Taste of Philadelphia Kicks Off Wawa Welcome America!

By MARIA MURRAY

Independence Day celebration starts eleven days early for Philadelphians. Starting on June 24th, Welcome America! will kick off a series of events that “showcase what America’s birthplace has to offer.” Sponsored by Wawa, Inc. for the second year in a row, Welcome America! will celebrate the Fourth of July with food, fireworks, and free entertainment.

On Friday, June 24th, Taste of Philadelphia will officially jump start Wawa Welcome America! at Penn’s Landing. From 5-9pm, foodies can enjoy samples of dishes from top Philly restaurants, as well as a performance by jazz musician Gerald Veasley. Admission and entertertainment are free, with samples only costing a few dollars each. Some of the event’s featured restaurants include Chenango, Tiffin, Feast Your Eyes, Marabella Meatball Company, Jamacian Jerk Hut, and Darlings Diner.

On Saturday, June 25th, Taste of Philadelphia starts at 11am for a full second day filled with food and music. Musical genres include jazz, blues, Latin Jazz, and gospel. American Afro-Jazz singer-songwriter Somi is set to play at 8pm, with R&B star Aaron Neville to follow shortly after. Immediately following these performances is one of three Wawa Welcome America! firework displays.

Taste of Philadelphia will wrap up on Sunday, June 26th, with James “JJ” Hairston and Youthful Praise playing the final set of the weekend at 6pm.

After the weekend’s festivities, Wawa Welcome America! continues with a series of events celebrating our Nation’s birthday. If Taste of Philadelphia doesn’t suit you, Wawa Welcome America! is also hosting history-oriented activities for parents and children, as well as multiple film screenings, photo exhibits, and Wawa Hoagie Day.

For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.welcomeamerica.com/category/events/.

Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar

A fun, upscale and delicious new restaurant to dine, without all of the calories.

harvestseasonalgrill.com

By: Jennifer Cooper

One of my favorite things to do is to go out to dinner with my family and friends. When I heard about Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar, I was ecstatic to learn that not only was there a new wine bar in town, but it’s farm fresh menu consisted mostly of entrees under 500 calories. Every health conscious person’s dream, right?

Walking into Harvest, located in Glen Mills, PA, my friends and I were greeted by smiling hosts and a refreshing décor. The rich neutral tones are accented by spots of color, creating a relaxing ambience. The restaurant is filled with natural light which radiates through the surrounding glass windows. With the option of dining in their spacious outdoor patio, we chose to stay inside due to the current heat wave.

harvestseasonalgrill.com

The menu consists of items made with the freshest, healthiest ingredients local farmers have to offer. Every item is below 500 calories unless clearly marked. Start your meal off with a bottle of wine or a delicious cocktail while enjoying delicious appetizers such as their Local Farms Cheese Plate, Harvest Boneless Wings, or UN-Fried French Fries.

Moving on to your main dish, you are faced with an assortment of options. You can order anything from an Orange Grilled Salmon salad in a sun dried tomato vinaigrette to a Capresse or Steak and Wild Mushroom flatbread.  If you are in the mood for a sandwich, options such as the American Bison Burger or the Knife and Fork Chicken sandwich are sure to leave you satisfied. If you are in the mood for a heartier meal, dishes like the Crab Cakes, Jumbo Scallops, Pork Tenderloin and Black Angus Filet Mignon will make your mouth water. Vegetarian options such as the Summer Lasagne and Pear and Gorgonzola Tortellini won’t disappoint.

If you save room for dessert, you are presented with a flight of delectable treats, ready to eat. The perfectly portioned desserts vary from fresh Key Lime Pie to Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Mousse, or a lighter option of Seasonal Fruit.

The seasonally changing menu at Harvest is a definite must try and will have you running back for seconds!

Visit their website: http://harvestseasonalgrill.com

Location:

Glen Eagle Square
549 Wilmington West Chester Pike
Suite D33
Glen Mills, PA 19342
610.358.1005

Think about it: Make a reservation- you can stay on your diet!

Chris’ Jazz Cafe

Courtesy Chris' Jazz Cafe

By: Erica DePascale

Want to live in the glory of 20’s jazz, fine dining, a strong rhythm of R&B with a little dessert on the side? You don’t have to buy a time machine to find the renaissance-y aura of ‘old-time’ good times. Chris’ Jazz Café, in the heart of Center City, adds delicious food and astonishing live music to a quaint, fancy restaurant.

Courtesy Chris' Jazz Cafe

With entrees such as California Figs, topped with thinly sliced San Danielle prosciutto, gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar Glaze, Chris’ menu diverges from the everyday Italian fine dining or Philly sandwich shop. They combine both into a funky setting of pure Italian, Philly style.

Courtesy Chris' Jazz Cafe

Some other favorites of mine? Crispy Beignet of Goat Cheese (fresh goat cheese fried in a spring roll wrapper) and the Three Grilled Cheese including American, provolone and cheddar.

Don’t just indulge in your meal. Indulge in the vast selection of live artists that line the calendar of Chris’ Jazz Café. Every night (excluding Sundays) includes live music, and with a brand new stage and sound system, relaxing isn’t an option.

Upcoming performances include Tom Lagana Group (featuring George Garzone) and Mitch Marcus Quintet. Chris’ has received Zagat ratings, Best of Philly 2007 and offers special deals for pre-theater diners.Whether you’re looking for a relaxing lunch or a late night out on the town Chris’ provides entertainment, fun and great food for a good time.

Chris’ Jazz Café is located on 1421 Sansom Street, Philadelphia PA 19102

Phone: 215-568-3131

Hours: Monday-Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am

Saturday: 6:00 pm – 2:00 am

See calander of upcoming events here: http://www.chrisjazzcafe.com/calendar/calendar/calendarTOC.php

See Menu here:

http://www.chrisjazzcafe.com/menus.html

Viva la Tazia

New renovations bring a whole new diversity of people into this restaurant and bar.

By Linda Lam

The reopening of Tazia, located on 11^th and Arch Street in Chinatown, in October of 2009 has been a success in bringing in new customers. The place has always been around for years. It used to be known as Ly Michael’s. This restaurant and bar added a karaoke system in the huge back room.  They also tore down a short wall to open the space between the dining area and bar.

Located on the corner of 11th and Arch Street in Chinatown.

The food served in the restaurant change from just Vietnamese cuisines to a wide range of Asian dishes and a fusion of Asian flavors. The flavors of the dishes are a mixture of traditional with a modern flare. Tazia also has a raw bar which includes raw clams and up to about five different types of oysters.

The bar is staffed with friendly bartenders that know what they are doing. They serve anything from wine to beer. With two happy hours daily from Sunday to Thursday on drinks along with appetizers, it’s not hard to stop by and try out some of their favorites.

The bar inside.

The servers at Tazia are very attentive. They really get to know their regular customers as well as new ones. The atmosphere within the restaurant and bar is a family-like one. It serves as a second home to many servers, bartenders, and customers.

Tazia knows how to have a good time. With sophistication and energy, the restaurant turns into a place to dance and party on Friday and Saturday nights. They provide a deejay and no cover at the door to get people to just come out and have a good time.

To learn more about Tazia go to: http://www.taziarestaurant.com/

Contact Linda Lam at: Linda.LamPRH@gmail.com