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Geechee Girl Rice Cafe (photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Mount Airy’s Geechee Girl Rice Cafe is one of this city’s better kept culinary secrets. Chef Valerie Erwin blends the rice based cuisine from the coastal areas of the southern United States and merges it with the traditional foods from China, Thailand and beyond.

On Wednesday, February 2, acclaimed culinary writer Jessica Harris will be teaming up with Chef Erwin for a special event centered around her new book, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America. They’re offering a four-course family style meal that will feature some of recipes from Harris, as well as dishes from Chef Erwin’s repertoire. Included will be roast leg of lamb as well as Senegalese chicken yassa, as well as many other items.

This event costs $55 and reservations are required. Books will be available for purchase at Big Blue Marble bookstore in advance of the event and will also be on sale at the restaurant the night of the dinner. Call 215-843-8113 to make a reservation.

Geechee Girl Rice Cafe
6825 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia
215-843-8113
geecheegirlricecafe.com

To kick off his 2011 Volunteer Impact Challenge, a call-to-action designed to tap into the time, talent and generous volunteer spirit of Philadelphia citizens, Mayor Nutter will host a free event with a scavenger hunt, volunteer activities, and addresses from the Mayor and other prominent officials this Saturday, January 22nd. The event takes place at the Free Library’s Central Branch, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The festivities coincide with the launch of the brand-new Serve Philadelphia website, the sleek, user-friendly online component of the SERVEPhiladelphia program, the crux of the 2011 Challenge.

Over 100 organizations are already registered on the website. You can search based on neighborhood, service type, organization, and more.

Some opportunities we found through a quick browse include PhillyPatientRide, a program that provides free transportation through PhillyCarShare to patients who may have no other way to getting to life-saving doctor’s appointments; Wissahickon Park maintenance, from planting trees and shrubs to cleaning up trails; and leading After School Activities Partnerships chess clubs for local students.

Register for the kick-off event, and view a full schedule of the day’s activities, online. Lunch and a SERVEPhiladelphia T-shirt will be provided to everyone who registers in advance.

Check out a video about SERVEPhiladelphia below.

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The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Music Project and Dance/USA Philadelphia just launched PhillySpaceFinder.com, an online resource to help people find venues for events, be it a rehearsal, performance, workshop, meeting — even a wedding.

The search engine (with a 163-strong venue database) enables you to scan for places to rent around the city. You can refine by discipline (dance, music, theatre), neighborhood in and around Philadelphia, mile radius from a certain zip code, event type, rental rate, space size and venue name. From intimate spaces to outdoor parks to auditoriums to charming courtyards, PhillySpaceFinder includes a diverse range of venue options.

The effort grew out of NYC Performing Arts Spaces, a similar initiative, but the Philadelphia iteration adds venue photos, interactive maps, and the ability to mark favorites and save searches. The Creative Vitality report we mentioned recently — our city’s creative sector is 70% stronger than the national benchmark — is further validated with this new tool.

PhillySpaceFinder is a free and flexible tool to help people locate the ideal space. We’re excited about yet another technologically advanced, green initiative for the city.

PhillySpaceFinder [Official Site]

The new martini debuts tomorrow, January 21.
(Photo courtesy McGillin's)

In honor of Ben Franklin’s 305th birthday, tomorrow, January 21st, McGillin’s Olde Ale House will serve a new, Franklin-inspired “Printer’s Pickle Martini.”

The drink is presented in collaboration with
Celebration! Benjamin Franklin, Founder, an organization started by Penn alumni in 1998 that unites representatives from Franklin-related organizations in order to bring national attention to Mr. Franklin.

The special dirty martini is garnished with a petite pickle, Ben’s favorite, and named after his printing press expertise.

As the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia, we think McGillin’s is a perfect choice for supplier.

Check out our other aforementioned ways to celebrate Ben Franklin’s big day.

Plus, the full recipe from the martini is included below.

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Stephen Starr’s new Rittenhouse Square gastropub, The Dandelion, introduces lunch service today.

The lunch menu is similar to the dinner menu, which we shared with you a few weeks ago, with the addition of a few sandwiches, including a Warm Roast Beef Sandwich with horseradish and beef gravy on sourdough bread and a Grilled English Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with bacon and a fried free-range egg, both of which sound delicious. The full lunch menu is below.

A few other noteworthy developments at The Dandelion include: 1) the pub will be hosting a regular speaker series, kicking off on February 1st with Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa from Ideas in Food. Michael Klein has more information.

2) KYW News Radio & Hear Philly caught up with Stephen Starr at The Dandelion and asked him, among other things, how he came up with the name, “The Dandelion.” It turns out that the Rolling Stones song Dandelion helped him eventually land on “The Dandelion” as the pub’s name. You can hear the full interview here.

And 3) if you haven’t seen it yet, check out Rick Nichols’ piece from this past Sunday’s Inquirer, in which he extolls the virtues of The Dandelion, saying: “[like Parc before it], it’s a masterful illusion… an escapist, transporting place…” We like it too.

Check out the full lunch menu below.

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Cheesesteak from Jim's Steaks ranked #3 on the list. (Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC)

Foodspotting, a visual, location-based, user-generated dining guide, reveals the most photographed dishes in various cities. After seeing New York take a magnifying lens to their most “Foodspotted” dishes, we had a hankering to do the same.

The way it works: “Noms” are the Foodspotting equivalent of Facebook “likes,” implying endorsement of the dish. The dishes with the most “Noms” are therefore the most popular.

Unsurprisingly, cheesesteaks dominate the top 20 list (Pat’s, Geno’s and Jim’s), but it’s nice to also see some surprises: omelette at Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat, Mt. Vesuvius sundae at Franklin Fountain, Tomato Pie at Corropolese Bakery & Deli in Norristown.

Here are the top 5:

1. Philly Cheesesteak at Pat’s King of Steaks.

2. Philly Cheesesteak at Geno’s Steaks.

3. Philly Cheesesteak at Jim’s Steaks.

4. Cheesesteak And Italian Roast Pork Sandwich at Tony Luke’s.

5. Tomato Pie at Corropolese Bakery and Deli Inc.

Check out the rest of the rundown below.

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Watch the State of the Union at the National Constitution Center January 25. (Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC)

Head to the National Constitution Center Tuesday, January 25th starting at 7:30 p.m. to watch the State of the Union, the President’s annual address to Congress, airing live at 9 p.m.

One event highlight is “State of the Union Bingo.” Winners will receive a year-long membership to the National Constitution Center. For those watching the address from home, Bingo cards are available for download online.

During the State of the Union address, audience members at the Center also can participate in a live, interactive poll using individual keypads from Meridia Audience Response Systems. Results displayed on a large screen will track viewers’ reactions to issues raised during the address.

Additional programming will include Constitutional Quizzo; the ‘Lurid Lives of the Founding Fathers’ tour of Signers’ Hall, which offers a glimpse into the secrets and scandals of the signers of the Constitution; and an interactive program about the history of the President’s annual speech. Light fare and a cash bar will also be available.

In addition, the event marks the launch of the Center’s new blog, Constitution Daily, which will feature robust coverage of the State of the Union, including live blogging from the Center.

Admission to the event is free and includes access to the museum’s award-winning exhibitions.

State Of The Union Viewing Party at the National Constitution Center
Where: 525 Arch Street
When: January 25th, 7:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE
More info: www.constitutioncenter.org

Lovers of quirky design and reclaimed objects will no doubt be familiar with the online shop Three Potato Four. They’ve been bringing all sorts of appealing and decorative ephemera to market for years now, to great success. In September, they opened their first bricks and mortar establishment, right here in the Philly area.

Earlier this week, owners Stu and Janet got in touch to let us know that they’re changing things up a bit. In place of weekly shopping hours, they’re going to be holding monthly Barn Sales. They’ve been working fervently for the last couple of months to fill the warehouse with all manner of vintage and antique finds and can’t wait to share their discoveries with a city of happy shoppers. The first of these giant sales is going to take place on Saturday and Sunday, January 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

And if you can’t make next weekend’s event at Three Potato Four, worry not. They’ll be holding these Barn Sales the last weekend of every month from now on.

Three Potato Four
376 Shurs Lane, Building A
Philadelphia, PA 19128
267-335-3633
threepotatofourshop.com

"Untitled (ACT I: The Departure)" by Christodoulos Panayiotou is featured in the exhibit.
(Photo courtesy PMA)

Live Cinema/In the Round: Contemporary Art from the East Mediterranean is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through February 6th.

Six artists from the East Mediterranean join together in an exhibit exploring how cinema informs representations of reality through installation, video, and live performance. The installation offers a multi-room presentation extending through numerous galleries and period rooms of the museum, making for a unique and interactive experience.

Organized by Istanbul-based guest curator November Paynter, the works in Live Cinema/In the Round make use of both film footage and theater backdrops.

To name a few, Hassan Khan’s “G.R.A.H.A.M.” (2008) presents an intriguing 14-minute film portrait in a continuously-shot real-time video of an individual asked to remain completely silent (even while being interrogated off-camera by the artist). Inci Eviner, meanwhile, installed three LCD videos of various durations in three separate historical galleries of the museum, where traditional decorative patterns are animated by (live) moving female protagonists.

In all, Live Cinema/In the Round offers visitors an intimate museum experience, in which the audience surrounds the stage, the actors are offered a space for a truly realistic performance, and the works engage in dialogue with pieces of the museum’s permanent collection. This is an exhibition you won’t want to miss.

Live Cinema/In the Round at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
When: Now through February 6th
Where: 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Free with museum admission [Adults $16, Seniors (65+) $14, Students $12, Children (13-18) $12, Children (12 and under) Free]
More info: www.philamuseum.org

(Image courtesy Edgar Allan Poe House)

In honor of one-time Philadelphian author Edgar Allan Poe’s 202nd birthday, the Raven Society of the Free Library of Philadelphia is hosting its third annual Happy Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe happy hour at Fergie’s Pub tonight, January 19th, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The young friends group will offer beer specials, birthday cake and complimentary appetizers from new Executive Chef Mark Coates, formerly of the award-winning Bebe’s Barbecue in the Italian Market. Poe ‘himself’ will even be on hand to do a reading of The Raven.

The Raven Society is named for “Grip”, the actual raven that inspired Poe’s eponymous poem. The real Grip is on display in the Rare Book Department on the third floor of the Free Library’s Central Branch. Tours of the Rare Book Department are offered Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. or at other times by prior arrangement (call (215) 686-5416).

Third Annual Happy Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe Happy Hour
When: Wednesday, January 19th, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom Street
Cost: FREE
More info: www.fergies.com