If you've walked to the Italian Market in Philadelphia recently and passed by 9th and Catherine, you may have noticed that there is a new joint called The Wishing Well in the spot where Pat Bombino's used to reside.

Owned by Chris Martino, the restaurant is about ready to open the doors-- except a liquor license is holding up the official launch.

Martino hopes that the restaurant will open within the next couple of weeks.

The bar and restaurant will serve some hearty bar food and a big list of beers from local breweries as well as imported craft selections. One of the menu items that has people buzzing is called the SHAME burger-- a beef patty/scrapple combination topped with fried egg and American cheese.

But the eatery won't just be serving up artery-clogging burgers. They also have a grilled octopus salad and Shellfish “pirlau” on the list for seafood lovers.

You can check out the menu by clicking here and find more information on the Meal Ticket Blog.

Click here to read the full post

Restaurateur Owen Kamihira’s popular tapas restaurant, Bar Ferdinand offers exciting Thursday Night Tastings, a special 13-plate feast that changes weekly to reflect the restaurant’s latest innovative interpretations of Spanish fare for $35 per person. Locally sourced ingredients are key components in these special meals.

For an additional $25, four wines are paired with each of the four multi-plate courses, for a truly complete dining experience. Reservations are encouraged, but not required.

“Thursday Tastings are a fun opportunity for us to introduce our guests to the more adventurous aspects of tapas,” says Kamihira. “These small plates are the perfect vehicle to feature a variety of unusual flavors without being overwhelming, all served to be shared.”

Selections change weekly, to reflect the seasonal availability of certain ingredients. Menu items from recent Thursday Tastings include: Sea Urchin Flan baked in an egg shell cup; Fabada with chorizo, merguez and morcilla sausages; House-Made Fettucine with braised pork shoulder and black olives; Local Rabbit braised in white wine with bacon and saffron; House-Smoked Trout Sliders with horseradish crème fraiche; and Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with fig compote.

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Triumph Brewing Company of New Hope, PA will be hosting its Second Annual Irish Fest on Saturday March 13th. The festival will feature live Irish music, traditional Irish food, and of course, beer. Irish Dry Stout and Irish Red Ale will be two of the styles on tap that weekend. “The Irish have a long history with beer, and we felt it was time we honored that tradition,” says brewer Brendan Anderson. Music performed by Tom Glover Noon til 3pm, Hobnail 3-6pm, Roving Houligans 6-9pm, and Bogside Rogues 10pm til 1am.

Triumph Brewing Company is located at 400 Union Square in New Hope, off Bridge Street next to the New Hope/Ivyland Rail Road.

Ph: 215-862-8300

www.facebook.com/triumphnewhope

Triumph Brewing Company of New Hope, PA will be hosting its Second Annual Irish Fest on Saturday March 13th. The festival will feature live Irish music, traditional Irish food, and of course, beer. Irish Dry Stout and Irish Red Ale will be two of the styles on tap that weekend. “The Irish have a long history with beer, and we felt it was time we honored that tradition,” says brewer Brendan Anderson. Music performed by Tom Glover Noon til 3pm, Hobnail 3-6pm, Roving Houligans 6-9pm, and Bogside Rogues 10pm til 1am.

Triumph Brewing Company is located at 400 Union Square in New Hope, off Bridge Street next to the New Hope/Ivyland Rail Road.

Ph: 215-862-8300

www.facebook.com/triumphnewhope

If you have heard anything about Rouge Restaurant on Rittenhouse Square it was probably about their famous burger.

The establishment has definitely been serving up one good bite of beef since they opened. It only makes sense that they should continue the tradition in a whole new restaurant.

Yes, according to this post form Grub Street, the owners will be opening a new burger joint called 500 Degrees at the end of this month. Now, diners can grab an affordable burger from those who brought Philly one of the best.

There are currently some serious burger wars going on in the city with many places such as PYT and Butcher and Singer claiming to have the best. Will 500 Degrees offer up some new competition?

Check out the straightforward and delicious looking menu by clicking here.

Wednesday, March 17th The Garden Terrace Restaurant in the Spring Mill Country Club will be hosting a St. Patty's Day Bash!  All starting at 2:00pm.

Some of the specials include:  1/2 Off Drinks from 2-6:00pm, $2.00 Drafts All Night, Featuring Guinness and Killian's Irish Red!  You will also find a Complimentary... Hand Carved Corn Beef, as well as a variety of tasty snacks! 2-6:00pm.   Or stay for dinner and savor the Traditional Irish Menu featured all night.

Come and Enjoy the Great Specials & be prepared for other fun surprises, it is sure to be a blast! 

Find out more by visiting facebook... simply search The Garden Terrace Restaurant!

Going out to dinner can quickly get pricey pretty quick. But bargain hunters can rest assured that we will keep you in the know when there are coupons and deals happening at our favorite local eateries.

So, if you happen to be in New Hope anytime soon, you can take 15% off of the food portion of your check at Triumph Brewing Company.

This local brewpub with three area locations (in Princeton, Philadelphia and New Hope) is a great place to grab a bite to eat and an even better place to pound back a few drafts.

The coupon expires on June 30, 2010, so take advantage of the warm spring weather, have some fun in New Hope and end the day with a delicious, affordable dinner. You can print the coupon by clicking here.

I seriously love when restaurants participate in charity events. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved. Restaurants make money, charities make money and you get a delicious meal.

So if you are looking to eat out tonight (Tuesday, March 9) and enjoy some of the wonderful weather in Philadelphia, make sure to head down to Queens Village. A few participating restaurants will be donating a portion of their proceeds to Reach Out and Read, an organization that gives children a new book when they visit the doctor.

The event is being sponsored by South Philadelphia Pediatrics and some of the restaurants involved include La Fourno, Saute, Mustard Greens and Bistrot La Minette. There are plenty of choices for discerning diners.

More information can be found right here and make sure to call ahead to the restaurants to make reservations.

Getting excited for Philly Beer Weekend? It's coming up, and with it will be a series of great prices on drinks, especially craft brews. It's all part of a campaign to kick up the excitement for Philly Beer Week, which, as you already know, is June 4-13.

Next weekend's excitement includes a craft beer express that zips you from the likes of Johnny Brenda's and Standard Tap to Brauhaus Schmitz, The Kite and Key and more. The bus is $15, and  you can ride all day. The following day is the Brewer's Plate at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum. You'll get local ales with food from the area's greatest restaurants. It's not to be missed. Get details at TheBrewersPlate.Now that's what I call a good weekend.

Need a little daily Fork-ing?

You do, now that the restaurant has instituted its daily plates offering. Diners can enjoy a new, weekly menu of crave-able dinners for $15. It's big news for Old City foodies because until now, Fork:etc centered around grab-and-go-goodies including sandwiches, soups and salads. This sit-down meal option gives gourmonds a chance to stop and smell the seafood stew, but only on Wednesdays.

Examples of Plats du Jour, all $15, include: Click here to read the full post