yes, they carry pints for you to take on the road.

    📍 193 E. Main St., Leola, Pa. 17540

  • What does Two Robbers’ pub burger actually look like? An investigation into Philly Reddit’s Burgergate.

    What does Two Robbers’ pub burger actually look like? An investigation into Philly Reddit’s Burgergate.

    A picture is worth a thousand words, or at least 974 Reddit upvotes.

    A photo of a sad-looking burger wrongfully attributed to Two Robbers — the homegrown hard seltzer-turned-hard soda brand with bars in Fishtown and South Philly — has been circulating on the r/Philly subreddit since last Wednesday, when user Seraphanarie posted a since-deleted photo of a flier they claimed their boyfriend found while walking in Fishtown.

    “Two Robbers Pub Burger,” the flier reads in bold all-caps font. “This is literally the burger that came out [on] October 10, 2025.”

    The heinous-looking burger in question: A barely-there beef patty so crumbly it doesn’t stick together sandwiched between a dry, unseeded bun. The scene is so dismal that the cheese is falling off the side of the burger, almost as if it’s trying to run away.

    “The people need to know!!” the Reddit post was titled, with a caption that said, “whoever posted this is doing the lord’s work.”

    A screenshot of a Reddit post from u/Seraphanarie of a flier with a photo of a disintegrating burger patty that alleges the burger was served at The Lodge by Two Robbers on Oct. 10, 2025.

    The burger in question supposedly hailed from Two Robbers Lodge, the beverage company’s cozy South Philly offshoot. Twin brothers Vivek and Vikram Nayar founded Two Robbers in 2019 as a bespoke hard seltzer brand before pivoting to canned vodka sodas in 2024. The company opened a futuristic tasting room in Fishtown at 1221 Frankford Ave. in 2023, and added the Lodge — a homey pub inside the former Hawthornes space in South Philly — earlier this year.

    Both locations are known for serving simple yet well-executed burgers, with the Lodge’s Pub Burger clocking at a sturdy 8 ounces of custom Pat LaFrieda dry-aged beef and ground chuck.

    So when the flier emerged, Philly’s Redditors, like us, wanted to know: What gives?

    Pub burger and fries from the Lodge by Two Robbers in June 2025. It features an 8 ounce patty made with a mix of dry aged beef and ground chuck.

    The post received close to 1,000 upvotes and over 170 comments, with Redditors poking fun at anyone who has high expectations of a burger from a seltzer bar.

    “This is what you get for ordering a burger at a craft seltzeria,” one user commented. Another said it looked like a burger they made at home: “It was horrible.”

    In actuality, the flier may be nothing but a ketchup-covered smear campaign. A reverse Google image search traces the photo back to a 2018 post on the meme aggregator 9GAG titled “Nasty Burger.” An Inquirer reporter could not confirm that a physical flier existed after several walks around Fishtown, and the original poster declined to comment, citing the “overwhelming” amount of attention they had received.

    The different, but equally notable, smash burgers served at Two Robbers’ Fishtown tasting room. They are Craig LaBan-approved.

    Two Robbers co-owner Vivek Nayar said he was in his car after a trip to the bank Wednesday afternoon when he was bombarded with texts from coworkers about the Reddit post. He started seething straightaway.

    “We immediately knew when we saw the photo [that] it wasn’t our burger. It wasn’t our restaurant,” Nayar told The Inquirer last week. “Just thinking about that picture makes me sick.”

    Less than a couple of hours later, Nayar had revived his own Reddit account, posting a passionate defense in r/philly.

    “I just wanted to come on here to tell you all, it’s not our f—ing burger and that photo wasn’t even taken at our restaurant … those aren’t our fries, that’s not our table, that’s not our plates,” he wrote. “Truly a DIABOLICAL move for someone to go out on [Reddit] and post this.”

    Nayar’s screed has been upvoted more than 2,500 times. The 35-year-old Olde Kensington resident — who claims he is “too old” for Reddit — said he was surprised by the positivity his post has received, with some users even going as far to wonder if Burgergate was just a masterful attempt at guerrilla marketing.

    “I wish I was that smart,” Nayar said.

    Defenders said that the Lodge’s burger “looks thicc” and was worthy of a visit.

    Burgergate is not the first time Two Robbers has polarized Philadelphia. As the Nayars prepared to open their controversial moss-green tasting room in Fishtown, community members took to Facebook to complain about the paint job. For months after, a rowhouse across the street had signs that read “I Hate Two Robbers” hung in the window. They’ve since been taken down.

    “I Hate Two Robbers” posters hung in the window of the rowhouse across from the canned cocktail brand’s Fishtown tasting room at 1221 Frankford Ave. for months after it opened it 2023.

    Nayar said he doesn’t view the incidents as connected. Fishtowners were just coping with perpetual gentrification. Whoever posted the flier is just a hater, Nayar said. He doesn’t care to investigate further.

    “It’s hard for me to blame people for piling on,” Nayar said. “If I saw a post like that and had nothing to do with Two Robbers, I would find it hilarious.”

  • At Philly’s first and only vampire beauty pageant, contestants compete for cash and a chance to feel immortal

    At Philly’s first and only vampire beauty pageant, contestants compete for cash and a chance to feel immortal

    There were Irish step-dancing vampires and opera-singing vampires. Vampires who claim to hunt billionaires and vampires who moonlight as emergency medical technicians. And, in at least one instance, a vampire who doubled as a heavyweight champ.

    Such was the lineup of the first-ever Miss American Vampire Philadelphia pageant, where 13 wannabe bloodsuckers donned their best vampiric drag to compete inside heavy metal bar Doom Friday night. Contestants were thirsty to show that vampires contain multitudes (and, perhaps, for a little bit of blood).

    Doom owner and former Royal Izakaya general manager Justin Holden decided to go all in on the unorthodox pageant after bartender Sonja Delgado showed him a black-and-white photo of Miss American Vampire New Jersey staring hauntingly at the camera during her 1970 crowning.

    Back then, MGM hosted the regional beauty competition to promote the movie House of Dark Shadows, with finalists going on to compete in Los Angeles for title of Miss American Vampire and a guest-starring role on the long-running vampire soap opera Dark Shadows. Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather won the crown, though she never redeemed her prize.

    The stakes of Doom’s pageant were far lower than a TV appearance and eternal life, though just as competitive. Contestants were judged by a panel of full-time goths and burlesque performers on their creativity and vampiric presence as they competed in the standard pageant categories: A costume parade, an interview, and a dark art — or talent with a touch of the occult.

    The crowd reacts as Ezra Markel’s vampire persona “Isolde the Saturnine” eats the human heart she concocted during the talent portion of the Miss American Vampire Pageant at heavy metal bar Doom in Philadelphia on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.

    Prizes included $100 cash, a new set of fangs, and comic books donated from Atomic City Comics. Skull and mixed metal artist Sue Moerder prepared a Bob Mackie-inspired gothic crown, with feathers and pearls sprouting from an arrangement of ornate obsidian gems.

    “Vampires represent the alternative, the occult, the bat-brained, the gothic … [people] on the outskirts of civilization,” Delgado told The Inquirer. “We just wanted to show that this bar is a safe cave for vampires to commune.”

    Inside the Neon Clown Dream Lounge, a Kensington bar that takes clowning seriously

    Both floors at 421 N. 7th St. were packed as contestants flitted across the makeshift stage in costumes that highlighted the full expanse of vampire-dom. There were homages to both the German and Transylvanian versions of Dracula in peasant blouses and bejeweled collars, as well as more contemporary interpretations, with floor-length evening gowns, corseted waistlines, and lots of red lips.

    Lilith Lobotomy — a blue-haired vamp whose bio alleged she bakes cakes and stalks billionaires — was an immediate favorite, earning thunderous applause when she turned away from the audience to drop her floor length duster. Emblazoned in sparkling blood red font on the back of her black dress was the phrase “Eat the rich.”

    Logan Laudenslager performs as “Lilith Lobotomy” during the talent portion of the Miss American Vampire pageant held at Doom. She performed a rendition of “Phantom of the Opera.”

    Madame Lobotomy would go on to win the coveted title of Miss Off Putting — Delgado’s spin on Miss Congeniality — after belting out the song “The Phantom of the Opera” while twirling a lit candelabra.

    She was still no match for Norah Morse, who took home the Miss American Vampire Philadelphia crown after shocking the judges with her interview. When asked how she prepared for the competition, Morse scoffed.

    “I don’t know what you mean,” she said in a thick Transylvanian accent. “I’m a vampire and I showed up.”

    Contestants get ready backstage to performing during the Miss American Vampire Pageant at heavy metal bar Doom.

    Judge and burlesque performer Caress Deville said Morse represented the commitment she was looking for. “I was gagged,” Deville said. “That’s exactly how you would answer if you were a real vampire.”

    During her crowning, Morse’s human mother rushed to the front of the crowd to take photos. Even vampires, it seems, yearn for mom’s approval.

    Philly girls love horror and a film club is enabling their quest for the thrills and chills

    In the world of us mortals, Morse goes by Alex Decker, a 29-year-old from Bellmawr who has been drawn to vampires since she was a child. Decker lives with contamination OCD, she said, and envies the freedom of the undead.

    “Life would be a lot easier if I was a vampire who could just drink blood all the time,” Decker said. “I have been weird and creepy and insane my entire life.”

    Jenna Painter, of Willow Grove, performed as a naughty ‘Count Orlok” during the Miss American Vampire Pageant at heavy metal bar Doom, throwing off a trench coat to reveal a leotard and garters.

    Competing to be America’s next top vampire

    For some contestants, Miss American Vampire Philadelphia was an opportunity to transform their mortal selves into bolder and braver versions that were battle-tested from centuries of living.

    When Doom announced the pageant on Instagram in early October, the post received more than 4,500 likes, Delgado said, and hundreds of shares. More than 50 hopefuls sent in applications via a Google form that asked for their vampiric backstory and talent, forcing Holden and Delgado to spend hours deliberating.

    Delgado was unsurprised that the pageant took off. They were, however, shocked by the lack of trolling.

    “I didn’t know how serious everyone who applied was at first,” Delgado said. “It’s supposed to be campy.”

    On Friday, the beauty competition toed the line between a drag show and an actual Miss America preliminary. The judges pressed contestants on tough questions, such as how they choose their victims, and if it’s ethical to let them live post blood-sucking.

    The Wanamaker Building is turning into a film theater for the spooky season

    For Mira Castigin, of Camden, the most important quality to look for in a vampire is fun.

    “What’s the point in being immortal if you let life pass you by?” she told the crowd.

    Castigin’s vampiric persona is Elmira, a bewitching goth girl who shares Castigin’s day job as an EMT in hopes of atoning for her sins. The competition was an excuse for Castigin to air out some special pieces from her vintage clothing collection, including a petticoat and a pair of London Underground shoes.

    Mira Castigin’s vamprie persona “Elmira” is applauded after performing during the Miss American Vampire Pageant at heavy metal bar Doom. For her talent, Castigin sang opera.

    “I think it’s always fun to do your makeup and get dressed up no matter what day it is,“ Castigin, 25, of Camden, said. ”And this is like a more thought-out version of that.”

    Castigin opened the talent portion by singing an operatic aria, setting up the audience for a night of bewitching tricks. One vampire played the violin, while another danced an Irish jig to a Type O Negative song. Cassius King — a silent movie star turned vampire — wowed the audience by performing feats of strength, at one point picking up his assistant and turning him upside down.

    Rachel Rushmore — aka “Vampire Rachel” of Philadelphia — waits backstage during the Miss American Vampire Pageant at heavy metal bar Doom.

    Rachel Rushmore, 34, of Fishtown, had a simpler talent, using sleight of hand to summon a tiny bat. Rushmore said she felt called to compete after 15 friends — including several who don’t even live in Philly — sent her Doom’s Instagram post.

    Onstage, Rushmore transformed from mortal Rachel to Vampire Rachel, a temptress and philanthropist who had been around since “the age of powdered wigs and Ben Franklin.” Vampire Rachel wears maroon floor-length gowns and bedazzles her face with gems borrowed from Marie Antoinette. The real-life version works in children’s book publishing and had never performed in front of a crowd before.

    “I called myself Vampire Rachel because it’s hard for me to be somebody who I’m not,” Rushmore said. “Tonight I’m Rachel, but more.”

  • The owners of Surfside, Philly’s homegrown canned cocktail heavyweight, are suing Anheuser-Busch

    The owners of Surfside, Philly’s homegrown canned cocktail heavyweight, are suing Anheuser-Busch

    It’s a bad day to be a vaguely beach-y can of vodka iced tea with a sun on it.

    Local vodka distiller Stateside Brands, best known for its top-selling Surfside hard iced teas and lemonades, is suing Anheuser-Busch InBev, alleging that the beverage conglomerate ripped off Surfside’s can design when creating Skimmers — a recently launched line of competing vodka-based hard teas and lemonades — according to a federal lawsuit filed in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

    The suit centers on “strikingly similar” packaging used by Surfside and Skimmers, which debuted in April. Both cans use the same central design elements to give off a vibe of causal debauchery, the lawsuit alleges, which could dupe consumers into believing that Skimmers is associated with Stateside.

    Stateside is seeking a permanent injunction that would force Anheuser-Busch to change Skimmers’ packaging. They are also suing for an unspecified amount of damages, including “any and all profits” that Anheuser-Busch has earned from selling cans of Skimmers. (For context, the spirit-based ready-to-drink cocktail market is valued at more than $2.7 billion, more than double its valuation in 2021.)

    “Anheuser-Busch could have selected from a vast universe of design elements to create a can that stood on its own,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, it opted to mimic Stateside and freeride off its popular and successful Surfside design, product, reputation and goodwill to gain an unfair marketplace boost.”

    Image included in complaint of a direct comparison between Stateside Brand’s Surfside hard teas and Anheuser-Busch’s recently launched Skimmers line.

    Stateside is represented in the suit by Center City law firm Reilly, McDevitt & Henrich.

    “Every element — from our design and packaging to the way we show up in the world — has been intentionally crafted to reflect who we are, our values and what we stand for,” a Stateside representative said in an emailed statement. “We are dedicated to … ensuring our brand and the trust our customers place in it remain clear, recognizable, and uniquely ours.”

    Anheuser-Busch “will vigorously defend” against the accusations, a spokesperson said over email. “We believe this lawsuit is without merit.”

    Pennsylvania Uncorked: What does your neighborhood drink?

    Copying Philly’s favorite canned cocktail

    Surfside is the canned cocktail-de-résistance for Stateside, a distillery cofounded in Kensington in 2013 by area natives Clement Pappas and Matthew Quigley and their brothers. The company initially specialized in “craft vodka” and later hard seltzers, but struck gold in 2021 when it launched Surfside, a 4.5% ABV, 100-calorie cocktail of vodka mixed with various teas (and later lemonades).

    In 2022, Stateside sold 200,000 cans of Surfside. In 2024, the company sold over 4.9 million cans, according to the lawsuit. This summer, Forbes hailed Surfside “the fastest growing alcohol brand in America” after Stateside said it was on track to sell 12 million cans this year alone.

    The sunshine-y cans are as prevalent nationwide as they are in Philly. Surfsides have been the best-selling spirit in Citizens Bank Park three years running, and the distiller entered a 15-year licensing deal to turn Xfinity Live! into Stateside Live! this fall.

    Surfside, the canned cocktail brand from Kensington-based vodka distiller Stateside Brands, has become a national player in the spirits-based RTD scene.
    How Surfside crushed the canned cocktail market

    Stateside’s lawsuit contends that Skimmers’ packaging borrows three elements to create an indistinguishable identity:

    • a gradient of different colors of bands covering the lower third of the can,
    • A white background overlaid by a sun and each brand’s name,
    • A rim color that pulls from the lower third’s color scheme.

    “Anheuser-Busch obtained a substantial unfair competitive advantage by forgoing the effort required to develop its own brand identity and is instead freeriding on Stateside’s significant investments of time and money,” the suit reads.

    Anheuser-Busch is one of the biggest brewers in the world, responsible for Budweiser and Bud Light and foreign brews, such as Stella Artois and Modelo. The company entered the canned cocktail market with Cutwater, a line of drinks with ABVs as high as 13%. At only 4.5% ABV, Skimmers is meant to be a chiller alternative.

    A hawker carries drinks, including Surfside canned cocktails, around Citizens Bank Park during a Philadelphia Phillies game in 2024. Surfside canned cocktails lead the stadium’s alcoholic drink sales.

    Does Stateside have a case?

    Yes, according to some legal experts.

    Anheuser-Busch “flew too close to the sun,” said Josh Gerben, a D.C-based (and Main Line-bred) trademark lawyer.

    “We live in a culture where dupes are everywhere, and normally it’s the smaller companies knocking off the big guys with a cheaper product. This is a big guy knocking off a smaller one.”

    This isn’t the first time Anheuser-Busch has been called out for jacking some beverage swag: Outdoor apparel brand Patagonia sued the beverage producer for copyright infringement in 2019 after it launched a beer called Patagonia and began selling it at ski lodges. Both parties settled out of court in 2021.

    Still, said Gerben, the lawsuit may not be a slam dunk for Stateside. The beverage upstart never filed a trademark to protect the Surfside product design, based on records from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

    It’s common for some beverage companies to trademark the designs of their bottles, said Gerben. Jack Daniels has one for the distinctive square shape of its whiskey handles, while Maker’s Mark has one to protect its iconic drippy red wax seals.

    That level of granularity is typically reserved for more sophisticated companies, explained Gerben.

    “Surfside really only took off in 2022,” he said. “They were probably only focused on how to meet demand.”

  • The best things we ate this week: fried fish cheeks, a lamb platter, and roadside soft serve

    The best things we ate this week: fried fish cheeks, a lamb platter, and roadside soft serve

    Soft serve from a brick-and-mortar Mister Softee

    On the way back to the office from an assignment about pet bakeries, my colleague and I stumbled upon a true ice cream lover’s paradise: a rare brick-and-mortar Mister Softee.

    While the trucks and their iconic jingles are a dime a dozen in the summertime, a free-standing Mister Softee is about as common as two Philly sports teams winning on the same night. (Too soon?) This one is cash only and open year-round, with a menu that spans ice cream swirls and floats to milkshakes and chocolate-covered bananas. My cup of strawberry and banana soft serve was thick, silky smooth, and anything but artificial-tasting. The roadside stand also gets bonus points for on-season sprinkles. It really is about the little things. Mister Softee of Pennsauken, 3605 Haddonfield Rd., Pennsauken, N.J., 856-662-3787, Facebook page

    — Beatrice Forman

    Francobolli at Fiorella

    On a recent girls’ night out, my friends and I sat at the bar and took it upon ourselves to try four plates of pasta from Fiorella. A noble task, I know! There were no misses, and the current agnolotti dish — stuffed with a sweet polenta and topped with chanterelles — was exceptional.

    But the dish that lives rent free in my head nearly a week later is the Francobolli clam pasta. We almost didn’t order it, but the bartender insisted; a man has never been more right on a girls’ night out. A pasta-fied take on vongole su crostini aka clam toast, the postage stamp-shaped pasta was stuffed with breadcrumbs and served in a white, brothy sauce topped with littleneck clams. It’s worth seeking out. Fiorella, 817 Christian St., 215-305-9222, fiorellaphilly.com

    — Emily Bloch

    The Francobolli at Fiorella, a pasta-fied version of clam toast.

    Gourmet lamb sampler (for two!) at Zorba’s Taverna

    I don’t need a fancy restaurant for my birthday. I prefer the comfort of a neighborhood favorite, and few are as wonderfully reliable as Zorba’s, the 28-year-old taverna that is one of Fairmount’s cornerstone restaurants. To begin with, a flaming platter of ouzo-splashed saganaki cheese beats a birthday candle every time. But Zorba’s also delivers a wide array of some of the most consistent traditional Greek cooking in the region, and the “gourmet” lamb platter for two is a true celebratory feast. (This is not to be confused with the also-delicious charcoal-grilled platter for two, which includes some fantastic lamb chops.)

    The platter I chose is a tribute to the slow-cooked pleasures of lamb in three different styles: slices of tender roasted leg seasoned with garlic and herbs, Smyrna-style meatballs simmered in a cumin-scented red wine and tomato sauce, and finally, a meltingly soft mallet of lamb shank glazed in a lemony white avgolemono sauce with artichokes (a distinctive dish I sometimes order solo). This is rustic home cooking at its best, with deep flavors prioritized over fancy presentation. The platter’s aroma is entrancing, and, the tangy potatoes and mixed well-cooked veggies on the side make it extra hearty. My fork wouldn’t stop roaming until I savored every bit. Zorba’s Taverna, 2230 Fairmount Ave., 215-978-5990, zorbastavern.com

    — Craig LaBan

    The gourmet lamb platter for two at Zorba’s in Fairmount includes Smyrna-style meatballs, roasted leg, and a lamb shank in avgolemono sauce with artichokes.

    Fried skate cheeks at My Loup

    Bacalao who? My Loup’s fried skate cheeks are an elevated take on cozy fish fritters. The crispy fried batter works perfectly with the sweet, tender, puffed-up fish meat. The three balls are finished off with ají dulce peppers and a subtle horseradish sauce. My Loup, 2005 Walnut St.,(267) 239-5925, myloupphl.com

    — Emily Bloch

    Fried skate cheeks from My Loup in Rittenhouse Square.

    Smash burger at American Sardine Bar

    When I moved into my new apartment, my first priority was clear: Scout the neighborhood for my bar— a place where I will eventually be on a first-name basis with the bartenders. American Sardine Bar is well on its way to being that place. I’ve been four times since moving.

    My first meal was top-notch: a Caesar salad with a side of French fries and a martini. A stellar way to begin this journey. This week, however, I sank my teeth into one of the best burgers I’ve had. American Sardine Bar’s smash burger (the best kind of burger, in my opinion) is a perfectly cooked beef patty nestled between pickled shallots, pickle slices, a 10K sauce, and a butter-toasted brioche bun. I’m not on a first-name basis yet, but I will go back and order as many smash burgers as I need to to make my dream a reality. American Sardine Bar, 1800 Federal St., 215-334-2337, americansardinebar.com

    — Esra Erol

  • Inside the Neon Clown Dream Lounge, a Kensington bar that takes clowning seriously

    Inside the Neon Clown Dream Lounge, a Kensington bar that takes clowning seriously

    If you’re looking to clown around, look no further: Philadelphia’s quirkiest bar is a cross between a retro living room, an amusement park’s dumpster, and a clown collector’s dream.

    Located above Kensington bar Kung Fu Necktie at 1248 N. Front St., the Neon Clown Dream Lounge has roughly 120 salvaged works of clown art competing for attention across the walls, the counters, and even the ceilings.

    And yet, the bars’ owner — a man who would only refer to himself as Chicken (real name James Herman) — said the Neon Clown is not a shrine to the professional red-nosed jokers, despite its name and decor. Rather, Philly’s clown lounge is an ode to a few of Chicken’s favorite things: art deco furnishings, upcycled industrial trash, and a touch of clownery.

    Chicken’s clown fascination began in the 1990s when he was building his career as an artist and gallerist inspired by Bernard Buffet, a French expressionist painter whose work often depicted downtrodden and almost skeletal clowns. Since then, the painted jokesters have flitted in and out of Chicken’s life. They became subjects of his own art and a bit for his band, Plaque Marks, which performs in full clown suits.

    The main dining area inside Kensington’s Neon Clown Dream Lounge, which owner Chicken estimates contains roughly 120 different clowns.

    “How can you cancel a clown?” Chicken, 64, said while knocking back his first of several tequila and ouzo cocktails over a recent interview. “There’s no prospect of offending anybody with a clown … Some people love them and some people dislike them, but there’s still a level of whimsy.”

    The second-story space served as Kung Fu Necktie’s no-frills music venue until 2018, when Chicken said a Department of Licenses and Inspections officer ordered the second floor to close. The closure — coupled with the pandemic — gave the Kung Fu Necktie owner what he called the “perfect” opportunity to make something useful out of the salvaged wares he’d been collecting for decades from abandoned churches, condemned buildings, and going-out-of-business sales at theme parks.

    When the Neon Clown Lounge opened in September 2024, it “was like a relief valve,” Chicken said. “I’ve had some of this s— for 30 years.”

    @rochestermeetsphilly Neon Clown Dream Lounge, you were first up. Any suggestions for cool bars/bars that decorate for Halloween in Philly is appreciated ✨ #NeonClownDreamLounge #PhillyBars #BarsInPhilly #Philly #Philadelphia ♬ original sound – Rayven | Philly Creator

    The clown bar was an apartment before it was anything else. The living room was replaced by the bar’s main seating area, where a leather couch and a row of vintage seating from one of LaGuardia Airport’s lounges sit beneath a cluster of clown masks Chicken retrofitted into ambient light fixtures. The parlor was knocked out in favor of a stage paneled with leftover wood from a now-demolished house on Front Street; the room is outfitted with a disco light that spins above couches fit for a conversation pit.

    The rest of the space is peppered with clown portraits and figurines both large and small, including a trio of eerily childlike wooden cutouts Chicken purchased from Obnoxious Antiques, a warehouse that mines amusement parks for treasure in Burlington, New Jersey.

    There’s no criteria for what makes a good piece of clownery, Chicken said, other than that it captures the aura of the 1970s. The decade was a golden age for clowns in popular culture, not long after Barnum & Bailey opened the first clown college to train people to emulate characters like Bozo and Ronald McDonald.

    The ceiling of Kensington’s Neon Clown Dream Lounge is covered with clown masks that owner Chicken retrofitted into lighting fixtures.

    “I could’ve put out a bunch of crap you can buy at the dollar store,” said Chicken. “We want stuff that’s one-of-one and authentic. Something that is of the era, not replicated.”

    A space for clowns, tended by the ‘clown neutral’

    Bar manager Evan Madden — who self-identifies as “clown neutral” — said he tries to imbue the drinks program with the energy of a clown. Both, after all, are very serious about doing what some consider unserious work.

    The Neon Clown Dream Lounge never has a cover, and the only food on offer are $2 hot dogs. The drink menu has 12 cocktails with names that conjure up images of killer clowns and carnival food, like “Endless Nightmare,” “Witching Hour,” or “Tropical Hot Dog Too.”

    The Tropical Hot Dog Too (left) and Endless Nightmare (right) cocktails from Neon Clown Dream Lounge.

    The Endless Nightmare is the lounge’s house margarita and uses Espolón tequila that Madden says spends just under a week marinating in a pineapple-lime mixture; on good weeks, the bar goes through six to eight 25-ounce bottles of the mix. The Witching Hour comes across as a spiked coffee, combining cold brew with rum, amaretto, mint extract, and a shot of dry Curacao for a citrus-y aftertaste. Tropical Hot Dog Too mixes smoky mezcal with a vermouth that spends hours steeping in a mixture of chilies, limes, and grapefruit liqueur.

    Roughly once a month, Madden said, a group of clowns will sit at the bar in full costume and imbibe. “They’re appreciative of the space,” he continued. “There’s not a lot of clown bars in Philadelphia.”

    Nearly every piece of decor inside the Neon Clown Dream Lounge has been thrifted or salvaged from abandoned homes, churches, or amusement parks.

    Or anywhere, really. Outside of Philadelphia, the clown lounge’s only competition in the United States is Creepy’s in Portland, Ore., which has animatronic dolls and pinball, but only a fraction of Chicken’s clowns.

    Still, not everyone is a fan, said Chicken: When the bar first opened, one customer left a review saying there weren’t enough clowns. Tough nuts, Chicken said with another cocktail in hand.

    The clown lounge is “like a sanctuary … a safe zone,” Chicken said. “We want to make the space feel open and comfortable.”