Uwishunu.com

Guests eat and drink before the Philly 360 program begins

Last night, Philly 360°® celebrated Black History Month and its one year anniversary with a packed house at Tangerine. They announced their 2010 Creative Ambassadors, trendsetters who are making history now.

Making up the 2010 class of Creative Ambassadors are Marsha Ambrosius, Marc Byers, Chloé Davis, Orrin Evans, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Set Free, Nikki Jean, Jeri Lynne Johnson, Rakia Reynolds, Ursula Rucker, and Writtenhouse.

2010 Creative Ambassador Chloé Davis, a Philadanco dancer and owner of Tigerlily event planning company, smiles for the camera

With DJ Statik spinning, it was a great night of music, food, drinks, and a special showing of video and radio vignettes featuring some of the ambassadors courtesy of CBS3, The CW Philly 57 and KYW1060. Stay tuned, because Philly 360°® has a lot planned for 2010.

Check out the rest of the photos after the jump!

Philly 360
www.visitphilly.com/philly360

(more…)

Looking for brunch plans this weekend? The South Philly Bar & Grill recently announced a new ‘Sinatra’ brunch, dishing out themed specials around the music of Frank Sinatra. Check out some highlights from the menu:

Nice & Easy Cinnamon French Toast ($8)
with fresh fruit and maple syrup

3 Eggs My Way ($8)
with scrapple smoked bacon or sweet sausage, home fries and toast

High Hopes Top Sirloin Cheeseburger ($11)
with a fried egg and home fries

South of the Border Breakfast Tacos ($7)
three tacos, filled with sweet sausage, scrambled eggs, Monterrey/Cheddar cheese and pico de gallo

Guests can also expect the traditional brunch cocktails, like Bloody Marys and Mimosas, and can sip on them while listening to Sinatra on the South Philly Bar & Grill’s stereo. The brunch takes place every Saturday and Sunday, from 10am to 3pm.

South Philly Bar & Grill
1235 E. Passayunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 334-3300
www.southphillybar.com

The James Beard Award; and a dish at Bibou.

Known as the Oscars for foodies, the James Beard Foundation Awards unveiled its semifinalists today, confirming what you uwishunu readers already know: Philadelphia’s got some fantastic restaurants.

Special props to Bibou (two nominations), Tria (two nominations), Vetri (three nominations) and newcomer Koo Zee Doo (four nominations) for representing Philadelphia so tastily.

Stay tuned for the finalists (March 22) and the winners (May 3).

Full list of Greater Philadelphia semifinalists after the jump!

(more…)

Hudson Beach Glass, a wonderful glassworks studio in Old City, is hosting a vodka and caviar tasting next Saturday, February 27th.

They’ve partnered up with Hansen’s Caviar, the oldest purveyor of caviar in the country, for this special evening of glass making. Nibble on caviar as Sean Gilvey creates special cordial glasses (pictured) for your shots of vodka.

Tickets cost $50 per person, and includes two handmade cordials to take home. The studio regularly charges $50 for the cordials alone, so this is a pretty sweet deal.

You can purchase tickets online via Hudson Beach’s official website, call, or stop by the shop. Space is limited.

Vodka & Caviar Tasting @ Hudson Beach
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
$50

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

Excited sledders in Fort Washington State Park

Due to the snow over the past week or so, Ft. Washington State Park is currently awash in winter splendor.

Full of hills and fields suitable for sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking and just having fun, the park is one of the largest open spaces around. Because there is so much snow, there is still time to enjoy this winter wonderland before it melts away.

The park has almost 500 acres to explore, all just off Route 73 (Skippack Pike) near Bethlehem Pike. The Militia Hill Picnic Area used to be the location of a fort for the Continental Army in the American Revolution. Now its 400 foot hill has become a prime sledding area with an amazing view of the Whitemarsh Valley from the top. Cross country skiing fans can start by exploring the 1.7 loop around the bottom of Militia Hill.

Those who enjoy snowshoeing have plenty of grassy areas to discover. If you are really lucky, you might catch glimpses of some of the area’s wildlife.

For more info and directions on how to get there, check out the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ page on the park.

Ft. Washington State Park
http://bit.ly/9SaRJD

Part two of the video series takes us to the far end of the Northwest section of the city, to Chestnut Hill.

Chestnut Hill is the perfect mix of residential and retail, where you can shop on ‘The Avenue’ (Germantown Avenue), go hiking and biking in Valley Green (Wissahickon Valley Park), view masterpieces at the Woodmere Art Museum and loose yourself amidst the flora and fauna at Morris Arboretum, all in one day!

Take a cyber ride with our host, Saleana Pettaway as she explores the peaks and valleys of Chestnut Hill.

After the jump, check out the list of places featured in the video.

Previously: Exploring Northwest Philadelphia: West Oak Lane

(more…)

The Academy of Natural Sciences

Next weekend, the Academy of Natural Sciences is inviting visitors to craft their own jewelry from plants, just in time for the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Participants will meet Jane Kilduff, a judge and participant at the Philadelphia Flower Show, known for her fantastic  nature-inspired jewelry. She’ll share her techniques with guests, and afterwards, class participants can tour the Academy’s George Washington Carver exhibit, to learn how nature influenced him.

Tickets are $30, which includes admission to the exhibits and the class.

Nature Jewelry Craft Workshop @ the Academy
Saturday, February 27th, 1pm – 2:30pm

Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 299-1000
www.ansp.org

Bowling at North Bowl, Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC

Back on My Feet, a nonprofit that promotes the self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem, is hosting a free social event at North Bowl on Monday, February 22nd, from 6-8pm.

Interested in learning more about the organization or just want to meet some truly kind, caring Philadelphians? Consider attending!

There’s free bowling and food – but if you could bring a dessert, that’s be great.

You can RSVP here via Back On My Feet’s official website.

Back on My Feet
www.backonmyfeet.org

North Bowl
909 N. Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 238-BOWL
www.northbowlphilly.com

Our friends over at the Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau (BCCVB) recently posted the promotional video from their visitors center theater on YouTube.

The video, shot in 2003, features a young Mark Indelicato, the Philadelphia youth who plays Justin Suarez on Ugly Betty. Neat!

Check out the video, and to learn more about Bucks County, check out visitbuckscounty.com.

Visit Bucks County
www.visitbuckscounty.com

Coolers at The Foodery (photo by J. Smith for GPTMC)

Love to drink beer, but don’t know a lager from a porter? Want to expand your hoppy horizons? Consider enrolling in one of The Foodery’s Beer Academy class. Each session will give you the opportunity to taste 12 representative beer types, from ales to stouts (and so much in between). The Foodery beer experts will be on hand to help you learn about the various styles of brews sitting in front of you, as well as how to articulate the flavors you’re tasting.

The classes will be taking place this Thursday, February 18 at 4 p.m. at Dos Segundos, Saturday, February 20 at 3 p.m. at Local 44 and Saturday, February 27 at 1 p.m. at Nodding Head. Tickets are $15 a head, and are on sale at both Foodery locations, as well as at the host venues.

And, if the class is more of a commitment than you’re looking for, consider checking out the free weekly tastings at The Foodery’s Northern Liberties location. The next one is Thursday, February 25 from 6-8 p.m. and they’ll be tasting the newest releases from the Flying Fish brewery.