Wall Street Shmall Street, Go Eat!

Ok so the economy might be crumbling like dominoes around us but fear not, I have some good news for all. It is officially restaurant week in Philly! Now mostly I think restaurant week is a scam but I do like to participate because it means I try new places. This time around, the powers that be upped the price for a 3-course meal. Now you will pay $35 bucks for an appetizer, entree and dessert. Of course, alcohol and tips are extra.

While there are standard gastro pubs on the extensive list of participating restaurants, I recommend trying a normally pricey place to get your $35 bucks worth. Tonight I am eating at Hawaiian Fusion restaurant Roy's which has been on my "to do" list forever. You do always have the option of ordering from the regular menu should you not like your limited "restaurant week" menu options.

Restaurant week runs until Friday, Sept. 19th. Be sure to make reservations as everyone and their mother tends to come out this week.

As the bankruptcy continues to mount, I urge everyone to drown their worries in a bottle of wine at a restaurant you probably can't afford anymore.

http://www.centercityphila.org/life/RestaurantWeek.php

City of Brotherly Laughs

While I lie here staring longingly at Colleen's little Charlie whom I'm cat-sitting, I am reminded of one of my favorite things- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. (Note- Colleen named her cat after one of the lead characters. And I'd love another kitten- hell I'd love 10 more kittens.) I can confidently say that it is indeed one of the best shows to debut in the last couple of years.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia does great things for this beloved little city. And let's be honest- we could use the help with the unfair recent notoriety- "ugliest city," "fattest city," and "murder city/killadelphia." The show, which shoots around town quite a bit, is about 4 friends who run a terrible bar in South Philly. Always scheming and manipulating, this gang of friends is the Central Perk Friends crew on crack, heroin, glue, barbiturates and lots of sauce. With classic episodes such as "Sweet Dee is Dating a Retarded Person," I am convinced that this is a television classic in the making on par with The Honeymooners and MASH.

Dear readers, I urge each and every one of you to tune in this Thursday to the season premiere at 10pm on FX. Hey I even encourage you to watch the repeats on Fancast- http://www.fancast.com/tv/Its-Always-Sunny-in-Philadelphia/2157/main .

I assure you that you'll have water cooler conversation for weeks.

http://www.fancast.com/tv/Its-Always-Sunny-in-Philadelphia/2157/episodes/Mac-%26-Dennis%3A-Manhunters/599431

Vetri- Not Worth the Hype!

It's been a big year for me. I fell in love, started cohabiting and got a haircut with bangs. Last night we decided to celebrate our first year together as an official couple. Two months ago, the bf made reservations at Philly renowned restaurant Vetri. Ever since I moved to Philly, I've been hearing great things about this place. I was expecting a super expensive, fabulous meal and overall dining experience. Well, the food was excellent....the service was pretty unimpressive.

I strongly feel that good service is a major part of the dining experience especially when you're eating at an outrageously expensive restaurant. Now there are probably 10 tables in this restaurant and there were definitely at least 10 servers. It didn't matter- we had no particular waiter and the sommelier not only took our wine order, but also our dinner order. (I was just glad someone did.) But let's start at the beginning-we were greeted by a very tall man who seemed annoyed that we were there. He asked us what we wanted to drink. I ordered a vodka cranberry and the BF said he needed a couple of minutes. Nobody ever came back to see if he was ready for a drink. We waited another 30 minutes for menus.

In fairness, the food was delicious. We started with an appetizer of Kobe steak that was cooked to rare perfection. I had a rich spinach gnocchi plate that literally melted in your mouth. The bf had a light white fish that was cooked with tomatoes smothered in olive oil- delicious. We had a chocolate souffle for dessert that was perfectly moist in the center. All very yummy.

And then we waited another 30 minutes for the check. While dinner was undeniably delicious, I've had better service at TGI Friday's. We're glad that we tried Vetri but I think for our second anniversary- we'll go the Steven Starr route.

http://www.vetriristorante.com/

Meet You at the Diner!

As a native Long Islander, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of the American diner. In fact, I truly love them. I grew up with a diner on every corner. After every high school evening out, we headed to the local diner. God knows we were tired and hungry from the hours of aimlessly driving around. It was a who's who of the Wantagh Social Scene. Fast forward 10 years and I am a girl about Philly, in constant search of the perfect diner.

Living in Center City, I find my diner options are slim. While I know that Philly has some of the best restaurants around, sometimes a girl just needs a greasy meal. Rittenhouse Square's Little Pete's (219 South 17th Street) is tiny, but it gets props for being open 24 hours, making drunken nights all the better. University City's Philly Diner (3925 Walnut Street) may be the worst diner I've ever visited. Packed with Penn kids and locals, I excitedly ordered a platter of cheese fries. Imagine my disappointment when they served me a small portion of microwaved American Cheese fries. I think I left in tears. Do not waste your time at this place under any circumstance.

The newly vamped, Northern Liberties hot spot Silk City Diner (435 Spring Garden Street) is too trendy to be a diner in my expert opinion. It is delicious but not super cheap. They offer plenty of fancy drinks, making this an ideal place for a girl's night out. South Philly's famed Penrose Diner (2016 Penrose Avenue) has some of the most spectacular people watching that you could ever imagine. A Friday night in the heart of South Philly will provide hours of conversation for your table.

Finally, my top rated diner choice is Bella Vista's Morning Glory Diner (735 South 10th Street). The hours are terrible and the servers aren't overly friendly, but it is a wonderful brunch spot if you can withstand a bit of a wait. Be sure to try the homemade ketchup.

Support diners- an American institution. Ben Franklin would have wanted it that way.

Hire Me, Please.

I remember a time, at the tender age of 22, when I was excited to bid adieu to college and start my wildly successful career. Oh the paychecks, the working woman clothes (I would look great in a classic Chanel suit), glamorous business trips, the promotions, the sheer grandeur!

Then I woke up. The cold, harsh reality of monotonous administrative office work began to eat at me from day 1. Alright, so maybe I never had " career goals" per say. Sure, I thought things would simply fall in to place if I could just be patient. Granted, I work at a place that has skyrocketing levels of executive turn over, and all the money makers are chauvinistic/egotistical lecherous men, and we teeter dangerously close to bankruptcy each year. Still, I used to have pep talks with myself while fighting back tears in the shower each morning before work. In each chat, I'd assure myself that "my talents would be recognized and I'd soar, all the way to the top". Oh, poor naive girl.

This unfortunate tale leaves me where I am today, dear reader- in the same dead end job for 3 years. Sadly, still light years away from the Chanel suit. I fear I'll never know anything but H&M. Every day I job hunt. I interview every now and then too. Still, nothing. While frustrated and anxious, I haven't given up. I remain hopeful. One day somebody will hire me. And I will be one step closer to the ideal job I've so skillfully created in the inner chambers of my mind.

I Heart the Mojito

Nothing says breezy summer night like a yummy mojito. I love them. However, they're labor intensive drinks- drinks I would never prepare for myself at home. In fact, I'm really only capable of pouring wine at home and even then it's a challenge. I used to dream about a whole bar dedicated to the mojito. (I know that some people dream about world peace. Don't judge.) You can imagine how pleased I was when the Rum Bar opened just a few blocks from my apartment.

I have ventured in to the Rum Bar a few times and have never had to fight for a seat. It's the perfect spot to go for a pre/post dinner drink. The bartenders are assertive, friendly and know exactly how to make a drink. There are an incredible amount of premium rums available. It's kind of intense. I didn't know rum could be so complicated. Granted, until very recently, I did associate rum with the Malibu crap we used to drink in college. Along with the nearly 10 different kinds of mojitos on the menu, there are all of the standard bar drinks too.

Whether your looking for the perfect date spot or night out with the girls, the Rum Bar won't disappoint.

The Rum Bar

2005 Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19103

www.rumbarphilly.com

A Visit with the Soap Lady

There are few things more romantic than spending a lazy Saturday afternoon, visiting your local museum dedicated to human anomalies, with your Paramour. A few weeks ago, I ventured out to the famed Mutter Museum, part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

This was a trip that had long been on my "to do" list. The steep $12 admission fee led me to believe we'd be roaming the museum for hours so I was surprised to see that the entire museum is really only a few rooms, lined with glass cases well stocked with over 20,000 objects. Disturbing is the only word I can think of to describe this place. I saw babies in jars, a gigantic colon, every kind of terrible skin condition that's ever existed, Siamese twins, the soap lady, and all kinds of growths and tumors. Each exhibit was more nauseating than the last. And ladies, let's all rejoice that we were not around for the terrifying gynecological instruments of the past.

It was an interesting afternoon. I'm proud to be able to finally cross this excursion off of my list. While it's definitely a Philadelphia must see, I think you can skip the membership.



The Mutter Museum 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
http://www.collphyphil.org/visit_mutter.htm

A Pharaoh Visit with King Tut

I have an enormous to do list. No, I don't mean grocery shopping, laundry, paying bills or cleaning. What I mean is that I read about some event in Philly and then talk incessantly about how I have to go to that. What usually happens is that the event comes and goes and I'm still sitting on my couch, watching 90210 reruns on Soapnet. (I totally forgot what a bitch Brenda really was.) Anyway, when I read last February that the King Tut exhibit was coming to the Franklin Institute, I decided that I should definitely go. Naturally, I waited until last night, the week before it closes, to go.

The extensive exhibit consists of artifacts from his reign and tomb. I saw vases that held internal organs, deity figurines, King Tut childhood chairs, hieroglyphics and lots of jewelry boxes. The Franklin Institute did a great job of displaying everything and setting the mood, from the music to lights. However, I left a little disappointed. I'm not quite sure what I expected. I think I was hoping for some actual mummy action but all they showed was a video. That being said, I am glad I went. It's really neat to see all these items from the 1300s BC and I learned quite a bit about old King T, who actually was only 20 when he died mysteriously. I also recommend going on a weeknight to avoid the crowds and save a few bucks.

The exhibit closes on September 30th and moves to London. Get there fast!

http://www2.fi.edu/

Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Te Quiero Mucho

When I think of things that I love in life: I think of friends, family, pets, clothes, and wine, but mostly, I think of guacomole. Good guacomole makes everything better. In fact, I know that I could eat chips and guac each and every day for the rest of my life and be totally fine, if a little green in complexion.

Imagine my excitement when I recently had the pleasure of dining at Molcajete Mixto in South Philadelphia. I was already enthusiastic as it's "bring your own tequila"so they can make you any fruit flavored margarita your heart desires. You can also bring your own wine for homemade sangria. Ok back to the guacomole! It was creamy, flavorful, and delicious! I highly recommend it. After I finished that off, I dug in to my entree, Tilapia a la Veracruzana which was equally fabulous. I was stuffed to the point where I may have had to "OP"- as in open pants button. Ladylike and necessary.

All in all, it was a great evening. The menu is reasonable and the ambiance is super cute. The choices are vast and the service was exceptional. I will definitely be back.

www.molcajetemixto.com
746 Christian St. Philadelphia, PA

Back in Action

After a long hiatus, Girl About Philly is back in action! It's been far too long. Over the course of the last several months, a ton has happened. There's been new jobs/career paths, a job quit after 3 days, a wedding, some international vacations, loads of haircuts, one new boyfriend, a ridiculous amount of dining out, and much more. Look forward to a whole bunch of exciting posts about all that is fabulous in the life of a Philly girl.

Dealing With Your Quarter-Life Crisis

Oh the quarter-life crisis! I’ve had a tough time these past couple of years transitioning from college life to real life. I’m pretty sure that I’m getting dumber every day. (And my horrendous addiction to Nicholas Sparks novels is not helping the case.) Some days, I have the “I should go to graduate school” discussion with myself. And then other days, I can’t muster up the motivation to walk to Superfresh for groceries.

Last winter was particularly hard for me so I decided I could use a little personal enrichment, and not in the form of a pedicure or shopping spree (shocking I know, but I needed to branch out). So I enrolled in a continuing education course at the University of the Arts. I took a screenwriting class. It was a great way to expose myself to something new and challenging, as well as, meet new people. It was a little expensive ($325), but well worth it when I thought of the money I spent on clothes, shoes, hair, etc. all the while wallowing in self pity. The only other drawback to the class that I can think of is that a couple of my classmates were middle age men who really loved to hear themselves talk about any and everything, all the time. Everybody else in the class was great. And, one of these days, I’m going to finish that screenplay I started. In fact, I plan on asking for another class for Christmas this year.

University of the Arts. http://www.uarts.edu/continue/edu/index.cfm

Tis the Season for The Papery

Now that Thanksgiving is over, let the holiday chaos begin! One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is the Christmas card exchange. There is nothing my family loves more than reading and making fun of other people's Christmas letters. Apparently, my extended family has a lot of geniuses/saints/world travellers. My immediate family has um...well, you get the point.

One of my backup dreams, should the professional tabloid reader dream not work out, is to open a stationery store. I love paper! And there is no greater place for paper of all kinds than The Papery in Old City. I could spend forever staring at all of the card options for every occasion in life.

Holiday card choices are vast- you can go classy, chic, humorous or godly. The staff is friendly and the store is big enough that you don't have to worry about knocking displays over with all of your shopping bags, over sized purse, 9 lbs. dog, etc. And, fear not, they also carry wrapping paper!

So visit the Papery and stock up on cute cards so you can brag to your nearest and dearest about how fabulous a girl about Philly you are!

http://www.paperyofphilly.com/. 57 North 3rd St.

Confessions of a Drunk Dialer

I have a problem that I think most people conquer in college. It just so happens that my condition has only gotten worse since college. I am a chronic drunk dialer/text messager/ emailer. My condition knows no boundaries. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since I’ve talked to you or the last conversation we had. It doesn’t matter if you’re an ex boyfriend, ex best friend, ex guy that said hi to me that time in that bar. I’m a monster.

It’s such a problem that when I was coming out of anesthesia, after having my wisdom teeth pulled, I told the hygienist who was walking me to a bed, that I felt like drunk dialing. What could she do? She smiled politely and made sure I was in a recovery room, far from the phones.

I’ve tried to deal with the problem. I’ve deleted numbers from my phone, deleted email addresses, and even tried writing notes to myself. But where there is a will there’s a way. Just recently, I listed a particular person whom I so kindly reached out to and who is so very very bad news, in my phone as Do Not Resuscitate. I have a bunch of these in my phone- strange but true.
Obviously, there is no way to bar me from technology. It’s better than me showing up at your house, right? Drunken Megan in person with something to say would be way worse. So I warn you innocent people that you should never answer a call from me past midnight, nor should you read emails from me that may seem perfectly coherent but have subjects like “I just need to say this, but definitely don’t write me back”. But, the good news is that apparently I’m not the only one with such a severe problem and cell phone manufacturers in Korea have found a solution- a breathalyzer for your phone! Check this article out http://news.com.com/2061-10801_3-6088879.html .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_dialing

A Sweet Fix

You never know when you're going to get a craving for a cupcake. I used to have quite the habit. And as every cupcake connoisseur knows, it's not easy to find a delicious and fresh cupcake at 9:00 PM. Fear not, I've found the answer. Whole Foods. I do admit that Whole Foods has (in my opinion) a hit or miss bakery section. Some of their baked goods can be overly rich. However, the cupcakes are yummy when you're in a pinch. Of course, they are not of Naked caliber, but they're good when you need a fix.

I highly recommend the chocolate cupcake. My favorite part of the Whole Foods cupcakes is that they are bigger than average and, therefore, slightly most satisfying. And for the vegan cupcake lover- the vegan vanilla cupcakes are fabulous and my personal favorite. In fact, I've decided that we should pay tribute to our vegan girl about Philly friends and rate the vegan vanilla cupcake. Here it goes:

Appearance: 6 (it could be prettier).

Cakiness: 7 (semi moist)

Icing: 8 (flavorful)

Sweetness: 7

Freshness: 8

Overall Yumminess: 7

My conclusion is that when you're in dire need of a cupcake- Whole Foods is the place to go.

Whole Foods. 929 South St. or 20th and Callowhill

A Head Area Experience

I am a self- confessed hair junkie. There is nothing more rejuvenating to me than a great cut and color. I never go in for a trim. I expect something funky and different every time. My high standards have led me on a bumpy ride throughout the Philly hair salon scene. I've been to lots of salons, rarely going back to the same place more than twice. Therefore, I figured it would be a great public service for me to share my salon knowledge with all the girls about Philly. I'll start with the best and work my way down.

Center City's Head Area piqued my interest after I read some Citysearch reviews. I made an appointment with Stephen and they were able to take me 2 days later. (I also do not have the patience to wait weeks for an appointment.) I was a little nervous because the day of my appointment was the day after the Philadelphia Magazine "Best" list came out and Head Area topped their list. I thought, "um, oh shit. This is going to be a fortune." Sucking it up, I took my Visa and marched on over. The salon is very tiny and located in the back of the Matthew Izzo store. Truth be told, it's kind of a weird vibe. I showed up to my appointment and was seen right away. We discussed my color options. Stephen "got" me. He understood that I like my hair funky and messy and that I'm not a straightening iron kind of girl. The process took a reasonable amount of time (not over 2 hours, like some places). As it came time to pay, I felt my heart racing, hoping I'd still have money left over on my credit card for groceries, but if not, at least I'd have great hair. Well, to my delight, my highlights and cut all totalled came to $110- not bad at all. Five minutes later and less broke than I had anticipated, I was on my merry way with a great cut!

In conclusion, I'd definitely recommend Head Area Salon. The people were nice, the cut and color were great, and it was an all around positive experience.

Head Area. 1109 Walnut St. 215.829.0699. www.headarea.com

Raining Stupid

It's cold and wet and you're soaked, already the day sucks. As you wade through the sea of umbrellas and newspaper shields(buy an umbrella dude), you can't help but notice at least a couple of grown women with children's umbrellas. I'm talking miniature Disney umbrellas, even the kind with the name in fancy script! I don't think it's a matter of running out of the house and taking your kid's umbrella, I think these twisted freaks are buying juvenile umbrellas because they think it's cute. Um, no. It's kinda scary. Scary in that, "I wouldn't let me kids trick or treat at your house" kind of way. As I wandered in to the Girl About Philly headquarters this morning, I had to walk by a business woman, smoking a cigarette with a bright yellow Spongebob umbrella over her head. Automatically, I thought a) eww people should stop smoking in bad weather and b) why are you holding such a stupid umbrella that doesn't even cover your entire circumference.

I'd like to suggest that these women invest in grown up umbrellas for the sheer practicality of the matter. They can live out their bizarre juvenile obsessions in other ways, like buying Tigger and Pooh figurines at the Disney Store.

Once Upon a Time, There Was a Beauty Queen...

As girls about Philly, we are forever on a quest for health and beauty discoveries (and by health, I mean the occasional light beer substitution and by beauty, I mean shaving my legs.) So ta da- welcome to our newest category, creatively titled Health and Beauty.

Let me begin by telling you a very sad story about a girl (a lovely young woman, I might add)who has had problem skin (fine, acne) since...oh in utero. Maybe not that far back..but close. Seriously it's been forever. She tried everything from facials to Proactiv to dermatologists and prescription creams and antibiotics. Nothing worked. One fine day, a coworker tipped her off about a little place called Rescue Rittenhouse Spa and a woman named Rachel. Our little pimple victim promptly scheduled an appointment with Rachel, the miracle worker. Rachel assessed the situation and offered hope and guidance. Problem skin girl began to see Rachel and had all kinds of facials performed, even microdermabrasion. Slowly, but surely, her skin began improving. She would even go on to receive compliments on her complexion!

Let me just forewarn you that it can be pricey. But, for those of us who have skin issues, it's a great investment.

Rescue Rittenhouse Spa http://www.rescuerittenhousespa.com/

Happy Election Day

Happy Election Day! Obviously, everyone should vote, especially the ladies, as we’ve only been allowed to vote in the good old USA since 1920, and many of those hot issues out there are about us. And could the Democrats finally be getting their asses in gear? Only time will tell. But aside from all of those reasons, today is a special day because it signals the end of those horrible commercials that have bombarded us for the past 2 months. Don’t get me wrong, I love how each female candidate has to show footage of her with her kids and husband, as the loving mother, and then the ass kicking politician. As long as she has her priorities straight, just like her male competitors. Ha.

But seriously, who are the voices behind these commercials? It gets darker and scarier as each day passes. Wait until Hillary runs for Prez in 2008, those are going to be some awesome commercials.

Finally, good riddance to the campaigning! Now, I can go back to watching Grey’s Anatomy in peace, with the occasional car commercial interjection. Oh bliss.

Culture File: Papa Sal

This weekend I was on a quest to find a new Saturday night "spot". I was going to find my Peach Pit if it killed me. And if Dylan McKay walked out of the bathroom and in to my heart, that would be ok too.

Sure, there are places that I've had some fun at, but nothing that really hit home. L'Etage, on Bainbridge Street, used to be fun, but I've grown tired of waiting in line to get in, then paying a cover, then fighting for air to stand, let alone dance, not to mention, the horrendous bar service. So L'Etage and I are officially dunzo. The 700 Club in Northern Liberties is a good place except that the cab fare there and back is like a slap in the face when you're already broke. (ok and I may have been the tacky girl that made out with some guy on the dance floor last week and, therefore, am too embarrassed to go back.)

After some serious My Space stalking, I found a new place to try, Upstairs @ Sal's on 12th and Walnut. The convenience of a place so close to my pad could not be beat. So I rounded up my people and trekked out to Sal's around 11ish. It was like a small dance party in Grandma's attic. There is no cover. The service at the bar is excellent and cheap. And the DJs don't suck. They take requests and even come out and groove with you. It was not at all crowded and everybody looked to be having a great time. If you're looking to change up your Saturday night location, I'd highly recommend you and yours check out Upstairs @ Sal's.

Upstairs @ Sal's. 12th and Walnut St.

Lady Sovereign Ain't No Pikey

Don’t ever give a teenager a microphone. Especially, Jay-Z protégés named Lady Sovereign a.k.a. Louise Amanda Harman.

Last night, I went to the Starlight Ballroom to see British phenomenon, Lady Sovereign. In truth, I was excited for the possibility of standing witness to another one of her infamous Philly meltdowns. As usual, a really shitty band opened that made your ears want to bleed. When that was over, I figured Lady Sovereign would take the stage in the next 20 minutes. Not so much. She sat in a booth to the side of the stage with an entourage and chain smoked. I resisted the urge to call out- “Lady Sovereign, your lungs!” The girl is Polly pocket size. Seriously, I wanted to scoop her up in all of her baggy pants, ponytail to the side, and 2 different color eyes glory and put her safely in my pocket.

Eventually she did go on. And I have to say I didn’t love her new album right away, but seeing her perform it live, I was into it. I think I’ll give it another shot. She addressed the incident from last year, where she stormed off stage, and apologized, saying that she watched the You Tube footage of her antics. It was nice to see her poke fun at herself, as she doused the meager audience with beer, flipping us off every 3rd second. She even talked about her menstrual cycle and called everyone pikeys. I mean if that’s not rock star material- I don’t know what is.

Check out Lady Sovereign’s debut- Public Warning.

http://www.ladysovereign.com/