November 9, 2011
Bridgette Mayer, pictured center accompanied by her gallery staff, is a Philadelphia art icon celebrating her beloved gallery's 10th anniversary this year. (Photo courtesy Bridgette Mayer Gallery)
The Bridgette Mayer Gallery is all grown up.
The gallery has been closed for most of the year, but it’s about to celebrate a decade in the biz with the opening of its expanded space, a fuller roster of contemporary artists from around the globe and a knock-your-socks-off debut exhibition entitled Karmic Abstraction.
Bridgette Mayer always loved her gallery space and the Washington Square hood she’s called home for the last 10 years, but her expanding business called for more room. After checking out properties in various neighborhoods throughout the city, Mayer decided there was no place like home and enlisted the help of local firm Cecil Baker & Associates to help expand her existing gallery.
And expand it they did. More than double the size of the original space, the new 3,000-square-feet gallery features an additional exhibition room, wall space for super-sized works, fancy-pants lighting, a presentation room, offices and space for art storage.
The overhauled Bridgette Mayer Gallery opens its new door (yes, even the door is new) on Tuesday, November 15 with Karmic Abstraction, an exhibit of contemporary paintings by 16 artists from the U.S. and beyond. It runs through the end of the year.
Up next: the first U.S. showing of Costa Rican artist Federico Herrero’s art (February), the work of University of the Arts’ alum Nathan Pankratz (March) and frayed portraits by Spanish artist Germán Gómez (April).
And that’s how to celebrate 10 years of successful entrepreneurship.
Bridgette Mayer Gallery Re-Opening
When: Tuesday, November 15, gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and by appointment
Where: 709 Walnut Street
Cost: Free
More info: www.bridgettemayergallery.com
October 7, 2011
Iconic places like the Rocky Statue and Love Park were among the picks, as well as plenty of other Philly favorites for diehard Phillies fans. Go Phils! (Credits clockwise from top left: G. Widman; B. Krist; B. Krist; G. Widman)
Visit Philly recently had the opportunity to check in with the Phillies’ wives (and one fiancé) and get the scoop on their favorite must-sees, must-dos and must-tastes in Philadelphia, the place they call home for more than half of the year.
The top takeaway from the informal Q&A session? These ladies know and love this town.
So as the team and their fans get ready for a huge Game 5 tonight, you can read up on the advice of the truest of the Phillies faithful on how to experience Philadelphia: Jennifer Utley, Johari Rollins, Lindsay Lidge, Stephenie Kendrick and Krystle Campbell, Ryan Howard’s fiancé.
Question #1
GPTMC: When you have friends and relatives in town, what do you insist they see/do?
Utley: I make sure they go to a Phillies game, and after that I like to take people to Kelly Drive.
Campbell: When relatives come in town, we’ll spend an afternoon at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You can’t forget about Rocky’s statue and steps while you’re there.
Rollins: Visit the Art Museum, The Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Zoo.
Kendrick: The Art Museum area. There is tons of history there. I also love Boathouse Row and, of course, the Rocky steps!
Question #2
GPTMC: What’s your favorite Philly delicacy, and where is your go-to spot for it?
Campbell: Chickie’s and Pete’s crab fries are a must! The side of melted American cheese makes them extra tasty.
Rollins: Sarcone’s Deli for a specialty hoagie, and Lorenzo and Sons Pizza on South Street for the biggest and best slice of cheese pizza. For water ice, John’s on 7th & Christian Street. For gelato, Capogiro’s. And for fro-yo, Sweet Ending!
Lidge: It may not be from Philly, but Jersey corn grown just over the river is the sweetest on the planet if you ask me.
Kendrick: Philly cheesesteak with wiz from Jim’s Steaks on South Street. It’s a must!
Question #3
GPTMC: Name your favorite Philly restaurants. Have a favorite dish?
Utley: Barbuzzo Mediterranean Kitchen & Bar is amazing; Pizzeria Stella is a go-to favorite; and stracciatella gelato at Capogiro is the best.
Campbell: Del Frisco’s is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at if I’m craving a steak. Don’t forget to order the lemon cake for dessert.
Rollins: Love, love Parc near Rittenhouse Square. Their omelets, Chicken Paillard and French onion soup are to die for, as is their freshly baked bread and extensive wine list. I also like Osteria and Mama Palma’s for brick-oven pizza. Our favorite bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) spot is Audrey Claire, where they serve delicious Mediterranean food. Oh, and Alma de Cuba! Can’t go wrong with any restaurants by Stephen Starr, Marc Vetri or Jose Garces.
Lidge: The Farm and Fisherman has a smashed beet “steak” that is out of this world. Kendrick: At Gigi restaurant and lounge, the filet mignon pizza is to die for. So are many of the other dishes and tapas.
Lots more, below, including the wives’ favorite places to shop, under-the-radar spots and more.
August 16, 2011
Every gourmand's dream: a shopping and tasting spree at one of Philadelphia's most iconic food shops.
(Photo courtesy Di Bruno Bros.)
How many times have you wandered into Di Bruno Bros.’ original Italian Market location and dreamed of dipping your fingers into the antipasti barrels to fish out a feta cheese-stuffed olive, a marinated mushroom or a fire-roasted tomato?
If you’re like most people, the answer is every time.
Take advantage of Di Bruno’s private tasting/shopping experience, and you’ll have a chance to sample as many gourmet goodies as you like (in a much more civilized way than described above).
It’s easy to take advantage of one of the city’s best-kept happy hour secrets. Here’s how:
• Call the store (see below), and set up an appointment with the store manager. Tastings are available after the shop closes on Monday from 5-7 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday from 6-8 p.m.
• Gather up eight friends, and pony up $100 bucks total. It’s $20 for every person after number eight — a steal any way you slice it.
• Show up to Di Bruno’s hungry — very, very hungry. You’ll start out with free reign over the antipasti bar, which Di Bruno employees will guide you through with a knowledge and passion that will have you filling out a job application before you go.
You’ll sample pickled garlic, seafood salad, white anchovies, caper berries, stuffed artichokes, olives of all sorts and loads of other appetizers sure to make you think you’ve died and gone to antipasti heaven.
Next, you’ll be treated to your guide’s favorite meats and cheeses from around the world. And then, if and only if you wore your elastic pants, you can request to taste anything in the store that doesn’t need to be cooked — perhaps an olive oil, a vinegar, a cheese spread, whatever your taste buds beckon.
• Bring your own wine or beer. Your know-it-all guides will know exactly what to pair with it.
• Take home your favorite treats for 10% less than marked. (!!)
You’ll go home feeling crazy for capocolla, tickled about all things pickled and hopelessly devoted to Di Bruno’s. Call (215) 922-2876 to set up your own happiest happy hour.
Di Bruno Bros Italian Market
930 S. 9th Street
www.dibruno.com
September 10, 2010
Curtis Center office building employees, Dream Garden oglers, Wash West residents and Historic District tourists now have three more reasons to stick around the neighborhood: wine, whiskey and Southern-style eats at Cooperage, the month-old venture on the northwest corner of the historic building that once housed the Ladies’ Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post.
A collaboration between Joe Volpe, a giant in Philly’s wedding reception biz, and Jen Kremer, a young but experienced chef-turned-sommelier-turned-restaurant owner, Cooperage boasts a laid-back bar with 40 whiskeys and 20 wines (perfect for the after-work Happy Hour), a full-service restaurant (perfect for a casual dinner with the gals) and a take-away store (perfect for office workers and tourists in need of a quick bite).
My pals and I left stuffed and satisfied after a recent media dinner at Cooperage, feasting on chef Ralph Kane’s hard-to-resist Cajun-peached shrimp, sinfully crispy “Florida Gaiter Bites,” just-the-right-kick pork nachos and a perfectly dressed summer berry salad—and that was just the appetizer portion of our meal! Our entrees ranged from simply prepared oven-roasted free-range chicken and pan-seared scallops to Southern classics in the form of pecan-crusted catfish and a fried green tomato hoagie. And, of course, our girls’ night out ended the only way it ever should—with dessert and lots of ’em: a pecan pie tartlet, bourbon-spiked chocolate beignets and fresh fruit cobbler.
To the Southern cookin’ and Southern hospitality, this Philly girl says, “Yo, Cooperage! Welcome to town.”
May 19, 2010
I know my Mayfair hood isn’t exactly the center of Philly’s culinary universe, so I like to spread the word when there’s something to brag about, and boy, do I have something to brag about: the Burger Bar at Gallo’s.
That’s right, Gallo’s, the see-and-be-seen seafood spot for the Northeast’s silver-haired set, opened an adjoining restaurant that’s all about Philly’s “it” food: the burger. This bright, modern spot, complete with candy-apple red bar stools, exposed brick walls, an industrial ceiling and an under-construction patio, couldn’t look more different than its nautically themed sister restaurant. It’s clear that the Galloway family is looking to attract a younger crowd with this hip three-week-old endeavor—and attract them they will just as soon as word gets about the sleek look, spiked shakes, local beer selections, easy-on-the-wallet prices and those gloriously juicy burgers.
On my recent Burger Bar visit, we skipped the appetizers and headed straight for the main attraction: a burger with gruyere cheese, bacon and crispy onion strings for me and a double beef, double cheese, bacon and fried egg number known as the 5-Napkin special for my husband. Made with house-ground certified angus chuck, the burgers were juicy, melty, messy delights. And the heaping plates of garlic parmesan waffle fries and house-cut onion rings made for the perfect crispy accompaniment to our indulgent meal.
We’ll be back again soon, real soon, and next time I’m pretty sure we won’t be the only patrons getting our burgers on. Brace yourselves, Galloway family, because the crowds they are a comin’!
Curious about the menu? I’ve got it pasted after the jump.
Gallo’s Seafood
8101 Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19152-3013
(215) 333-0484
www.gallos-seafood.com
