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Photo via Phillyist

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring, and that only means one thing to me. Free water ice at Rita’s.

Stop by any Rita’s tomorrow to score your free cup of sweet, sweet water ice. According to Phillyist, Rita’s is dishing out a new, bright yellow “Peeps” ice, flavored like those delicious, marshmallow candies.

You can find your closest Rita’s, here. I suggest visiting the Rita’s on 15th and Spruce, and strolling over to Rittenhouse Square to people-watch.

Free Water Ice Day @ Rita’s
Saturday, March 20th, 2010

[ via Phillyist ]

Our Phanatic makes a cameo at the Franklin Institute (Photo by M. Edlow for GPTMC)

This is your last chance to vote on our Phanatic statue’s name. There is one hour left before the polls close.

CLICK HERE to see the names and vote for your favorite.

Polls close TODAY, Friday, March 19, at noon.

VOTE NOW before it’s too late.

“Phanatic Around Town” Naming Contest Poll [Visit Philly]
“Phanatic Around Town” [phillies.com]

Inside the Restaurant, Photo courtesy Fond

Our friends over at Mealticket report that Fond, a great BYOB on East Passyunk, is revamping its dinner menu for the Spring season. You may recall that Fond was recently praised in the Washington Post, along with Meme and Koo Zee Doo. You can read more about that, here.

Right now, only the appetizer selection has changed, but in the next week or so, guests can expect an entire seasonal makeover.

Mealticket has the scoop on the new menu. Head over there and check it out.

Fond
1617 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 551-5000
www.fondphilly.com

[ via Mealticket ]

Outside the NCC, Photo by Jason Smith for GPTMC

You might not necessarily associate the National Constitution Center as a place for good theater… but you should. After-all, they have re-enactors visiting the Center all the time, and there’s always the daily Freedom Rising performance to check out.

And come Monday, March 22nd, visitors can get a little Shakespeare.

The NCC and the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective are presenting a free reading of Troilus and Cressida, at 6:30pm this Monday, held in conjunction with the NCC’s current Ancient Rome & America exhibition. Admission is free, but reservations are suggested.

After the performance, Dr. Daniel Berman (Professor of Greek and Roman Classics at Temple University) will lead guests in a discussion about the work.

Troilus & Cressida @ the NCC
Monday, March 22nd, 2010, 6:30pm

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

Meme, who was recently praised in the Washington Post, is bringing back their Roast Chicken For Two special.

Sure, a roast chicken sounds like a simple meal, but the preparation by executive chef/owner David Katz, is anything but.

According to a release from the restaurant, he “slow poaches the breast for up to four hours in a sous vide pouch with foie gras fat, garlic and herbs before crisping them, and roasts the legs separately, in duck fat.” Wow!

The roast chicken for two deal is $42, and is served with shiitakes, sweet onion grits and Madeira.

To check out Meme’s full menu, visit their official website.

Meme
2201 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA‎ 19103
(215) 735-4900‎
www.memerestaurant.com

Every year, Philadelphia’s Taste of the Nation raises money to fight childhood hunger, with 100% of ticket sales going straight to local charities, like Philabundance, The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, The Food Trust, and The Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center.

This year’s Taste of the Nation is on Monday, June 21st at the Loews Hotel, with Top Chef Jennifer Carroll serving at the chef chair.

Now through March 21st, you can get 15% off your ticket by using the code… well, I’m not going to tell you here. You’ll have to follow Taste of the Nation on Twitter to find out.

So go follow them, find the code to score a discounted ticket, and help support a fantastic event.

Taste of the Nation
March 21st, 2010
www.strength.org/philadelphia

Inside the Rosenbach's historic house, Photo courtesy the Rosenbach Museum

Listen up Keats fans, next week is your last chance to experience the Rosenbach Museum & Library’s ‘Love Letters’ tour, which provides a glimpse into a number of rare, original love letters. This includes one of the poetic writings of John Keats, a love letter he wrote for Fanny Brawne just before he died, and a letter from Benjamin Rush, one of the Founding Fathers, to his beloved Julia Stockton.

The final tour is this Wednesday, March 24th, at 3pm. No RSVPS are required. Tours are free with museum admission.

For ticket prices and museum hours, visit the Rosenbach’s official website.

The Rosenbach Museum & Library
2008-2010 Delancey Place, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 732-1600
www.rosenbach.org

Poster courtesy the Independence Seaport Museum

Following up from their acclaimed run of Skin & Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor, the Independence Seaport Museum is launching a new exhibition entitled It Sprang From the River! Everyday Objects with Maritime Secrets.

The original and interactive exhibit features a number of maritime inventions and discoveries that have become a part of everyday life, and explains the connection between the seafaring and ‘landlubber’ worlds. From bell bottoms, to cell phones, to perfume, to the Slinky, you’ll learn how these objects left the seafaring culture and became staples on land.

It Sprang From the River! opens March 26th and runs through January 3rd, 2011. Keep your eye on the Independence Seaport Museum’s official website for events. No doubt there will be plenty of events scheduled around this new exhibit.

It Sprang from the River!
March 26th, 2010 – January 3rd, 2011

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

 
Where else can you learn about a neighborhood 300 years in the making, settled by the Dutch and Germans grab one of the tastiest bites of barbeque you ever wrapped your lips around and visit a historic hall dedicated to honoring Black and minority World World II veterans?

In Germantown, of course! Take a trip with our host, Saleana Pettaway, as she explores this diverse neighborhood that features some of the best Philly has to offer in the form of food from The Rib Crib, history, art at the Lucien Crump Art Gallery and culture at the little-known but highly regarded ACES Museum.

If you think it looks good on the screen, wait until you test it out in person!

Check out the full list of sites featured in the video, after the jump.

Previously: Exploring Northwest Philadelphia Video Series: Germantown History

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Top: Olive oil decanters; Bottom: Bread box and olive oil (all photos by M. McClellan)

The Garces Trading Company opened its doors just over a month ago to much fanfare. Charcuterie! Macarons! Bottled wine sales! I finally headed over on Monday to take a few pictures and see for myself what so many had been raving about.

The Garces Trading Company is located at 1111 Locust Street, just around the corner from Jefferson Hospital and a few blocks west of Washington Square. When you first walk in, you have a choice to make. You can ask for table (where you’ll be tended to by a friendly server) or you can opt to shop for a few gourmet groceries.

Shoppers can select from a gorgeous display of cheeses, charcuterie (some made in-house), breads, pastries, jams, olive oils and ready-to-go meals. Additionally, a small wine room takes up a large portion of the east wall of the space, making it possible for shoppers to pick all the essentials for a summer concert or picnic. This wine option is particularly exciting, since Pennsylvania wine laws typically make it impossible to buy a bottle outside a state store. Here’s hoping this is won’t be the last of such joint ventures.

If you choose to dine in, you’ll find yourself tucked in at one of the well-lit, comfy tables in the center of the space. The GTC menu has a number of options and from what I experienced, they do them all exceedingly well. If you’re stopping in for a quick lunch, the soups, salads and sandwiches are accessibly priced ($6-11) and generously sized. For sharing, I’d recommend one of the oblong, thin crust pizzas ($12-13). They also make a deep dish pie, but I didn’t have an opportunity to try it.

If you’re feeling nibbly, you can order up a couple cheeses (they are $6 a portion) and a bit of the charcuterie ($8 a portion). Tangy bread, olive oil and salt arrive on the table as soon as you order. I had the opportunity to try their house-made Chicken Liver Mousse and it’s been haunting my dreams. Smooth and luscious, I can’t stop thinking about when I’ll be able to return and taste it again.

The other item I tried that I found impossibly delicious was their made-to-order mozzarella. It arrives on your table warm and drizzled with bright, lemony olive oil. It was bursting with the flavor of fresh, creamy milk and while eating it, I had to resist the urge to pull the dish towards me and wrap my arms around it in affection. I really wanted to keep it all to myself. However, since that sort of behavior unseemly in adulthood, I refrained.

If you haven’t been yet, please do make a point of visiting Garces Trading Company. It offers an easy, delicious and inexpensive option for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. You can’t really for much more than that.

Garces Trading Company
1111 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA
215-574-1099
www.garcestradingcompany.com/