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Brunch at Marigold Kitchen (all photos by M. McClellan)

Marigold Kitchen is a Philadelphia institution. This stately rowhouse in West Philly, just a few blocks from Clark Park has been a restaurant since 1934. In those days, it was known as the Marigold Tea Room, and was a haven for Penn students and professors. Since 2004, it has been a casually elegant BYOB that has nurtured several talented area chefs. The most recent alum is Erin O’Shea, who is now at the new Percy Street Barbecue on South Street.

Philly-area native Robert Halpern has taken over the kitchen from O’Shea and brings nearly fifteen years of experience with him. Halpern recently expanded Marigold Kitchen’s offerings to include Sunday brunch (a brilliant move in this residential neighborhood with relatively few brunch spots) and so last Sunday, my husband and I paid a visit* to see how this new incarnation of Marigold Kitchen does eggs, waffles, french toast and coffee.

Walking in right at 10:30, we were greeted by a small, crackling fire. There were just a couple of occupied tables, but this wasn’t a worrisome sign, as we were there within minutes of opening. The friendly front-of-house staff soon had us tucked away in the house’s former dining room, with menus, coffee (good, strong) and orange juice (freshly squeezed, with abundant pulp).

We ordered the steak and eggs (one over-easy egg perched atop a gorgeously medium-rare petite filet), the pain perdu (cereal-crusted challah with a cinnamon-infused foam) and their version of a croque monsieur (essentially a truffled smoked salmon sandwich. I am a sucker for anything truffled). Additionally, the kitchen sent out their house waffle, which was crisp, tender and was topped with whipped cream and toasted pine nuts. Certainly, the most indulgent waffle I’ve had recently (it made my homemade whole grain ones seem prissy and staid in comparison).

My only word of warning about Marigold Kitchen is for those of you who like a egg with a firmly cooked white. I found their egg whites to be the runny side of acceptable. Certainly edible (and with gorgeously hued yolks), but if you’re at all picky about such things, you might want to include a word in your order, to ensure you’ll receive a egg that you’ll be happy with.

Marigold Kitchen
501 S. 45th Street, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 222-3699
www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com

*Disclosure: Our meal was organized by Marigold Kitchen’s PR firm and was complimentary.

Inside Hudson Beach

If you’ve strolled the streets of Old City on any First Friday, you’ve most likely stopped by Hudson Beach Glass, the quaint glass works studio on Strawberry Street. Owned by Sean Gilvey, a third generation glassblower from New York, and his lovely wife Emily, a Philly native, Hudson Beach Glass has been a Philadelphia staple since it opened in late 2008.

What you may not know is that Hudson Beach offers a great variety of glassblowing classes that you can take year-round. Whether you just want to get a quick taste of what the art of glassblowing is all about, or want to go all out with a three-hour class, Hudson Beach Glass has something in store for any glass lover.

Learning how to heat glass @ Hudson Beach

We got to check out the two-hour “Appetizer” class, which offers an insightful intro to the shop, tools, equipment, and the art of glassblowing, as well as an initial foundation in body positioning.

Not only did I leave the class with a deep appreciation of this art form, but with my very own self-made colorful (if not perfect) cup and paper weight that are now proudly displayed on my windowsill.

The glass and paper weight I made @ Hudson Beach!

Classes start at $80 for the one-hour “Taste” course. You can take the class solo or bring a a friend and make it a date at no additional charge. And with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, this may just be the perfect gift for your artsy-crafty loved one. The studio is offering a Valentine’s Day weekend special: Call on February 13th or 14th and receive a one-hour class at a reduced rate of $65, which you can then take anytime after Valentine’s Day.

For the full list of classes and upcoming special installations, check out Hudson Beach Glass’ website.

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

Stop by Bus Stop Boutique's Warehouse sale for deep discounts and charitable giving

Friday

Phillyist Framed @ Studio 34
Local Philly blog, Phillyist, shows off their favorite regional photographers in a gallery at Studio 34. Opening tonight!

The Threshing Floor @ the Adrienne Theatre
Last chance to catch this fantastic play, produced by the Mauckingbird Theatre Company. It closes this Sunday.

Bus Stop Boutique’s Warehouse Sale
The epic sale started yesterday and runs all weekend. Bus Stop is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Red Cross.

Pierogie Week @ the Green Rock Tavern
Last week, Meal Ticket tipped us off to this awesome week-long celebration of pierogies at the Green Rock Tavern. This weekend, the celebration wraps up. Go pay the tavern a visit.

Saturday

Carnival Celebration @ the Rum Bar
Stop by the upscale Rittenhouse bar to get a taste of Brazil. Traditional cocktails, live music, and dancers make this a great place Saturday night.

Sunday

Beef & Beer at the South Philly Taproom
Stop by the 2nd annual Beef and Beer event at SPTR. All you can eat beef and beer? Get on that.

Tell Your Story @ the Magic Gardens
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens invite you and the family out for an illustration-book-making workshop. Create your own book telling your life story.

Junior Jazz Festival @ the Please Touch Museum
The month long celebration of jazz kicks off today. Stop by for the most kid-friendly jazz festival ever.

Don’t forget, tonight’s Phillyist’s big night at Studio 34! It’s the launch of Phillyist Framed, 2010.

For those of you unfamiliar with Phillyist’s wonderful Photoist column, every weekday the blog highlights an outstanding photo from a local photographer. Phillyist Framed is a week-long celebration of these talented local artists, and kicks off tonight at Studio 34.

Stop by, check out some photographs, and then join Phillyist for the after-party at Local 44 directly after the opening.

Studio 34
4522 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143
(215) 387-3434
www.studio34yoga.com

Hamilton Hall... soon to be Jazz Hall?

Hey jazz fans! Don’t forget, the Junior Jazz festival starts on Sunday, launching a full month of music and events at the Please Touch Museum.

Running from January 31st to February 28th, 2010, the Junior Jazz Festival is the only event in the area that introduces young kids to the joys of jazz. Stop by and witness the transformation of the Please Touch Museum into a giant, kid-friendly jazz club.

It all starts this Sunday!

18th Annual Junior Jazz Festival
January 31st – February 28th, 2010

Please Touch Museum
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 581-3181
www.pleasetouchmuseum.org

Half lobster atop pasta & red sauce, salad, and dessert at London Grill... all for under $20

Fairmount’s London Grill combines the atmosphere of a neighborhood pub with a fine dining experience. For a limited time, with reservations, the restaurant is offering all guests a three-course “Surf or Turf” special for $18.95. I stopped in with a friend last week to try out the new menu, and left impressed.

Commenced with fresh salad served alongside house-made focaccia and olive oil, completed with a delicious chocolate mousse, diners have two options for main entrees. The petite filet, served with scalloped potatoes and spinach, or the half lobster, served atop pasta and red sauce. Wines specifically chosen to be paired with the dishes are also available for $5 a glass.

If the special doesn’t pique your interest, the restaurant has a variety of dishes for any diner. With a creative menu that changes daily, London Grill has a focus on fresh and local ingredients to bring about dishes from Seared Duck Breast (fregola sarda, butternut squash, apple chutney, tangerine sauce) to BBQ Pork (with collared greens, mac and cheese).

Beyond the restaurant, the bar offers a robust selection of imported and domestic drafts and bottles, from the local offerings of breweries such as Victory, Stoudts and Dogfish Head to lagers, ales and porters from England’s Sam Smith or France’s Kronenbourg Brewery. In addition, there is also an extensive list of cocktails and wine.

All in all, London Grill was a multitude of pleasant experiences under one roof. It’s the venue for both a cozy dinner date or for sitting at the bar for drinks and watching a game, whilst satisfying late-night cravings.

London Grill
2301 Fairmount Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 978-4545
www.londongrill.com
Twitter: @LondonGrill

Jered McLenigan, Kevin Meehan, Jared Delaney and Brian McCann across the counter in the back in Amaryllis Theatre Company's production of Gagarin Way

“It’s a messy business, politics,” says one of the characters in Gagarin Way. And so it is, especially when your ideology is out of sync with the times.

The play centers on Scottish workers named Eddie and Gary, who hatch a plot to fight against multinational capitalism by kidnapping an executive of the computer chip company they work for. They’re both enamored of the socialist tradition and believe their “terrorist” action will make a big statement. Only problem is, this takes place in the summer of 2001 and the Iron Curtain has long fallen by the wayside. They’re rebels … but with a cause that’s doesn’t matter anymore.

That’s just one bit of bungling in a string of mishaps. The entire plan is ill-conceived. A security guard gets pulled into the caper, the kidnapped executive doesn’t meet expectations, and, well, I’ll leave the rest to your surprise.

All the while Eddie, a skittish wannabe philosopher, seethes with resentment, while Gary is determined to make sure his anarchist action sends a message. The dialogue flows fast, and in order to catch it all you need a darn good ear for a thick Scottish brogue. It takes a while to get used to the dialect, but in the end, it’s worth it. An exciting combination of dark humor and violence, this is a stimulating 90-minutes of theater with the main characters doing a first-rate job of it.

Gagarin Way
Now through February 7th, 2010

The Playground at the Adrienne Theater
2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA

Motivational Poster from World War I

The Philadelphia Sketch Club is celebrating their 150th anniversary, and as a part of their grand celebration, the National Constitution Center is hosting a new exhibit, Inspiring a Nation.

The special exhibition features World War I posters created by Philadelphia Sketch Club artists, who were part of the national movement to motivate citizens to support the war effort. Over three hundred artists across the country participated in creating these works, with over seven hundred designs submitted.

The posters will be on display from February 4th through April 25th, 2010, and entrance to the exhibit is free with museum admission.

Philadelphia Sketch Club
www.sketchclub.org

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

Outside Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

If you’ve ever taken a stroll down South Street – or anywhere around South Philly, for that matter – there’s no doubt your eye’s been caught by the work of Isaiah Zagar. Zagar is the artist behind all of those shimmering mosaic, tile, glass, mirror, and object-laden murals. Though his work covers buildings and walls all around the area, the epicenter of his remarkable work is Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, at 1020 South Street.

People casually passing by are dumbfounded by the sprawling, glittering maze-like artwork that covers half a city block. If you’ve never taken the time to actually step inside, now you have even more incentive to do so: a new exhibit of Zagar’s prints (he was a versatile artist!) is up at the Gardens, and admission is just a few dollars.

Inside the Magic Gardens' gallery

The rarely-seen prints in the exhibit chronicle Zagar’s life and artistic development from his time as a young artist, to parenthood, to old age. The prints, mostly etchings and woodcuts, are mind-blowingly intricate and filled with somewhat jarring sentiment. There’s also an award-winning documentary about Zagar that you can watch in his studio.

As part of Philagrafika 2010, there are two special community events taking place at the Magic Gardens, offering a chance to get your own hands dirty with printing ink – check them out here. Zagar and his Magic Gardens is one of Philly’s most unusual artistic offerings. Make sure to check it out!

Philagrafika
www.philagrafika2010.org

50 Years of Printmaking: Works on Paper by Isaiah Zagar
January 15th – March 5th

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
1020 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 733-0390
www.philadelphiasmagicgardens.org

Mauckingbird Theater Company's poster for TRU & the Threshing Floor

The Threshing Floor, directed by Brandon McShaffrey, skillfully examines and unfolds the complicated life of Baldwin, author of a number of formative works including Giovanni’s Room and Go Tell It on the Mountain, in a moving one-act, one-man play written by and starring James Ijames.

In the play, Ijames portrays Baldwin’s mentors, family members and lovers, as well as other luminaries in Baldwin’s time, including Josephine Baker, Eldridge Cleaver and Richard Wright. The play takes the shape of a fictional interview between a graduate student and Baldwin and traces the author’s journey from 1920’s Harlem where he grew up under the thumb of strict, religious parents to his move to Paris as a 24-year old, with only $40 in his pocket. In its final moments, it recounts Baldwin’s subsequent return to America and his passionate involvement in the civil rights movement.

The Threshing Floor vividly recounts the racism and homophobia that Baldwin, an openly gay black man, was subject to during the early 50s and 60s and yet manages to bring levity in its approach of such serious topics. A surprise addition to the performance was Ijames’ pleasant singing voice, which he used to accentuate the tone of poignant scenes. Whether it is a belated-celebration of MLK Day or in preparation of Black History Month, a performance of The Threshing Floor affords an important exploration of a quintessential American figure.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for senior citizens and $15 for students. The show closes this Sunday, so do catch it while you still can. For play dates and times, visit the Mauckingbird Theatre’s website.

The Threshing Floor
Now through January 31st, 2010

Adrienne Theatre
2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103