PRIME CONCIERGE

October, 2013

The Importance of Concierge Connections…

by Ken Alan

When my children were very young, they

would ask me about the type of work that I

do. I’d reply in a way they could both

understand –“Daddy gets to help people for a

living.”

To my son and my daughter, this nebulous

answer may not have exactly defined my job,

but it was easier than explaining to a four

year-old what a concierge is, and what one

does for a living.

After nearly two decades of service, I can

honestly state that more than a few industry

peers do not fully comprehend the meaning of

the term, either.

Unlike obvious titles like accountant, plumber

or baker, the term concierge is difficult for

some to grasp in 2013, which is surprising,

considering the profession is now fairly

mainstream. Today, one can find concierges’

proliferating better hotels, yet they also staff

upscale condominiums and private clubs. Still,

others (like me), who are corporate concierges

get to assist office tenants on a daily basis.

There are more concierges out there than ever

before and as an example, on a daily basis we

get to send hundreds of our customers to

countless dining establishments. Our

recommendations literally translate into tens

of millions of dollars in revenue every year to

our local restaurant community.

With this in mind, and with “Prime Concierge”

as a valued advocate, I strongly urge everyone

to consider your local concierges as friends

and allies.

It can result in great relationships and

certainly lots of savory dining experiences!

Hospitably yours,

Ken Alan

Concierge, BPG Management Company & Founder

of the Philadelphia Concierge Association.

The Restaurant Report by Bob Bickell

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the times are

indeed changing. Chandeliers are out,

and great restaurants with great chefs

are in. It’s all about the food! And

Bisou should have been downtown.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

The New Philadelphia Restaurant Scene …by Bob Bickell

“As the present now will later be past, the order is rapidly fadin'. And the first one now will later be last for the times they are a-changin.”

…Bob Dylan

The closing of the world-famous

Le Bec-Fin was not all that surprising, but this

was an example that the times are absolutely

changing. We’re just not going to see another

upscale French restaurant like this - probably

ever. This was a spot of the early 1970’s when

the French dominated our area of the culinary

world. The key French restaurants included

classic spots such as the Coventry Forge Inn, La

Panetiere, La Truffe, La Terrasse, Deja-Vu, Le

Champignon, Deux Cheminees, and of course

Le Bec-Fin. There were others, but Chef

Georges Perrier dominated with a concept

that lasted some forty-two years.

It’s certainly not the end of French cuisine; it’s

basically the end of upscale fine-dining as we

know it. Of course, some fine-dining will

prevail, but considering the New Philadelphia

area restaurant scene, the times are changing.

The new French scene is a Bibou, or a Bistrot

Le Minnette, or a Zinc and a Caribou Café, or

any number of French concepts.

The Farm and the Fisherman

The dining public is responding to a smaller,

more informal, and possibly more affordable

restaurant experience with a talented chef

producing great food (French or otherwise).

This represents the big picture as it relates to

our dining community. We have a bevy of

talented chefs, and their food is attracting a

significant audience, and that’s the way it’s

supposed to work.

The Fitler Dining Room

We now have great restaurants that don’t

have to be on Rittenhouse Square or Walnut

Street. They are in neighborhoods where

many locations are now major restaurant

destinations.

Barbuzzo

Amazing Food on equally amazing

13th Street!

Fabulous BYOB Destinations

And some of the best Italian food

on the planet!

Openings & Closings

Chef Clark Gilbert said it best – “Some places

make it and some places don’t.” My

assessment…put this place in Downtown

Philadelphia, you have an absolute winner.

Manayunk is not the easiest place to run a

French concept, and no matter what the

concept might be, the Parking Authority has to

be somewhat responsible for making dining-

out a challenge in this community.

Closings are just a part of the restaurant game,

and here are just a few that didn’t make it…

Le Bec-Fin; Le Colonial; Bleu; Bookbinder’s 15th

Street; Old Original Bookbinders; The Garden;

Fish; Astral Plane; Gayle; Dickens Inn; Alisa

Café; Brasserie Perrier; Table 31; Avenue B;

Striped Bass; General Warren Inn; Circa;

Cutters; Deux Cheminees; Ciboulette;

Apollinare; Palace at the Ben; Overtures; Opus

251; Rococo; Salt; Swanky Bubbles; Tangerine;

Toto; Warsaw Café; Zanzibar Blue; Meigi-En;

Patou; Rock Lobster; Roy’s; Sonoma; Meme;

Carmine’s Café; Montserrat; iPasion; Ansill;

Bluezette; Adsum; Amara Café; Union Trust

Steakhouse; Monte Carlo Living Room; The

Marker; Wildflowers; and C-19. The list goes

on and on.

Some places make it and some places don’t.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Anything and everything that involves

Salvador Dali is going to be interesting. Here

Dali applies his method to the very real and

deeply troubling subject of the Spanish Civil

War of 1936-39. Here a vast, grotesque body

rips itself apart; its grimace registering the

pain.

The Surrealists: Works from the Collection

November 3, 2013 - March 2, 2014 This exhibition provides an account of

Surrealism as told through the Museum’s

unique collection of great masterpieces and

lesser-known works of the movement.

Bringing together a diverse and exceptional

group of more than seventy paintings,

sculptures, photographs, drawings, prints,

and books, the exhibition will highlight the

inspired minds and imaginations of the most

celebrated Surrealists.

Mütter Museum

Philadelphia is blessed with so many interesting places

to visit, and that would include America’s finest

museum of medical history. The Mütter Museum is as

fascinating as one could possibly imagine. Located at

the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (19 South 22nd

Street) be prepared for perhaps the most unique

museum visit of a lifetime.

The museum’s collection includes more than 25,000

amazing objects, and how many times have you seen

one or more of the following?

Part of Einstein’s brain; the tallest human skeleton on

display in North America; Joseph Hyrtl’s collection of

139 skulls, illustrating anatomic variation among ethnic

groups of central and eastern Europe; the plaster death

cast of the torso of world-famous Siamese twins (Chang

and Eng) and their cojoined livers; and Dr. Chevalier

Jackson’s collection of more than 2000 swallowed

objects removed from patients.

The real goal of the museum is to help people

understand the mysteries and beauty of the human

body while appreciating the history of diagnosis and

treatment of disease. There is so much to see and to

learn, and visitors can do this at their own pace.

www.muttermuseum.org – “Disturbingly Informative”

The Academy of Natural

Sciences of Drexel University

October thru March 30th, 2014

Roaring, moving, life-size dinosaurs

invade the Academy for a multi-sensory

experience for the whole family.

www.ANSP.org

Distantè…A Specialty Boutique

Importers of fine men’s and women’s clothing,

designed for the discriminating buyer who

insists on the absolute best in everything, and

that includes custom clothing.

Distantè is a visual and emotional experience

through clothing. It’s one of a kind!

1510 Sansom Street, Philadelphia

distanteclothing.com 215.545.2850

Prime Travel

Westin Key West Resort and Marina

Another picture that is worth a thousand

words. This is Ernest Hemingway country, and

simply one of the great spots in America. It’s

adjacent to Mallory Square and Duval Street.

There is a full-service marina and on-site

shopping, and best of all, the excitement of

the fabled Duval Street in Old Town Key West.

178 luxurious guestrooms and suites

appointed with all the modern conveniences.

And the views are a vital part of this picture.

The best benefit of all - it’s close to Key West’s

nightly Sunset celebration.

My restaurant recommendation … Nine One

Five (915 Duval Street). Great food and very

happening.

245 Front Street

Key West, Florida

www.westinkeywestresort.com

866-837-4250

Punography:

When chemists die, they barium.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.

How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.

This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I can't put it down.

I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

The Energizer bunny was arrested and charged with battery.

The old man didn't like his beard at first. Then it grew on him.

Did you hear about the cross eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?

England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.

I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

All the toilets in New York’s police stations have been stolen. Police have nothing to go on.

Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy.

Prime Thoughts…