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  • The significant Philly-area restaurant closings of 2025

    The significant Philly-area restaurant closings of 2025

    The significant restaurant closings of 2025 include time-honored veterans such as the Bistro at Cherry Hill, Marra’s, McGlinchey’s, and Pod, as well as yearlings such as Chubby Chicks and Mulherin’s Pizzeria.

    Some wound down over time, giving staff and customers plenty of notice (such as Blackfish, Jansen, Laurel, and Zsa’s Ice Cream), while others shut down abruptly, such as Manatawny Still Works and Iron Hill Brewery — the latter putting an estimated 1,400 employees out of work overnight.

    On the positive side, many shuttered restaurant spaces didn’t stay vacant for too long, providing a reminder that endings often double as beginnings.

    January

    Copabanana South Street closed after 45 years amid bankruptcy and following a brief move off the corner of Fourth and South Streets. Copabanana University City is separately owned and unaffected.

    Hawthornes Café, the South Philadelphia brunch fixture, closed after 15 years. The location is now the Lodge by Two Robbers.

    Ultimo Coffee’s Rittenhouse location closed after about seven years over what were called plumbing issues. It’s now Musette Rittenhouse.

    February

    Big Ass Slices in Old City closed after nearly eight years for myriad reasons.

    John Henry’s Pub, in Ardmore for 39 years, closed upon the owners’ retirement. Chinatown restaurant EMei is preparing to move in.

    Martorano’s Prime, the Italian steakhouse at Rivers Casino run by South Philly native Steve Martorano, closed after a year and a half. The casino, which oversaw operations, rebranded it as Sapore Italian Kitchen.

    Mulherin’s Pizzeria in East Market closed after less than a year amid a legal dispute.

    Pod, 3636 Sansom St.

    Pod, Stephen Starr’s longtime futuristic pan-Asian spot in University City, closed, just shy of its 25th anniversary.

    March

    Añejo and Figo in Northern Liberties, Chika in Rittenhouse, and Izakaya Fishtown — all run by Glu Hospitality — closed as the company imploded.

    April

    Blair Mountain Biscuit Co. in Blackwood abruptly shut down after nearly four years.

    Crime & Punishment Brewing in Brewerytown cited various reasons for its closing after 10 years, including a shift in drinking culture.

    Rudee’s Thai Cuisine in Wynnewood closed after six years, giving way to Delish Thai.

    Bar at SIN, 1102 Germantown Ave., on Nov. 12, 2023.

    SIN (Steak Italian Nightlife) in Northern Liberties closed after 16 months to make way for Amina, which relocated from Old City.

    May

    Hale & True Cider Co. in Bella Vista closed after seven years; it is now a location of Carbon Copy.

    Tela’s Market in Francisville closed after nearly 12 years, making way for Manong, a Filipino steakhouse.

    Woolly Mammoth on South Street closed after nearly two decades. New occupant is the women’s sports bar Marsha’s.

    June

    Kraftwork, a Fishtown corner neighborhood bar and restaurant, closed after 15 years.

    Mac’s Tavern, the Old City bar owned in part by cast members of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, closed after 15 years.

    Manatawny Still Works shut down its entire operation after 11 years, including three tasting rooms, with two days’ notice. The location at 1321 N. Lee St. in Fishtown is now Pip’s, a tasting room from Ploughman’s Cider Co.

    Redcrest Kitchen in Queen Village closed after less than three years; the project had a few twists and turns, starting with a flood just after the lease-signing in 2021.

    Ross & Co., the Hatboro sports bar that succeeded a Bernie’s Pub location, closed abruptly after a little more than a year.

    Seorabol’s Olney location closed after 31 years with the retirement of founding chef Kye Cheol Cho. Chef Chris Cho’s Center City outpost remains open.

    Stardust Cafe, which only briefly succeeded the Pop Shop in Collingswood, closed. The space is the new location of Jersey Kebab, which relocated from Haddon Township.

    July

    The Bistro at Cherry Hill, a fixture at Cherry Hill Mall, shuttered. Its owner was later indicted on charges of tax fraud.

    The Cauldron, a magic-themed bar in Washington Square West, closed along with all U.S. and U.K. locations. The Philadelphia location was open for about three years.

    Campbell’s Place, a fixture in Chestnut Hill for 30 years, closed as the owners said they wanted to start a new chapter in their lives.

    ESO Ramen Workshop/Neighborhood Ramen left its final location, in Society Hill, as owners moved to Japan.

    Federal Donuts & Chicken shuttered its Whole Foods Market location in Wynnewood after four years.

    Del Frisco’s Grille at the Cambria Hotel on South Broad Street closed after 6½ years. Kitchen & Kocktails by Kevin Kelley moved in.

    Hosers Central Kitchen left the Market at the Fareway in Chestnut Hill after 3½ years. The counter is now a location of the Borscht Belt, a deli.

    The Monkey & the Elephant in Brewerytown closed after about 10 years.

    Tria’s location at 12th and Spruce Streets closed after 18 years. It’s now a bar named Static!

    August

    Birdhouse Gelato in Bella Vista closed after only seven months; its owner cited their government layoff.

    Chubby Chicks 1111 on Feb. 20, 2025.

    Chubby Chicks 1111, a bruncherie in Washington Square West, closed after nine months; the landlord had filed for eviction after a stormy tenure.

    Collingswood Diner closed after 41 years; the site is becoming a dispensary.

    Kitchen87 in Mount Holly closed after 11 years.

    Mae’s, a farm-to-table BYOB in West Chester, closed after five years.

    McGlinchey’s, the Center City watering hole, closed after six decades.

    Say No More, a yearling cocktail bar and performance space in Kensington, closed amid a legal issue stemming from an assault allegation.

    Tin Can Bar in Fishtown closed. It began in 2016 as the seafood restaurant Bait & Switch and switched to Tin Can in 2019.

    September

    Banh Mi & Bottles closed after about nine years as the family has decided to install a different business in the storefront at 712-714 South.

    DaMo Pasta Lab’s location at 12th and Sansom Streets closed after about six years. The newer spot, on 20th Street near Rittenhouse Square, remains.

    Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant — all of them —sank in bankruptcy after nearly 30 years. The assets of some of the breweries have been purchased, and tenants are being sought for a few Philly-area locations, including West Chester.

    Jansen, chef David Jansen’s fine-dining spot in Mount Airy, closed after nearly 10 years as Jansen moved on to become chef at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.

    October

    Bombay Express closed in Marlton after 2½ years, but resurfaced in Cherry Hill.

    El Barrio Cantina in Holland closed after about six years. Owners indicated that a food truck was forthcoming.

    Lucha Cartel, the Old City Mexican hangout, was sold after 12 years. It is being rebranded as a location of Tun Tavern, a 21st-century version of the colonial birthplace of the Marine Corps. Owner Montgomery Dahm said it is expected to open in March.

    Momoka Ramen & Skewers’ Northeast Philadelphia location closed after about two years. Its Queen Village location remains.

    November

    Austrian Village in Rockledge closed after 53 years, following the death of its chef.

    Big Charlie’s Saloon in South Philadelphia closed permanently after the death of its owner, Paul Staico, on Nov. 30.

    A view of Cantina La Martina taken from the steps of Somerset Station.

    Cantina La Martina, chef Dionicio Jimenez’s acclaimed Mexican restaurant in Kensington, closed after nearly four years. He’s pursuing a new location.

    Essen Bakery, facing financial pressure, confirmed the permanent closing of its shops in South Philadelphia and Kensington after nine years.

    Isot, the Turkish BYOB on Sixth Street near Bainbridge, closed after 10 years at the end of its lease.

    Keg & Kitchen in Westmont closed after 15 years with the retirement of owners Kevin and Janet Meeker. It will reopen under new ownership as Duo Restaurant & Bar from the operators of Cherry Hill’s Il Villaggio.

    Laurel, Nicholas Elmi’s East Passyunk bistro, closed after 12 years as its lease was winding down.

    Mama’s Pizzeria in Bala Cynwyd closed after 65 years because of owner Paul Castellucci Sr.’s health issues.

    Marra’s restaurant on its final day, Nov. 30.

    Marra’s, the landmark South Philadelphia Italian restaurant, closed after 98 years with the sale of its building to Dan Tsao, who is opening a branch of EMei there.

    Max’s Seafood Cafe in Gloucester City abruptly closed and is now Pudge’s Pub.

    Osteria 545 in Paulsboro closed after nearly five years over economic issues.

    Rocco’s at the Brick in Newtown closed abruptly after about eight years over a landlord issue.

    Señorita’s Mexican Taqueria’s Ardmore location closed after a few years. Its Havertown location remains.

    Winnie’s Manayunk closed after 22 years, capping a rocky year.

    December

    Blackfish, chef Chip Roman’s Conshohocken seafood restaurant, announced that it would close Dec. 31 after two decades, as Roman wants to move on.

    The Boozy Mutt, the Fairmount dog park, announced its closing after two years, effective Jan. 3.

    Core de Roma’s final location, in Bala Cynwyd, closed after five years. Owners Judy and Luigi Pinti wrote on their website: “After the report of a professional building Inspection company we have decided to not exercise the options to buy or extend the lease for another five years. Also, not finding adequate staff and problem with the parking forced us to close the restaurant.”

    Il Fiore, the upscale Italian spot in Bryn Mawr Village that succeeded the Marc Vetri-run Fiore Rosso in mid-2024, has closed. Management’s note suggests that a new occupant is forthcoming. (Il Fiore was not related to the longtime Collingswood BYOB of the same name.)

    Mac Mart’s Rittenhouse location closed after 9½ years. It’s relocating in January to a kiosk at 18th and Arch Streets.

    Marple Public House in Broomall has ended its nearly six-year run. It will reopen Jan. 2 under new management as Page & Pour Tavern.

    Michael’s Sandwich Shop in Woodlyn announced that its last day after 49 years would be Dec. 31.

    Park Place, the intimate tasting-menu restaurant in Merchantville, closed Dec. 20 after nine years. Chef-owner Philip Mangararo announced on social media that he is moving on.

    Society Hill Hotel’s operators, Brian Linton and Mike Cangi, announced that they were closing New Year’s Eve after a year and a half. While retaining the boutique hotel, they’re ceding the street-level restaurant to Michael Pasquarello’s 13th Street Kitchens (Cafe Lift, Prohibition Taproom, La Chinesca). Pasquarello told The Inquirer that he would open it in late winter or early spring as Piccolina, a dimly lit Italian bar and restaurant with raw bar, house-made pasta, Neapolitan pizzas, a few large plates, cocktails, and an Italian-only wine list.

    Zsa’s Ice Cream marked its finale after 14 years in Mount Airy. A year ago, Danielle Jowdy announced the shop’s “grand closing” as she sought to find a buyer.

  • Honeygrow aims to be a national brand. Here’s where the Philly company is planning new locations.

    Honeygrow aims to be a national brand. Here’s where the Philly company is planning new locations.

    Honeygrow keeps growing.

    The fast-casual eatery, based in Center City, plans to open up to 18 new locations next year, following 17 new outposts in 2025, founder and CEO Justin Rosenberg told The Inquirer on Monday.

    “It was definitely a good year,” said Rosenberg, adding that the company is “just continuing to build the pipeline for 2026 and beyond.”

    Honeygrow sells made-to-order stir-fries as well as salads and desserts. Since launching in 2012, the company has grown to 71 locations across several states, including Ohio, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New York.

    Philadelphia-area stores include Center City, Kensington, University City, North Philadelphia, Bala Cynwyd, and Cherry Hill.

    The company’s expansion plans include adding locations in Ohio and New Jersey, as well as in Boston. The eatery is also currently in negotiations to bring Honeygrow to the Detroit metropolitan area, a new market, said Rosenberg.

    Honeygrow also aims to open a location in Middletown, Del.

    As of February 2024, Boston was the company’s most-profitable market, but since then, Philadelphia has caught up, he says.

    “Saleswise, it’s kind of neck and neck between certain Philly stores and our two Boston stores,” Rosenberg said.

    Further expansion in Philadelphia is also possible.

    “We are always looking at Philly,” Rosenberg said. “We’ve been poking around South Philly for a while. We just haven’t found the right opportunity.”

    Honeygrow, at 11th Street in Center City, in 2024.

    The company typically seeks 2,500-square-foot locations for new stores, but Rosenberg says it’s a competitive market for that kind of real estate.

    “One of the things that has made us successful — and I give credit to my team for this — is that we’ve been very disciplined on growth, just saying, look, if we can’t get the deal we need in terms of underwriting, let someone else take it,” he said.

    The company employs roughly 2,000 people, and each new store adds some 30 new hires, Rosenberg said.

    Some of the considerations when looking at new markets include what other fast-casual concepts are in the area, and how they’re doing, Rosenberg said.

    “If a Starbucks is underperforming in that market, that’s certainly going to spook us. Or a Chick-fil-A, if it’s below average unit volume, it’s probably not the right market for us,” he said.

    On the flip side, if a Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Raising Cane’s, or another brand is doing well in an area, Rosenberg said, “We feel that those would be very similar customers to ours. We’re willing to put a restaurant in there and see what happens.”

    The plans for new locations come as the company shuttered some stores in Chicago, Washington, and New York in 2018 after rapid expansion plans. Some stores were “dragging down profitability,” Rosenberg has said, and he has attributed closures to growth that happened too quickly as well as poor real estate.

    Since then, the company has roughly tripled in size, said Rosenberg, adding “you just keep learning with every opening that you have.”

    “My mission remains the same,” he said. “I want to build something that’s from Philadelphia — make this a national, if not international, brand that we can be proud of.”

    Chicken Parm Stir-fry at Honeygrow at the 11th Street location in Philadelphia in 2024.
  • ‘Sibling’ Liberty Bell will ring on Cherry Street Pier to celebrate New Year’s Eve

    ‘Sibling’ Liberty Bell will ring on Cherry Street Pier to celebrate New Year’s Eve

    A 2,000-pound “sibling” bell, typically displayed at the National Liberty Museum at Fourth and Chestnut, and produced by the same London-based foundry as the original, will be temporarily moved to the Cherry Street Pier as part of the city’s annual New Year’s on the Pier celebration Wednesday night.

    Getting it there, however, will be no easy task.

    “We’ve done a couple months of prep,” said Alaine K. Arnott, president and CEO of the National Liberty Museum, of the logistics of moving a one-ton piece of history for an outside event. “It’s the rental of a forklift, it’s getting a truck big enough to house it, it’s figuring out which route to take it through the City of Philadelphia.”

    The bell — which features a replica of the original bell’s famed crack, as well as the functionality its sibling lacks — will be on hand for a pair of ticketed New Year’s Eve events on the pier.

    The New Year’s Eve Kids Countdown — which includes music, crafts, and giveaways — runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the pier, with tickets on sale now for $27 per person. (Children 2 years old and younger are admitted free). Tickets for the pier’s 21-and-older event, which runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., are $32 and include a Champagne toast, cash bar, and optimal views of the fireworks.

    The festivities will be anchored by a pair of fireworks displays, part of Visit PA New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront. The first display is set to begin at 6 p.m., and the other at midnight.

    (A third fireworks show will take place at midnight on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, part of a free concert by headliner LL Cool J, with additional performances by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Adam Blackstone, Dorothy, and Technician The DJ.)

    “I think it is a fantastic symbol and representative of our country,” Arnott said of the bell. “It inherently reminds people that liberty is something we’ve got to protect or it will vanish.”

    “It’s also really fun” she added, “when you actually get to ring it.”

    This year’s New Year’s Eve events mark the official launch of the city’s much-anticipated Semiquincentennial celebration honoring the nation’s 250th birthday — and if Arnott has her way, the sibling bell could feature prominently into the yearlong slate of events.

    “Once we do it [for New Year’s Eve], we’re really hoping to kick it off with MLB, with FIFA,” Arnott said of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game and the FIFA World Cup, both of which will be hosted next year in Philadelphia.

    “How cool would it be to do this for some of those events?”

  • 🦅 Your call, Nick | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🦅 Your call, Nick | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Where do the Eagles go from here? In the case of their offense, probably nowhere. (Just kidding.)

    The question is whether they’ll rest their starters this Sunday or play them in a bid to improve their seeding for the playoffs. Granted, they’ll need the Bears to lose a second straight game as well, but the No. 2 seed in the NFC could earn the Eagles a home game against the banged-up Packers in the wild-card round.

    A key player could get hurt against Washington in the regular-season finale, though, and it has happened to the Eagles before. Decisions, decisions …

    Nick Sirianni is not letting on what he’ll do. “It’s not a decision I have to make today or even tomorrow,” the Eagles coach said Monday.

    “We’ve done it both ways. We’ve had opportunities to rest; we’ve had opportunities to continue to get a better seed and played. You go through your process, but every season is a little bit different, every team is a little bit different. We’ll end up doing what we think is best for the team.”

    Given the advantage the No. 2 spot provides, it’s fair to wonder why the Eagles wouldn’t go for it, Jeff Neiburg writes.

    There is that risk of injury, though. Olivia Reiner reminds us about the 2023 season finale, when A.J. Brown injured his knee, which sidelined him for the wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the next week. Maybe, though, the Birds can still beat the woeful Commanders using some of their starters.

    At any rate, the offense still has some problems to sort through after it disappeared in the second half against the Bills. Jeff McLane writes that the issues with the offense’s inconsistency won’t be resolved until the offseason.

    Mike Sielski’s take: This is the way the Eagles want to play. They want to rely on their defense and make the offense as conservative as possible to avoid turnovers.

    — Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    ❓Should the Eagles play their starters on Sunday or rest them for the playoffs? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Maxey’s star shining bright

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey was second in the Eastern Conference and fourth overall in the initial fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game.

    Tyrese Maxey has carried the 76ers this season and it looks like he’ll be rewarded for it. The All-Pro candidate is a shoo-in for the All-Star Game as well, but not even he expected to be so highly regarded in the NBA’s initial returns of fan voting, where he received 1,072,449 votes and rated second in the Eastern Conference right behind two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

    “For me personally, I think my talent level has been shown in the NBA,” he said. “I think it’s growing. But for me, it’s winning games. That’s what shows like a big gap, a big difference, and a big talent level: impact on your team. When you have that type of impact, when you can help your team win games, that’s what I want to be known for.”

    Homecoming

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet is back in Vancouver, wher he coached last season.

    Rick Tocchet’s decision to turn down a lucrative contract extension with the Canucks last spring and instead sign with the Flyers didn’t exactly go over well in Vancouver.

    But Tocchet says that he has no regrets and that he’s happy in Philadelphia and thankful for his time north of the border. So what will his return to Vancouver look like on Tuesday night? Tocchet’s not too concerned about the fan reaction or potential boos and says no matter what, he’ll still be “rooting for” several of the Canucks to succeed when he’s not coaching against them. Here’s more from Jackie Spiegel.

    Returning to Happy Valley

    D’Anton Lynn in 2023, when he served as UCLA’s defensive coordinator.

    Penn State is bringing back a former Nittany Lions letterman to run its defense. The Lions are closing in on hiring D’Anton Lynn as their defensive coordinator, according to several media reports. A defensive back at Penn State from 2008-11, Lynn was defensive coordinator at Southern Cal for the last two seasons.

    David Murphy’s take

    Eagles coach Nick Sirianni during Sunday’s game against the Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y.

    There is simply no possible way Nick Sirianni could be entertaining the idea of resting his starters in the regular-season finale against the Commanders in Week 18. Not with all the Eagles would stand to gain as the No. 2 seed, which would be theirs with a win over Washington and a Bears loss to the Lions.

    Right?

    All season, Sirianni preaches that the NFL is all about handling the opponent in front of you and then letting the other stuff sort itself out. Now, more than ever, he should listen to himself.

    Sports snapshot

    Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter has words with Buffalo’s Reggie Gilliam after the Bills scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter Sunday.

    🧠 Trivia time

    Who was the MVP of Super Bowl XV when the Oakland Raiders beat the Eagles in 1981? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

    A) Jim Plunkett

    B) Lester Hayes

    C) Rod Martin

    D) Cliff Branch

    Who said it?

    Coach Nick Sirianni saw the Eagles offense go cold in the second half against the Bills.

    The Eagles offense managed 17 yards in the final two quarters against the Bills, but somehow the defense held on for the victory. Think you know which player took responsibility for the offense’s struggles? Check your answer here.

    What you’re saying about the Eagles

    We asked: Can the Eagles defense continue to make up for the offense’s shortcomings? Among your responses:

    I doubt it! Offense is absolutely offensive in week 17 of the season. It would take divine intervention to make them relevant. Too bad because the defense is ready. — Bill B.

    Yes, it can, but the offense will need some better play calling. Second half: run, run, pass. Wow! What a complicated series for the Bills to defend! — Joel G.

    The defense will continue to play good, but the offense needs to do their part as well. Jalen Hurts needs to be more reliable as a passer and runner. He needs and the entire offense needs more consistency if they are going anywhere in the playoffs. — Tom G.

    Yes, the D will continue to make up for the O because they will have to, unless our coaching staff decides to use more than the five offensive plays we seem to rotate. Had the Bills chose to kick a FG while inside the 5-yd line earlier, we could have lost on an extra point try at the end of the game. … Are we waiting to use Hurts’ legs only for the playoffs? Is he secretly injured? — Joe S.

    Jalyx Hunt of the Eagles celebrates his sack of Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the fourth quarter Sunday.

    … This is a quarterback driven league. Jalen Hurts will need to step up and command the offense if the Eagles hope to repeat. … One glimmer of hope: Lane Johnson’s return. He is a difference maker for the offensive line. — Bob C.

    The defense can win games as they have shown us yesterday. … However, they will be playing tough opponents in the playoffs and these games will be physical games. They will need some breathing room so the offense must contribute. Unfortunately, the tale of two halves vs. Bills and others does not bode well for us. — Vince O.

    … The defense is bound to have another bad game as they did with the Chicago game. Sooner or later management is going to get disgusted with the offensive coordinator and it’ll be goodbye. See you later. Let’s just win the wild card game and see where it takes us. — Ronald R.

    This defense will have to carry the team. … On the offensive side they are far down in almost all stats, so it will for sure be up to the defense to take them back to the SB. — Everett S.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Mike Sielski, David Murphy, Devin Jackson, and Ariel Simpson.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    We’re glad you’re reading Sports Daily, and thanks to our readers who respond to our questions. I’ll see you in Wednesday’s newsletter. — Jim

  • Nvidia, Lenovo, and Samsung to test consumer appetite for AI at CES

    Nvidia, Lenovo, and Samsung to test consumer appetite for AI at CES

    At CES, the annual consumer technology conference happening in Las Vegas next week, the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Lenovo Group Ltd., will make the case for artificial intelligence. Their target audience those few days: investors, corporate clients, and — perhaps just as importantly — ordinary shoppers who have yet to be fully sold on the idea of AI-infused gadgets.

    CES, which runs from Jan. 6-9, is where many tech companies unveil their wares for the year. That includes a mix of products that are imminently available for purchase, and concept devices that may or may not go to market — and could be half-baked if they do. While Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is likely to be the most charismatic showman in Vegas hyping AI’s underlying technologies, he’ll be surrounded by a slew of players that are testing consumers’ appetite for gadgets where AI isn’t just a nice-to-have feature, but the main selling point.

    The show floor this year will be particularly populated with AI-powered hardware, including the sort of smart glasses popularized by Meta Platforms Inc. and that Snap Inc. and Apple Inc. are planning to launch by the end of 2026. While Meta and Snap will both have a presence at CES, the bulk of the news in this space is likely to come from smaller brands, such as Xreal Inc., Vuzix Corp., Halliday Global Ltd., Rokid, and Even Realities.

    Meta isn’t expected to unveil new hardware at this time, having recently debuted its first smart glasses with a built-in screen. It is possible, however, that the social media giant is ready to show off some new or improved software features. It’s a similar story for Snap, which isn’t likely to choose this venue to announce pricing and availability for its forthcoming “Specs” glasses. The Specs will be on display for attendees who haven’t had a chance to see them in person, which has so far mostly included select media outlets.

    In addition to eyewear, such as glasses and goggles, some of these gadgets will take the form of a ring or something else entirely — underscoring that start-ups and Big Tech alike remain bullish on AI-first hardware that lets people tap into intelligent assistants without necessarily taking out their smartphone. Previous offerings, including the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, were commercial failures after being panned by tech reviewers.

    Robots everywhere

    Many companies will also be testing consumers’ readiness to accept AI-powered humanoid robots. There will be so many players, in fact, that the Consumer Technology Association, or CTA, which organizes CES, has set aside an entire hall of the convention space for robotics. While some of these robots are intended for the home, many of the models on display will be designed for enterprise uses such as manufacturing, logistics, and food service. Firms such as Artly Coffee and VenHub Global will show off technology for AI-powered robotic cafes and convenience stores.

    Companion robots will be a common sight as well, including products such as the Jennie robot dog from Tombot Inc., a California-based start-up focused on developing products for aging adults and people living with dementia.

    If 2026 is similar to previous shows, there’s likely to be a sizable gap between what many of these human-inspired bots are capable of in controlled demos vs. what their makers promise they’ll eventually be able to do.

    Still, there are signs of progress. Many humanoid makers this year are shifting from single-task demonstrations to more complex, multistep tricks, such as both sorting and folding laundry. Larger players, including LG, are expected to tease their own humanoid concepts, but the companies will need to convince attendees that these machines are commercially viable amid ongoing challenges around battery life, mobility, cost, and safety.

    Everything else

    Above all other categories, televisions have traditionally been the centerpiece of CES, with Samsung, LG, and ascendant Chinese competitors TCL and Hisense showing off their brightest, biggest sets for the new year. Sony Group Corp., once a cornerstone of the convention show floor, has moved its TV product announcements to spring in recent years and pared back its booth as a result.

    In 2026, with high-end TVs now delivering more than enough brightness and resolution for most consumers, manufacturers are likely to focus on wider color reproduction and other improvements that result in a more vivid, lifelike picture. Aesthetically pleasing models like Samsung’s The Frame line have inspired a wave of clones from other TV makers, a trend that’s likely to continue in Vegas.

    CES typically isn’t a venue for major smartphone news, but Motorola could be an exception this year. Its parent company, Lenovo, is headlining one of the show’s evening keynotes for the first time, and Motorola mailed a teaser package to media that strongly hints at a book-style foldable. Such a device would be its first of that form factor after years of releasing Razr-branded folding handsets.

    Meanwhile, wearables will continue to evolve beyond basic fitness tracking, blurring the lines with medical-grade devices. The show will feature products such as a smart night guard that not only protects against teeth grinding but also claims to monitor sleep apnea events, heart rate, respiration, and sleep cycles. Wearables in general are expected to offer a greater focus on women’s health, continuous glucose monitoring, advanced cardiovascular tracking, longevity, and chronic-condition management.

  • Sixers mailbag: Are the Sixers better on defense without Joel Embiid?

    Sixers mailbag: Are the Sixers better on defense without Joel Embiid?

    MEMPHIS — The 76ers‘ three-game losing streak is their longest since they dropped 12 straight last season from March 17 to April 7.

    How can they turn things around?

    “I think we just take a look at where we can get better and go from there,” Paul George said Sunday after a 129-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center. “That’s really all we can do is just see where we can clean up our mistakes, whether it’s offensively or defensively.

    “We’ve got room for improvement for sure, and we’ve just got to address that.”

    The first opportunity to right the ship for the Sixers (16-14) will come Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

    Sixers takeaways: Third-quarter blues persist, costly turnovers and more in loss to the Thunder

    The Grizzlies (15-17) are coming off a loss to the struggling Washington Wizards on Sunday night. But before that, they had won 11 of 16 games.

    Will the Sixers snap their skid? Will they solve their third-quarter woes and costly turnovers?

    We’ll find out what they’ll do shortly. In the meantime, I’ll answer a few of your mailbag questions.

    Missed out on the party? No worries. Submit questions for next time by tweeting @PompeyOnSixers to X with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.

    Q: Do the Sixers play better defense when Joel Embiid doesn’t play and isn’t on the floor? — @Donny076

    A: Thanks for starting the mailbag, Donald. Based on Friday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls, it’s logical to assume that is the case. However, the numbers indicate that the Sixers defense is better when the 7-foot-2 center plays. They have an average defensive rating of 114.2 in the 13 games he has played in this season, according to StatMuse. The Sixers’ rating is 115.9 in the 17 games he has missed.

    But you are probably asking this question because the Sixers have lost three straight and seven of the last 10 games in which Embiid has played. They also began the season 3-0 with him in the lineup. However, without Embiid, the Sixers are 10-7.

    Rookie VJ Edgecombe knows he can score. He still defers to the Sixers’ Big Three.

    Let’s face it, Embiid hasn’t played up to the level that has garnered him three All-Defensive honors.

    Teams no longer fear his defensive presence because he cannot move laterally as quickly as he used to, is constantly out of position, and seldom jumps. As a result, opponents are running pick-and-rolls to get him involved in defensive actions and switching on to him.

    But, again, the defensive rating comparison says they’re still better with him.

    Sixers center Joel Embiid has scored at least 31 points twice over his last four games.
    Q: Is there any possibility that they can realistically trade Embiid? — @Paulmon30725760

    A: This is a great question that constantly comes up, Paul. We are all aware that the 31-year-old is making $55.2 million this season, and his three-year, $193 million extension begins next season. That’s a lot of money to take on for a player with an extensive injury history who has been a shell of his former self this season. He’s averaging career lows in points (21.8 per game), rebounds (6.5), field-goal percentage (.443), and three-point shooting percentage (.259).

    But on the positive side, Embiid has scored at least 31 points twice over his last four games. The 2023 MVP is averaging 26.7 points and 8.2 rebounds over that stretch. So he is showing offensive improvement.

    Why are the Sixers winless with their Big Three? A lack of rhythm.

    If Embiid can improve his defense and provide 80% of what he once did, his addition to most teams makes them instant championship contenders.

    But an NBA executive would have to be really secure in his job to make that trade, because a lot could go wrong.

    Sixers power forward Trendon Watford is expected to be a solid piece off the bench once he returns from an adductor strain in his thigh.
    Q: When was the last time you thought the Sixers had a good bench? — @Thamass8

    A: While it had a few holes, I felt as if the Sixers had a good bench two seasons ago before they shipped away Marcus Morris and Patrick Beverley right before the NBA trade deadline. That said, the Sixers also have a solid bench this season. The issue has been poor health.

    Think about how loaded the Sixers’ bench would be if Trendon Watford and Dominick Barlow or Kelly Oubre Jr. joined Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, and Andre Drummond as the four players off the bench. The only reason I’m providing the option to choose between Oubre or Barlow is that I think either player would fit in the starting lineup alongside George, Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey. But Barlow, a power forward, has been inserted into the lineup while Oubre is sidelined with a sprained ligament in his left knee.

    Meanwhile, Watford, who plays well in a point forward role, has also been sidelined with an adductor strain in his left thigh. When they return, the Sixers will have plenty of options. This season’s bench is actually younger and more athletic than it was two seasons ago. It just has to get healthy.

  • House of the week: A five-bedroom end-of-the-row house in East Falls for $652,000

    House of the week: A five-bedroom end-of-the-row house in East Falls for $652,000

    When Hope Coleman and Nathan Fong were looking for a larger East Falls rowhouse for themselves and their two young sons, they settled on a house that combined character and practicality. It had a garage, very rare for a rowhouse in that neighborhood.

    The couple — Coleman is a veterinarian and Fong a marketing professor at Rutgers University — moved into the house in 2019 but have now left for a larger house in Bala Cynwyd to accommodate aging parents on both sides.

    “The stuff that gave it character was original,” said Coleman, describing the East Falls house.

    The five-bedroom, 2½-bathroom home is 2,288 square feet.

    The heated, window-lined front porch provides entrance to the living room with original cathedral glass and stained-glass windows, high ceilings, and hardwood and Second Empire architectural style indicate it is considerably older. Documentation says the house was built in 1925, but Coleman believes that the mansard roof and architectural style indicate an earlier construction date.

    The living room features original cathedral glass and stained-glass windows.

    The dining room has a butler’s cabinet and a powder room with a pocket door.

    The renovated eat-in kitchen has solid oak cabinetry, granite countertops, a wide island with seating for four, and a beautifully restored Chambers stove complete with built-in warmer and broiler and griddle, vented to the exterior.

    The wide kitchen island can accommodate seating for four.

    Glass doors open from the kitchen to a private patio. A sunroom, added by the couple and connected to the kitchen, has underfloor heating, two skylights, and additional access to the backyard and side entrance, creating seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

    Glass doors open from the kitchen to a private patio.

    A back staircase leads directly from the kitchen to the second floor, which has three bedrooms, including a spacious front room that is used as a family room but can also serve as a large second-floor primary.

    The hall bath has a stained-glass window and a laundry room, which has built-ins, closet space, and the home’s original porcelain sink hutch.

    The third floor has two additional bedrooms and a newly added full bath. The rear bedroom could serve as a walk-in closet, office, private retreat, or a primary suite.

    The house is listed by Lisa Denberry of BHHS Fox & Roach Chestnut Hill for $652,000.

  • A star, not a side: The baked potato is back in a big way

    A star, not a side: The baked potato is back in a big way

    Slicing into creamy, tender, white flesh and browned, crispy skin, you might not immediately think of a baked potato as an indulgence. But as 2025 ends, this is where we are.

    Often thought of as pedestrian, baked potatoes have also proven themselves to be the perfect canvas for, well, anything. Baked potatoes — or jacket potatoes, if you want to be a bit British about it — are trending, relegated to a “side” no longer. The new baked potato is the star of the show.

    Clockwise from top left, Mod Spuds’ Bollywood spud, Malaysian spud, classic spud, and Philly cheesesteak spud.

    The baked potato has only gained trend status fairly recently. We started off the year in what I personally dubbed the era of the latke. Every seafood bar had a latke piled with tuna tartare, bearing dollops of cream and caviar. You can’t throw a rock (or a potato) in Philly without hitting some sort of fancy shellfish or tartare perched delicately upon a potato latke. The trend was relentless nationwide and inescapable here, from My Loup’s pastrami beef tartare served on latkes to Middle Child Clubhouse’s okonomiyaki latkes and Little Water’s peekytoe crab balanced on “hash browns” … also known as latkes.

    We have perhaps passed peak latke and moved onto another potato preparation. Baked-potato news has been populating my social media feeds, proffering both locally available spuds and unattainable ones.

    There’s chef Ange Branca’s Mod Spuds, which puts a Malaysian-Philadelphian spin on English jacket potatoes. She offers toppings well beyond the usual spoonful of sour cream and scattering of shredded cheese — from a Philly cheesesteak loaded potato to one topped with Branca’s legendary beef rendang.

    On TikTok, baked potatoes were buoyed by Nara Smith, who made a “jacket potato tutorial” for her 12.3 million followers. Her preparation of a baked potato, with narration in her husky, low voice while wearing couture, has spawned countless imitation videos. The U.K.-based business SpudBros has become a global brand with multiple locations, millions of followers, and food trucks thanks to viral success on TikTok.

    @naraazizasmith

    sleep deprivation is setting in🫠 #comfortfood #fypシ #plateup #mukbang #dinner

    ♬ original sound – Nara Smith

    Baked potatoes are also popping up on menus at restaurants and bars in ways one has never seen before, whether it’s Pietramala’s Japanese sweet potato with Buffalo sauce and cashew sour cream, or at the newly reopened Wine Dive (now on Sansom Street).

    Sweet Potato dish at Pietramala in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.

    Wine Dive’s baked potato is an Idaho spud roughly the size of my Chihuahua, with crispy, deep brown skin and white flesh that emits plumes of steam when you slice into it through the mountain of sour cream, curls of cheddar, torn bits of bacon, and scallions.

    This is not a vehicle for masterful tikka masalas or rendang. This is a thoroughly American baked potato. On Wednesdays, Wine Dive has bottomless, all-you-can-eat baked potatoes for $15.

    It is as ridiculous as it sounds. Eat 10 baked potatoes and you get your photo on the wall and the promise of some very cool merch. No one has made it to 10. So far, the record has been seven potatoes.

    It’s possible that the proliferation of baked potatoes is, like cabbage, a recession indicator. But like the latke, it may very well have fine-dining legs. Just let me know if you manage to eat 10 in one go.

  • The Eagles are going to keep driving you crazy with their passive offense. Get used to it.

    The Eagles are going to keep driving you crazy with their passive offense. Get used to it.

    The quieter his offense is, the louder Nick Sirianni gets. There he was Sunday night, strutting down a tunnel at Highmark Stadium in the aftermath of the Eagles’ 13-12 victory over the Bills, crowing about how all those Buffalo fans had nothing more to say, how they didn’t have so much bleep to talk anymore. He caught up to A.J. Brown and turned to look him in the eye, and Brown shot a smirk back that said, Coach, did you watch us try to move the ball after halftime?

    Did Sirianni watch it? Of course. Did he care? My guess: only so much. If you’re complaining about the Eagles’ impotent offense and unimaginative play-calling both from Sunday’s second half and from several previous games this season, if you’re waiting for Sirianni and coordinator Kevin Patullo to have some eureka moment and suddenly start dazzling everyone with their play designs and a wide-open style of offense, you’re missing the key to understanding the 2025 Eagles.

    They want to play like this. They want to rely on their defense. They want to limit every and any available possibility that their offense and special teams might commit a turnover. It took some time and some trial and some error, but they’ve settled on an approach, and this is it.

    Running back Saquon Barkley (right) embraces defensive tackle Jalen Carter after the Eagles defense stopped the Bills on a two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter Sunday.

    By they, I don’t necessarily mean Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman. They’re happy with the wins, to be sure, and they’re surely thrilled that Roseman and Vic Fangio have worked to create a defense of such quality that the Eagles can gain all of 17 yards in a single half and still hold on to beat a Super Bowl contender, which is what happened Sunday. But you can pretty much guarantee that Lurie, in particular, is looking at the money and salary-cap space that he has allocated to Brown, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens and asking himself, Did I really spend all that money so Jalen could hand the ball to Saquon on delayed inside handoffs in second-and-long situations?

    No, by they, I mean Sirianni. If he rented a small plane, attached to its tail a banner that read, WHEN WE DON’T TURN IT OVER WE WIN, and flew it over Lincoln Financial Field, he could not be more overt about his intentions here, about the way he wants the Eagles to play. He even put the lie to the notion that nothing revealing comes out of HBO Max’s Hard Knocks series anymore, because the cameras captured him in a team meeting earlier this month spelling out this strategy.

    Eagles’ inexplicable second half offense nearly soils defensive gem vs. Josh Allen and the Bills

    “This is what it’s about this week,” he said to an auditorium full of players. “We’ve got to be obsessed with the football. We’ve got to be obsessed with the [expletive] football. When we take care of the football, it is so hard to beat us. When we turn the football over as a defense, it is so hard to beat us. …

    “This is the most important fundamental we have. We’ve got to be so locked in to this, because as we continue on this year, this is what presses us: the ball, the ball, the ball, the ball. We win when we take care of the football. We win when we turn them over on defense.”

    During Sirianni’s five-year tenure as their head coach, the Eagles have won 42 of the 44 games in which they have committed fewer turnovers than their opponents; that record includes Sunday’s win, when Josh Allen lost a fumble while trying to fend off Jaelan Phillips and the Eagles did nothing so daring that might have cost them possession of the football. That 42-2 mark is a stark and striking statistic, one that has a talismanic quality for Sirianni. He believes in its power so deeply that he is willing to bet that the Eagles can build an early lead, then hold any opponent at bay thereafter.

    Let us raise a glass to the Tush Push. It’s dead, and the Eagles have to find an alternative.

    Two games from the last five weeks are particularly insightful in this regard. On Nov. 23, the Eagles lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 24-21, after getting out to an early 21-point lead. On Dec. 8, they moved the ball well against the Los Angeles Chargers but still lost, 22-19 in overtime, largely because Hurts threw four interceptions and lost a fumble. One could certainly conclude from those losses that the Eagles should have continued to be aggressive on offense, that it would be a mistake for them to dial back their aggressiveness. They tore up the Dallas defense for that game’s first 15½ minutes, and it took an all-time terrible performance from Hurts, maybe the worst of his career, to cost them a victory against the Chargers.

    Eagles coach Nick Sirianni banters with Buffalo Bills fans after Sunday’s victory in Orchard Park, N.Y.

    But after scoring a combined 60 points against a couple of bad teams (the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders), the Eagles went right back to being conservative against a good team, the Bills. The lesson that Sirianni took from the Dallas and L.A. losses wasn’t, In one game, we took our foot off the gas pedal, and it came back to bite us. In the other, Jalen had the kind of game that he’s unlikely to have again. So we can afford to open things up. No, the lesson he took was, We opened things up, and we lost. We can’t afford to do that again.

    Can the Eagles return to the Super Bowl and win it again this way? Yes, they can. But that doesn’t mean they will, and even if they do, their journey there will be stressful and tenuous, with winter storms and giant potholes. But this is the road they’ve chosen. So stop mentioning the firepower that they have on offense, the players whose talents are being wasted. Stop arguing over whether Hurts is a winning winner who just wins or a fraud who has been propped up by the infrastructure around him. Those discussions are pointless. This is who the Eagles have been this season. This is who they are. This is who they’re going to be. They don’t have Trent Dilfer at quarterback, but they’re going to play like they do. Get used to it.

  • The Eagles wouldn’t be foolish to rest their starters in Week 18. But they’d better be right.

    The Eagles wouldn’t be foolish to rest their starters in Week 18. But they’d better be right.

    I really don’t know where to begin. Maybe with my Ron Burgundy voice.

    I don’t believe you.

    That means you, Nick Sirianni. And you, fellow media members. The big question from Sirianni’s news conference Monday isn’t a question at all. In fact, the Eagles coach is making an obvious error — albeit minor and forgivable — by playing along. There is simply no possible way he could be entertaining the idea of resting his starters in their regular-season finale against the Commanders in Week 18. Not with all the Eagles would stand to gain as the No. 2 seed, which would be theirs with a win over Washington and a Bears loss to the Lions.

    Why wouldn’t the Eagles go for the No. 2 seed? Nick Sirianni pointed to the Super Bowl for some insight.

    Right?

    Uh … right?

    “This is a marathon of a season,” Sirianni said Monday, one day after the Eagles eked out a 13-12 win over the Bills and then watched the Bears lose to the 49ers and thus fail to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. “Yes, your seeding is not locked down yet, but you are thinking, ‘Hey, can I put ourselves in the best position seeding-wise,’ while also you’re thinking to yourself how important byes are and creating them if you don’t earn the right for the first-round bye. Those are all things you’ve got to think through and go through.

    “I think a lot of guys would say last year that that was a big deal, being able to have a built-in bye last year to set us up for what we ultimately did last year.”

    C’mon, Nick! I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here. You’re only doing that thing where you play the dummy on TV. We both know how good at this job you are. Few coaches in the NFL have as good of an understanding of what it takes to win in this league. Nobody has a better feel for his team, for his players, for his competitive reality. You know who the Eagles are and what they need and what situations will set them up for success.

    Nick Sirianni was unsurprisingly noncommittal when asked Monday if he intended to roll out his starters for the final regular-season game or rest them.

    Surely, you would agree with this long list of things that your team doesn’t need:

    • The Eagles don’t need a wild-card matchup against the Rams. Nor the 49ers. Nor the Seahawks. But especially not the Rams.
    • They don’t need a divisional round road game against a team they’ve already lost to in a stadium where the high temperature on Monday was 24 degrees with wind speeds well into the double digits.
    • They certainly don’t need any whiff of a quarterback controversy, which means they certainly don’t need to spend next week prepping for a playoff game while answering questions about Tanner McKee. And that means they don’t need their home crowd to watch McKee shred the hapless Commanders on Sunday, one week after Jalen Hurts failed to complete a pass in the second half of their narrow win over the Bills.

    The Eagles would eliminate all of these possibilities by securing the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. So, why wouldn’t they try their darndest to do so? Why would Sirianni even think about keeping Hurts on the sidelines and sending McKee and the second-teamers out there on Sunday?

    Eagles just might muddle their way to another Super Bowl, thanks to Jalen Carter and the NFL’s best defense

    I’m assuming the argument is as follows. The Eagles do not control their own destiny with regard to the second seed. If the Bears beat the Lions next week, Chicago gets the No. 2 seed, regardless of how the Eagles fare against the Commanders. The Lions don’t have anything to play for and the Bears just came up 3 yards short of beating a 49ers team that has a 50% chance to enter the playoffs as the NFC’s top overall seed. Chances are, the Bears beat the Lions (they are 2.5-point favorites). Thus, chances are, the Eagles are locked into the third seed and will be hosting one of the three NFC West powers instead of the sputtering Packers. In which case, the Eagles would gain far more by giving their starters an extra week to rest and prepare for the playoffs than they would by winning a meaningless game.

    OK, I’ll admit. It’s a compelling argument, especially when you consider how much the Eagles seemed to gain by resting their starters in Week 18 last season.

    An even more compelling argument is the one that Sirianni wouldn’t dare say out loud. I suspect it might be the real reason he is giving serious thought to resting his starters. The reason is Sirianni himself. And his coaches. If the Eagles punt on Week 18, it will allow the coaching staff and front office to spend an extra week preparing for the playoffs. It will give Hurts and the rest of the starters the ability to participate in that scouting and game-planning process. That’s a big, big deal.

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts did not complete any of his seven passes in the second half against the Bills.

    It doesn’t really matter that the Eagles don’t know who they will be playing. The extra week would allow them to prepare for everybody, and those preparations can pay dividends throughout the playoffs if and when they run into those teams. In short, rest for the players is more of a bonus. The real benefit of looking past the Commanders is the preparation.

    On the other hand … The benefits of the No. 2 seed are much more real this year than they are in a lot of years. The Packers are, by far, the easier matchup in the wild-card round. You’d much rather host them and then host a divisional round game and then potentially host an NFC championship game than any of the alternatives.

    As for the McKee thing … Sirianni will shrug it off. I can’t imagine it will be a consideration. But you are fooling yourself if you don’t look at it as a potential downside. If Hurts’ backup goes out there and looks like a world-beater on the eve of the playoffs, it will only ratchet up the pressure on the Eagles’ starter. To be clear, the people calling for McKee would be wildly off base. It’s a silly notion to think anybody but Hurts gives the Eagles the best chance to win a football game. But perceptions are what they are. And they can definitely bleed into a locker room.

    Eagles’ inexplicable second half offense nearly soils defensive gem vs. Josh Allen and the Bills

    Long story short, Sirianni’s decision is much tougher than it looks at first glance. The extra week of internal preparation is incredibly valuable. The Eagles can still beat the Commanders with the backups playing, while allowing the starters to focus their practice weeks on the postseason.

    I just keep coming back to one thought. Imagine if everything breaks in a certain direction. The Bears lose. The Rams end up as the sixth seed. But the Eagles’ backups lose to the Commanders and their road to the Super Bowl ends up being home vs. the Rams, then on the road at the Bears, then on the road at the Seahawks or 49ers.

    All season, Sirianni preaches that the NFL is all about handling the opponent in front of you and then letting the other stuff sort itself out. Now, more than ever, he should listen to himself.