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Top: Olive oil decanters; Bottom: Bread box and olive oil (all photos by M. McClellan)

The Garces Trading Company opened its doors just over a month ago to much fanfare. Charcuterie! Macarons! Bottled wine sales! I finally headed over on Monday to take a few pictures and see for myself what so many had been raving about.

The Garces Trading Company is located at 1111 Locust Street, just around the corner from Jefferson Hospital and a few blocks west of Washington Square. When you first walk in, you have a choice to make. You can ask for table (where you’ll be tended to by a friendly server) or you can opt to shop for a few gourmet groceries.

Shoppers can select from a gorgeous display of cheeses, charcuterie (some made in-house), breads, pastries, jams, olive oils and ready-to-go meals. Additionally, a small wine room takes up a large portion of the east wall of the space, making it possible for shoppers to pick all the essentials for a summer concert or picnic. This wine option is particularly exciting, since Pennsylvania wine laws typically make it impossible to buy a bottle outside a state store. Here’s hoping this is won’t be the last of such joint ventures.

If you choose to dine in, you’ll find yourself tucked in at one of the well-lit, comfy tables in the center of the space. The GTC menu has a number of options and from what I experienced, they do them all exceedingly well. If you’re stopping in for a quick lunch, the soups, salads and sandwiches are accessibly priced ($6-11) and generously sized. For sharing, I’d recommend one of the oblong, thin crust pizzas ($12-13). They also make a deep dish pie, but I didn’t have an opportunity to try it.

If you’re feeling nibbly, you can order up a couple cheeses (they are $6 a portion) and a bit of the charcuterie ($8 a portion). Tangy bread, olive oil and salt arrive on the table as soon as you order. I had the opportunity to try their house-made Chicken Liver Mousse and it’s been haunting my dreams. Smooth and luscious, I can’t stop thinking about when I’ll be able to return and taste it again.

The other item I tried that I found impossibly delicious was their made-to-order mozzarella. It arrives on your table warm and drizzled with bright, lemony olive oil. It was bursting with the flavor of fresh, creamy milk and while eating it, I had to resist the urge to pull the dish towards me and wrap my arms around it in affection. I really wanted to keep it all to myself. However, since that sort of behavior unseemly in adulthood, I refrained.

If you haven’t been yet, please do make a point of visiting Garces Trading Company. It offers an easy, delicious and inexpensive option for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. You can’t really for much more than that.

Garces Trading Company
1111 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA
215-574-1099
www.garcestradingcompany.com/

Adam Kanter, the owner and chief mixologist of Rum Bar, is celebrating the return of Spring with several new delicious cocktails. Check them out:

Springtime Mai Tai
El Dorado 5-Year rum, Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb rum, lime, grapefruit, lavender, hibiscus.

Rejuvenation Daiquiri
Cruzan Light Rum, lavender, lemon and rhubarb bitters.

Cucumber Sour
a mix of cucumber infused rum, Cruzan Citrus Rum, St-Germain liqueur, lemon juice.

In a recent press release from the restaurant, Kanter said “it’s a new season with people looking for new flavors.” Adam, I couldn’t agree more.

Rum Bar Lounge & Restaurant
2005 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 751-0404
www.rum-bar.com

PYT on the Piazza (photo by M. McClellan)

Foursquare users everywhere know the thrill that comes when you check-in and subsequently discover that you’ve unlocked a new badge. Well gird your loins Philadelphia-area social media addicts, you’ve got a local opportunity to unlock a particularly rare badge tomorrow night.

Tommy Up, proprietor of  Piazza hotspot PYT, is hosting Philly’s very first Swarm meet-up tomorrow night at his NoLibs watering hole between the hours of 6 – 8 p.m. The premise is simple. If 50 or more Foursquare users gather at the same spot and check in at the same time, they will all unlock the Swarm badge. Less than 50 and no dice.

Being that tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, chances are you’ll be out anyway. Why not start your evening at PYT and make local social media history in the process?

Thirteen's Lounge, Photo courtesy of Thirteen

March Madness at Thirteen, the Marriott Downtown’s American-themed restaurant, may have started on Sunday, but you’ve still got a couple more weeks of dining deals and beer specials.

Now through the end of the month (and into April), Thirteen is offering up 13 kinds of Sam Adams on draft for $2, and bottles for $3, during all college basketball games. Fans can even take home a special Sam Adams glass, with a small basketball in the base.

Dining specials include spicy or BBQ wings [$5], chili nachos [$5], cheese steak hoagie pizzas [$7], spicy chorizo sausage sandwiches [$7] and Thirteen’s comfort food sampler: spicy wings, nachos, pulled pork sliders and onion rings [$16].

Here’s the March Madness schedule, which features the dates you can take advantage of Thirteen’s specials.

Opening Round Game: March 16 • First Two Rounds: March 18 & 20, 19 & 21 • East Regional: March 25 & 27 • West Regional: March 25 & 27 • Midwest Regional: March 26 & 28 • South Regional: March 26 & 28 • Final Four: April 3 & 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Uwishunu blogger Kara Beitzer had brunch at Thirteen back in the Fall. Read what she thought about it, here.

Thirteen at the Philadelphia Marriott [Official Site]

Erin Express not for you? This might be an interesting alternative.

This Saturday. 3 – 10 pm.

The 1st Annual Highbrow Bar Crawl.

5 participating bars.

Varga Bar. POPE. The Khyber. Triumph. New Wave Cafe.

$15 tickets — available for purchase at any of the participating bars.

Tickets get you access to the crawl and unlimited rides on the bus, which will be running continuously between the bars for the duration of the event.

Varga Bar [Official Site]

Image via Art in the Age

Through the end of the month, three bars around Philadelphia will be hosting special Happy Hours centered around Art in the Age’s Root.

BAR, Standard Tap, and Charlie’s Pub are dishing out $4 Root cocktails, on alternating days for the next three weeks. In addition to the drink specials, Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction will be at each bar, giving away free swag from their Old City boutique.

Check out the schedule after the jump, and plan your Thursday happy hours accordingly.

Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
116 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 922-2600
www.artintheage.com

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Next Wednesday, on St. Patrick’s Day, the New Wave Cafe is hosting a special ‘Green’ Quizzo.

From eco-trivia to questions about St. Patty’s Day, the New Wave will be testing guests’ knowledge of all things green. Expect prizes from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Big Green Earth Store, drink specials, and vegan snacks.

A $10 donation is required to play, and all proceeds benefit the Humane League of Philadelphia.

New Wave Cafe
784 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-3336
(215) 922-8484
www.newwavecafe.com

Sure, Philly Beer Week is three months away, but you can’t stop us Philadelphians from getting excited about it. In fact, we’ve opted to start celebrating a little early this year, with the Philly Beer Weekend.

From Friday, March 12th, to Sunday, March 14th, many of this year’s Beer Week participants are paying tribute to 2009’s incredibly successful week-of-beer, by offering up a number of outstanding beer specials, events, and tastings.

I’ve pasted the full schedule after the jump, but do visit Philly Beer Week’s official website for updates. Have a look and plan your weekend.

Philly Beer Week
www.phillybeerweek.org

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I sampled all five burgers from the menu, as sliders! Yum!

If you are looking for a spot to kick back, relax and enjoy a nice big 1/2 pound burger with a ice cold beer, then Bridget Foy’s on Wednesday night is just the place for you! The middle of the week is the perfect time to meet up with friends and enjoy a relaxing night on the town. For only $10, a burger and a brew is the perfect way to take the edge off mid-week! I was lucky enough to try out all five of Bridget Foy’s burger options in slider form. It was amazing to get to try each of the five burger options, because they each have a very unique taste.

At Bridget Foy’s there is a burger and a beer option for everyone! I tried a standard burger with Wisconsin cheddar, romaine lettuce, tomato and red onion topped with a dill pickle. If you are craving a little Mexican then I suggest the New Mexico burger, which comes with roasted green chilies, spicy pepperjack cheese and a wonderful chipotle aioli sauce. For the vegetarian there is a veggie burger, it comes with a house-made, black bean veggie patty, mushrooms, peto aioli, spinach and Gruyere cheese. If you want a little Thanksgiving in March then go for the Turkey Burger which is covered with cranberry relish, avocado aioli, gruyere and alfalfa sprouts. Last up is the Head House Market burger which comes with herb mayo, Gruyere, mushroom and fried egg.

All five burgers were incredible. I can’t really pick a favorite because they were all so mouth-watering and delicious! Each of the regular burgers on the menu are made with 1/2 lb. fresh ground Angus sirloin. All the sauces are made in house, which explains why they were so tasty.

Stout's Scarlet Lady and Dogfish Head 60 Min IPA

To go along with the different burgers, there is also a wide variety of beer choices too. I got to taste the Dogfish Head 60 Min. IPA and the Stout’s Scarlet lady. Other beer choices include Philadelphia Brewing Co. Kenzinger, Yunegling Lager and two seasonal rotating taps.

It was the perfect meal for a Wednesday evening! Stop and check it out for yourself this week!

Bridget Foy’s
200 South Street, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 922-1813
www.bridgetfoys.com

Starting next week, on Tuesday, March 16th, the Swift Half Pub in Northern Liberties will feature a week-long special in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Partons to the pub can expect $3 Swift Half pints and $3 Irish snacks from March 16th through Sunday, March 21st. The snack menu includes:

. Stuffed Cabbage
. Traditional Boxty with applesauce
. Ham and Cheese Pierogies with Guinness brown butter
. Mini Fish and Chips
. Bangers in a Blanket

The $3 Swift Half pints include Sly Fox’s O’Reilly Stout, a Pennsylvania-brewed Irish stout, and more.

Swift Half Pub
1001 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123-1656
(215) 923-4600
www.swifthalfpub.com

According to our good friends Foobooz, this Thursday, March 11th, Rob Tod from Allagash Brewing is coming into Philadelphia and Wayne for a number of events, including a beer brunch at Jose Pistola’s and a tasting at the Beer Yard. Check out the schedule below:

. Noon to 2pm – Jose Pistola’s Allagash Beer Brunch
. 3 to 5pm – Beer Yard Beer Tasting
. 5 to 7pm – Teresa’s Next Door Happy Hour
. 8 to 10pm – Craft Ale House Allagash Late Night Party

We’ve got the addresses of all the places, pasted after the jump.

Thanks for the heads up, Art!

[ via Foobooz ]

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Johnny Brenda's, one of the many stops on the Craft Beer Express, Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC

This Saturday, March 13th, seven different bars around Philadelphia are hosting special beer events, and the Craft Beer Express will take you to all of them. From Johnny Brenda’s 2nd Annual Stout Brunch (10 different stouts, full Irish Breakfast) to Devil’s Den and their cheese and beer pairing, this bus makes all stops, with each bar dishing out fantastic and fun specials.

My friend Art over at Foobooz has the entire rundown of all the stops on the Express. Check it out here.

The Craft Beer Express runs from 11am to 7pm and costs a mere $15. You can purchase tickets here via Ticketfly. They go on sale at 11pm this Friday, March 12th.

[ via Foobooz ]