POTPOURRI: RESTAURANT & NOTABLE TIDBITS

Although I was only gone for a week it seems that alot of things occurred in the City and I took note this past week as I walked about. Shortly the City is going to have a gourmet food store for dogs at 1804 Chestnut Street.

It opens sometime this FallNearby on the 20th Street block a new consignment shop opened last Monday. I like their sign.
they're now accepting merchandise. Opened Mon - Sat 11AM - 8PM
Further down Chestnut Street in the Shops of Liberty, they've replaced the fountain with a Saxby's Coffee Shop. (The Wachovia ATM is still there TG) Over on Locust Street, that Saxby's remains a mystery if it will ever open.
At 16th & Walnut someone has made off with three of the stain glass panels in the bus depot. Sad that even if it's tied down someone has to get their sticky hands on it.

Back in March I Twittered the only thing I thought was notable in the Craig LeBan review of Del Frisco's Steakhouse review.

"Craig LeBan Food Review of Del Frisco's bar patrons: The only thing the surgically enhanced crowd at the bar was missing was a stripper pole " 2:34 PM Mar 22nd from web

iPhillyChitChat

HughE

Having a sense of humor, Del Frisco's thought why not, a stripper pole might be a nice addition and installed one at the end of the bar area,

and even dedicated it to Craig LeBan. Wasn't that nice?Over on Walnut Steet I noted that Le Bec Fin joined it's neighbors and offered Al Fresco dining, although I'm not sure if they're serious about it, or they realized it was a good marketing turn as to grab the attention of no in the loop passerbyers "HEY We're Here!!"

Michael Salove Co. announced the completion of a lease transaction at 1515 Walnut Street, with a lease value of more than $2.5 million. The North Face will open in October, and will occupy 4,060 sq. ft. on two floors.

The new Le Méridien Philadelphia, Starwood's luxury hotel, is expected to open in January 2009. I noticed they put their sign up, and well where else were they going to put it, really?
At 17th & Sansom Hotel Palomar is getting ready to open on October 15
But Square 1682 will be opening the night before on 10/14. The hotel celebrates the history of Philadelphia, and Square 1682 celebrates William Penn founded our fair city. Grub Street Philadelphia took a look inside yesterday. Each of the Kimpton share various theme, the Philadelphia branch will be celebrating art in motion.
Here's a bad shot of their "Living Room"
and the lighted "mural" above the entrance. But don't get used to this one as eagle eye Peggy M Trott, Peggy is Kimpton's Hotel Palomar's GM, noted to me that it's just not the right depiction of Ben Franklin that they wanted. Sometime this week a full bodied one will be installed. They are not sure what they will be doing with this one, perhaps someone will take this off their hands like the Kimpton's kind offer for someone to step up to the plate and accept the 4 tiled murals that used to adorn the elevators in the old Architect's Bldg. The Kimpton is offering them free to an institution that can cart them away and care for them. As i wrote in an earlier entry when Peggy attended an event at JimmyStyle "All four of them were decorated with intricate mosaics of circa-30s Philly scenes: City Hall, Swann Fountain, the old skyline, the Ben Franklin Bridge. They were carefully removed and are intact and GUESS WHAT THE KIMPTON IS WILLING TO DONATE THEM TO A WORTHY ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAINTAIN THEM AND DISPLAY THEM." Friend them on Facebook

Liberty One Remembered that it's Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. You still have time to support me in the walkathon I am doing this Saturday with my family in honor of my sister who is suffering from the disease. Here's the link : Team Doots look for PhillyChitChat in the drop down box

View Team Fundraising Pages:

Select Member Page Aloi, Carrie Bateman, Crista bonaventure, tracy ChitChat, Philly Clifford, Lisa Dillon, Virginia Fine, Carla Fitzgerald, Teresa Goleash, Kelsey Goleash, Margaret Libertella, Diane Massi, Marianne Ricciardi, Susan Riley, Lisa Shannon, Michael Shannon, Marie Wilkins, Colleen Wilkins, Lauren Wilkins, Walter Wilkins, Judy Wilkins, Maggie

No amount is too small. Thanks a bunch.
Be careful walking around Rittenhouse Square at night, seems their doing improvements

I had a small snack at Max Brenner Chocolate by the Bald Man the other day. They had their windows open and I had a low fat milkshake.Check out PhillyChitChat calendar on the right side of the page for upcoming events. Remember to send me tips (Buzz @ PhillyChitChat (dot) com) about celebs so I can either write about them or come out and photograph them. Wanda Skyes was eating at Chef Jose Garces Distrito's the other night, but I was shooting at Strongbox and couldn't get away, but I thank the patron that was enjoying his dinner for tipping me off. Last night Suzanne Roberts was at Parc. (I saw that myself) I've never eaten at Parc. I should go someday, seems popular.