The glorious sun is SHINING my friends. I hope you have something lovely planned on this beautiful day, whether that be laying in a park with a good book, meeting up with a friend for happy hour, or taking a delicious nap with the window open. Welcome back to Philly Finds, and it’s a hefty one for ya.
Not to be that girl, but I do have some fun things coming up I’m excited to share. I usually post first on Instagram, so be sure to follow over there.
PPA Corner
In this edition’s PPA Corner, we see a PPA van illegally parked outside of a 2-hour parking sign. As a reminder, PPA Corner is space dedicated to calling out the many transgressions of the PPA. Submit yours today!
Onto the finds!
We’ll start off with some quickies. First, there’s a brand spankin’ new Bluestone Lane Coffee opening tomorrow on 20th and Walnut. I passed by it earlier today, and it looks beautiful.
I had one of these Stateside Vodka hard teas this past weekend, and ohmygod, my summer has already been fulfilled.
El Techo
When El Techo’s retractable rooftop is open, then you know spring has arrived and summer is right around the corner. To make your way to El Techo, enter the Motto Hotel on 19th and Chestnut and head on up in the elevator to the 11th floor.
Gran Caffe L’Aquila
One of my favorite spots in the city is this restaurant. My grandfather had been wanting to go here ever since he saw it advertised in his Italian-American newspaper, and we finally got the chance to go. I typically order the pappardelle al ragu here, but I switched it up with the carbonara and was not disappointed.
Each week they offer a special menu based on the cuisine of one area/city of Italy. The menu the past week was Palermo, which was very seafood heavy, as you might have guessed.
Also, I’m currently waiting for my 23andMe results to come back. If there isn’t an ounce of Sicilian in me, I’ll have to change my entire personality! On a serious note, I’ve really been interested and focused on getting in touch with my roots for the past year. I was able to trace my family tree fairly far back with Ancestry. And after years of saying I would do it, finally began taking Italian lessons (along with learning French again, because c’est la vie) with the loveliest gentleman at my work, which is something I’m very grateful for. I suppose the last quest on this genealogy journey is to finally visit Italy, eh?
Devon Seafood Happy Hour
I’m happy to report that after a long hiatus, the Devon happy hour has made its triumphant return! Their happy hour runs Monday-Thursday at the bar and patio, 4-6:30 PM. I’m not typically a fruity cocktail consumer, but their pineapple martini is certainly worth ordering.
Aura Reading with Inner Light Aura
After reading Laura Brzyski’s Philly Mag article about having her aura read, I booked an appointment ASAP at Inner Light Aura. I went to their studio, which is where I met founder Sarah Silverstein. The space is so cozy, and her voice is so soothing – I felt comfortable immediately. After having my aura portrait taken, we did an oracle card reading as we waited for the photo to develop. Everything felt very aligned, and I recommend the experience for those interested! The service I did was $70, and took about 15-20 minutes. I believe she recently opened up some more time slots.
You Can’t Stop the Beat – Hairspray in Philly Tuesday
One of my all time favorite musicals/movie musicals is coming to Philly next month. HAIRSPRAY will be playing at the Merriam Theater May 17 – Sunday, May 22, 2022.
The cast will be led by Andrew Levitt, aka the fabulous Nina West who was featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race as Edna Turnblad (John Travolta is shaking), Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad and Sandie Lee as Motormouth Maybelle. Joining them are Billy Dawson as Corny Collins, Will Savarese as Link Larkin, Emery Henderson as Penny Pingleton, Jamonté D. Bruten as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Kaelee Albritton as Amber Von Tussle and Addison Garner as Velma Von Tussle.
La vie Bohème
Last time I’ll share here! On April 28 (so soon), where I work is hosting an ages 45-and-under performance of Puccini’s La bohème, which is the opera that inspired Jonathan Larson’s Rent. If you’ve never experienced live opera before, this is the perfect place to start. Plus, it’s an elegant night out on the town. There’s also a post-performance Champagne reception with the cast, so you can meet and mingle with the cast. Did I mention that tickets are just $25?
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