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Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

The amazing folks at Giovanni’s Room are still hard at work with their fundraising efforts, but thanks to supporters of the wonderful little gayborhood bookstore, they are more than halfway to the $50k needed to pay for reconstructing the front wall. Congrats!

There are several final readings scheduled this year, each dishing out an opportunity to help the shop. Stop by, donate some cash, and meet some incredibly gifted local and national writers.

All of the readings start at 5:30, with Q&A’s running until 7ish. Books by visiting authors will be available at 10% off their cover price in-store.

Saturday, December 19th, 2009
Jane Velez-Mitchell
Author of iWant: My Journey from Addiction and Over-consumption to a Simpler, Honest Life

Sunday, December 20th, 2009
Dru Bruin
Butch Bear Calendar 2010 coverman Dru Bruin is visiting the bookshop to greet fans and sign calendars. This is his only Philly area appearance, and calendars will be available in store… but supplies are limited!

Sunday, December 27th, 2009
Peter Corvino & Mary Cappello will be at the shop for a reading and Q&A.

Sunday, December 28th, 2009
Sarah Schulman & Eileen Myles meet Giovanni’s Room supporters at the William Way Community Center (1315 Spruce St) for a reading and booksigning.

Stop by, and show your support for one of Philly’s most unique independent bookstores.

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

helping hands by Jeiber age 5

Back in 2000, Centro Nueva Creacion launched a unique after school and summer arts program called The Goodlands. The program worked with students of Fairhill and West Kensington neighborhoods, introducing them to professional photographers who taught them all about the art, and has continued to do so through 2009.

Last week, on December 10th, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology launched an exhibit to display the works of these young photographers, entitled The Goodlands: Young Photographers Inspiring Hope in North Philadelphia.

The exhibit features over 40 photographs taken between 2000 and 2009 by neighborhood kids, and is on display in the Museum’s Kress gallery.

The exhibit will be up through May 2010, and won’t be hard for kids to find. The Kress Gallery is the primary entrance for schoolchildren when they visit the museum.

The Goodlands: Young Photographers…
Now Through May 2010

Penn Museum
3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-4001
www.museum.upenn.edu

Balasmic Vinegar at A Taste of Olive

Enter to win a gift of your choosing from our Philadelphia Holiday Gift Guide. One lucky winner will get to choose from 15 locally sold gifts. Check back daily, at 1PM, for new gifts each day now through mid December. Even if you don’t win, you might discover a great gift idea.

Today’s Gift of the Day comes from A Taste of Olive, a local shop in West Chester, PA that specializes in olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Not only can you purchase oils from all over the world here, you can sample them as well. Exotically flavored olive oil? You bet.

The smooth, Taste of Olive brand balsamic vinegar is produced in the traditional Modena style, has been aged for 18 years in various wood barrels. The result is a unique, yet balanced flavor with uncompromising character.

These bottles retail at $16.95 a pop. For more info on A Taste of Olive, be sure to visit their official website.

A Taste of Olive
40 South High Street, West Chester, PA 19382
(610) 429-0292
www.atasteofolive.com

Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC

Ah, Winter Break. School is out and the children are running amuck, going stir crazy at home, and chances are, driving their parents wild. Thankfully, the National Constitution Center has the means to keep your little ones busy over winter recess, at least for a little while.

Their new winter camp session, entitled Growing Up, American Style, is based on the National Constitution Center’s summer camp program, delivering an interactive learning experience for kids ages 6 to 14.

Campers will learn all about life as children during several eras in American history; Colonial, Civil War, Progressive, and the Civil Rights eras. Through activities like soap making, old fashioned games, etiquette classes and more, campers will learn all about how kids their age lived way back when.

The camp runs Monday, December 28th through Thursday, December 31st, from 9am to 4pm, giving parents a much needed break during the day. Registration is a low $50 for non-members ($45 for members).

Registration for the camp ends this coming Monday, December 21st. To request additional information, call the NCC, or email the camp program directly at  camp[at]constitutioncenter.org.

National Constitution Center’s Winter Break Camp
December 28th – 31st, 9am – 4pm, $45 – $50

National Constitution Center
525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 409-6700
www.constitutioncenter.org

Vango Lounge and Skybar, one of the city’s swankiest hotspots, has gathered rave reviews from the nightlife set for its modern Asian decor and lively social scene. But the biggest draw is the amazing upstairs deck (complete with oversized beds and outdoor seating) that pulls in capacity crowds on the weekends. (Photo by G. Widman)

Vango Lounge & Skybar [Official Site]

Two of Chifa's buns, Photo courtesy Chifa

Like just about everyone in this city, I’m a big fan of newly crowned Iron Chef Jose Garces. But, unfortunately, my budget doesn’t leave room for eating at his restaurants very frequently. I’ve got the perfect solution to that, though: happy hour at Chifa!

Chifa is Garces’ classy Peruvian/Cantonese fusion restaurant, and between 5 and 7 on weekdays they offer up a fabulous combination of buns and beers.

There are four different kinds of “buns,” which are tasty little morsels of meat sandwiched between different kinds of delectable breads. Each bun is paired with a specific beer, but you’re free to mix and match to your heart’s content. $10 will get you one beer and one bun, $15 for 2 beers and buns, $20 for 3, and $25 for all 4 combos. Determined to try them all, I sidled up to the swanky bar and ordered the lot of them. If you don’t have a huge appetite, four of the little buns are plenty for a lovely dinner.

The idea for “Buns and Beer” first came from the regular menu’s ever-popular pork belly buns, which is no surprise – they’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious, with flavors heavily influenced by Cantonese cuisine. The pork belly bun is paired with Kenzinger Lager, which never fails to please.

The second bun is grilled chicken with panca emulsion and bacon. The meat is good, but my favorite part of this bun was the “pan de bono” bread. The cheesy bun is made with yucca flour and backed with queso fresco! The chicken bun is paired with Flying Fish’s Bayshore Oyster Stout. The delicious beer is brewed with real oyster shells, but all you’ll taste is the smooth and chocolaty flavor.

The third bun is the braised duck (my favorite of them all), which is shredded and served on a decadent brioche bun slathered in that spicy guava butter I mentioned. It’s super juicy, with quite the tasty kick, and nicely paired with Elysian’s Immortal IPA, which is surprisingly light and drinkable.

If you’re in the mood for seafood, opt for the final bun – spicy shrimp with a slice of avocado. Victory’s Golden Monkey (the only bottled beer of the bunch) packs quite the alcoholic punch as its accompaniment.

At just $25 for all this goodness, I’ll be back for my Garces fix soon enough!

Chifa
707 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 925-5555
www.chifarestaurant.com

Johnny Brenda's at night, Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC

Last weekend, Positive Space hosted their annual craft bazaar at Standard Tap. This weekend however, they’ve moved up North.

This Sunday, December 20th, Positive Space is setting up shop inside Fishtown’s Johnny Brenda’s for yet another arts-and-crafts holiday show. It’s their third annual Procrastinator’s Holiday Bazaar at Johnny B’s.

The craft show starts at noon and runs until 4pm. Exhibiting artists will be selling works in glass, jewelery, paintings, prints… all sorts of one-of-a-kind crafts that make excellent gifts.

And hey, when you’re done shopping, sit down and have lunch at JB’s. Their burger is fantastic.

Positive Space
www.positivespace.net

Johnny Brenda’s
1201 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 739-9684
www.johnnybrendas.com

The cast of a Christmas Carol, Photo by Mark Garvin

Just a handful of performances of A Christmas Carol remain at the Walnut Street Theater, and it is a great way to kick-off your holiday celebration in Center City with the family.

This version, directed by Bernard Havard, is fitted nicely with the makings of a great production for kids: a fast pace, fun score, bright colors, and recognizable story. Check out matinees this Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The stage production of the 1843 Charles Dickens classic includes a lively score and the classic story of how grouchy and miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge, played endearingly by Benjamin Lovell, is reminded of the Christmas spirit.

Children sit on the age of their seats when a spooky Jacob Marley (Nathan Holt) bursts through the curtain, one of a dozen stage tricks and gags that keep kids interested. The performance is built on a small cast playing multiple roles and stripped of needless transitions in a story that most have seen countless times.

A Christmas Carol @ the Walnut Street Theatre
Dec. 5 – 19th, 2009

Walnut Street Theatre
825 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA
(215) 574-3550
www.walnutstreettheatre.org

Joanne Cunningham and Eric Singel of The Waitstaff

Sure, there a plenty of holiday deals floating around. Boutiques hosting trunk shows, local craft festivals, even discounted tickets at places like the Kimmel Center. But holiday sketch comedy? There’s something you don’t hear every holiday season.

Domenick Scudera is directing a brand new show written and performed by Sara Carano, Joanne Cunningham, Gerre Garrett, Chris McGovern and Eric Singel of The Waitstaff, entitled Look Who’s Turning 2009! An Evening of Sketch Comedy for the Holidays.

The first show took place on Sunday, but you can still catch two more performances, on Wednesday, December 16th, and Thursday, December 17th, at the L’Etage Cabaret in Queen Village. Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets, and are $15.

For more information on The WaitStaff, visit their official website.

Look Who’s Turning 2009! An Evening of Sketch Comedy for the Holidays
December 17th & 18th, 8PM, $15

L’Etage
624 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 592-0656
www.creperie-beaumonde.com

Duke & Winston Hoodie available at Matthew Izzo

Enter to win a gift of your choosing from our Philadelphia Holiday Gift Guide. One lucky winner will get to choose from 15 locally sold gifts. Check back daily, at 1PM, for new gifts each day now through mid December. Even if you don’t win, you might discover a great gift idea.

Today’s Gift of the Day is available at the Matthew Izzo Boutique in Philadelphia’s Old City.

The Duke & Winston fleece zip hoodie is an enzyme fabric-washed, super soft eco-fleece hoodie which features, of course, the Duke & Winston crown on the left arm. It’s available in Royal Blue, and retails for $56 in Izzo’s boutique.

To learn more about Matthew Izzo and his shop, visit his official website, or scope out the We Your People video after the jump!

Matthew Izzo Boutique
151 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 829-0606
www.matthewizzo.com

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