A Blog About Nothing in Particular
A quick recap:
Charlie keeps a ticket in his hat, just like Daddy.
He likes to walk around, but shouts, “Missing!” when he realizes he’s not watching the game.
He dances to Jimmy Rollins’ at bat music.
He got on the scoreboard again last night.
He REALLY loves baseball.
Ah, spring. It’s so nice to be outside again. Nothing quite like running Charlie ragged in some nice parks. Thing about nice parks in Philadelphia is that most of them are in West Philly. Helen and I may be riverward  chauvinists, but, man, I wish Penn Treaty Park were as nice as Clark Park.
You know what else the riverwards don’t have? A brewery and pizza spot like Dock Street Brewing Co. Went with Mark and Erin before a Party Photographers’ show at Younglove’s last winter, but had no idea how great it was for lunch. Bought two pies — Flammenkuchen and Florentine — and got a growler of their Summer Session to go. Can’t beat it!
Helen, who tends to hate brewpubs because the food is often oh so bad, really loved it. Win-win! Beats having to convince her to haul out to Iron Hill or Victory for lunch and we can stroll down to Clark Park afterward.
Maybe we’ll be West Philly people yet…
Awoke this morning to a few tweets between Kristina Burke of James on S. 8th St. and former cheftestant Jen Carroll that suggest James is shutting down operations in South Philadelphia.
What a great restaurant. Loved the atmosphere, the service, the drinks and the food. Helen and I went exactly twice: first for her 30th birthday and then Valentine’s Day this year. Both meals were probably the best I’ve ever eaten. Always felt that James delivered an amazing food experience without feeling like a Stephen Starr experience, which is to say, great food in a sometimes cartoonish atmosphere. I guess he’s on to something.
Here’s to whatever incarnation the Burke’s dream up next. Whatever it is, I know I’ll eat there.
My eyes rolled very hard when I read this bit from Michael Klein. Fishtown needs another fancy beer place like a hole in the head. I may be willing to give it a pass if the food isn’t just another run-of-the-mill gastropub as they say, but the thought of squeezing into Moe’s doesn’t really appeal either. It would be like setting up a restaurant in my skinny little home.
I know I complain about this all the time, but restauranteurs looking to take advantage of reasonable terms here in Fishtown and beyond: please understand that simply boasting a craft beer selection won’t be enough to lure customers away from their regular haunts. Even bars like Starboard Side offer some nice taps. Want to know how often I go to the Abbaye now that I’m around the corner from Memphis Taproom and Kraftwork? Hell, I don’t even venture as far as Johnny Brenda’s unless I’m going to see a band. Be more creative!
I know most local beer critics revel in this. It’s an embarrassment of riches, to be sure. But I can’t help but think that Philly could really use an enfant terrible in the beer scene. It’s soft and bloated and increasingly self-important. Who will set things straight?
I participated in the Save the Library protest back in November 2008. When I recently visited, I checked into Foursquare. If I check in again, I’ll be mayor of the joint. At a time when people are checking into Wawa, you’d think at least a handful of folks would still be willing to pop in for a book or two. Does it really make more sense to pay for every book you read?
C’mon, denizens of Fishtown! Visit your local library. Check out a book! It’s free and it will make you smarter. And you can hit Kraftwork immediately afterward to reward yourself.