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A tasting plate at a Quince cheese tasting (photo by M. McClellan)

Hello cheese lovers! Philly’s favorite cheese evangelist, the lovely Madame Fromage, is hosting a tasting of cheese, apples, and ale this Saturday, September 18, at 5 p.m. at Quince (that charming gourmet shop just north of Liberties Walk). Attendees will taste three cheeses (one local!) with fall fruit. There will be a few brews paired with the nibbles as well.

These tastings are offered in the Slow Food-style, meaning that they’re about savoring and cogitating the thoughtful flavors presented. They’re also a great chance to meet other cheese lovers (and usually a local food blogger or two).

To sign up, please contact Quince at (215) 232-3425 or quince@quincefinefoods.com. Tastings are limited to 12 participants and cost $12. All proceeds go to the store. Please note that this tasting starts at 5 p.m., an hour later than usual.

Quince
209 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, PA
(215) 232-3425
quincefinefoods.com

Today marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) and Philadelphia is spreading the love for it’s citizens and visitors of Hispanic descent and anyone interested in Hispanic culture.

With a Hispanic neighborhood home to several international non-profit organizations, dining, nightlife y mucho mas…El Centro de Oro is just the place to begin your celebration.

For the next four weeks we’ll be bringing you Hispanic Heritage Month highlights in the city of hermano-ly love. So what’s going on this week?

The Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra’s Tiempos y Musica

This Thursday, The Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra is shining the spotlight on Mexican culture
and classical music in celebration of Mexico’s bicentennial with Tiempos y Musica. The BPCO will perform music of Beethoven and Mexican composers to mark the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain.

This free concert is being held at the Baptist Temple at Temple University.

For more details, visit the Official Site.

Heroes of Character at the National Liberty Museum

Through Heroes of Character at the National Liberty Museum, young people can discover the traits
of a hero, examine the state of today’s society and learn how to take action and become a
hero themselves. This permanent exhibition includes accounts about Cesar Chavez and Roberto
Clemente.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Taller Puertorriqueño

Taller Puertorriqueño celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as its 35th anniversary, with two fantastic exhibitions.

Browse the works of Taller’s children and youth program participants in Children & Youth Create Art, on display through September 18, and take a visual journey through photographer Luz Selenia Salas’ Faces/Facades: Mirror of a Community, October 1-November 20.

Stay tuned next week for more happenings and to learn more about the city’s Hispanic heritage and
what to do, visit visitphilly.com/teama.

Most of the time, we think that Italian food only goes with wine. But what happens when beer lovers descend on an Italian restaurant? On Wednesday, September 29, you’ll have a chance to find out. That night, South Philly’s Le Virtu will be pairing homemade Italian cuisine with Belgian-style beer.

Each of the savory courses will be made using the beer that will accompany it. The dessert course will be a warm chocolate budino with Mascarpone gelato and includes a sour cherry puree that means that it pairs beautifully with Ommegang’s Three Philosopher’s Quadruple.

The Le Virtu beer dinner costs $65 per person, not including tax and tip. Call 215.271.5626 for reservations.

The full menu can be found after the jump.

Le Virtu
1927 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
levirtu.com

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(Photo courtesy Penn Museum)

The Penn Museum has just opened a new restaurant called Pepper Mill Café. The newly remodeled and newly named cafe, which had its grand opening yesterday, features wall-to-wall windows overlooking the Museum’s impressive inner gardens.

The new cafe offers affordable international cuisine and a fresh variety of healthy, vegetarian, and sustainable food options for breakfast, lunch, and lighter fare

Diners — both Museum visitors and those just coming in for the café — can experience a wide variety of offerings including soup, a daily vegetarian option, and changing main course items, from sustainable seafood choices such as arctic char with mango papaya slaw as well as comfort food items, and a daily pasta.

The café atmosphere is casual and contemporary, with most entrees around $7, beer and wine available, and student value meals featured daily.

Executive Chef Will Brown is focusing on creating healthful dishes using the finest ingredients possible with a concerted effort to capitalize on the beautiful produce grown in our region.

The Pepper Mill Café is open to the public Monday from 11 am – 1 pm, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-4:30 pm. On the first Wednesday of every month, the Café stays open until 7:30 pm, with light supper options, food and wine pairings, or a specially selected dish prepared by the Chef. All other Wednesdays, the café is open from 8:30 am-4:30 pm.

Penn Museum [Visit Philly]

Fall is the best time of year at Delaware County’s Linvilla Orchards. Not only is the apple orchard open for picking, but Pumpkinland debuts as well! This year, Pumpkinland is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, every day September 11 through November 7. Visit and you’ll find piles of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. It’s more than 100 tons of jack-o’-lanterns in the making. Get lost in either the straw bale or cornfield mazes and pick up straw bales, corn shocks and other fall decorations, to make your own home a bit more autumnal.

If you visit this weekend, you’ll also find the Johnny Appleseed Arts and Music Festival taking place. That event features live music, hayrides, train rides, pony rides, face painting and lots of delicious, seasonal treats. Featured performers include Run of the Mill String Band and The McChords.

Linvilla Orchards
137 W. Knowlton Road
Media, PA 19063
610-876-7116
linvilla.com

Right on 'Cue: Some of the amazing eats at Percy Street Barbecue on South Street. (Photo courtesy Percy Street)

Make no bones about it: Philadelphia has the sauciest, smokiest ribs and the juiciest wings around. So whether you’re looking for a box of baby backs from a takeout spot or an authentic Texas-style brisket on a picnic table, here are just a few places to find amazing barbecue across the Philadelphia region.

• At Jimmy’s BBQ, a diminutive chow-stop in Malvern, the tasty fare includes pulled chicken with a lemon pepper/brown sugar rub, hickory-smoked pulled pork, ribs and brisket, dirty corn, whipped sweets and Phillies party combos of the tasty treats.

• Once an outdoor venue with an auxiliary kitchen, Le Cochon Noir is now a full-fledged barbecue restaurant and live music venue, serving up Berkshire pork chops, dry-rub ribs and garlic mustard greens, plus seafood, steaks and lighter fare in an expansive West Philadelphia setting.

• Erin O’Shea studied the art of barbecue in Texas before opening Percy Street Barbecue on South Street. Her authentic burnt ends, pinto beans and banana pudding showcase those traditions, while the pork belly, vegan chili and specialty cocktails flaunt her chef skills.

• The specialty at Phoebe’s Bar-B-Q, which has been smoking on South Street since 1994, is Oklahoma barbecue, and the succulent brisket, ribs and pit meats by the pound are now available at a newer Roxborough location too. 2214 South Street, (215) 546-4811; 5002 Umbria Street, Roxborough, (215) 483-1330

• As judges on the pitmaster circuit, Pig Daddy’s BBQ founders Linda, Jerry and Chris Mullane soaked up quite a bit of BBQ know-how, evident in the ribs, sausage, Carolina pulled pork and “BBQ Sundaes” offered at their Drexel Hill takeout eatery and catering business.

• The big-eatin’ menu at Old City’s Q BBQ & Tequila runs the mouthwatering gamut from hickory-smoked ribs and pulled-pork sandwiches to grilled fish tacos and fried green tomatoes. To wash down the dishes, diners choose from more than 60 tequilas and 10 craft beers on tap.

• A Germantown institution, The Rib Crib is a takeout-only counter where the ribs are smoked to impossible tenderness, slathered with either hot or mild sauce and boxed up with fluffy slices of white bread for sopping. 6333 Germantown Avenue, (215) 438-6793

• The Memphis-inspired eats at Rosey’s BBQ in Jenkintown include ribs, BBQ chicken, macaroni and cheese, specialty sandwiches such as the Crunchy Spicy (chopped pork, spicy BBQ sauce, cole slaw and potato chips), homemade cupcakes and sweet tea.

• At Center City’s eclectic comfort food eatery Smokin’ Betty’s, the ribs are St. Louis-style, the ’slaw is Carolina-inspired and the smoked brisket is served with potato latkes.

• The hickory-smoked ribs and chicken at Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse have won this Northeast Philly BBQ hotspot countless accolades, and the turkey breast, pulled pork and sides such as collard greens, mashed sweet potatoes and creamed spinach are equally luscious.

• A Manayunk neighborhood favorite operating from a tiny bus stop shack, Tommy Gunns American Barbecue and Catering dishes out pan-regional favorites such as Kansas City baby backs, Carolina pork, Texas brisket and baked beans and a uniquely Philadelphian deep-fried macaroni and cheese.

• It’s a sweet-and-smoky deal at Pub & Kitchen on Wednesdays, when $17 buys a half-rack of ribs, Anson Mils grits, coleslaw and an optional pint of Tröegs Sunshine Pils.

Center Court at Reading Terminal Market (photo by J. Smith for GPTMC)

Most Philadelphians already think of Reading Terminal Market as a great place to buy an array of tasty foodstuffs from all across our region. But did you know that they frequently bring in local producers (beyond those who have permanent stalls at the market) and set them up at tables in the market’s Center Court? It’s Reading Terminal’s way to shine a spotlight on some of the small farmers, cheesemakers and preservers who are creating a world of flavorful items.

This fall, keep your eyes peeled for these folks. They’ll all be located in the Center Court, unless the listing indicates otherwise.

-DeLuca’s Produce, Jim & Karen DeLuca, Bloomsburg, PA – farm grown fruits and vegetables. Saturdays & Sundays.
-Better Butter, Elissa Prichep, Philadelphia, PA – All Natural Reduced Calorie Nut Butter Spread. Saturdays, starting September 25.
-Bowes Family Farm, Steve Bowes, Milton, PA – Organic fruits and vegetables. Sundays, Piano Court.
-Kelly’s Salsa, Kelly & Norm Doyle, Pottstown, PA – homemade salsa. Fridays, starting September 24.
-LeRaysville Cheese Factory, Tiffany Repsher, LeRaysville, PA – handmade pasteurized cheeses. Saturdays.
-Momma’s Homemade Applesauce, Daisy Smith, Chesilhurst, NJ – Fridays and Saturdays, starting in October.

Image courtesy of the Vendemmia Foundation

Next Sunday, September 26, the 14th Annual Vendemmia Festival will be held from 2-6 p.m. in Vendemmia Square. Located at 20th St. and Pattison Avenue, the festival is the region’s largest and oldest event dedicated to the art of home winemaking. Festival goers should be prepared for an afternoon of wine sampling, tasty Italian delicacies and live music.

Festival admission includes a commemorative wine glass, samples of homemade wines and access to an extensive buffet of Italian food and treats. Lovers of the TLC show Cake Boss will want to make a point of attending, as a team from Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, NJ will be on hand to judge the homemade biscotti contest.

Individual festival tickets can be purchased for $40 in advance or $50 the day of the festival. Tables of ten can also be purchased for $400. All proceeds go towards the Vendemmia Foundation’s annual scholarships, which benefit South Philadelphia students who are entering high school and college.

Tickets are available at the Vendemmia Foundation office at 1841 S. Broad Street, or by contacting Theresa McMichen, by phone at (215) 551-3859 or email tessmyerATaol.com.

The Chinatown gates (photo by G. Widman for GPTMC)

The Center City Restaurant Week wraps on September 24th. However, its end doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to dining deals! The second annual Chinatown Restaurant Week kicks on on September 26th, meaning you only have to go without for a single night.

It’s a great way to indulge in your favorite Asian meal or to check out that spot you’ve been eying. More than 15 Asian restaurants are participating and all will be offering four-course dinners for $15-$20. Participating restaurants are all located in Philadelphia Chinatown in the vicinity of 10th and Arch Streets. Restaurants will open from 5:00 to 11:00 pm each evening. Prices are per person, and do not include tax, alcohol and gratuity.

For a complete list of participating restaurants, click here. Chinatown Restaurant Week is sponsored by the Main Street Program of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC).

A guestroom, the Terrace and Spa at the Four Seasons Philadelphia. (All photos courtesy the Four Seasons)

I’ll be honest. When my former self would hear the name “Four Seasons,” I would think, “Not for me.” But during a recent visit to the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, I saw the light.

A 20-something working gal living in Philly actually can enjoy the luxurious, seemingly out-of-reach hotel, which has racked up more awards and accolades than it can hang on its artfully designed walls. Here are five ways you can get in on the Four Seasons action:

1. Spectacular Spa-liday: The best part about the Four Seasons’ spa: You don’t have to be a hotel guest to book a massage, facial or other treatment administered by the magic-fingered experts.

The second-best part of the spa: You can also try out the 45-foot, freshwater indoor pool; the Jacuzzi; and the fitness room. And while you’re poolside, order a drink from room service.

2. Stylish Happy Hour: Instead of crowding into your traditional after-work or pre-dinner bar, class it up sometime at Swann Lounge, named after the picture-perfect fountain out front. The bartenders can make a mean drink — no matter how particular your specifications.

3. Afternoon Tea with the Queen: You might not spot any kings or queens, but you’ll feel like royalty when you sip a cup of tea inside the elegant Swann Cafe. It’ll feel like you’re inside a modern-day version of all those Jane Austen books you’ve read, or at least seen the movie versions of.

4. Brunch-alicious Sunday: Brunch is Philadelphia’s favorite meal, and Sunday at the Swann Lounge reigns supreme as the leader of the brunch bunch. Don’t eat before bed — you’ll need as much room as possible for all the caviar, smoked fish, lobster tartlets and endless desserts.

5. Duh, Stay There: When it comes to knock-your-socks-off hotel accommodations, the Four Seasons delivers. And then delivers some more. From the doormen to the concierges, you’ll be astounded by the top-notch customer service. In fact, a more mischievous person might see how much they can actually get away with: I need a toothbrush that sparkles! Get me a dog walker! Arrange my food in an octagonal shape! (Not that I recommend badgering the staff.)

Anyway, for your next special occasion — anniversary, Valentine’s Day, birthday or sunny Saturday — check into the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.

Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia [Visit Philly]