Uwishunu.com

For years, Philadelphia has been known as the city where you can put just about anything out on the curb on trash day and rest easy in the knowledge that it will be gone when you return home from work. The first week in January, the streets are littered with discarded Christmas trees, all waiting to be taking to the landfill.

But wait! Christmas trees (at least the kind that once grew in dirt, not the plastic and metal ones) are made entirely of organic matter. Shouldn’t they be given a chance to decompose and return to the soil? Here in Philadelphia, you have a couple of tree recycling options. You can take your tree to the Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Center (at 3033 S. 63rd Street, on Domino Lane and Umbria Street) this week (January 4-10) or you can take it up to the Fairmount neighborhood this Sunday, January 10, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The tree recycling station will be on Brown Street, between 21st and 22nd Streets. They’re requesting a $5 donation for every recycled tree, to cover the costs. The event is sponsored by the Fairmount Community Development Corporation.

BLT & Beers at South Philly's Devil's Den

Devil’s Den is one of South Philly’s coziest bars. The local haunt is known for its seemingly endless beer list (16 taps and over 100 bottles), but I’d never stopped by for brunch before. The menu of bar food and brunch items is upscale and filled with options for every palette, including many gluten-free and vegetarian dishes.

Since I was there for brunch, I had to start off with a tasty Bloody Mary, but since Devil’s Den is known for having one of the best beer selections in Philly, a flight was soon in order too. The bar is currently offering three different flights of beer (four samples in each). The winter weather put me in the mood for the Seasonal Flight, which is chock full of spiced Christmas Ale goodness (my favorite was Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale).

Diving into the brunch menu, the Crab Benedict leapt out at me. Two poached eggs over jumbo lump crab cakes topped with Hollandaise sauce, the dish is a unique, tasty twist on a brunch classic. There are standard as well as more unusual dishes on the menu, including a quiche of the day, and all the items come with home fries, fresh fruit, and LeBus breads. The bar menu also has tons of items that are available all the time and are great for brunch or lunch.

Duck Fries at Devil's Den

The Duck Fries are rich, filling, and great for picking. They’re hand-cut pommes frites topped with bits of duck confit, IPA cheese sauce, duck gravy, and swiss cheese – perfect for sopping up alcohol. A visit to the bar wouldn’t be complete without them! They also serve up six different types of mussels and clams. I tried the Diablo mussels, which were spicy, flavorful, and tomatoey.

Finally, if you’re in the mood for a sandwich, you MUST try the BLT. Bearing almost no relation to its inferior cousin, the sandwich is a much heartier braised pork belly, fried green tomato, and alfalfa sprouts with spicy aiolo served on a decadent brioche bun. Oh, and the Seiten Sloppy Joe will be perfect for anyone in a vegan mood.

Next time you’re feeling winter’s chill, head over to Devil’s Den. It’s the perfect spot to weather a storm, down some great brews, or indulge in a perfect meal.

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

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday — and a great weekend, to boot! (Photo by J. Smith)

The Holidays in Philadelphia [gophila.com]

Stop by the Academy of Natural Sciences for Animal Day on Sunday!

Friday

Top 5 Philly Rock & Roll Christmas Traditions
Our buddies at Philebrity have a great list of rock and roll Christmas traditions. Have a look and tune in.

Saturday

Pop Up Shopping in Rittenhouse Square
A great temporary store is opening on Saturday, with wild discounts on designer merchandise. It’ll only be open til Tuesday, so get there before everything clears out.

See Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker
The PA Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker runs this weekend and wraps up on December 31st. See it while you still can.

Annual Champagne & Dessert Wine Tasting Gala
The Wine School of Philadelphia is hosting their annual gala event, with tickets priced at about $60. They collect wines from all over, and you get to taste them all.

Winter Wonderland @ the National Constitution Center
Stop by and vote in the NCC’s annual Gingerbread White House contest. Lots of activities for kids as well; they can make arts and crafts, as well as their own tiaras!

Candlelight Tours @ the Fonthill Museum
The Fonthill Museum is hosting a special guided tour of Fonthill. Explore the castle by candlelight.

Sunday

Boxing Day Beer Festival @ Memphis Taproom
The Memphis Taproom is hosting their annual Boxing Day Festival, with cheap beer and drinks.

Animal Day @ the Academy of Natural Sciences
The ANSP will let out their critters and take them around the museum… with their handlers, of course. Come meet some of the Academy’s animals!

Storytelling Sundays @ the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Stop by the PAFA for a free story telling session with award winning storyteller Queen Nur.

Boutique shopping in Rittenhouse Square, Photo by K. Ciappa

I love post-holiday shopping. The discounts on Christmas candy, the deals on overstocked merchandise, I even like picking up cheap holiday decorations to use next year. However, I greatly dislike the epic lines in shopping malls and the shoving & pushing in department stores.

Luckily, this year, post-holiday shoppers (like myself) can swing by the “Shopt Out” Pop-Up Shop, a temporary store that’ll open at 1528 Walnut Street. Created by the folks behind Moko in Old City, the temporary store promises 40% to 80% off designer labels, accessorries, and other merchandise on Saturday, December 26th, through Tuesday, December 29th.

Some of the designer labels up for grabs include Opening Ceremony, Corey Lynn Calter, 3.1 Phillip Lim, bags by Christopher Kon, Vanessa Bruno, Paul & Joe Sister accessories and shoes by F Troupe and Sigerson Morrison. Boutiques like Reward, Philly 360 favorite Sevilla Smith and Petulia’s Folly will also be in the mix.

So swing by, shop, and don’t miss the opening night party on Saturday. From 5pm to 9pm, Triumph will dish out appetizers, Pinot Boutique will be pouring their specialty Pinot-Tini, and Tarte are supplying pastries. Mmm!

Update: According to the Philly Style Blog, the entrance to the shop isn’t at 1528 Walnut Street, and is around the corner on 16th St. below Walnut, between the Starbucks and the Kaplan test place. See their blog for pictures.

Hours
Dec 26th, Sat: 10am – 8pm
Dec 27th, Sun: Noon – 5pm
Dec 28th & 29th, Mon & Tues: 10am – 6pm

Tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, Paradiso Restaurant & Wine Bar will be serving a traditional Italian American “Feast of the Seven Fishes” dinner. This special dinner is served on a prix fixe menu, at $65 a person.

This traditional feast consists of seven different seafood dishes, and Paradiso has quite the menu lined up. From seafood risotto to stuffed calamari, the menu has a little bit of everything.

The meal is available Thursday, December 24th from 5pm to 10pm. The normal menu won’t be available, but the chef will prepare a fillet for anyone who doesn’t want to eat fish, as well as chicken parm for kids. Reservations are encouraged.

I’ve got the menu pasted after the jump. Have a look.

Paradiso Restaurant
1627 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148-1121
(215) 271-2066
www.paradisophilly.com

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Longwood Gardens' fountains, lit up for the holidays. Photos courtesy Longwood Gardens

From family parties to visits with friends, cookie baking to shopping and wrapping, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We should all take a little time out to appreciate the spectacular sights and sounds of the season, and Longwood Gardens is just the ticket.

There’s nothing like an impressive display of adorned Christmas trees and sparkling twinkle lights to get into the holiday spirit. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square is the perfect place for that. I hadn’t been there in several years, so this time around felt like my first time all over again.

The Conservatory is a sight to see, from the enormous Christmas trees decorated just perfectly, to the colorful flowers and plants from all over the world filling every nook and cranny. Being a self-proclaimed beach lover, I was particularly amazed by the tropical Hibiscus flower and palm tree exhibits.

The outdoor light displays in The Gardens, though, are by far my favorite. The season comes alive as more than a half-million lights illuminate the Longwood forest. You definitely won’t want to miss the brightly colored dancing fountain shows either (pictured), which run throughout the evening.

If you get hungry or just want a cup of hot chocolate, there are plenty of great options. If you’re in the mood for finer dining, you can visit 1906, a formal, full-service dining room which serves local fruits, vegetables and meats. For a less expensive meal or snack, you can try The Café, featuring local salads, soups, hot entrees kids’ meals and pastries.

Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348
(610) 388-1000
www.longwoodgardens.org

The Boxing Day Beer Festival! December 26th!

West Philadelphia’s Local 44 isn’t the only bar in town hosting a kick-the-keg night before Christmas.

Tomorrow on Wednesday, December 23rd, Kensington’s Memphis Taproom is hosting their own $3 draft night starting at 9pm. Everything on draft is just $3 until the kegs run completely dry. They shut down on Christmas Eve and Day, but reopen on the 26th for their exciting Boxing Day Beer Festival.

Starting at 8am, the Taproom will serve some of the best holiday and seasonal ales available, including Weissenohe Monk’s Christmas ale, De Dolle Stille Nacht ale, Victory Old Horizontal, and a lot more. A full list is available on the Memphis Taproom’s official website.

The Taproom will also be collecting canned food and gently used winter coats & blankets for to local organizations that help families in need. You’ll earn $1 off each beer if you bring in a coat, a blanket, or three cans of food.

Memphis Taproom
2331 E. Cumberland Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 425-4460
www.memphistaproom.com

A very crowded Local 44!

The end of 2009 marks Local 44′s first year in business and, like McGillin’s, they are ready to party.

Local 44 shuts down on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but on December 23rd, they are drying out their kegs. Head over to Local 44 to help them polish off all their remaining beer. Everything on draft is just $3, until all of their 20 kegs run completely dry. All of them. They’ll reopen on the 26th.

Now on New Year’s Day, starting at 4pm, Local 44 has a line up of special anniversary and holiday beers, as well as free food (what!) at 5pm. They’ve got a lot of hard-to-find beers from Stone, Scaldis, Lost Abbey, Dogfish Head, Ommegang, Port Brewing, Russian River, and more.

Two parties, one great pub. Stop by.

Local 44
4333 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 222-BEER
www.local44beerbar.com

Sean Gilvey teaches glassblowing @ Hudson Beach Glass

Need a last minute, local gift? Well, from now until Christmas, Old City’s Hudson Beach Glass is offering up discounts on their glassblowing lessons.

Their “Taste” class is now just $65 (instead of $80), “Appetizer” class is just $130 (instead of $160), and their “Entree” class is a whopping $135 off the regular price. For details on every individual class, visit Hudson Beach’s official website.

The catch? You can’t take advantage of your lesson until after January 10th, when they’re done making Christmas Ornaments.

The studio is open every day, now through Christmas Eve, from noon until 7pm. They are still taking appointments for their Christmas ornament workshops, so check that out as well.

Hudson Beach Glass
26 South Strawberry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(267) 319-1887
www.hudsonbeachglasspa.com

McGillin’s Olde Ale House is all decked out for the holidays, with 1,000 feet of garland, 3,000 Christmas lights, 150 red bows, and over 200 ornaments hanging all over the bar. They broke out the holiday drinks, including Troeg’s Mad Elf, their signature Poinsettia Punch, and are even serving non-alcoholic winter beverages, like hot cocoa and hot spiced apple cider, which you can sip by the pub’s fireplace.

The holidays aside, this Center City staple has a lot more to celebrate. There’s a reason they’ve got a countdown timer on their official website. What for? New Year’s Eve marks their 150th anniversary kick-off, and they’ve got a party planned.

McGillin’s is celebrating with their very own McGillin’s 1860 IPA, and a bunch of events scheduled up to New Year’s Eve. On NYE however, they will have raffles, prizes, a DJ spinning, and a cheap, $5 cover. Probably one of the most affordable NYE parties in the city.

They’re opening early, at 9am, to kick off the celebration. Stop by after the Mummer’s Parade, have lunch (I recommend the chicken parm, surprisingly delicious), and warm up at the historic pub.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House
1310 Drury Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 735-5562
www.mcgillins.com

For most, the holidays are a time for family, friends and good cheer. Sure, you might get a little rambunctious at the office Christmas party or on New Years Eve, but it’s more about taking stock in the good things about life and the people you surround yourself with.

But not every holiday celebration is so family-friendly. The annual Running of the Santas is perhaps the perfect example of an adults-only Christmas celebration. But that doesn’t keep it from capturing the holiday spirit — or being a ton of fun.

First, some history: “The world’s naughtiest festival and pub crawl” begin in 1998 in Manayunk. That first year, more than 40 bar patrons, all dressed in Santa costumes of varying authenticity, prowled the streets and bars of Main St., partaking in excessive merriment. Since then, more and more Santas have joined the cause, and similar events have cropped up in dozens of cities across the country.

This year, the organization expects over 5,000 people to dress up and make the “run” from Finnigan’s Wake to the Electric Factory. Once they arrive at “The North Pole” (The E-Factory), a huge Christmas party will ensue, complete with food, drinks, local vendors and eight bands. Several other Philadelphia bars are participating throughout the day (dedicated Santas start early) by accommodating the Santas and offering up drink specials. Check out the org’s website for more details.

Presale tickets for the E-Factory event are still on sale (organizers say it will sell out, though). But whether you want to buy a ticket and take part in the fun, or just watch from a safe distance, The Running of the Santas is a decidedly local Christmas tradition. Sure, other cities have adopted their own variations, but to experience the original, you have to be in Philly.

The Running of the Santas
Dec. 19 – run from Finnegan’s Wake to the Electric Factory, 6pm
www.runningofthesantas.com