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The new National Museum of American Jewish History will open in Nov. 2010 on Independence Mall. (Image courtesy NMAJH)

To mark the opening of their brand new museum on Independence Mall, the National Museum of American Jewish History will be hosting a Grand Opening Weekend, Nov. 12-14, headlined by entertainers Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld at a Saturday night Gala on Nov. 13.

In addition to the Gala, the three-day celebration will include a symposium on Friday and a Grand Opening Dedication Ceremony on Sunday with participation by prominent elected officials, national community leaders and distinguished dignitaries.

To see a full schedule of Grand Opening Weekend events, visit the NMAJH website.

The museum itself rises five stories above Independence Mall in the heart of Historic Philadelphia on the southeast corner of 5th and Market Streets, joining Independence Hall, the National Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell and other landmarks at the hallowed site of America’s birth.

After the museum opens to the public on November 14, visitors will experience intriguing permanent and changing exhibitions, rare artifacts and interactive displays will mark the trials and triumphs of American Jews through every phase of our country’s history.

The 100,000-square-foot, five-story museum welcomes all people, inviting them to discover what they have in common with the Jewish experience in America and explore the features that make their history distinct.

Stay tuned for more information — about the Museum and its opening — as the Grand Opening Weekend approaches.

National Museum of American Jewish History Grand Opening Weekend [Official Site]

In just a few weeks, a team of representatives from Philadelphia (including one from Philly Homegrown) will be headed to the bi-annual Terre Madre International Conference in Turin, Italy. Before the delegation hits the road, the Philly Slow Food chapter wants to share a bit of our local, Slow Food-style products and producers with the community.

Join them on Sunday, October 3 from 12 noon until 3 p.m. downstairs at the World Cafe Live in University City. The event will feature food, beer, music, food demos, and exhibitors that live the Slow Food philosophy. Healthy Bites and Dock Street Brewery will provide complementary food and beer. There will also be live music, several food demos performed by local chefs, and a host of exhibitors including:

-Harvest Local Foods
-Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA)
-MANNA
-Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger
-Grid Magazine
-Farm to City
-Urban Nutrition Initiative
-Fair Food Farmstand
-Restaurant School
-Reading Terminal Market

They’ll also be showcasing several culinary seminars and demonstrations, including a pasta making demo by Roberta Adamo, Executive Chef of Penne Restaurant, a wine seminar, cheese, and chocolate. Music will be provided by Trolley Stop, a band who specializes in folk music from around the world. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. They can be purchased online here.

President Obama shows Reading Terminal Market and Philadelphia's signature sandwich some love.
(Photo: TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama made an unannounced visit to the Reading Terminal Market today, where he picked up a few Philly cheesesteaks from Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheesesteaks. He ordered the cheesesteaks with cheez wiz, mushrooms and sweet peppers and got them to-go.

On his way out, Obama picked up some mint chocolate chip ice cream as well as a few apples, after a vendor suggested something healthy on the side.

Well done, Reading Terminal Market — you look great.

In Philly, Obama opts for cheesesteaks, not fruit [CNN Political Ticker]
In Philly, it’s 2 cheesesteaks to go for Obama [AP]
Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks [Visit Philly]

Museum Day = A great Saturday in Philly. (Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC)

Get your culture on for free this Saturday, September 25th, thanks to the sixth annual Museum Day.

In the Philadelphia region, approximately 20 museums are giving their sales staff the day off and inviting the public to experience their collections for free.

All you have to do to is go the official Museum Day website, fill out the form, and download the required ticket.

And here are some ideas for what you could do with your Museum Day ticket, good for admission to one museum for you and a guest:

• The Franklin Institute – Cleopatra isn’t included in the admission, but when’s the last time you walked through The Giant Heart or tested your skills in The Sports Challenge? Plus, the museum’s totally re-imagined Changing Earth and Electricity exhibits opened earlier this year.

• Brandywine River Museum – Fall in love with the Philadelphia countryside all over again when you browse the breathtaking works of the suburb-loving Wyeth family. While you’re there, check out the current exhibition, Reality Check: Contemporary American Trompe l’Oeil.

• The African American Museum in Philadelphia – Meet some people who lived and worked in 18th-century Philadelphia through life-size, 3-D projections in the Audacious Freedom exhibition, and then go beyond the textbook account of Rosa Parks with 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story.

• Scott Arboretum – It might not be a museum, but Saturday’s weather definitely calls for some outdoor activities. So take in the last of the beautiful weather by strolling the arboretum’s 300 acres, and then join the tour of the three onsite green roofs.

• Rosenbach Museum & Library – Head to the picture-perfect 2100 block of Delancey Place and step inside this unassuming townhouse to find rare literary treasures, including original manuscripts of Ulysses and Alice in Wonderland and 10,000 drawings, notes and editions belonging to Maurice Sendak.

Additional participating museums include The Academy of Natural Sciences, PAFA, Penn Museum, ICA, The Philadelphia Art Alliance, Independence Seaport Museum and The Pearl S. Buck House.

To see a full list of participating museums, visit the Museum Day’s website. Also check out their FAQs.

Museum Day [Official Site]

Midtown Village is preparing for its 5th Annual Fall Festival, set to take place on Saturday, October 2nd from noon until 8 pm.

The festival has grown in popularity with each year and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The festival consists of a massive block party of five plus city blocks — 13th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic between Chestnut and Locust Streets, and Sansom Street will be blocked off between 12th and Juniper Streets.

There will be live music, a dunk tank, shopping, art, and, of course, plenty of food and drink. The food is definitely a highlight of the festival and this year will be no exception.

The neighborhood has gained seven new restaurants over the past twelve months, all of which are offering specials during the festival.

New culinary and cocktail additions to Midtown Village since the festival last year include acclaimed newcomers Barbuzzo, Zavino, Sampan, Tweed, Jake’s Sandwich Board, and Bar.

They’ll be joining the likes of El Vez, APO, Bindi, Lolita, Grocery, Time, Vintage, Fergie’s, McGillin’s and others.

Stay tuned for more information a little closer to the Festival.

Midtown Village Fall Festival [Official Site]

Love all things apple? Then mark your calendar for the 37th Annual Apple Butter Frolic at the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, PA on October 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s a celebration of Pennsylvania German heritage and that favorite fall fruit.

See apples pressed for cider and cooked into butter over a wood-burning fire. Check out old timey demonstrations, like blacksmithing and quilting at the Living Hope Farm event. Sample scrumptious Pennsylvania German foods as well, like apple dumplings and fritters, homemade crushed cherry pie and scrapple.

Honest Tom's Tacos will be one of three food trucks representing Philadelphia at the Vendys. (Photo by M. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Ask any Philadelphian and they’ll tell you. This city has a pretty happening (and delicious!) street food scene. It’s concentrated in Center City, West Philadelphia and around Temple University, but you’ll also find a vary of trucks and carts in nearly every neighborhood.

Next Saturday, three Philly street food vendors are headed to New York City, to show the Big Apple just how phenomenal our street food is at the 6th Annual Vendy Awards. It’s the first time that vendors from a city other than New York have been invited to participate in the Vendys, so it’s quite an honor.

The Vendys are a project of the New York Street Vendor Project and our participation has been coordinated by Philly Homegrown.

The lucky vendors are Honest Tom’s Taco Shop, Denise’s Soul Food Restaurant and the Chester County-based Birch Run on a Roll.

Check out the videos below to learn more about Honest Tom’s and Denise’s. (The videos were produced by the talented Liza de Guia.)

Watch the Videos…

Whiskey King Burger from Village Whiskey at left; Kobe Sliders from Barclay Prime at right. (Photos courtesy the restaurants.)

Today, September 18th is National Cheeseburger Day. What better way to mark the occasion than with a delicious cheeseburger for lunch, dinner or somewhere in between?

Luckily for you, the variety of mouthwatering burgers on offer in Philadelphia is plentiful and new burger joints are popping up all over town.

From the foie gras-butter stuffed prime patties at hallowed French restaurant Le Bec-Fin to the classically simple burgers at Franklin Square’s SquareBurger to the crunchified delights at the instantly popular Bobby’s Burger Palace in University City, Philadelphia’s corner pubs and upscale restaurants are satisfying red meat lovers with burgers that satisfy all cravings and budgets.

Here are a few of the most memorable stops in town.

All About The Burger:

• The famous Rouge burger (see below) is the draw at the quick-service 500°, and it’s served with special sauce and bacon on fresh-baked rolls. Shakes and fries (plain, spicy and truffle) round out the offerings. Late-night weekend hours (3:00 a.m.) are an added bonus for late-night bar patrons.

• The national chain Bobby’s Burger Palace (owned by Bobby Flay) has set up shop in University City. Burgers are slathered with geographically themed toppings (Philly: Cheese Whiz, onions and hot peppers; Miami: ham, Swiss, pickles). And diners can crunchify — add potato chips — to any burger at no additional charge. The sweet potato fries, beer-battered onion rings and vanilla caramel bourbon shakes add another level of Flay flair.

• Fishtown’s art-themed Sketch has the burger bases covered with sirloin, Kobe, turkey and vegan options, plus the signature smashed onion beef burger. Inventive toppings like horseradish cheddar and salsa verde make it a burger-lover’s dream.

• A choice of more than 20 free toppings (honey mustard, sweet peppers, potato chips) crown the trans-fat-free patties at Willow Grove’s strip mall eatery Great Burger; diners also get a choice of burger (veggie, turkey, beef) and bun.

• Though barbecue is its namesake specialty, Smokin’ Betty’s also happens to have an impressive lineup of burgers, including the Betty (pickled jalapeño and grilled corn relish, smoked mozzarella and smoked tomato jam topped with crispy leeks) and the Tur-duck-en (duck rillette surrounded by chicken and turkey, with cranberry orange relish topped with crispy sweet potato ribbons).

• A mini local empire built on simple, tasty burgers and hot dogs, Zac’s Hamburgers draws a loyal clientele for its old-fashioned fare and distinctly Philly attitude. 1301 E. Mac Dade Boulevard, Folsom, (610) 532-6766; 1505 Chester Pike, Crum Lynne, (610) 833-2233; 3600 Concord Road, Aston, (610) 485-8511; 301 State Street, Media, (610) 627-ZACS

We’re only getting started… below we’ve got burgers from Good Dog, Standard Tap, Rouge, Village Whiskey, Pub & Kitchen and more. (more…)

The Headhouse Square Shambles (photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

The Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia is known for the many guided tours it offers of Philadelphia and its countryside. The tours are universally known as a terrific way to see the city and learn a bit more about our history. Each tour is led by a lively, experienced and enthusiastic volunteer who has a background in architecture, urban design and/or social history.

Upcoming tours include opportunities to explore the area’s rail service history, urban neighborhoods, or regional towns. The tours run, rain or shine, Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. through October 31. Click here to see the complete schedule below. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students with ID. Children 10 and under are free if accompanied by an adult. Reservations are not required, unless otherwise noted.

photo courtesy of Devil's Den

Looking for an excuse to start drinking before noon tomorrow (September 18)? Then head over to Devil’s Den to join in their 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest festivities. Eight German beers will be on draft starting at 10:30 a.m. They are:

-Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest – Amber colored lager, strong caramel, toffee malt body and slightly hoppy finish. 5.8% Germany.
-Schneider Aventinus – German Weizenbock, deep hazy brown, notes of caramel, cloves and bananas. 8% Germany.
-Ayinger Celebrator – German doppelbock, rich brown color, sweet molasses malt body & roasted notes of coffee, chocolate and toffee. 6.7% Germany.
-Spaten Lager – Clear golden Muinch lager, crisp and clean with a slightly bitter finish. 5.2% Germany.
-Franziskaner Hefeweisse – Hazy amber color, with notes of citrus, banana and cloves. 5% Germany.
-Kostritzer Schwarz – Light body German “black beer” roasted notes of coffee, fruit, molasses and nuts with a smooth dry finish. 4.7% Germany.
-Bitburger Pilsner – Clear golden, slightly sweet grainy, bready body with fresh, grassy hop finish. Crisp and refreshing. 4.8% Germany.
-Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen – Reddish brown “smoked” beer, creamy lightly sweet maltbody with very roasted, meaty notes. Think liquid bacon. 5.4% Germany.

They’ll also be serving an array of German food specials (priced between $16-20 a plate) including pork loin with spaetzle, sauerbraten, knackwurst and Yagershnitzel.

Devil’s Den
1148 S. 11th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 339-0855
devilsdenphilly.com