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Features

Working

Get Aways & Nightlife

City Swim Retreats 31

NeighborhoodSpotlight: Old City 32

Summer SensationLook Good.Feel Great Health Guide 36

Food & Drink

LifeStyle

Culture

Will Google+ Find a Place in our Online Social Life 17Philly Bred: Eddie Anthony Keels 18On the Rise: The Man Behind Jin Ja 19

The Claridge’s Comeback 21Living Large in a Smaller Home 22Interior Intuition with Joseph Matthews 25

Turks & Caicos: The Perfect Getaway 30

Cool Cravings: Ice Cream Dreams 40Dishing it Out with Karen Adams: Sustainable Seafood 42Philly Phoodie: Beer Gardens! 44 Skinny Vegan 46Dining Alfresco Guide 48

Music SceneIndie Interview: Little Bear 51Old School State of Mind: Every Fiber of Her Being 52ART: Welcome to the Barnes 53Film Fest Feista!! 54

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THE OLDE CITY ISSUE

June/July 2012

Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline Rupp Design Consultant Eddie Anthony Keels contributing Karen Adams writers Derek Bailey Eddie Anthony Keels Ashlyn Murphy Lauren Pappas Elizabeth Terenchin photography Jacqueline Rupp contributing Eddie Anthony Keels designers Melissa Smith

Center City Magazine is published bi-monthly. 30,000 print with an online e-publication issuu.com.

Entire contents © 2012 Front Door Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please email submissions for consideration to jackie@centercitymag.org

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Distribution Center City Magazine is found in over 200 locations in Center City, the surrounding suburbs and South Jersey. We are found at hotels, condos, high end apartment buidlings, cafes, fooderies and many more locations, as well as over 80 local Wawa convenience stores.

Advertising Interested in advertising in Center City Magazine? Request a media kit by calling 215.439.7679 or emailing jackie@centercitymag.org.

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8 Center City Magazine | Jume / July 2012

From the Editor’s Desk...

Summer is HERE! And once again we find ourselves clam-oring in line for a “wooder ice” with talk of going “down-the-shore.” Of course we all have our special beaches, but the phrase means the same no matter which spot on the Atlantic you end up on. A day of sun and sand and a night filled with over indulging in boardwalk pizza or something maybe a little more daring. That said, don’t forget about the city! There is still plenty going on right here without the trip over the bridge. In this issue we spotlight Old City, once the trendiest spot in town, the neighborhood has had its ups and downs. Club manager Dani DeMuro tells us why Old

City is definitely back. Also in this issue we welcome a few new faces aboard. Eddie Keels is a local business owner who has an affinity for all things old school, from his classic car collection to his weakness for retro R&B, he’s going to give us a vintage look at things from our past that relate

to our future. And if you are loving our new logo, then many props have to go to Keels for this sleek and swanky new do. (We also thought he was cool enough for business profile, check it out for a little business inspiration). Also new this month is Elizabeth Ter-enchin. This socially active South Philly resident is our new make-up columnist and this month gives us all some great tips on how NOT to end up looking silly when we are trying to look sun-kissed. And speaking of summer, we have a ton of warm-weather inspired info in our Food & Drink depart-ment, including our dining al fresco favs and our picks for must sample frozen desserts being served up this season in the city.

jackie rupp jackierupp215@gmail.com

Friend Me on Facebook: Jacqueline Colette RFollow Me on Twitter : CenterCityJacki

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14 Center City Magazine | June/July 2012

Local Events

June 8-10 www.inliquid.org

Cash strapped art lovers unite! Every June InLiquid brings its sig-nature summer event to Northern Liberties. It’s a fabulous block party-style art sale that benefits visual artists and craftspeople. The budget-friendly show features artists showing and selling their work with price tags all under $200. YAY!!! We love this event especially be-cause you get the chance to meet

and talk to artists first-hand about their work. Now you can impress all your friends and tell them you’re an art collection without having to get a loan to pull it off. There’s live entertainment iand a fun family-friend-ly environment, no stuffy art opening here!

And get a jump on the crowd at th Art for the Cash Poor 13: Friday Night Preview Party:. Held on Friday, June 8, 2012 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm thhe Preview night, in partnership with The Food Trust., the party benefits both organizations

The Roots Picnic

June 3 – 12 Various Locations www.phillybeerweek.org

The fourth annual Philadelphia Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of the regions diverse beer scene. Quench your thirst at special din-ners, tours, pub crawls, tastings, and “meet the brewer” nights all over the city. Also, sample local brew from Sly Fox, Yards, Victory and Triumph.

Pride Day12 June– Noon - 6pm

The Gay Pride Organization for the Greater Philadelphia Area welcomes you. PHILLY PRIDE PRE-SENTS, Inc is the volunteer organi-zation that organizes “PrideDay” — the LGBT parade and festival — in June and “OutFest” — the largest National Coming Out Day event in the world — in October. These are the only two events during which the Philadelphia Les-bian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgen-der community joins together and

Saturday– 4th June - Festival Pier www.delawareriverevents.com

The legendary Roots crew will once again take over Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing for their day-to-night music festival, featuring the latest and greatest of today’s music scene. Headlining this year’s picnic is legendary rapper Nas, who will be backed by the Roots. The Grammy’s Best New Artist win-ner Esperanza Spalding will also perform.

Events

International Bazaar at The Piazza

Philly Beer Week

Summer Festival Preview

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This two-day event is the region’s largest outdoor, juried arts festival. More than 300 artists, musicians and entertainers will close down historic Main Street for the Arts Festival. Local dining establish-ments will be offering food and

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First there was Myspace. Then there was Facebook. Is Google Plus what’s next? Or NOT? By: Derek Bailey

The internet is moving from a world domi-nated by ‘links’ to one dominated by ‘Likes,’ as in social media, as in Facebooks friends... and now Google Circles? While more and more people are talking about Google Plus, users certainly are not abandoning Facebook and Twitter for it. But what about the future? Google Plus has features that might offer it some advantages over competitors moving forward.

For one, Google Plus allows authors to add their faces to their content with the real-author connection. Google has also allowed celebrities and larger companies to host “hangouts” with their followers, and the us average Joes can participate in hangout video chats with several friends at once. This Hangout feature could be the game changer - It’s face-to-face chat for all. Can you imagine teens talking to their paramours on video chat all night? However, its big business rather than high school where you might find this technology really making an impact.

Reimagine the morning meeting, or even global meetings, face- to-face, with little cost, no matter where you are on the planet, and all you need is web acsess. Another reason corporations might flock to Google Hangouts is that there is speculation that firms that use Google products might somehow do better

The experts weigh in.eMarketer gave its answer to this question, statistically at least, in the form of a recently released report entitled “Will Brands See User Engagement on Google +?.” The report cites results from comScore, which showed that us-ers spent around 3.3 minutes surfing Google + in January 2012, which was less than in November of 2011 when users spent around 5.1 minutes on Google’s social network and 4.8 minutes during the month of December.

While the numbers seem to work against Google presently, the web brand is raising its game by adding all the latest social net twists to its product offerings, including bringing

friends’ or as Google calls them, ‘your circles’ recommendations into its search results. This is what Google calls “Search Plus Your World,” -- if users search for a restaurant, for example, they might now see restaurant-related posts or photos from people in their circles.

While nealy every business uses Facebook to expose its brand, to communicate with its customers, and to track their likes, Google Plus has added video chips to the social media poker table that Facebook will have to see and raise.

Video rooms should be Plus’s big advantage because a professional will use the features to DO business. The combination of circles, messenger, and video Hangouts, allows busi-nesses to make or save money, both powerful motivators to adopt the Google platform at the office. Many businesses pay monthly fees for video conferencing capability, or own expensive equipment for this purpose. With Google hangouts, what business executive will want to pay a video conferencing firm when he can have everyone open a Google Plus account, and go into a video Hangout to communicate for free?

Add to the financial incentive, the rumored potential to have a firm’s brand rank higher in the SERPs because of their Google Plus brand page, and there is ample reason for businesses to make a switch, or at least add in an additional Google Plus account, the most likely outcome.

So for now Facebook is safely the number one social networking media. How will it change based on Google’s advances in the arena and will people slowly migrate their networking time over to Plus? Only time will tell.

in Google search results.

With Facebook getting national headlines for its IPO implosion, will this be Google’s moment to shine and bump Facebook and Twitter to second position? Or will Google have to beg Facebook to include its social search results in with Plus in an effort to make “Search Plus Your World” more valuable to Google users?

WL Center City Magazine

Will Google+ Find A Place in Our Online Social Life?

Will Google Plus be more valuable to business? Will the young move from Facebook to Google?

PHO

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June/July 2012 | Center City Magazine 17

WorkingW

orking

Working

One local designer is proving in business, nice guys can finish firstBy: Jacqueline Rupp

It’s 7:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning and Ed-die Keels is hard at work...and he’s smiling about it. “I absolutely love what I do. It’s not about money, it’s not about where I’m going to be in five years. Of course I’d love to have a swmming pool in my backyard, but I love waking up and having the flexibility to just create. That’s what I live for.” With a vinyl copy of Songs in the Key of Life playing in the background, Keels is surrounded by his passions. A wall of his cappuccino-painted, South Philly home office is lined with the lo-gos he’s created for businesses throughout his career as an independent designer and public relations consultant...a marketing mosaic if you will.

His business, Loose Leaf Concepts LLC (www.looseleafconcepts.com), specializes in branding, as well as logo, web, and graphic design.... but Keels sees himself as a catalyst. “I smooth out the road a little, so a business doesn’t have to struggle dealing with a bad logo or a bad website. It’s not just making a logo for a pizza business and throwing in a pepperoni here and a sausage there. It’s about creating a design that will make people crave that pizza and immediately recognize the brand.”

In Keels’ business, you work around your imagination’s schedule. “You can’t force inspiration, so if I get an idea at 3 a.m. that’s when my day starts. Tired doesn’t matter. Someone is paying me to be awesome for them.” And when inspiration doesn’t hit in the middle of the night, you can find Keels brainstorming, pencil and loose leaf note-book paper in hand (where do you think his business name comes from?), at the pond at FDR Park. “I’ll sit down, write, draw pictures and keywords, trying to get into the minds of businesses, always asking myself, ‘what does the public want to see?’ I always start with a blank slate. That’s why I don’t sleep!”

Keels says it’s essential for a small business to put themselves in the consumers’ shoes when developing a brand. The Georgetown graduate, who worked initially in the world of public relations, says, “I don’t want to hear from a client, ‘it looks great.’ I want to hear, ‘this is truly going to help my business.’ That’s what drives me.”

So what does Keels think of the current branding landscape? Asked for a good

example of a bad logo, Keels reluctantly puts the London Olympics logo on the chopping block. Having reportedly caused seizures in some people, the logo resembles a swastika, seem-ingly the opposite message the Olympic Committee was going for. And what’s the one brand Keels would love the opportunity to fix? We give you Microsoft Windows. “It has changed so many times over the years, nulifying the brand’s apparent stature.” On the other hand, Keels cites Apple as being a shining example of superior brand-ing. “You buy with your eyes. Their branding is like art, from the design of the iPhone to the wrapper that it comes in, every element is packaged beautifully, and in trademark Apple style. It’s sleek, it’s ultra modern, and some people will choose Apple just be-cause it looks so polished. They don’t have to change their logo, it’s timeless.”

nd what would be Keels’s dream project? Being a Phillies season ticket-holder and all around sports fanatic, Keels said he would love to take a sports team and brand the entire franchise. “I’m talking from logos and uniforms to merchandise and apparel, I could totally envelop myself in every part of that team brand.” Keels came close to that aspiration recently when he was given the opportunity to design the new gym floor for his alma matar.

He added,“I am so glad the Sixers went back to their original logo!” As are we, Mr. Keels, as are we.

Philly Bred:

Eddie Keels: The Brand Man

Eddie Keels, owner of Loose Leaf Concepts LLC

Take Away Notes

Get Personal “I could speak for hours about each of my clients. That’s

what it’s all about. You have to want to make things personal. I never

look at another human being as a business. I look at them as John

Smith from Corner Pizza. To me, he’s John, not just the owner of some

pizza shop.”

Be Honest “Some people come to me for a total re-brand. As I look at

their marketing materials, and if the framework is there, I am honest

and tell them they don’t need a costly overhaul. I try to think of them,

and their bottom-line. Not mine. “They know exactly what I’m about

and I don’t let them off the phone until I know what they’re about too.”

This has worked well for Keels’s business too, with repeat customers

also offering up referrals.

Be True “The nicer you are, the more people are going to talk, and the

more clients you are going to earn. If you are good at what you do, you

never have to make excuses, I have every faith that I’ll be doing this for

a very long time...the right way. If you’re true to your capabilities, as

well as your restrictions, then there’s no sales pitch required.”

GO! “Just go. Right now, go and do something. ‘Go’ is my inspiration. It

doesn’t take thought, just will. Never overthink -- just go,

In March 2011, Canada Enterpri-ses and JinJa attended its first drinks show. Reuben Canada admits it was the first moment of great anxiety he experienced since starting the beverage ven-ture.

“My imagination is active, so vi-sions of failure were there, and I had to remember to keep com-posure; never get too happy, never get too sad.” In the end there was nothing to fear; the former patent attorney turned entrepreneur sold 300 bottles in four hours.

JinJa is just what it sounds to be, a ginger-based drink that Cana-da conceived as a healthy alter-native to sugary drinks as part of

his yoga-inspired lifestyle.

It’s now available in 11 stores in the tri-state area, including Green Isle, Di Bruno Brothers, Food and Friends and Whole Foods for $10 to $14 per bottle.

But striking out on his own isn’t a new thing for Canada. He spent his youth devising up commer-cial success stories, from a video game cleaning system to choco-late chip cookies. Part of JinJa’s success lies in its uniqueness. There is no other ginger-based drink on the mainstream local market right now.

By itself it can be healthy refres-her and with liquor, a whole lot of fun. In fact, Canada claims this

mixer provides immunity from hangovers. Umm, need we say more?

“JinJa has a sensation to it, not just a wonderful flavor,” explains Canada. That’s probably in part due to it’s unique bite. Canada plans to expand the brand with

the addition of marinades and variations on the beverage. In five years, Reuben’s hopes to create a national presence, and export to international markets.

22 WL Center City Magazine | June 2012 www.wlmagazine.com

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Like an old movie star trying to reclaim the headlines, the once flamboyant Rittenhouse Claridge is attempting its own comeback of sorts. The effort includes new ad-ditions to the management team, lots of property improvements, including a new club room for residents and better use of its roof deck...can you say more cocktail parties and Sunday brunches? The Rittenhouse Claridge is doing what it takes to once again be-come a Society Hill headliner.

The Property Tour

We were recently given a tour by Homer Robertson, a New Yorker, and the new blood in the management team at Rittenhouse Claridge. Robertson, a lawyer by trade, was surprisingly well versed on matters of customer service

and hotel style living, and appears to want to bring the ‘we are here to serve you’ attitude associated with top New York buildings to his post at the Claridge.

Management has big plans for the property, and not just upgrades to the facility, like a new club room and updated gym, but things like improved food delivery service, concierge services, onsite car detailing and a long list of big city services. Sounds like New York living right? Add to the above the fact that Rouge restaurant is right

down stairs, there’s a bank and a coffee shop attached to the build-ing and its easy to feel as if you’re living a New York Lifestyle. Al-though Robertson never made the New York comparision, when he spoke of lifestyle he thinks of the process as the Rittenhouse Clar-idge going full-circle - meaning getting BACK to its original status as the most glamorous place to live in the city, or anywhere for that matter. That’s a tall order for an apartment building sur-rounded by million dollar condos. But, if attitude truely determines altitude, then The Rittenhouse Claridge might reclaim its place.

Rittenhouse Claridge201 S 18th StreetPhiladelphia PA 19103866-705-9246

The historic property is under renovation with the intent of staying the #1 residence on Rittenhouse

The Rittenhouse Claridge’s Big Come Back

The once flamboyantRittenhouse Claridge is attempting its own comeback of sorts...

LifeeStyle

21 Center City Magazine | June/July 2012

LifeStyle

LifeSty;e

22 Center City Magazine | June/July 2012

Robyn Lewison moved from a big 3,500 square-foot home in Cherry Hill, NJ to a 1,500 square-foot historical apartment in Philadel-phia, near Rittenhouse Square. Surprisingly, Lewison’s space serenely combines the histo-ric integrity of the building while still expres-sing the whimsical urban flair of France and New York. The apartment is dog-friendly and optimizes the entire space. Here are Robyn’s design secrets for downsizing while optimi-zing:

» Storage friendly furnitu-re. Running a paperless business from her study, Lewison emphasizes the im-portance of having pieces that function as surface and storage. This way, her small, angular rooms remain un-cluttered.

» Epiphany. Having had two decorators visit the apartment, Lewison re-deco-rated the living room a few years ago starting with the “epiphany”, in this case, the gold and cerulean pillows screaming for attention and harmonization. On the walls hang large paintings play beautiful back-up to the pi-llows and allow the cooler tones of the furniture to tone down the space, transfor-ming what Lewison refers to as “a very French baroque li-ving room to an eclectic mo-dern room.”

» Use the Light. Apart from each room having its share of sunny windows, the di-ning room, bedroom and entranceway all boast mi-rrors. Mirrors not only double sunlight rays but add dimen-sion to spaces that might

otherwise seem cramped.

» Flow. Lewison learned and implemented the principle of flow to the apartment so each room, in combination with color and layout, serves as a part of a whole. Walking from the deep red dining room, to the pleasant yellow of the study to the blue of the living room, you immediately feel a sense of cohesiveness. Lewison’s ecletic touch also brings the spaces to life. Her personality, part Francophile,

part Elizabeth Taylor beau-tifully translate through her home. Personality is something that Lewison feels everyone should add to their home decor.

Finally, Awareness. There’s no use trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Lewison, un-derstanding the capacity of her home and exploits the cohesion to host intimate din-ner and cocktail parties rather than galas.

Living Large In A Smaller Home

Lewison’s living room utilizes the design techniques of color cohesion and proportion to create a big statement in a small space.

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LifeStyleINTERIOR INTUITIONLifestyle contributor and designer Joseph Matthews, owner and creative genius behind Philadelphia-based Matthews Interior Design, brings us his second installment of Interior Intuition. This month he introduces some of his go-to talent, local artists and brothers, Kevin Von Holterman and Scott Fredrick. In addition, Joe fills us in on his newly launched “do-it-yourself ” online furniture store. Visit Joe’s blog at: www.matthewsinteriordesign.com/blog

Creativeness, a trait that is absolutely necessary in the field of interior design, seems to flow naturally in the family genes when it comes to photographer Scott Fredrick and painter/photographer Kevin Von Holter-mann. The two brothers, who grew up in New Jersey but have been Philly locals for the past several years, produce modern works of art without ever having had the benefit of formal training. Scott specializes in High Dynamic Range techniques and Long Exposure Fine Art Black & White Photography. His mix of city, land, and urban exploration imagery, as well as urban decay provide art lovers and design enthusiasts with startlingly striking compositions that haunt the eye. In addition, Scott offers occasional workshops teaching

the HDR techniques that he frequently uses in his photography. Brother Kevin, who only started abstract painting five years ago and also does some photogra-phy in addition, has already found local success with a long list of private clients as well as his very own gallery space. He finds his chaotic canvases inspired by something that he lives with on a daily basis, ADHD. His work reflects the unplanned, impulsive nature of the dis-order, which is basically how he paints. “I paint in somewhat of a trance in a basement studio under a dull red light, not seeing the impact of the art, until the light of day reveals the painting’s true soul. There is no rhyme or reason to what I do or how I approach it. It just happens and I enjoy every frantic moment of it.” Both brothers have their own websites where their work can be viewed and is available for purchase at www.scottfrederickphotoblog.com and www.kevinvonholtermann.com.

Also, for those who like to get their own creative juices flowing, I have launched a “do-it-yourself ” interior design online furniture store, www.matthewsdecor.com. This site is chock full of luxury and designer items for the home which were hand selected by me and features a 3D floor plan tool to help visitors design the room of their dreams. In the end it’s all about being inspired by others but making their ideas your own!

To contact Joe Matthews:joseph@matthewsinteriordesign.com. Scott Fredrick can be reached at Scott@ScottFrederickPhotography.com and Kevin Von Holtermann at kev.von.holt@gmail.com or visit his gallery at 1425 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA.

June/July 2012 | Center City Magazine 25

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29 Center City Magazine | June/July 2012

TRA

VEL

Here’s my glorious experience indulging in a surprisingly inexpensive vacation to what I now call, “the perfect island.” By Jess Runyan-Gless

From begining to end, a trip to Turks & Caicos is sure be perfect. When you and that special someone tire of walking the immaculate white sand beaches, get another view of the island, by parasailing. Each day on the island offers so many wonderful options; stroll along Grace Bay or talk to your concierge and you can easily take a brief group tour. If you go through Sky Pilot Parasail you will spend about twenty minutes in the sky (tandem is an option) and its ony $75 per person. There have been rumors you can get it for $60 if you are really nice to Captain Jerry, but I’ll leave that up to you.

One way to get around the islands and avoid expensive cab rides is to rent a car or scooter. Because gas is over six dollars a

gallon on this island, scooters may be your best bet. Check out Caicos Wheels, located on Grace Bay Road. This little rental shop has a friendly staff who are there when you need them. Believe me, if your fan belt snaps on the side of Leeward Highway, you’ll be happy to know they will be there to pick you up (I should know!).

Fun Filled EveningsWhile you have the wheels,

take a drive out to the Havana Club, located at the Windsong Resort. With a different show every night of the week, Thursdays, Fri-days and Saturdays are the better nights, catering to a “mature” au-dience. You never know what the show will bring, but you can count on great service. The staff here is exceptionally friendly and want to make sure you have a great time!

Whether you’re staying at an all-inclusive, or providing your own food, Lemon Cafe is a must.

The cucumber salad with pickled radish and fresh mint is delicious. If you like a tapas-style dinner, the calamari is grilled to perfection and stuffed with harrissa spiced beef, olives and basmati rice. En-trees? Make room for the Chicken B’stilla, a sweet and savory entree consisting of braised chicken layered in flakey phyllo pastry with almonds and cinnamon. If you have any room left, don’t leave without tasting the chocolate pie. If you don’t know the meaning of flour-less, you will. If you’re on a budget, playing chef might not

be practical, with tax on imported goods being so high there isn’t much of a savings. One inexpen-sive alternative is Hole in the Wall. Just as it sounds, this inexpensive eatery serves up island-style cuisine to tourists and locals. Whether you have adventur-ous taste buds, or keep to more conservative dishes, they have something to suit you. The jerk chicken is a must try! Another res-taurant to try is Da Conch Shack. If you want to try conch, a Turks and Caicos’ specialty, this is the place. Boasting the freshest seafood in town and an upbeat atmosphere, Da Conch Shack is a great dinner spot. it will require a car, but it’s worth it.

Travel Destinations:

Now is the perfect time to take a picture perfect vacation to this wonderful island.

You can find a great deal online for four nights for two for around $1900..

TURKS &CAICOSTHE PERFECT SUMMER GET-AWAY-SPOT

EVERYTHING’S BEACHY IN PHILLY

When summer comes it’s time to flip the old weekend routine around. Of course every weekend the exodus occurs to points east in search of the beach and surf of the Atlantic. But you don’t have to pay the tolls and sit in traffic on Sunday night to show your stuff in your bikini. There are spots right on this side of the Delaware that cater to all your summer-time aquatic urges. Here’s our top pics:

North Shore Beach ClubThe is the latest addition to the Philly swim scene and replaces the now defunct Arrow Swim Club at the Piazza in NoLibs. Although full time memberships are sold out, you can still get in on the weekend package for only $250. And considering the Beach Club also comes complete with a poolside office center, there’s no reason why you can’t work from the pool. 1031 Germantown Avenorthshorebeachclub.com

Southampton SpaGet the Turkish Bath experience complete with pool and sauna, plus private hydrotherapy tub sessions, an oxygen steam room, and the addition of mas-sage, all at this Bucks County spa. The spa’s 190-degree Russian bath invites guests to relax on three tiers of pinewood benches, while steam traquiling bil-lows around. If you like extremes, go from the high-humidity Turkish bath to taking a plunge in the therapeutic 47-degree cold pool, said to stimulate internal systems (beside the obvious we are guessing). Brrr that’s one way to beat the heat! After you’ve braved the cold, indulge in some caviar served at the spa’s Russian restaurant. 141 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, PA www.southhamptonspa.comLombard Swim ClubAlthough the wait list is out the wazoo and you can’t bring in your own food, there are plenty of perks to this club perfect for denizens of Rittenhouse. I reasonable restaurant menu, plenty of scenes to be a part of, from the family cliques to the singles bar and of course the heart of the city location. Our ad-vice, find a friend whose a member, pay the guest fee and revel in the it spot. 2040 Lombard St.www.lombardswimclub.com

Top: Southampton Spa Main Pool. Center: Balcony Deck, North Shore Swim Club, Right: Lombard Swim Club

Old CityHistory, unique shops, art, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, a diverse group of people living, working, & playing... this is Old City, Philadelphia. Known as the nation’s most historic square mile, Old City has something for everyone. Old City is between Front & Fourth Streets to the East & West and generally bounded by Race Street to the North & Walnut Street to the South.

Walking through the streets, it’s easy to imagine stepping back in time, our lovely little streets with their red-brick co-lonial homes just emanate the spirit of those days when a new country was founded, right here in Philadelphia. His-tory in Old City is all around. From the Betsy Ross House to the Liberty Bell to the National Constitution Center, on any given day you will see class trips and tours of people walking by. Many streets are still cobblestoned here in Old City, it may not the best for driving, but it does bring the feeling of old historicPhiladelphia closer. I see people daily getting carriage rides for tours of the historical streets or maybe just to relax and enjoy the scenery with a friend or loved one. We even have Penn’s Landing right here! Many events go on at Penn’s Landing & when it is time for fireworks on aholiday celebration, Penn’s Landing is where you want to be.

Neighborhood Spotlight

Life in

June/July 2012 | Center City Magazine 33

34 Center City Magazine | June/July 2012 www.centercitymag.org

First Fridays of every month are a wonderful excuse to enjoy an evening out and appreciate the arts scene here. The streets are filled with people walking around art galleries on Second Street between Race and Market Streets as well as viewing the art set out from local artists. Old City isn’t just a place filled with history, it’s also vibrant with city life, a place I personally love to be.

Whatever cuisine you are looking for, you are sure to find it here in Old City. Most of the neighborhood restaurants are not large, but your mom & pop variety, individually owned, with the exception of a couple Philly restau-rant moguls that boast their first restaurants’ home here in Old City. Dining Italian one eve-ning, Spasso on Front Street is a winner. There are also Positano Coast and Panorama and we are also home to La Famiglia Ristorante, a Five Star Italian Restaurant on Front Street. Opened in 1976 it is noted as a top culinary institution with one of the finest Italian cuisines to be ser-ved outside of Italy.

Did you ask about other cuisines here in Old City? Indian, Mexican, Asian, Continental ta-pas style, Spanish...we have it all here. Mexican Post has been in Old City for a number of years, serving up good classic Tex-Mex fare. I visit of-ten and enjoy their homemade margaritas. A newer restaurant in town, Hahn Dynasty is the place for spicy lovers of good Chinese. With a menu full of tastefully spiced foods from chic-ken and beef to shrimp and noodles, you can tailor the meal to your tastes with a range from 1-10 of how spicy you like it.

There are no shortage of great pubs here from Sassafras, Rotten Ralph’s, Eulogy, Triumph Brewery, RedZone Sports Bar, Kyber Pass, along with a few others, all will satisfy with a cold beer and a great bite to eat. Kyber Pass, which was once known as the best live music venue in the city, now serves as a full bar with great beer selections and a southern BBQ menu

which will satisfy the brisket and pulled pork lovers in all of us.

On Third Street, once known as St. Jacks, is the hideaway draft house Irish Pole. This quaint pub has 30 beers on tap seasonally changing to please the craft beer lover in any season. Nick’s Roast Beef on Second Street is an insti-tution, serving up cold beers and cocktails with a full delicious bar menu for decades. Nick’s is a tradition here in Old City, with an always

friendly staff and a large menu to choose from, it’s always a crowd pleaser. Continental Martini Bar sits on the corner of 2nd and Market ser-ving fun flighty cocktails and Continental Ta-pas style food. Across from Continental. which used to be the home of the old Snow White Di-ner, it has recently been transformed into the new Revolution House or Rev House for short. This building was redesigned to give a modern re-interpretation to the classic Old City colo-nial atmosphere. The international comfort food and beautiful rooftop deck makes this the perfect spot for dinner, brunch or just drinks. Buddakan, one of my personal favorites, on Chestnut Street between 3rd & 4th Streets, ser-ves up Pan Asian cuisine in epic Starr style.. Oh and yes, right here in Old City we have our own Iron Chef! Opening the famed Amada, Jose Garces brought Spanish style tapas to the spot-light, combining it with an excellent wine pai-ring list. For the lover of Mediterranean flavors with Spanish roots, this is a must visit. Sushi in Old City? I go directly to Zento on Chestnut Street. They have created an eclectic menu of sushi and sake pairings and the sushi is always fresh. Farmicia on Third Street is another great restaurant to visit that delivers farm fresh food right to your plate. Their seasonal menu chan-ges are always deliciously welcome and their cocktail list may be one of the most interesting

around town.

Craving a sweet now…the long standing Franklin Fountain between Front and Chestnut Streets is the place to go for a delicious scoop of ice cream. Many flavors to choose from and an authentic old time ice cream parlor feel, it is for everyone’s taste buds and senses to enjoy.

Looking to go out for some nightlife in Old City? You will not be disappointed. Old City nightclubs are hosted by some of the best nightclubs are hosted by some of the best DJ’s in Philadelphia and have crowds that love to dance. Within the span of a couple of blocks there is a great mix of clubs and bars to choo-se from. The nightclubs here always have so-mething fun going on and on any weekend night have great crowds of people just loo-king to have fun. Being around town for five years-plus, clubs like 32 Degrees, Mint Lounge and Cuba Libre are all great spots if you have that craving to dance. The DJ’s here are some of the best of the best and love nothing more than an energetic crowd that loves to party. The people that come once, always come back for more. All of us that work here in Old City know each other and work together to give vi-sitors the best experience possible. We all look out for one another and enjoy walking down the street and seeing our fellow workers and friends. We are all neighbors and friends here in Old City, which makes for a great atmosphe-re. I want the club across the street to be just as busy as my club, the more people around and out, the more fun and lively it is for everyone.

Old City has so much to offer both tourists and r e s i d e n t s alike. Many of the pla-ces here in Old City have been long stan-ding busi-nesses for years. This has come from a lot of hard work and dedica-

tion. On a day to day basis, I am very happy that I chose to work here and I do not see myself regretting that decision anytime soon. Old City is full of life, vibrant people and many things to do on a daily basis, so how could you not want to come visit us here in Old City? -Dani DeMuro is the general manager at Mint Lounge.

Look Good. Feel Good. Summer Wellness Guide

Sunscreen Snafoos (We ALL Do)It might be a surprise with all the attention given to sun safety over the past decade, but according to a new study from the American Academy of Dermatology, most of us are doing sun safety ALL WRONG. From NYC to the hot beaches of Miami, it seems we aren’t using a high enough SPF to protect ourselves accordingly. But it’s not just the SPF we have to watch out for. It looks like we need to revamp our whole approach to protecting our skin from the damaging rays of the sun. Here’s the top five mistakes to avoid:

Going Too Low SPF 15 is not enough. We will say it again. SPF 15 is not enough. Okay, we think you got it now. But don’t go to the other extreme either. It turns out the over-50 SPF are really just marketing hype

and don’t offer much more significant protection than your good old, middle of the road SPF 30. Let’s hear a big cheer for the big 30. That’s the number you are going to look for now at the drugstore or beach shop when it’s time to re-stock. Don’t forget to apply 30 minutes BEFORE the beach (or any other place where you’re getting sun exposure). This will allow not only time for the sunscreen to begin working, it will also avoid you being the ghostly apparition on the sand, don’t be that sunbather.

Bad Ingredients Not all sunscreens are created equal. Did you know, some even have ingredients that will exacerbate the sun’s rays. Look for a bottle labeled

broad spectrum that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. And avoid harmful chemicals. These aren’t just in the bargain knock-off variety either, just because it’s expensive, doesn’t mean the sunscreen is okay. A quarter of the sunscreens tested by the Environmental Working Group in a recent study came back having harmful chemicals in them. Another quarter had an ingredient that could raise your risk, it’s called retinyl palmitate and shouldn’t show up in your sunscreen of choice. Instead pick sunscreens that are mineral-based with ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These shouldn’t be too hard to find at the grocery or drug store these days.

Skimping on Your Parts We forget to blend foun-dation into our neck and we look like a clown, we forget to apply sunscreen to these hard to reach spots however and we risk a whole lot more. Don’t forget

these spots, people! Backs of hands, the chest, the neck and feet. Also invest in an spf lip balm, although it might seem like one more thing to carry, this is one of the most sus-ceptible places. Plus with the extra attention paid to these spots, you’ll avoid those awful brown age spots, so often seen in these places as we age.

Letting Your Eyes Go The majority of us don’t wear shades on the beach or at the pool and that’s a mistake say experts. Sun damage to eyes is the

leading cause of cataracts. Beside, we all look way cooler in a hot pair of sunglasses. And while you’re at it, pop on a hat, it protects the most vulnerable parts of the body, your face and neck.

Using a Shot Glass as a Guide Well anything that starts with a shot glass can’t be all bad we say, but then again....Anyway, the old standard was to squirt a shot glass amount out of a sunscreen bottle and

apply. Well being that all body types aren’t the same, that might leave a little kid covered and a tall man with just a light coating. Instead of volume, think coverage. You should look like a vanilla frosted birthday cake after the right sun-screen application. A visible layer is the new gold standard, so get frosting.

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Spring is here so I’m sure you are asking yourself, “How do I rev up my look for the upcoming season?” There are unhealthy answers like baking in the sun. But there are many products out there that are safe alternatives to the negative affects of UV exposure.

You can modernize your springtime glow with just a few new additions toyour arsenal to add seasonal style. These methods will also keep you from looking like an Umpa- Lumpa ora disco ball!

Pay close attention to your all over foundation shade, make sure it isthe right color and weight. In the bright sunlight, it is obvious when it’s wrong. Don’t try to cover your whole face with a darker shade to try to look tan. It just looks odd. Try Motives Custom Mineral liquid or powder Foundations

For lips, instead of lipstick, switch to a gloss over a liner that you completely fill your lips in with in a similar shade. The liner adds length to wear. It’s brighter, shinier and more youthful in the warm weather.

I’m going to talk about bronzer right now. This is very important! Anything labeled bronzer typically should really only be worn by medium skin tones. Do not cover your whole face withbronzer. Also, do not use bronzer with

sparkles in it. Noone’s skin sparkles except for the Cullen family. Apply it only where the sun would hit your face or where your skin would natu-rally be darker like your hairline on your forehead, down the front of your nose and the top of the cheekbones. You can also add it to your shouldersand clavicles. MAC Bronzing Powder in Golden is a great choice

If you are fair skinned, looking natu-ral and glowing for spring requires some thought.

Don’t use traditional bronzer. Use a powder foundation instead that is two shades darker than your own skin tone and only use it the way I in-structed above. Do not apply it toyour whole face! Use a white or off-white pearly, cream eye shadow or powder shadow on top of the areas you used the darker foundation shade.

Also you can add it near the tear duct of your eye and on the brow bone. It looks more natural and glowing and you can control the amount of high-light that you want! Get the look with Graftobian Makeup Luster cream or powder in Opal Ice or Shimmering Sand

If you have a darker skin tone, purchase a highlighter like Motives Liquid Gold. Use it at the top of the cheekbones, near the tear ducts, on the brow bones and down the bridgeof the nose. Blend! Also, either alone or on top of your lipstick, add Motives Lipstick in 24K. These two products will add a glow to your skin and it is just a little extra addition to your regular makeup routine!

Picking seasonal makeup colors is simple. Look at the shades you wear in the winter and just go a bit brighter and lighter!

For the body, keep moisturized! No one wants to see dry skin! There are moisturizers out there with shimmer to them. They are a fun way to draw attention to your legs and shoulders. It totally completes the look. Throw in some shine with Scott Barnes Body Bling in Platinum or Original

These quick and easy additions to your regular routine will give a you a fresh new look for the warm weather.

Elizabeth Terenchin currently is a freelance, traveling makeup artist and has been a licensed esthetician in the state of PA for eight years. She resides in Philadelphia with her husband Lex and Boston Terrier named Mr. Furley. Her website is www.makeupartistliz.com

looking good / feeling good guide.

Get that Summer Glowby: Elizabeth Terenchin

CENTER CITY MAGAZINE November 2011

It’s time to put away those bulky sweaters and dust off that bikini. That’s right, summer is here and there’s no more hiding under jackets and coats. It’s beach season, my favorite time of year! But don’t stress, with the longer and warmer summer days it should be easier for you to reach your fitness goals. So maybe you’ve ac-quired a muffin top or love handles this winter? Maybe you want to shed a few extra pounds, tone up and turn that four pack into a sexy six pack. Here’s a few tips to get you on your way to a toned and lean beach body.

The key to weight loss is consistency and setting realistic goals. You need to take control of your eating habits and your exercise regime.

Make working out a priority. You can’t expect to go to the gym once a week and look like Arnold. You need to make time for your work-outs. Pressed for time? Even if you only have 15 minutes, do a high intensity workout. It’s all about making the most of your time. You need to maintain your body just like you do your car. If you leave your car idle for a long period of time without starting it, the battery dies and it won’t run. Our bodies are similar, exercise your heart and treat your body with respect.

Switch up your exercise routine. Make sure your working out all your major muscle groups. Maybe you;re excluding back exercises from your routine or not working out your abs. To get an overall toned & slender look you need to put all your muscles to work. Alternate your exercise activities. Try different workouts, new machines & classes. It will make working out more fun and exciting. Remember to be open -minded and try new things. Believe in yourself and your athletic abilities.

Sign up for a 5K run or triathlon. This will keep you motivated and training throughout the season. You’ll look good at the beach, feel great inside and be ready for your event.

If you really want a fit body for summer, I rec-ommend to my clients a three part regime:1 weight training two to three days per week for 30 minutes2 cardiovascular exercises three to five days per week for 30 moderate minutes and 3 slightly reducing your intake of calories.

Diet is 70-80% of the process to achieving a lean and slender body. Eat four to five small meals a day to keep your metabolism going and your energy levels up. Include lean meats, fresh fruits, vegetables and raw nuts to snack on.

Remember to focus on your fitness goals and visualize the end result. Keep a positive attitude and be consistent with your diet and workout.It’s time to put away the sweaters and dust off your bikini. That’s right, summer is here, everyone’s favorite time of year! But...maybe you’ve acquired a muffin top or love handles this winter? UH OH! With longer and warmer days, now’s the time to shed those extra winter pounds and turn your four pack into a six pack. Here’s a few tips to get you on your way to a toned & lean beach body.

The key to weight loss is consisten-cy and setting realistic goals. You need to take control of what you eat & your exercise regiment.

Make working out a priority. You can’t expect to go the gym once a week and look like “Ahnold.” You need to make time for your work-outs. Pressed for time? Even if you only have fifteen minutes, do a high intensity workout. It’s all about making the most of your time. You need to maintain your body just like you would your car. If you leave your car idle for a long period without starting it, the battery dies and your car won’t run. Our bodies are similar, exercise your heart and treat your body with respect.

SUMMER SHAPE-UPBY LAUREN A. PAPPAS

LaurenAshley FitnessLaurenAshley Fitness

Lauren Pappas is a celebrity trainer, group instruc-tor and fitness model. When not at the gym, she acts and competes in beauty pageants. As a Bucks County native, she grew up with healthy living in her blood. Her father, nutritionist Dr. Philip Pappas, is the owner of Earth Foods, a health food store in Holicong PA, specializing in supplements, health foods and natural beauty products. Now living in sunny Los Angeles, she helps some of Hol-lywood’s finest stay in shape. Look for Lauren on her many visits back to the city!

For more fitness tips, follow Lauren on Twitter: @LaurenAPappas

Summer Food Guide

Eat & DrinkYour guide of the coolest Philly area restaurants, coffee shops and food markets

Cool Cravings

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Tired of the same scoops of ice cream and wa-ter ice this summer, we scoped out some spots with cool scoops that rise above just plain old vanilla and hot fudge. Leave your calorie counting and the door and don’t think about fitting into that swimsuit for a moment.

Max Brenner’s at 15th and Walnut Streets takes the cake for shall we say, experimental desserts. The chocolate-themed restaurant with a surprisingly well executed dinner menu offers a host of intriguing ice creams for dessert, like the Euphoria Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae features peanut butter ice cream, dulce de leche ice cream, caramelized toffe bananas, pure milk chocolate chunks, wait there’s more, chocolate sauce, a warm the soul peanut butter sause, plus the fudge brownie and of course whipped cream. It’s served with extra peanut but-ter sauce which we won’t admit to drinking straight and a pure milk chocolate ganache. There’s also a scrumptious S’more dessert and a Berry Sorbet complete with macadamia nuts and caramelized rice krispies, but our favorite for the fun factor it brings has to be the Fantastic Popsicle Chocolate Fondue. A gorgeously pure vanilla ice cream popsicle comes ready for you to embellish as you wish with pure melted chocolate, crunchy chocolate wafer balls, candied hazle-nut crunchy bits (yes, that is their official name!) and infinite possibilities for customizable goodness. While you’re there, don’t forget to read Max’s homage to chocolate, it is a love story that will bring a tear to your eye and inspire just one more bite. www.maxbrenner.com/

Capogiro Gelato on 11 S. 20th Street may have a tiny physical footprint, but will leave a lasting impression on your tastebuds. Being named by National Geographic as one of the coolest places to eat ice cream is no surprise since the little Italian gelateria offers an international tour of flavors from the Mediterranean to the Far East, including Thai Coconut Milk, Pistachio, Lemon Opal Basil Sorbetto, Rosemary Honey Goat Milk, Mascarpone and Fig and Honey Cumin Gelato. The artisanal gelato is prepared fresh each morning in small batches, using seasonal local produce and locally-sourced grass-fed, hormone-free milk. Our favorite flavor is the Black Walnut which is a deep dark nutty flavor true to its name, rich and exotic, it’s the perfect escape smack dab in the middle of the city. www.capogirogelato.com

Old City Frozen Yogurt at 2nd and Market right in the heart of Old City beacons heat-weary workers and tourists alike with its self-serve yogurt oasis. Sure there are a flood of frozen yogurt shops which have cropped up in the city in the past few years, but with it’s neon decor, low-key atmo-sphere and toppings bar, OC Frozen Yogurt will always cool our hearts. The raspberry-pomegranate flavor is a must-try, it’s like a frozen jelly doughnut...only better! Coconut got recently thrown into the flavor options and it’s a worthy contender. Top your cake batter yogurt with gummie bears and peanuts, your cookies and cream with cereal and pretzels, it’s all about you here and whatever crazy cool concoction you can create. Oh and here’s your justification, the yogurt is of course, good for you, with probiotic live cultures and no corn syrup added. sweettartsmart.com

Photo: Popsicle Fondue courtesy Max Brenner’s

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Only So Many Fish in the SeaThe choices we make today will determine the fate of tomorrow’s ocean wildlife.By Karen Adams

There are only so many fish in the sea. The choices we make today will determine the fate of tomor-row’s ocean wildlife.

Ocean fish are wildlife—the last such creatures that we hunt on a large scale. And while the sheer size of the oceans is awesome, there are many signs that we have found their limits. Despite our best efforts, the global catch of wild fish leveled off over 20 years ago and 70 percent of the world’s fisheries are being harvested at capacity or are in decline. Some varieties of seafood have been overfished or caught in ways that may cause a lasting damage to our oceans and marine life.

Yet there are fisheries now being run in a sustainable way. We now need to improve the practices of the remaining fisheries and solve the most pressing issues, including overfishing, illegal and unregu-lated fishing, habitat damage, bycatch (accidentally catching unwanted species) and poor man-agement.

Sustainable seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sourc-es that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired.

The movement towards sustain-able seafood is about solutions for our oceans. Choosing sustainable seafood is a simple and effective action that you can take every time you eat at a restaurant or buy seafood.Many restaurants now support

environmentally responsible fish-ing and fish farming. This gives species that are in peril a break, so over time they may recover. Many chefs feel they can make a difference by doing their part, thus becoming ambassadors for oceans and sustainable seafood.

Eating fish is a smart choice. It’s a lean protein with great health benefits. But sometimes fish can be bad for you, and sometimes it’s bad for the environment.When you’re at the store or order-ing in a restaurant, how do you know which seafood to choose? It’s not as confusing as it might seem. Follow some basic rules to make smart seafood shopping choices that are good for your health and the health of our oceans.Smaller fish tend to be more plentiful and better for your health because they contain less mer-cury. Great small seafood choices include squid, oysters, mackerel, sardines and mussels.The health of different species varies by region. Alaskan seafood such as salmon and halibut, when caught in sustainable ways, is generally good for you and the environment.

There are more sustainable methods for harvesting fish. Hook and line is a low-impact method of fishing that does no damage to the seafloor and lets fishermen throw back unwanted species, usually in time for them to survive. Intel-ligently designed traps are also good since they have doors that allow young fish to escape.The Marine Stewardship Council certifies seafood that is caught or raised in a sustainable, environ-mentally friendly manner. Items that meet its criteria are marked with a MSC-certified label.Farmed shellfish is now being cer-

tified by The Food Alliance. Farmed oysters are a smart buy, as that’s how they are being raised these days. Those certified by Food Alliance would bear this label.Lots of fish, shrimp in particular, freezes well. Freez-ing at sea, using a process perfected by the Japanese, protects the inherent quality of the fish. And, compared to fresh, frozen foods have lower transportation costs, as they don’t need to be air-shipped.Be careful when buying canned seafood, as cans often are lined with a BPA-plastic coating. Look for seafood packed in shelf-stable, flexible pouches if you can’t buy fresh.In March 2009, the tuna industry, scientists and WWF, the global conservation organization, an-nounced a global partnership and formed the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation. The group’s website says its mission is to work toward the science-based management and conservation of tuna stocks and the protection of ocean health.

In general, slow-growing fish that reproduce late in life, such as orange roughy, are quite vulner-able to overfishing. Seafood spe-cies that grow quickly and breed young, such as anchovies and sardines, are much more resistant to overfishing.The aquaculture fisheries hatch and raise the fish until market size. By using aquaculture the wild fish will be able to repopulate without the threat of overfishing. The

aquaculture fish have a variety of uses includ-ing: food, nutritional, and phar-maceutical. Two types of aquacul-ture exist. Marine aquaculture farms the fish species that live in the ocean

and fresh water aquaculture for fish species that live in fresh-water.Other ways to protect sealife:Plastic trash can injure and kill marine animals in our waters and along our shores. Plastic six-pack rings and discarded fishing line can entrap or strangle fish and waterfowl. Marine animals and seabirds can also mistake plastics for real food, ingest them and die.

Don’t release balloons into the air; they’ll just end up as trash on the ground or in the water, where they are mistaken as food by fish, birds and sea mammals. Sea turtles, for example, can mistake balloons and plastic bags for jellyfish, a favorite food.

Through better practices, we can create healthy, abundant oceans for everyone.

Karen Adams is Director of Sales for FISH Restaurant and self proclaimed recipe hoarder.

Dishing it Out

Give the people what they knowand make it the best they ever had

-Executive Chef Joseph Michael Nocella

Enjoy the open and airy dining experience with the warmth of exposed brick and cozy high-booths. Dine

in our casual bistro or more formal dining room, at the over-sized bar or high-top tables. Catch your

favorite game on our big screen TVs or enjoy dining al fresco under our cafe-style sidewalk with grand

awning. And when you’re too busy to dine-in, we of-fer convenient take-out.

Free Parking Mon-Fri after 3pm and All Weekend

215-928-0900 Reservations Welcome

615 Chestnut Street

LaScala’s Cordially Invites You to share a meal with our family

www.lascalasphilly.com

ITALIAN AMERICAN HOME-STYLE

From begining to end, a trip to Turks & Caicos is sure be perfect. When you and that special someone tire of walking the immaculate white sand beaches, get another view of the island, by parasailing. Each day on the island offers so many wonderful options; stroll along Grace Bay or talk to your concierge and you can easily take a brief group tour. If you go through Sky Pilot Parasail you will spend about twenty minutes in the sky (tandem is an option) and its ony $75 per person. There have been rumors you can get it for $60 if you are really nice to Captain Jerry, but I’ll leave that up to you.

One way to get around the islands and avoid expensive cab rides is to rent a car or scooter. Because gas is over six dollars a gallon on this island, scooters may be your best bet. Check out Caicos Wheels, located on Grace Bay Road. This little rental shop has a

friendly staff who are there when you need them. Believe me, if your fan belt snaps on the side of Leeward Highway, you’ll be happy to know they will be there to pick you up (I should know!).

Fun Filled EveningsWhile you have the wheels,

take a drive out to the Havana Club, located at the Windsong Resort. With a different show every night of the week, Thursdays, Fri-days and Saturdays are the better nights, catering to a “mature” au-dience. You never know what the show will bring, but you can count on great service. The staff here is exceptionally friendly and want to make sure you have a great time!

Whether you’re staying at an all-inclusive, or providing your own food, Lemon Cafe is a must. The cucumber salad with pickled radish and fresh mint is delicious. If you like a tapas-style dinner, the

calamari is grilled to perfection and stuffed with harrissa spiced beef, olives and basmati rice. En-trees? Make room for the Chicken B’stilla, a sweet and savory entree consisting of braised chicken layered in flakey phyllo pastry with almonds and cinnamon. If you have any room left, don’t leave without tasting the chocolate pie. If you don’t know the meaning of flour-less, you will. If you’re on a budget, playing chef might not be practical, with tax on imported goods being so high there isn’t much of a savings. One inexpen-

phoodie philly

Frankford Hall’s Beer Garden in Kensignton features rows of casual picnic-style seating, perfect for a beer or two.

When the weather warms up the best place to dine is outside

BEST BEER GARDENS

OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST OUTDOOR SUMMER DINING

Philly is a long way from Berlin, but that hasn’t stopped the city from bringing Braveria to Broad Street. All around town beer gardens have sprouted up like the summer flowers. And we rejoice! Afterall, what better way to spend a balmy July evening out, than in a casual outdoor beer hall. It’s the perfect way to mix and mingle, especially when the bar scene becomes tiring.

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Memphis TaproomLunchtruck meets beer garden at the MT. Access hot dogs and cans of beer from the vintage lunch truck while enjoying the Phils on the projection TV in this Northern Liberties beer garden. On non-game nights, anyone up for some classic Twin Peaks? The taproom will be screening the full TV se-ries, one episode per week. Grab a can of Twin Lakes Pale Ale for $3, it’s the perfect complement. memphistaproom.com 2332 E. Cumberland St. Kensington

Silk City DinerFor those looking for a local garden with a little more color, try Silk City’s outdoor arrange-ment of rainbow picnic tables scattered throughout the diner’s courtyard. You can get the same delicious food the restaurant is known for along with beers including Kenzinger, Philadelphia Pale Ale, Hoegaarden and Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, among other draft selections.silkcityphilly.com 435 Spring Garden St.Spring Garden

Hop AngelWhile the beer garden might not be huge, it’s one of the few you’re going to find in NE Philly. And with the restaurant’s full menu of tradi-tional German offerings, it’s worth squeezing into. The atmosphere is classic Germany, right in the heart of Fox Chase, with the 300+ year old building and it’s alley garden. Beers on tap include Franziskaner Here Weisse, Long Trail Ale, Manayunk Black Eye PA, Spaten Lager, Troegs Dreamweaver and an array from good old Victory. hopangelbrauhaus.blogspot.com 7980 Oxford Ave.Fox Chase

Frankford HallStephen Starr might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think casual en masse beer garden dining, but the mogul has managed to pull off the authentic feel of a large scale garden, without preten-tious, but with a whole lot of fun. Admittingly, this spot had us at the pink pong tables. But there’s also other endearing features, like the giant pretzels with a supernaturally good cheese sauce, curry ketchup fries and, did we mention ping pong! This place is also designed for groups, with kegs available and attentive service for parties. When it comes to the actual beer, look for these selections on tap: Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Great Lakes Wright Pils, Franziskaner Hefeweizen, Victory, Yards, Stoudts and Paulaner’s Munich Lager. But just make sure you brush up on your bicep curls before you go, ‘cause these oversized beer mugs are a hefty lift.frankfordhall.com 1210 Frankford Ave

Morgan's PierMorgan’s Pier reminds us of Del Ave’s hayday as a nightlife destina-tion, think of it as the reincarnated older and wiser version of Cat-mandu or one of the other raucous clubs. Here you can still enjoy the breeze on the river, but instead of loud blaring club music, how about some pub food, laid back vibes and drafts on tap such as Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale, Otter Creek Copper Ale, Goose Island Nut Brown, Sixpoint Bengali Tiger and Bell’s Two Hearted Ale. This spot is basically like one big old backyard party, complete with a self-de-scribed “foodie picnic menu” which includes items like Watermelon and Feta, Southern Fried Chicken Taco and...wait for it...BACON!!! just to snack on. Oh my.morganspier.com 221 N. Delaware Ave.

48 Center City Magazine | June/July 2012

Food

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rink

Switching to a Plant-Based Diet is Helping Me Win the Weight War

By: Ashlyn Murphy

Ah the fat day.

It can manifest itself in so many ways. While in college, I once went fourteen days without washing my hair so as to avoid seeing or feeling myself longer than the single min-ute it took to soap down my body. Absolutely gross, I know! Thank God for hats and braids. (I fully concede that I still employ the hat-and-braid strategy to this day, though I’ve never come close to breaking my impressively grungy two-week record.)

More generally, the fat day is unpre-dictable, depressing, and derailing. You can feel thin and svelte in one moment and obese the next. It alters your moods, undermines your workday, and disrupts even the simplest of mental and physical processes. In the event that your life is a perpetual fat day, it can feel as if every visit to the scale or mirror leaves you feeling hurt and betrayed.

I am one woman for whom the fat day became a fat existence. At six feet tall, my weight peaked at 179 pounds, and, even if that number seems insignificant to many, it was wholly unacceptable to me. I per-ceived myself a hulking grizzly of a gal. To make matters worse, I loved to eat and feel full but was unable to reconcile that lifestyle with an ade-quately thin physique. In 2007, I was saved by my first love, an incredibly svelte man and avid disciple of the lifestyle I now call skinny veganism. Since then I have been a devoted convert and disciple in my own right, promoting a lifestyle founded upon whole plant foods and eating as close to grown – as often – as possible. Why skinny veganism?

Because the constant dieting, over-exercising, binging coupled with restricting, and general self-loathing did nothing but make my agonizing problem worse.

Surely dismissing a lifetime of “nor-mal” and “acceptable” eating habits is a bit more difficult than changing toothpaste brands, but the sobering reality is that most who engage in the accepted eating habits suffer from chronic diseases, depressed immune systems, low libidos, erec-tile dysfunction, persistent allergies, bowel irregularity, general unhappi-ness, and an obsession with weight. And that is the short list.

Our American diet, marked by heavy consumption of meat, diary, and processed foods, makes us fat, promotes disease, and kills us prematurely. There is a huge body of empirical evidence showing the causal relationship between this diet and the most common killers of Americans: cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and cancer.

Questions?

Surprised? Shocked? Simply sick of despising your body? I know you have questions. Here are the most common:

How do your survive without meat & dairy? It’s easy, and this from a girl who could make an entire meal of these foods. When exploring the skinny vegan lifestyle, you should fully eliminate animal products and most processed foods for at least two weeks to cleanse your body and pallet. How did I overcome the temptation to return to my old eating habits? I ate copi-ous amounts of whole foods: huge bowls of oatmeal with fruit and raisins, fruit and vegetable smoothies, plant-based burri-tos, vegetable and bean sautés, soups, stews, chili, grain salads, and vegan brownies (not a whole food but certainly a personal favorite). I was always satisfied and never missed the foods of my former life.

Where do you get your protein? Everywhere. Think of an elephant or ape, huge land mammals that live on nothing but plants. Do they have a problem growing, building, and sustaining muscle? The key is variety, which provides all the essential amino acids required by your body to sustain itself.

What do you eat? Any and all plants. Again, stay as close to whole and grown as possible. (That means when given a choice between an orange and orange juice, you choose the orange.) Eat whole grains, nuts, nut butters, seeds, beans, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens. As for seasonings, your pallet will rejoice when you begin to cleanse your diet and utilize a multitude of whole herbs, spices, and garlic to complement the pure flavors of your food.

You eat so many carbs! Don’t they make you fat? The fat-, sugar-, and salt-laden “bad” carbohydrates you find in processed foods like cookies, crackers, chips, white rice, and white pasta will make you fat. They have an overabundance of calories and not enough fiber or nutrition to satisfy you, and when you are not satisfied, you will overeat. I freely admit that a low-carb diet results in weight loss, as your body burns fat instead of muscle and sheds water because it is carbohy-drate-starved. But what is the price? Constipation, bad breath, overtaxing of the kidneys, an increased chance of cancer, heart disease and type II dia-betes, and the return of all weight lost when you begin to eat carbs again.

How can you be thin and eat copious amounts of food? Not all foods and calories are created equal, and it is no coincidence that those who stick close to whole and grown are consistently thinner than their more carnivorous counterparts. The body is not satiated until its needs for essential nutrients are met. When we consume a nutri-tionally deficient diet, we overeat in the vain effort of satisfying our body’s requirements.

In contrast, if we consume a diet rich in whole foods – all of which are full of the nutrients our bodies desperately want – we achieve a lasting fullness, sooner. Even more, whole foods contain lots of fiber, and the positive effects of this are twofold: you get full fast and therefore eat less, and you quickly eliminate waste. Do not underestimate the importance of regularity in maintaining sanity and a constant weight. Finally, those who

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eat diets comprised largely of plants tend to have higher metabolisms. One explanation: the energy required to store excess energy as fat. If you consume 100 calories from car-bohydrates, the body expends 23 of the 100 to convert these carbohydrates to fat. When you consume 100 calories of fat, it takes only 3 calories to attach said fat to your belly, thighs, and butt.

Is alcohol allowed? Does a real woman love to eat!? Few things replace a good cabernet, lager, or scotch when the situation really calls for it. One should always consume alcohol in moderation of course, and though most alcoholic beverages are vegan – some wines are filtered using animal products and are therefore not technically vegan – they are not whole foods. Remember: the more whole foods you eat and non-whole you eliminate, the thinner & healthier you will be.

Can you ever sin? As far as I’m concerned, rules are made to be broken, so the answer is a resounding yes. Follow a 10 percent guideline: no more than 10 percent of your calories should come from animal products and processed foods. For me this allows the enjoyment of French fries, dark chocolate, alcohol, and seafood. It is important to note

that I rarely crave these foods, as my pallet has been cleansed and my tastes dramati cally altered. What was once delicious is now off-putting. Second, my body is very sensitive to the high levels of fat, salt, simple sugars, and white flour found in these foods. More often than not I feel fatigued and uncomfortable after eating them.

I admit that my apparently seamless transi-tion from serious overeater and body-weight obsessor was the product of a steely determi-nation to abandon the shear pain and insanity I had been suffering without reprieve for four years. But the ease of my transition is also a testament to the body’s receptiveness to this lifestyle. Deep down you too are craving nutrition, fullness, and stamina, all of which skinny veganism confers simultaneously and in spades. In choosing to explore this lifestyle, you will soon find there is none better or easier. Through it I have claimed those things that eluded me for so long: slenderness, health, energy, sanity, and the ability to eat food without remorse or attention to quantity. For me, it was simply time to love my body and the food I put in it. I hope you’re at this point too.

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48 Center City Magazine | June/July 2012

It’s that time of year again. Sum-mertime! When the livings easy...although navigating through some city sidewalks now gets a little tougher with all the tables and chairs lining the pavements. But despite the fact that it’s a pedestrian hassle, dining alfresco is one of the simple pleasures of summer. The Parisian alfresco dining experience is alive and well here in Philly. What first started out as just a rundown of some of the best places to sit, nosh and people watch, morphed into a francophile’s delight. Afterall, what can be more French than sitting, staring at the passersby and enjoying scrumptious cheeses and breads while enjoying an evening breeze in the neighborhood. So here is our celebration of Center City’s best outdoor bistro options, bon appetite, just don’t forget to sunscreen!

ParcOkay okay, we know it’s obvi-ous BUT to not mention Parc in a convo on outdoor Philly dining would be near blasphemy! This is afterall the people watching

spot in Rittenhouse Square. We want to pull out a moleskin and pretend to be an expatriate in Paris as we chicly sip a Kir Royale. Oh kind squirrel server bring us another baguette (always warm and freshly made). The perfect lunchtime respite, dine on fresh seafood, charcuterie, chicken liver mousse or quiche, amongst the numerous finely executed French bistro fare. Qui qui c’est magnifique Monsieur Starr! 227 South 18th Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 parc-restaurant.com

Tulula’s GardenFrom people watching at it’s peak to the little hidden treasure of Washington Square. Tulula’s is the tops when you want out-door ambiance and romance. It’s beautifully tranquil garden setting isn’t stuffy but the food doesn’t ever take a back seat to the laid back feel. Stephen Starr once again gets another nod with this new Philly hot reservation spot. Try the Bee Keeper drink, it’s the perfect garden aperitif with honey lemonade, dark rum and a touch of ginger. Of course this garden begs for brunch to be enjoyed

amidst the flowers and quaint decor. Do yourself a favor and give in to its charm. From an unforget-table cheese plate with gluten-free rosemary bread to the ricotta doughnuts, blintzes and fresh berry plate, it’s not to be missed. Just be warned, the outdoor din-ing area does fill up and diners are sometimes resigned to the interior, although with food this good, we don’t feel their pain. 210 W Washington Sq tululasgarden.com

ZincThe chef is from France (bonjour Olivier Desaintmartin!), the bar has been exported from Paris (vintage 1919) and the food is as authentic as it gets. Dine outdoors on barrels, yes barrels that sturdily hold your plate d’fromage, glass of Chinon, or oysters with a Musca-det. What we like about this menu is that it is the same for brunch and dinner, so we can savor their delectable eggs Benedict as the sun goes down or snack on some hearty steak frites in morning. 246 S. 11th St. www.zincbarphilly.com

Beau MondeWould any discussion of French food be complete without a crep thrown in? But this is no obliga-tory mention, Beau Monde is the spot to go for the eggy goodness loaded with deliciousness that is the crepe. And although the lavishly decadent decor ala Moulin Rouge is not to be missed, when the weather’s warm the outdoor dining area is perfect, especially since it is gated off so there’s no worries of the passerby tripping over your purse or tipping your Perrier. And although the varie-ties and combinations of crepes you can create are near limitless, don’t forget to also partake of the aperitif menu complete with Campari, Lillet Rouge and Blonde and Pernod. What better way to make the lights dance around you than with a wee bit of absinthe, non? 624 South 6th Street creperie-beaumonde.com

Delicious Destinations:

Now is the perfect time to take a picture perfect vacation to this wonderful island.

PASSPORT PARIS

OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST OUTDOOR FRENCH EXPERIENCE

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o r g a n i c kg a n i c kg a n i c kg a n i c k i t c h e n • w i n e c h e n • w i n e c h e n • w i n e c h e n • w i n e c h e n • w i n e c h e n • w i n e c h e n • w i n e c h e n • w i n e b a r

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Culture Music: Indie Interview Little Bear

We can’t help but think of Little Bear as one of those adorable stuffed animals you just gotta hug. We blame the name, but the retro blonde who channels aspects of Jean Harlow and flappers straight from Fitzger-ald’s imagination is more than just a pretty face. Her solo indepen-dent music career offers up a blend of quirky humor and quick turns of phrases and ephemeral romance with haunting melodies that have echoed through various local venues such as Connie’s Ric Rac, The North Star Bar, The Fire, The M Room and countless basement house shows you may have been present for. Did we mention Little Bear is hitting the road? She sat down to talk to us about her grassroots silver liner road trip, talking sharks and her desire for regret at never hav-ing dated Christopher Walken.

How autobiographical are your lyrics?Almost all of them have a piece of my history in them. The way I write is usually by taking some small thing that actually happened, and is very personal to me, and shaping it in such a way that anyone could relate to it. For instance, “postlude” is really about a lamb I used to visit on a farm growing up that i called Lover Boy. I think the only song that I have at face-value is “a love song” which is about Christo-pher Walken, and I’m sorry to say, I’ve never actually dated him.

Who are your major influences?Regina Spektor for one, her album “Soviet Kitsch” will forever be a huge factor in my musical development. other than that, I sort of grab bits

and pieces of my experiences that stick out at me. I love learning about history, and try to glean from that what I find particularly interesting and weave that into my songwriting as much as possible.

How would you describe your sound to someone whose never taken a listen?Simplistic folk songs that talk about either loving you or killing you...or both.

What’s your writing style? Where, when do you write?Tongue in cheek, primarily. I can’t ever take anything seriously. I’ll sit down and say, “i’m going to write this song and it’s going to be about this and it’s going to be serious because i am a serious person and i have serious things to say” and half way through i’m like “NOPE” and it ends up being about talking sharks or whatever. There are a few somewhat somber songs throughout my albums that might reflect some inner nihilism about certain things, but i really try to throw as much upbeat stuff in there as possible, so i’m not bumming people out. Tell us about the tour! Where are you headed?i’m starting in Boston, then going through New York, D.C., Nash-ville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and ending up in Los Angeles.

Okay, so we have to ask about the trailer. Can you tell us the story on your trailer? OF COURSE! She’s my pride and joy. She’s a 1977 Airstream Sover-eign Land Yacht. I’ve been obsessed with silver bullet trailers since forever for some reason, so when i was planning this tour out i pretty much thought it was the best excuse to get one. i went to check out a few that were for sale (one was all the way in Athens, NY, sheesh!) and finally found one in fair condition on craigslist. She needs a bit of work, but she’ll be ready to go soon!

You can listen to selected tracks from Little Bear on her web site: www.heytherelittlebear.com

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ART

Piecing Barnes TogetherAnd now Mandell’s recent commissions of the views facing the west and east walls of the Barnes Foundation’s great room are now being featured in the new Barnes Foundation museum shop in both posters and note card form. The original mosaics are 72” x 48’ and 66” x 52”, with each featuring 30 masterworks from the Barnes collection as anyone visit-ing would see them displayed in the great room. The mosaics were made using ceramic tile, metals, glass and also semi-precious stones and minerals. The grout lines in the mosaic act as drawing lines, so as to add an additional dimension to the Modernist works featured in the original Barnes location. Mandell’s works have been described as being at intersection of painting, sculpture and drawing. You can see more of Jonathan’s art at: www.jonathanmandell.com. Jonathan’s e-mail ad-dress is: Jonathan@jonathanmandell.com. Drop us a note to let us know what you think of the newly redesigned site and his latest works.

photo’s courtesy of Jonathan Mandell

Love it or hate it, the new Barnes Philadelphia campus is now open and hosting visitors on a daily basis. With a May gala introduction, the museum is in full swing. What can you expect on a visit? The centerpiece of the loca-tion is The Collection Gallery. with 12,000 square feet of exhibition space the gallery attempts to replicate the design Dr. Albert Barnes conceived in his Merion mansion gallery, right down to the scale, proportion, and configu-ration, that played such an important role to Barnes in the appreciate of the pieces, as a whole and collectively-speaking. The Philadelphia campus however features a new lighting system that the Foundation says provides a more natural setting. The Special Exhibition Gallery is a new addition to the collection. About half the space as the Collection Gallery, this space will feature an ongoing ar-ray of temporary exhibitions both from artists of the past and contemporary artists. All of the exhibitions here will in some way complement the works in the Foundation’s collection.

Welcome to the Barnes

Barnes PhiladelPhia Basics

address: 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Phila-delphia, PA

WeBsite: httP://WWW.Barnesfoundation.org

hours: daily 9:30am to 6Pm, closed tues-day, oPen late until 10Pm on Wednesdays.admission: $18 Adults, Senior & Student discount

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PhilaFilm...it has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? And with a good name, comes a good pedigree.

The Philadelphia International Film Festival and Market is enjoying its 35th year spotlighting indie films, making it the lngest-running, international Independent film and video competition in the region.The festival began as a vehicle for show-casing the productions of independent and multicultural film and international video artists and has grown in the over three decades its been held to be a multi-venue celebration of culture, cin-

ema and community, hosted by the PhilaFilm Festival Committee.“And the Winners Are...”Opening night is Monday, June 18th. The fes-tival runs for six days concluding on Saturday, June 23rd. Films can be seen at the African American Museum (7th & Arch Streets), Head-house Square (2nd and Pine Streets), the Loews Hotel (12th & Market Streets) along with other local venues. This year’s festival theme is “Independents: Filling the Digital World With

Content.”

In addition to the public screeenings, there are workshops and seminars planned along with distribution and funding referrals. Want to travel this month without boarding any air-plane? The festival will take you on a cinematic voyage with entries spanning the globe from Iran, Brazil and Haiti to Ivory Coast, Kenya, Canada, New Zealand and Bangladesh.

If you need a subtitle break, there are also US entries in the categories of features, shorts, documentaries, animation and student film. Another fun feature of the festival is SENIORS DAY, featuring the 2012 “Icon Series,” with all those glamorous faces from that bygone era of cinematic superstars like Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Russell and featuring Jackie Cooper, Dick Anthony Williams and Director, Sidney Lumet.

And for those of you who like to fancy it up, there will be a gala black tie Awards Ceremony on June 23rd, that is rumored to be including some very special celebrity appearances...and no we are not giving you any more hints other

than that.

For ticket information, call 215-849-2716 or visit their web site, www.philafilm.org

The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, now in its fifth year has grown by leaps and bounds in its run. This year’s festival which runs from June 20-24 is hosting its screening at some major Philly locations this time around, such as the Constitution Center and Franklin Institute. This season’s fest marks the beginning of a new era for Media Bureau which hosts the festival as they move from their Northern Liberties headquarters to a home base at the First Unitarian Church. We sat down to chat with Producer Stephen Tucker (a filmmaker himself) about what we movie buffs can look forward to this time around. www.philadelphiaindependentfilmfestival.com

So for readers out there who might not be familiar with the festival, why should they attend?We are hosting a lot the festival at many differ-ent locations. There will be free screenings at the Piazza at Schmidt’s of past festival movies and we are working with local businesses to have them offer promotions via our mobile app so that attendees can enoy specials on meals and drinks along with a great movie. Some-thing new this year we’re added is a carnival with circus performers and a dance company that will be traveling venue to venue which is a great way for visitors to follow the festival.

Tell me a little about this year’s films.We hand pick these films and they are from all over the world and are incredible.The Revolu-tionary is about Sidney Rittenberg, who grew up in the states and went on to become the Propaganda Minister under Chairman Mao. When Mao’s regime fell, Rittenberg spent 15 years in solitary confinement. Today, he lives in China and will actually be Skyping with us during his films screening.Another film that will capture attention is called Bromance. Everyone will probably remember Mackaulay Culkin’s older brother in Home Alone. Well he actually is the director of this film. It stars Jim Norton and Entourage’s Adrian Grenier and it’s a really quirky comedy. Another film that should be on everyone’s ra-dar is called Bailout and it follows this guy who was a patent lawyer for 16 years and waitched the big bank bailouts go down. He decides to act like the banks, and defaults on his loans, mortgages, he buys a Winniebago and takes some friends and drives to Vegas to blow all this money. If you enjoy films, these are prob-ably films you won’t see anywhere else.

What does your organization help independent filmmakers?We work to help filmmakers the whole year. through the festival, screenings, roundtable

talks, feedback...we try to be a large resource network we all make films, this is truly run as an indie film fest, we take money out of our pockets, it’s a labor of love. After five years, this is the first year we are starting to step out and reach

Why Don’t You....

If you have 15 minutes...make it a classic summer day in the city and dip your feet in one the city’s great fountains. The Swann is an obvious safe bet, but you can also get refreshingly spritzed at Headhouse Square and at the new Barnes Museum’s Totem Fountain.

If you want to impress a date...and look uber trandy, take them to the next Night Market, set for June 28. This tim the street food festival takes over Washington Square and a certain celebrity food is making a rare appearance. Like the unicorn of the culinary neighborhood, ?uest Love’s drumsticks will be making a legendary offering, but get in on the reservations for this now. The Root’s food proveor will also be hosting a big ol’ pop-up tent with special cocktails and Yards beer. nightmarketphilly.org

If you have nothing to do on

a Saturday Afternoon...get your frisbee on in a big way. We aren’t talking about the picnic vari-ety either, we are talking professional Ultimate Frisbee. Meet the Spinners, Philadelphia’s Ultimate Frisbee team. Their season comes to an end in July so make a point to catch them soon at one of their weekend games at Franklin Field and several other stadiums around the city. If you’ve never experienced ultimate, it’s like a cross between rugby and frisbee with a little football strategy thrown in. philadelphiaspinners.com