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Hot off her spectacular performance in Sunday’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, Madonna announced she’s hitting the road this summer on a North American tour. Her first stop? The Wells Fargo Center in South Philly on August 28. Tickets go on sale Monday, February 13, making a perfect last minute Valentine’s Day gift for the Material Girl/Boy in your life. Madonna’s highly-anticipated new album, MDNA, will be released on March 26. [Madonna at the Wells Fargo Center]

Lucky Magazine has crowned Philadelphia one of the 25 top cities for shopping in the entire country, thanks to excellent boutiques like Kimberly, located in Rittenhouse. (Photo courtesy Kimberly Boutique)

Huge news for Philadelphia’s retail scene: Lucky Magazine recently released its list of the 25 best cities for shopping in the country, and Philadelphia is included!

Check out what they had to say about Philly: “Why We Love It: Most malls and shopping centers are a highway’s drive away, making the city itself a haven for pockets of small boutique shopping. Also, there’s no sales tax on clothing.”

Specific boutiques they highlight include the venerable Joan Shepp, Arcadia Boutique, Knitwit and Kimberly Boutique, all in Rittenhouse.

We adore each of their picks, but be sure to include Old City’s 3rd Street, Northern Liberties, Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, University City and other enclaves around the city in your shopping trips.

Check out Lucky’s full guide to Philadelphia shopping here. And Visit Philly has you covered with a comprehensive shopping guide here.

Congrats to all the magnificent local shops and boutiques on much-deserved praise from one of the industry’s major authorities.

The 25 Best Cities for Shopping [Lucky]

Today, February 7, marks the 200th birthday of celebrated English author Charles Dickens. Thanks to his ties to Philadelphia, the city has been celebrating since last fall with Sunday readings and tea at The Dandelion, literary salons, special exhibitions and a birthday party in Clark Park, home to the famous bronze Dickens statue that has graced the park since 1901, which for nearly a century, remained his only statue in the entire world. Check out the Year of Dickens event calendar to see what else is in store throughout the year. [Free Library of Philadelphia’s Year of Dickens]

Chef Vetri says Alla Spina's look will be that of a converted car garage: lots of metal, wood, earth colors and graffiti. (Photo courtesy Marc Vetri)

Fresh off the resounding four-bell affirmation of Vetri in this Sunday’s Inquirer — in which critic Craig LaBan gushed: “the fact that [Chef Marc] Vetri refuses to rest on his classics is at the heart of why he remains a singular leader for his generation and why his namesake restaurant remains our very best” — Chef Vetri is busy preparing for the opening of his newest restaurant, Alla Spina.

Vetri and crew are now targeting February 27 as opening day for their latest venture.

Alla Spina will join Stephen Starr’s Route 6 as one of two new restaurants putting down roots in what used to be an old automobile dealership at Broad and Mount Vernon. And Marc Vetri is taking that theme pretty literally, saying that the look of Alla Spina “is basically a converted car garage. Lots of metal, wood, earth colors, graffiti. But you’ll feel [the] Italian theme.”

The main entrance will be on Mount Vernon, not Broad Street, right next to Route 6′s main entrance. Alla Spina will also boast three large garage doors that look out onto Mount Vernon Street. We’re guessing they’ll be open when the weather is right.

Both Vetri and Chef Jeff Michaud of Osteria took to Twitter recently to share progress inside the restaurant and bar, teasing photos of one of Alla Spina’s signature design pieces: an inside wall custom tagged by a graffiti artist.

Graffiti and a brand new tap system? Opening can’t be very far.

Alla Spina [Official Site]

Last week we introduced our month-long “29 Nights of Dates” promotion, a sweet giveaway-a-day throughout February for couples to enjoy the City of Brotherly Love at its loveliest.

As promised, we’ll be teasing each week’s series of giveaways every Monday.

A sampling of what you could win throughout this week (in scrambled order, to keep an element of surprise), by entering on the Visit Philly Facebook page:

• Tasteful Music: Dine in style at Sbraga, the buzzed-about American restaurant by Top Chef winner Kevin Sbraga. Hit the right note after dinner with a performance by the acclaimed Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center.

• Rink side and Courtyard: Your night begins at Chickie’s & Pete’s, followed by a Taxi Crab ride to the Wells Fargo Center to watch the Flyers. Then, snuggle up for the night at Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown and enjoy champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and breakfast for two.

• A Date-Night Classic: Romance and delicious Italian cuisine await at Positano Coast, a trattoria boasting 27 wine flights, 150 by-the-glass selections and a 530-bottle reserve. Directly across the street at the indie-movie heaven Ritz Five Theater, you can look forward to perfect-sized popcorn and plenty of hand-holding time.

29 Nights of Dates Contest [Visit Philly Facebook]

Previously: Introducing Our “29 Nights Of Dates Contest”: Enter To Win A Vespa Plus 28 Other Great Romance-Themed Prizes All Month Long

For the first time in five years, Inquirer critic Craig LaBan established which restaurants in Philadelphia are the super elite.
(Graphic via Philly.com)

As we mentioned last week, Sunday was a big day for the Philadelphia restaurant scene.

Philadelphia Inquirer Restaurant Critic Craig LaBan yesterday unveiled the results of revisiting the Philadelphia region’s top restaurants for the first time in five years to see which restaurants deserve his coveted four-bell rating.

A quick refresher: Craig LaBan employs a bell system for reviewing restaurants, awarding a restaurant between zero and four bells. No bells is poor; one bell is hit-or-miss; two bells is very good; three bells is excellent; and four bells is superior. And rare.

LaBan considered 13 restaurants as four-bell contenders when he began his quest back in the fall. And five restaurants rose to the top.

The new four-bell restaurants are (drum roll, please): Vetri, Zahav, Bibou, Talula’s Table and Fountain Restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel.

(Turns out we were not that far off with our guesses last week.)

LaBan writes of the new Philly restaurant elite,

“From the timeless crystal elegance of the Fountain, to the exotically-spiced charcoal-grilled kebabs of Zahav, to Vetri’s inspired pasta riffs, to the seasonal whimsies of Talula’s Table, to the rustic soul of French bistro fare on a pedestal at Bibou, these restaurants cover it all. Every one has managed to distinctly capture that elusive feeling of enchantment: a sense that dinner is more than just a meal of memorable flavors and gracious service, but a special moment in time at a table that could be nowhere else on earth.”

Congratulations to each of the four-bell restaurants. It is a distinction that is well deserved in each case.

Over on Philly.com, there is a lot of great content related to the four-bell recipients, including a full write-up on each one as well updates on the other eight restaurants that were considered. (The other eight restaurants in the 13 considered were Lacroix, Le Bec Fin, Tinto, Barclay Prime, Morimoto, Osteria, Amada and Talula’s Garden.)

On Thursday, LaBan is going to release more great restaurant content when the Inquirer puts out his list of “Best In Their Class” rankings for categories other than fine dining: e.g. Gastropubs, New American BYOB, New American Full Service, Updated International, Italian and Great Restaurants That Don’t Get Talked About Enough. So stay tuned.

Craig LaBan’s Best Restaurants in the Philadelphia Area [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Previously: Philadelphia Inquirer Restaurant Critic Craig Laban To Name The Five Best Restaurants In Philadelphia This Sunday, February 5

Taste of the Nation returns to the Loews Philadelphia Hotel on May 7 with a newly appointed chef chair.

Top Chef winner and owner/executive chef of his eponymous restaurant on the Avenue of the Arts, Kevin Sbraga will follow in the footsteps of two-time chair Jennifer Carroll, another Top Chef star who will continue to support the cause as honorary chair.

Taste of the Nation even ups the foodie goodness with a limited-time offer for $15 off regular ticket prices, now through March 19. (Hint: Valentine’s Day is fast-approaching.)

During this year’s event, Sbraga and about 40 of Philadelphia’s best chefs will serve inventive and mouthwatering dishes to eager attendees, who chase each delightful bite with refreshing drinks from top mixologists.

Plus, guests can try their luck at the silent and live auctions — always crowd-pleasers, with restaurant gift cards, hotel stays, crafts, sports prizes, tickets, chef dinners and more.

Part of the national organization Share Our Strength, Taste of the Nation is a premier culinary event that raises money to achieve its goal of “No Kid Hungry.” In fact, 100% of ticket sales go directly to like-minded local beneficiaries: The Food Trust, Philabundance, Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger and Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center.

Taste of the Nation Philadelphia
When: Monday, May 7
Where: Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Millennium Ballroom, 12th & Market Streets
Cost: $70 for general admission and $120 for VIP, now through March 19 ($85 and $135 regularly)
More info: www.strength.org

Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday, the second biggest eating day of the year (after Thanksgiving) with any of our top picks for wings at bars and restaurants across Philadelphia. (Credit: iStockPhoto)

So the Super Bowl is this weekend. And we thought it made for an appropriate time to bring you a new roundup of places to go for great wings around the city.

Also, in case you didn’t hear, today, February 3, marks the 20th anniversary of a little event called the Wing Bowl, the annual competitive eating competition at the Wells Fargo Center.

And the greatest competitive eater of all time, the legendary Takeru Kobayashi, competed at this morning’s Wing Bowl (the clock started at 6 a.m.; these people are serious about their wings). Not surprisingly, he won, ingesting an unbelievable 337 wings, and in so doing, demolished the previous record by more than 80 wings.

Now on to the roundup. There are simply too many places serving great wings in Philadelphia for us to include in a single roundup, so instead we’ve tried to provide a selection of places to go for some amazing wings. This list is not limited to traditional Buffalo wings; we also wanted to include some upscale takes on wings, a few options for rotisserie wings, and even a few places to go for Korean-style wings.

In honor of Kobayashi’s incredible performance earlier today (and the 20th Annual Wing Bowl itself) as well as the Super Bowl this Sunday, we present to you our top picks for delicious wings in Philadelphia.

As always, let us know your favorite spot for wings in the comments below. Happy eating!

• Pub and Kitchen: Pub & Kitchen is a restaurant/bar/gastropub located on the south side of the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. P&K sources their chicken wings locally from Eberly Farm (near Lancaster) and serves two kinds of very popular wings: a traditional Buffalo-style wing and an awesome honey whiskey variation. The actual wings are smaller than most but the quality of the wing more than makes up for it.

• Union Jack’s: The sign outside reads “World’s Best Wings” and the regulars inside agree. Bring your appetite because with sauces ranging from traditional “Hot” to “Raspberry Jalapeño,” you’ll want to try them all. Two locations: Manayunk and Glenside.

• Byrne’s Tavern: A Port Richmond favorite, Byrne’s Tavern serves up tender, fall-off-the-bone wings that have kept the crowds coming for nearly 35 years. Available for eat-in or take-out, the wings come in servings of 12 to 100 and are best accompanied by an order of the Irish bar’s popular potato logs.

• Cafe Soho: The wings at Cafe Soho are (urban) legendary. They’ve been endorsed by the likes of James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov (whose wings at Federal Donuts also grace this list, below) in the New York Times. Cafe Soho’s twice-fried Korean-style chicken wings come in two varieties: spicy and a special garlic and soy sauce. Order both. You won’t regret it. (215)224-6800

• Curran’s Irish Inn: At Curran’s Irish Inn, located in Northeast Philly, the Best of Philly wings come in a variety of temperatures and seasonings: hot, mild, medium, Cajun, garlic, barbecue or plain. Those who want to try more than one kind of the mouthwatering wonders (and who wouldn’t?) can opt for Pudgy’s Wing Sampler, which gives you 15 wings in three styles.

• R2L: Chef Daniel Stern dishes up pan-roasted wings covered with a spicy sauce, scallions and served with long hots that are just as vibrant as R2L’s breathtaking views of the Philadelphia skyline. Tip: plan appropriately and stop by in the early evening to catch a sunset.

• Federal Donuts: Fried chicken and donuts. An uncommon but undeniably delicious combination. And Federal Donuts nails both. So well in fact, that they received a huge write-up in The New York Times. Federal has introduced whole wings into their offerings on the weekends. Available in the two glazed flavors: chile-garlic and honey-ginger; as well as the three crispy varieties: ranch, Harissa and Za’atar.

• Percy Street: Wings? Tails? Whatever. Gobble down Percy Street’s Turkey Tails tossed in Sweet Thangs BBQ sauce and wash them down with a Hillybilly Gatorade.

We’ve got many more recommendations below.
(more…)

Fairmount's restaurant scene is gaining a wine bar, courtesy of and adjacent to London Grill. (Photo courtesy London Grill)

“I see London, I see France” is what you’ll say when owners Terry and Chef Michael McNally of London Grill open their second restaurant, Paris Wine Bar, next door on Thursday, February 9 with a reception featuring free hors d’oeuvres and live jazz.

Although “an ode to the winsome storefronts of Paris’ Le Marais neighborhood,” in Terry’s words, the comfortable lounge and cafe will focus on wines produced here in Pennsylvania.

Food-wise, Chef McNally’s cafe-inspired menu will include comfort fare like steamed mussels, mustard-crusted calf’s liver and his own take on the classic croque madame served with duck confit.

The 50-seater, adorned with French sconces, chandeliers and draperies from the McNallys’ personal collection, will be open Thursday through Sunday from 4 p.m.-midnight as well as for private events.

And, if you can’t visit the City of Lights this Spring, be sure to check out the wine bar’s outdoor cafe which will open with the welcoming of warmer weather.

Paris Wine Bar
2303 Fairmount Avenue
www.londongrill.com/paris

LeBron James is in town today for the big showdown pitting the Miami Heat against your first-place Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat were out and about yesterday and King James was spotted during an afternoon visit to the popular Fairmount location of Philly’s lunch/brunch staple, Sabrina’s Cafe. Word on the street is that it’s a “go-to” spot for LeBron and company when they’re in town. While it’s good to see Bron Bron visiting authentic Philly restaurants, we have a feeling that no matter how good the meal was, it’s not going to help him tonight against your 76ers. Go Sixers! [@SabrinasPhilly]