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The museum's collection of vintage local candy ads includes this one for Wilbur Chocolates. (Image courtesy Philadelphia History Museum)

Discover what it’s like to live the sweet life, at the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent’s sweet-tooth-centric Conversations On Candy event, Wednesday, March 2 from 6-8 p.m.

Tony Walter of Lore’s Chocolates and Ryan and Eric Berley, famous for their authentic ice cream shop Franklin Fountain, and now owners of Shane’s Candies (set to reopen in March after restoration), will present on their experiences as artisan sweet purveyors.

Both dessert shops are proudly committed to upholding Philadelphia’s confectionery history, and you get to experience that firsthand.

Your $10 ticket includes a delectable post-talk tasting, plus the chance to ask questions of all 3 entrepreneurs.

Host for the evening is Christy Speer, deputy editor of Philadelphia Magazine.

Tickets are available online.

Conversations On Candy
Where: Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent, 15 S. 7th Street
When: Wednesday, March 2, 6-8 p.m.
Cost: $10
More info: www.philadelphiahistory.org/candy

Remember to bring your own wine!
(Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC)

Washington Square West Italian BYOB Mercato is now offering family-style dinners every Sunday night, a unique way to experience Chef Mackenzie Hilton’s market-fresh, Italian-inspired food.

For $35 ($20 for children under 12), enjoy family-style portions of salad, antipasti, entree of the week, coffee, dessert and complimentary homemade limoncello — worth the trip alone.

Check the Mercato website for each week’s upcoming Sunday menu. The two previous entrees since the Sunday dinner program began were Local Organic Whole Roasted Rosemary-Lemon Chicken, and Broccoli Rabe & Provolone Stuffed Meatloaf.

Reservations must be made by 5 p.m. the preceding Friday.

Mercato
1216 Spruce Street
www.mercatobyob.com

The Chagall exhibition is on display through July 10.
(Photo by M. McClellan for GPTMC)

In conjunction with the upcoming Parisian-themed Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), the Philadelphia Museum of Art presents Paris Through The Window: Marc Chagall And His Circle, an exhibition of more than 70 paintings, sculptures and works on paper by émigré artists and their French colleagues created in the unparalleled atmosphere of creative cross-fertilization that was early 20th century Paris.

Specifically highlighted artists include Alexander Archipenko, Moïse Kisling, Jacques Lipchitz, Louis Marcoussis, Amedeo Modigliani, Chana Orloff, Jules Pascin, Margit Pogany, Chaim Soutine and Ossip Zadkin. Interwoven throughout the galleries is the story of Chagall’s formative years in the French capital during the 1910s, his return to Russia during World War I, and the artist’s triumphant return to Paris in the 1920s as a leading figure of the city’s thriving avant-garde.

This exhibition grants visitors the chance to marvel at the Art Museum’s impressive holdings of modern art and sculpture, bolstered by several key loans from other art institutions in the U.S. and Europe.

Ring in PIFA’s Francophilic celebrations early with an artistic exploration of 20th century Paris. Bonus: click here to check out a virtual tour of the exhibition, led by Curator Michael Taylor, and see below for more photos.

Paris Through The Window: Marc Chagall And His Circle
Where: Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building, Fairmount and Pennsylvania Avenues
When: March 1- July 10
Cost: Adults $8, Seniors (65+) $7, Students $6, Children (13-18) $6, Children (12 and under) Free
More info: www.philamuseum.org
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$50 gets you five of Chef O'Shea's delectable dishes, each expertly paired with a whiskey drink.
(Photo courtesy Percy Street)

Percy Street Barbecue Chef Erin O’Shea is returning to her Southern cooking roots for a special whiskey dinner co-hosted by whiskey expert, beer and spirits writer Lew Bryson, March 29 at 7 p.m.

For just $50, guests will enjoy five courses of Chef O’Shea’s famed Southern cooking paired expertly with a variety of whiskeys and whiskey cocktails by Bryson, who will be on hand to discuss the drinks and how they complement the food.

Dishes will include: sweet potato soup with smoked pork rillettes; smoked trout with apple, onions and fingerlings; and “Cracker Jack” corn grits with caramel and nuts.

Don’t forget, also, to stop by Percy Street any Monday night for their All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs nights: $23 for bottomless ribs, house-baked biscuits, pinto beans and collard greens.

Call (215) 625-8510 to reserve a spot at the whiskey dinner.

Southern-Inspired Dinner at Percy Street Barbecue
When: Tuesday, March 29, 7 p.m
Where: 900 South Street
Cost: $50
More info: ww.percystreet.com

The center provides many opportunities throughout March to learn about women's history.
(Photo courtesy National Constitution Center)

Join the National Constitution Center in paying tribute to Women’s History Month with special programming starting March 1.

Throughout the month, special exhibition From the Absence of Many to the Presence of All…The Unfinished Business of Women’s Equality invites visitors to follow the uneven path of women’s progress toward equal rights, as represented in inspiring portraits, murals and stories.

Starting March 4, the new marquee feature exhibit Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs (stay tuned for more info!) will also offer visitors a chance to learn about women who defied the status quo by serving our country as spies.

Other special programming includes a daily story corner and an interactive show, “Philadelphia Girl Power,” focusing on the lives of remarkable local women, such as Betsy Ross and singer/civil rights activist Marian Anderson.

Philadelphia, of course, has no small stake in women’s history!

Women’s History Month at the National Constitution Center
Where: 525 Arch Street
When: March 1–March 31
Cost: FREE with admission (Adults $12, Seniors 65+ $11, Children 4-12 $8, Active military and children under 4 free)
More info: www.constitutioncenter.org

Judges include Drew Lazor from City Paper and Mealticket, Art Etchells from Foobooz and Jamie Shanker from Midtown Lunch. (Photo courtesy Oyster House)

Oyster shucking is a delicate art, and Oyster House has just the way to showcase it.

On Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m., the popular center city bar and restaurant will be hosting its second annual Shucking Contest. Professional and amateur oyster shuckers from around the Philadelphia region will compete for huge cash prizes.

With $5 admission, you can watch the contest and enjoy the fruits of the competitors’ labor as shucked oysters are passed around the place between heats. Spectators will also have full access to Oyster House’s bar and a special firkin of a local craft beer (on a pay-as-you-go basis).

The professional shuckers will be judged on their speed and accuracy whilst shucking two dozen oysters. A 1-second deduction is made for each broken shell or ripped oyster, so play close attention. The winner of the professionals will take home the $200 Grand Prize. The amateur shuckers will compete for a $100 Oyster House Gift Certificate; the same rules apply.

If you can’t make it to the contest, be sure to stop in during the week for the Oyster House Oyster Hour buck-a-shuck special — Monday through Friday 5-7 p.m. or Saturday 9-11 p.m.

Either way: the world is your, well, you know.

Oyster House Shucking Contest
Where: 1516 Sansom Street
When: Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m.
Cost: $5
More info: www.oysterhousephilly.com

PIFA thrusts Philly’s cultural community onto the world stage with 25 days of performances, exhibits and events, concluding April 30 with an all-out, all-day street fair. (Image courtesy PIFA/Mimi Lien)

The standards of Philadelphia’s arts scene are already quite high. Our city boasts a thriving cultural community, replete with world-renowned art museums, award-winning performing arts and trailblazing artists from fashion designers to playwrights to photographers to conductors.

But as the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) approaches — mark your calendar: April 7-May 1 — it’s clear that Philadelphia’s arts scene is in for a turbo charge; and you get to reap the benefits.

PIFA’s deep imprint on Philadelphia’s cultural landscape will be felt by the colossal citywide convergence of art, ideas and inspiration that hasn’t been since a century ago in Paris. And the French theme is fitting: Philadelphia is a 21st century City of Light, a breeding ground for uninhibited creativity. This energy will never be more transparent than with PIFA’s marquee concluding event, the Broad Street Fair.

Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the stretch of South Broad Street from Chestnut to Lombard will be transformed into an all-out street celebration inspired by the allure of Paris. Between 80 and 100 vendors, craftsmen and exhibitors will fill the street while Philadelphians ride a genuine Ferris Wheel and enjoy a wide variety of performers and bands (there are two stages).

One of the many striking elements of the PIFA Street Fair will be a 55’ x 80’ grass-laden garden park in front of the Doubletree Hotel, with café-style seating and lots of family programming.

For the grand finale, just as the sun sets, a troupe of circus artists directly from France will perform 100 feet high in the air above the crowds from a 250 ton crane with a performance like nothing you’ve ever seen.

This culmination of 25 days of performances, exhibits, and events promises to leave a lasting impression on this city and its artistic endeavors, perhaps more so than any event in the past.

We’re pumped.

PIFA
April 7-May 1
www.pifa.org

To see our previous coverage of PIFA, click here.

Come hungry: sample up to 20 types of chili.
(Credit: iStockPhoto)

On Sunday, March 6, the Fishtown Neighbors Association (FNA) will host a 2011 Chili Cook-Off from 1-4 p.m. at Feast Your Eyes Catering.

Taste up to 20 types of chili, including vegetarian and vegan, from ten local residents and a variety of restaurants: Johnny Brenda’s, Kraftwork, Soup Bar, Brindle Café, The Handle Bar, Feast Your Eyes Catering, Doc’s Gormet Café, Lola Bean and the Soup Kitchen Café.

Vote for your favorite chili and local celebrity judges will declare the winner. Prizes go to People’s Choice Award, Best Restaurant Chili and the Best Homemade Chili.

Enjoy a cold beer provided by Saint Benjamin Brewing Company and the Philadelphia Brewing Company, plus a chance to win gift certificates to local restaurants.

Cool tip: Pay an additional $5 on your entry fee and receive a Fishtown Neighbors Association mug.

Fishtown Chili Cook-Off
When: Sunday, March 6, 1-4 p.m.
Where: Feast Your Eyes Catering, 1750 N. Front Street
Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12, free for kids under 5
More info: www.fishtownlife.com

City Food Tour co-owner Eric Matzke leading a tour (courtesy of City Food Tours)

Inspired by the upcoming Philadelphia International Flower Show (Springtime in Paris), City Food Tours will be offering both locals and visitors a chance to explore some delicious treats that have both French cred and relationship to some of the blossoms featured at this year’s show. What’s more, the entire tour happens to take place within a few blocks of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The tour will include teas blended with jasmine, violets and chrysanthemums, lavender-dusted goat cheese, blue cheese with wildflower honey and flower infused chocolates. It runs March 7 through March 12 and starts each day at 3 p.m. Advanced registration is necessary.

Flower Show Food Tour
When: March 7 – 12, 3 p.m.
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center neighborhood
Cost: $35
More info: www.cityfoodtours.com or 1-800-979-3370

A margherita pizza at Osteria.
(Photo courtesy Osteria)

Food & Wine Magazine recently released its ranking of 25 best pizza spots in the U.S., and two Philadelphia pizzerias made the list: Marc Vetri’s Osteria and Tacconelli’s Pizzeria.

The article names Osteria’s signature item as the oak-burning stone oven-baked Lombarda pie (with baked egg, Cotechino sausage, mozzarella and bitto cheese, made from a blend of cow’s milk and goat’s milk); Tacconnelli’s is Tomato Pie, the recipe for which hasn’t been changed since Giovanni Tacconelli opened this place in 1918.

Insider tips: get your gaga eyes ready — don’t be surprised if Chef Vetri himself serves up your pie at Osteria; and at Tacconelli’s, remember to call ahead to reserve your dough ((215) 425-4983).

We’ve never needed any convincing that Philadelphia’s dining scene can hold its own against any other city; but the culinary accolades still excite us!

Top 25 Pizza Spots in the U.S. [Food & Wine]