Uwishunu.com

A towering, gilded statue of the Buddha generates elegant calm in this Pan Asian restaurant in Old City. Immensely popular, Buddakan is great for both large parties (especially if you score the 20-person table below the Buddha) and special-occasion, romantic dinners. (Photo courtesy of Buddakan)

Buddakan [gophila.com]

Percy Street BBQ's neon sign shines bright on South St

Percy Street BBQ recently opened up on 9th and South, bringing authentic Texas Style BBQ (that means meat that is dry-rubbed and smoked for hours) to the City of Brotherly Love. The restaurant is the combined effort of Michael Solomonov (of Zahav), Steven Cook (of Xochitl), and Erin O’Shea (former chef of Marigold Kitchen). With that kind of pedigree I had high hopes when checking it out, and it didn’t disappoint.

The atmosphere feels homey and communal as soon as you walk in, and has great down-home-on-the-farm touches. Even though I was there on a Monday evening, the place was hopping. Wooden accents, blackboard-sized menus on the walls, and a unique bar with lights made from wine jugs hanging overhead all add to the laid back feeling and got me in the mood for some BBQ.

There’s a long list of spirits and a good selection of wines to whet your palate, as well as signature southern cocktails and an eclectic list of beers on tap. I recommend one of the cocktails made with sweet tea, lemonade, and/or peach juice to get in the southern spirit. If you’re more into beer, try the Wolaver’s Alta Garcia. It’s a fabulous chocolate and coffee porter that’s incredibly smooth for a heavy beer.

They recommend ordering about half a pound of meat per person, which you can do either a la carte or from the combo menu. The combos are served family-style, and my favorite option was the “Double Down.” Each person gets two choices of meat (totaling half a pound) and two sides, for just $17. All meats are served with white bread (“Texas Toast”), pickles, onions, and a bottle of delectable house made hot sauce, which is perfect for creating your own sandwiches. All of the meats are succulent and flavorful – after all, and the kitchen crew traveled to Texas to perfect their recipes.

You can’t go wrong with the spare ribs, which fall right off the bone, or the brisket, which you can get either moist or lean. The chicken is great slathered in the sauce, but the soft, juicy, smoky pork belly was my absolute favorite.

All in all, Percy Street offers up a deliciously authentic Texas BBQ experience. Just be forewarned – your clothes and hair will smell like smoked meat the next day! Mmm!

Percy Street BBQ
South Street and Percy St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 625-8510
www.percystreet.com

The Boxing Day Beer Festival! December 26th!

West Philadelphia’s Local 44 isn’t the only bar in town hosting a kick-the-keg night before Christmas.

Tomorrow on Wednesday, December 23rd, Kensington’s Memphis Taproom is hosting their own $3 draft night starting at 9pm. Everything on draft is just $3 until the kegs run completely dry. They shut down on Christmas Eve and Day, but reopen on the 26th for their exciting Boxing Day Beer Festival.

Starting at 8am, the Taproom will serve some of the best holiday and seasonal ales available, including Weissenohe Monk’s Christmas ale, De Dolle Stille Nacht ale, Victory Old Horizontal, and a lot more. A full list is available on the Memphis Taproom’s official website.

The Taproom will also be collecting canned food and gently used winter coats & blankets for to local organizations that help families in need. You’ll earn $1 off each beer if you bring in a coat, a blanket, or three cans of food.

Memphis Taproom
2331 E. Cumberland Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 425-4460
www.memphistaproom.com

Photos courtesy Jolly's Dueling Piano Bar

Jolly’s Dueling Piano Bar, one of the liveliest recent additions to Rittenhouse Square, has a special, ticket-only New Year’s Eve event planned, and it’s definitely worth checking out. Not only will they be serving complimentary cocktails and snacks, but there special packages available to suit your New Year’s Eve partying needs. Pick your favorite and toast away!

The Party Package: The standard NYE package at Jolly’s for the night. Gets you into the bar, a free champagne toast, live music, etc. $25/person.

The Table Package: This package gets you a private table, favors and table decor, a one-hour open bar (9-10 p.m.), free appetizers and a toast. The charge is $50 a person, and can be made in groups of 2, 3, 4, or more.

The Booth Package: The ultimate New Year’s Eve package at Jolly’s, for $600 you and four (minimum) to eight (max) friends get a private booth, a one-hour open bar from 9 to 10 p.m., complimentary appetizers from 9 to 11 p.m. and a midnight champagne toast for your entire party. Note: the booths really only fit six people comfortably, but you can add in two extras (squeeze!) at no additional cost.

Doors open at 8 p.m. Call ahead [(267) 687-1161] to book your spot!

Jolly’s Dueling Piano Bar
2006 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(267) 687-1161
www.jollyspianobar.com

Last week, I mentioned that Skin & Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor, was coming to a close at the Independence Seaport Museum in January. Seems I was mistaken!

Due to popular demand the exhibit will run through February 7th, staying open past their January 3rd close date. A whole extra month! Awesome.

And remember, you can also tour the exhibit on New Year’s Eve at the museum, while watching fireworks off the seaport’s second floor terrace.

Skin & Bones Tattoos Exhibit
Now through February 7th, 2010!

Independence Seaport Museum
211 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3199
(215) 925-5439
www.phillyseaport.org

A very crowded Local 44!

The end of 2009 marks Local 44′s first year in business and, like McGillin’s, they are ready to party.

Local 44 shuts down on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but on December 23rd, they are drying out their kegs. Head over to Local 44 to help them polish off all their remaining beer. Everything on draft is just $3, until all of their 20 kegs run completely dry. All of them. They’ll reopen on the 26th.

Now on New Year’s Day, starting at 4pm, Local 44 has a line up of special anniversary and holiday beers, as well as free food (what!) at 5pm. They’ve got a lot of hard-to-find beers from Stone, Scaldis, Lost Abbey, Dogfish Head, Ommegang, Port Brewing, Russian River, and more.

Two parties, one great pub. Stop by.

Local 44
4333 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 222-BEER
www.local44beerbar.com

It snowed in record numbers this weekend in Philadelphia (23 inches total), making the city a very cozy and festive place to be. (All photos by M. Edlow)

Those undeterred by the winter wonderland took to Center City for some last-minute shopping and a spot of hot chocolate.

City Hall looked gorgeous with snowflakes fluttering about — here's hoping Billy Penn was warm enough up there!

The Holidays in Philadelphia [gophila.com]

Sean Gilvey teaches glassblowing @ Hudson Beach Glass

Need a last minute, local gift? Well, from now until Christmas, Old City’s Hudson Beach Glass is offering up discounts on their glassblowing lessons.

Their “Taste” class is now just $65 (instead of $80), “Appetizer” class is just $130 (instead of $160), and their “Entree” class is a whopping $135 off the regular price. For details on every individual class, visit Hudson Beach’s official website.

The catch? You can’t take advantage of your lesson until after January 10th, when they’re done making Christmas Ornaments.

The studio is open every day, now through Christmas Eve, from noon until 7pm. They are still taking appointments for their Christmas ornament workshops, so check that out as well.

Hudson Beach Glass
26 South Strawberry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(267) 319-1887
www.hudsonbeachglasspa.com

McGillin’s Olde Ale House is all decked out for the holidays, with 1,000 feet of garland, 3,000 Christmas lights, 150 red bows, and over 200 ornaments hanging all over the bar. They broke out the holiday drinks, including Troeg’s Mad Elf, their signature Poinsettia Punch, and are even serving non-alcoholic winter beverages, like hot cocoa and hot spiced apple cider, which you can sip by the pub’s fireplace.

The holidays aside, this Center City staple has a lot more to celebrate. There’s a reason they’ve got a countdown timer on their official website. What for? New Year’s Eve marks their 150th anniversary kick-off, and they’ve got a party planned.

McGillin’s is celebrating with their very own McGillin’s 1860 IPA, and a bunch of events scheduled up to New Year’s Eve. On NYE however, they will have raffles, prizes, a DJ spinning, and a cheap, $5 cover. Probably one of the most affordable NYE parties in the city.

They’re opening early, at 9am, to kick off the celebration. Stop by after the Mummer’s Parade, have lunch (I recommend the chicken parm, surprisingly delicious), and warm up at the historic pub.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House
1310 Drury Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 735-5562
www.mcgillins.com

For most, the holidays are a time for family, friends and good cheer. Sure, you might get a little rambunctious at the office Christmas party or on New Years Eve, but it’s more about taking stock in the good things about life and the people you surround yourself with.

But not every holiday celebration is so family-friendly. The annual Running of the Santas is perhaps the perfect example of an adults-only Christmas celebration. But that doesn’t keep it from capturing the holiday spirit — or being a ton of fun.

First, some history: “The world’s naughtiest festival and pub crawl” begin in 1998 in Manayunk. That first year, more than 40 bar patrons, all dressed in Santa costumes of varying authenticity, prowled the streets and bars of Main St., partaking in excessive merriment. Since then, more and more Santas have joined the cause, and similar events have cropped up in dozens of cities across the country.

This year, the organization expects over 5,000 people to dress up and make the “run” from Finnigan’s Wake to the Electric Factory. Once they arrive at “The North Pole” (The E-Factory), a huge Christmas party will ensue, complete with food, drinks, local vendors and eight bands. Several other Philadelphia bars are participating throughout the day (dedicated Santas start early) by accommodating the Santas and offering up drink specials. Check out the org’s website for more details.

Presale tickets for the E-Factory event are still on sale (organizers say it will sell out, though). But whether you want to buy a ticket and take part in the fun, or just watch from a safe distance, The Running of the Santas is a decidedly local Christmas tradition. Sure, other cities have adopted their own variations, but to experience the original, you have to be in Philly.

The Running of the Santas
Dec. 19 – run from Finnegan’s Wake to the Electric Factory, 6pm
www.runningofthesantas.com