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Every week should be Restaurant Week in a city where restaurateurs spring up from cracks in the sidewalk with a single drop of wasabi oil, where servers accidentally spill liquor into things, unveiling new boozy recipes that bring immediate fame to our pubs and bistros. Yes, we eat well here, even when we’re broke. Unlike NYC and San Francisco, we can spend more on meals and spirits than we do on rent. So when Center City Restaurant Week hits this week, with its bright eyes and $35 prix-fixin’ deals, we’ll bite. Repeatedly.

Some of us make our reservations well in advance, while others pretend that the Week is for amateurs but pick up a last-minute table, anyway. This is your prime chance to drop in on Le Bar Lyonnais at Le Bec-Fin, just so you can rave about dessert. If you didn’t happen upon Old City’s Privé when it opened last year, it’s alright. You were busy. The flash-fried halloumi cheese, chicken spanakopita, crab gallette, and rabbit risotto are all among the French-Greek mezze for the 4-course affair, which allows each diner to pick six plates. Anywhere else, this would ring in at upwards of $85.

It’s also a treat to see Tinto, Xochitl, and Zahav round out of the list, but as most of us have spent way too much chow time at the first and the last, check out Xochitl instead. And if you can’t land that reserv., do keep in mind that every Sunday, the Headhouse Square Mexican resto-lounge has a 4-course dinner for $35.

Put your eyes on the website and then ask me out to Le Castagne. It’s pasta weather. Like expensive, freshly-made pasta weather.

Center City Restaurant Week, Jan. 25th – 30th
www.centercityphila.org/life/RestaurantWeek.php

Nestled on the corner of 15th and South, this cheery, bright blue building is home to one of the neighborhood’s most popular laid-back eateries: the wonderfully eccentric (and undeniably delicious) Pico de Gallo.

Inside, piñatas, streamers and Día de los Muertos paraphernalia line the ceiling and walls “” in the center, about 8 tables (22 seats) are crammed together, cafeteria style. The kitchen is open and in the back, where you can see the chefs preparing the fresh burritos and enchiladas.

The menu is surprisingly extensive, and almost everything falls under the $10 mark. The chips and salsa and fish tacos are great to start, and the sweet plaintains, roasted pork and black bean burrito (#19) is the perfect combo of spicy and tangy. For veggies, try the organic black bean, Portobello, cactus and homemade cheese burrito (#16) or the jalapeno and black bean tamale with rice and pico de gallo salad (#34.)

On Friday and Saturday nights, it can get real crowded real fast, so prepare to wait, or “”better yet “” call ahead and pick up your food. If you stay, consider a mini pitcher of homemade iced tea ($3) to quench your thirst, or if you’re feeling adventurous, a flavored margarita. Either way, these yummy Mexican treats are sure to have you thinking, Ah, la vida es dulce.

Pico de Gallo
534 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 545-2710

For Auld Lang Syne, my dear, For Auld Lang Syne… yeah, I know. It might seem pretty late for someone to be singing about the year’s past but for the Chinese community, we’re still lost in 2008. That is, until this Sunday at midnight when drinks are had, firecrackers are lit and lions dance as we welcome 2009 – The Year of the Ox, in grand celebratory style!

Much like New Years Eve on the 31st, party-goers will crowd the streets of Chinatown as firecrackers erupt to the sounds of lions roaring and people screaming Kung Hei Fat Choy (our way of saying Happy New Year).

But no matter how you say it, a party’s a party. So bring out those 2009 glasses and make some new resolutions because all is fair until Monday the 26th.

For more details about the parade and participating sponsors, log on to www.chinatown-pcdc.org

Chinese New Year Celebration!
Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Corner of 10th Race, Philadelphia, PA
Parade starts at 11:00pm Sunday evening
www.chinatown-pcdc.org

Post by Ryan Billings

Whether you listen to This American Life religiously, watch it’s television counterpart on Showtime every week, or even if you don’t know what I’m referring to at all, you can’t miss Ira Glass at the Kimmel Center on January 24th.

Glass is the award-winning National Public Radio host of This American Life, a journalistic non-fiction program featuring essays, shot stories, interviews, memoirs, and historical footage from everyday Americans. Glass’ programs are often thought-provoking, moving, and hilarious all at once, demonstrating why Time magazine calls him the ‘best radio host in America.’

And the best part is, he will be here in Philadelphia to present a similar program live called Radio Stories & Other Stories: An Evening with Ira Glass.

So, get your tickets asap. In the meantime, catch up on all past podcasts of This American Life for free here, or download them on iTunes.

Ira Glass @ The Kimmel
Saturday, January 24, 2009: 8:00 p.m.

Kimmel Center
300 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 790-5800
www.kimmelcenter.org

The inside of Devil’s Alley on 19th and Chestnut

Warning: Don’t visit the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) web site unless you plan on adopting every super-cute pet they’ve got pictures of.

Instead, check out the 4th annual Puppy Love event, hosted by PAWS and Devil’s Alley Bar and Grill (1907 Chestnut St.), at Orianna Hill Dog Park (between 3rd and 4th streets, just north of Poplar St.) on Feb. 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Bring your current dog to meet and greet with the “eligible barkers” PAWS will have on hand at the event.

The gathering will feature Devil’s Alley’s “sinfully good comfort food,” local beers and wine, great music, a silent auction and take-home “doggie-bags.” Admission is $35, but don’t worry; dogs are free. The best part? All proceeds benefit PAWS “” and it’s probably safe to visit their site, just keep Philly’s pet laws in mind before making any big decisions.

Orianna Hill Dog Park
900 N Orianna St, Philadelphia, PA”Ž
(215) 925-1150″Ž
www.oriannahill.org

Devil’s Alley Bar & Grill
1907 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA”Ž
(215) 751-0707″Ž
www.devilsalleybarandgrill.com

Flyer for 215hiphop and Cross-Faded Bacon’s It’s the Year 1998 party.
FRIDAY

Curator Talk: Kathy Hiesinger on Frank Gehry
Art Museum, 26th and Ben Franklin Parkway, Van Pelt Auditorium
Kathryn Bloom Hiesinger, Curator of European Decorative Arts after 1700, discusses Gehry’s ten year project for Peter Lewis in Lyndhurst Ohio and its impact on his subsequent work. The Perelman Building will be open until 6:00pm for participants to view the Gehry observation before the lecture. 6:30pm, free after admission.

Sam McPheeters, Snowstorm, Drums Like Machine Guns, My Mind, Kick Rocks
Copy Gallery, 319 N. 11th St. 3rd Floor
Speaking engagement with punk dignitary Sam McPheeters, of Born Against/Wrangler Brutes/Men’s Recovery Project/Vermiform Records, with backup by Philly art/punk teams. 8pm.

Wine 101: Intro to Wine
The Wine School, 2006 Fairmount Ave
This class, which seats five, is going with the recession pitch – it promises to “maximize your wine appreciation and minimize the dent in your wallet.” More info at the website. 7:30pm, $37.50.

SATURDAY

Ira Glass
Kimmel Center, Broad and Locust
The host of NPR’s This American Life, live. 8pm. 215-893-1999 for tickets.

215hiphop and Cross-Faded Bacon present It’s the Year 1998 with Emynd and Bo Bliz
Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N Frankford
The hip hop night that brings you only the most finely aged vintage raps from the fruitful vines of the year 1998. 10pm, $5.

Sixers vs. Knicks
Wachovia Spectrum
Tickets here. 7pm.

SUNDAY

Andrew Bird
TLA, 334 South
The famous Chicago songster, violinist and NYT blogger.
8pm, $25.

Brundibar and the Children of Theresienstadt
International House, 3701 Chestnut
In anticipation of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on the 27th, I House is hosting the children’s opera Brundibar. It was originally performed by a cast of children that rotated as they were deported from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz; this time it’s performed by a cast of forty Philadelphia students. More info at the link above. 3pm, $10.

One Book, One Philadelphia Reading and Free Performance(s)
Kimmel Center, Broad and Locust
The Chamber Orchestra highlights music referred to in The Soloist, then a Free Library rep reads excerpts and leads a discussion group. Afterward, The Chamber Orchestra features Roberto Minczuk conducting violinist Boris Garlitzky in Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Spring. 1:30pm and 2:30pm, both free.

Chinese New Years Eve Lion Dance
10th and Race
The Year of the Ox starts with the annual Lion Dance, starting at 10th and Race. 11pm, free.

ONGOING

Rodney Mason’s My Mother’s Son
Painted Bride, 230 Vine
Mason (the Tangueray gin dude) is doing his solo show tonight and tomorrow. It’s “a hip-hop theater blend of spoken word, dance, and humorous video” about how he came up in South Philly. 8pm, $25.

New Edge Resident Artists Performance Series presents “Owning Up to the Corn”
CEC, 3500 Lancaster Ave
Appalachian mountain story about “reckoning and grief, rocking chairs, murder ballads, and the possibility of redemption.” Features Pig Iron collaborator Sarah McCarron, who also wrote the music. 8pm tonight and Saturday, 3pm Sunday, $12.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; the way to my heart is definitely through my delicious-alcohol-sensing taste buds. (To my boyfriend: are you getting this?)

So of course when I heard I would get the chance to sample Amada‘s new winter cocktails, I fell in love with the restaurant all over again (as if I could ever fall out of love!) and their delicious, delectable creations.

Amada’s cocktails are all specially created by the bartenders during tri-monthly, marathon mixing sessions, where the bar staff gathers together and shakes, stirs, mixes, drinks, and spits, until they’ve come up with an impressive palate of 8-10 original recipes. From there, it’s on to head chef Jose Garces, who drinks and spits himself, and decides which 4 will make the final cut.

This season’s winter offerings were concocted by bartenders Julie, Keith and Chris, as well as bar manager Kevin Lundell, who guides myself and my friend Kara through the tasting.

“This season’s drinks are a little bit edgy, and a little bit inventive,” says Lundell. “They’re all created from classics, but each is still an original creation.”

We start off with the Talk to Her, a lavender-colored, Siembra Azul tequila-infused variant of the classic aviation cocktail, served in a martini glass. The crème de violet gives it a pleasant, botanical scent, and it tastes light and flowery “” like a spring day “” without any of the nasty “tequila” bite.

Next up: the Volver, a sweet, maple-syrup infused gin drink, mixed with ginger, lemon juice and bitters, and served in an old fashioned glass. The thick, sugary taste of the syrup plays off the sourness of the lemon and the bitterness of the ginger, resulting in a cocktail that dances around on the tongue like a circus clown. I can barely put this one down!

Third is the Dark Habits, a new take on a classic Manhattan, made with Jim Beam, bitters, and apricot and pine liqueurs. It’s woodsy, and winter-y, and tastes like nothing I’ve ever tasted before”"perhaps because I’ve never had pine liqueur. It’s shaken, not stirred, and served frothy in a martini glass.

We finish off with the Labyrinth of Passion, the heaviest of the bunch, and a creative take on an old fashioned. It’s created by soaking ice cubs in balsamic vinegar, muddling strawberries in the bottom of the glass, then adding ice, and finally, Crown Royal. The taste is incredible “” the sweet, fruitiness of the strawberries perfectly compliments the dryness of the whiskey, resulting in a brown liquor drink that even Cosmo-loving chicks will like.

When it comes to cocktails, I’ve had one too many bad experiences in my lifetime, and have learned how to be very picky. Amada’s new winter drinks all pass in my book with flying colors “” and you can bet, I’ll be back for seconds.

Amada
217-219 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 625-2450
www.amadarestaurant.com

Philly and New York are always competing. New York’s latest victory was snatching up choreographer/dancer Amanda Miller to perform in The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Orfeo ed Euridice. Miller, currently the co-Artistic Director of Miro Dance Theater here in Philadelphia, is one of 18 dancers in the show, which opened on Jan. 9 and runs through Jan. 31.

So you want to see the production, but don’t have the time, money or fancy clothes to make it to The Met? No problem! A number of theaters in the Philadelphia region are showing the Jan. 24 performance live as part of The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD series. Check out Fathom Events for a full listing of participating theaters.

Miro Dance Theatre
www.mirodancetheatre.org

Few dishes are as evocative as stew. For me, a piping hot bowl of stew conjures up memories of snow days spent sledding and getting in snowball fights with the neighborhood kids, while a big pot of stew was waiting for me at home. Yum, yum.

And while our snow days may be behind us, there’s some consolation in this: Throughout January and February, all Kildare’s Irish Pub locations are offering what they call the “Endless Stew Bowl” — an all-you-can-eat selection of four stews for just $10.99.

It’s good for what ails ya, and in this case, that’s freezing cold weather and no more football.

So I drove out to the Manayunk location and made Kildare’s good on their “collect all four!” offer. I started with the Guinness Beef Stew (this is an Irish establishment, after all), a melting pot of Hereford beef, locally grown carrots, onions and celery, all enveloped in Guinness gravy. As if that weren’t enough, a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes presides over the center of the bowl, with pita slices holding court for dipping purposes.

Overall, the Guinness Beef Stew is the gustatory equivalent of a hug. Two thumbs up.

Next up was the Veggie Stew, a surprisingly hearty assemblage of rosemary, artichokes, mushrooms, green peas and fennel. My two dining companions were nutty about this one.

Just as we were starting to get really and I mean really full, we got bowl number three: Seafood Stew. If I were in charge, I’d call it “Seafood To the Maxx.” You got salmon, cod, shrimp and crab, all in a light tomato broth.

Finally, we were presented with the Chicken Stew. At this point, the food coma had set in, but I managed to lift my fork and taste one, and then two, and then every bite of hearty chicken, lima beans and potatoes in a thick Harp Lager broth. This was my favorite.

Our kind waitress’ best attempts at selling us dessert were laughed away. This was one of the biggest meals I’ve ever eaten, 25 previous Thanksgiving dinners included — and all under $11.00? C’mon.

I suggest you get out to Manayunk to try it yourself. It’s a delicious little town full of great boutiques, music stores and bars — so after you’ve saved some dough on your bowls o’ stew at Kildare’s, you can hit the town”¦ If you have the energy.

Kildare’s Irish Pub
4417 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127
www.kildarespub.com

I’m always on the lookout for interesting performances that aren’t going to noticeably lighten my wallet, and when I saw that West Philly’s Curio Theatre was presenting “The 2009 Puppetry Slam “” Part I,” on Wednesday night, I knew I’d found just the thing. Curio Theatre is always up to something intriguing, so I knew it would be worth checking out. And hey “” it came with a spaghetti dinner!

The slam was touted as “an open mic night for puppeteers” that celebrated puppetry “in and by” Philadelphia. The evening kicked off with a spaghetti dinner (the metaphor of spaghetti as puppet strings may have been a bit far-fetched, but no one was complaining), and then the fun began. The evening’s MC and producer was Martina Plag, a long-time Philadelphia puppet artist and the creative director of the puppet-centric atelier Studium-Praxis.

The acts ran the gamut from African drumming and singing with elaborately-costumed stilt-walking puppet-people, to old-fashioned marionettes, to men in full-bodied creations that were half-person/half-puppet. The mostly adult audience laughed, applauded, and sang along when prompted, but was still overwhelmed by the gleeful squeals of the five-year-old in the front row.

Highlights included the rowdy robot-fighting nightmare of Tempo del Sputino, a marionette masterfully manipulated by veteran puppeteer Joe Cashore (check out his skillz here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHT3NUaAl-k and his secrets to marionette motion here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr6WFaPgG5Q), and a soulful Day of the Dead homage to Mexicans who’ve been killed trying to cross the border.

The great thing about Curio Theatre and the Philadelphia puppetry “scene,” if you will, is that it always keeps you on your toes “” you never know what you’re going to find, but there’s always a hidden gem. Stay tuned for Puppetry Slam 2009 Part II, when the crowd favorites will return as headliners among a new group of acts.

Curio Theatre
815 South 48th St, Philadelphia, PA 19143
(215) 525-1350
www.curiotheatre.org