Classic Van Halen fans, rejoice: The boys are on tour again in North America, and this time they're taking original singer David Lee Roth along. Roth left the group in 1985 over creative differences with Eddie Van Halen and hasn't toured with them since, but apparently they have smoothed over their differences with stacks of delicious cash.
The tour kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina, and if you can't hear them coming already, they will be in Uncasville, Connecticut; Toronto, Canada; and Cleveland, Ohio this week. Enjoy this fan-made video of the finale from the third stop on the tour, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
We hate to make a "daily grind" joke in a piece about coffee shops, but sometimes it's not just Starbucks that gets old, but the whole hoity-toity coffee shop vibe, whether it's a Starbucks or not. We're talking about the downtown places that attract people who think that $7.00 for a coffee beverage (not coffee, coffee beverage) is reasonable. These are the sort of folks who know nothing about jazz, but they sure do want to listen to it while drinking their coffee.
That's why we like Canvas Coffee Company (their website appears dead) in Philadelphia. It's off the downtown-suit path (and is, in fact, very close to Penn Treaty Park on the Delaware River, as you can see above), and it's just...a coffee shop. Really. It's not stuffy, nor is it hipster pretentious, the sort of place you'll get a sneer if you don't get soymilk. We recommend getting a baked good while you're there too. They're dense and rich and certainly not healthy enough for every day consumption. However, they're certainly better than whatever you usually get during the daily grind (zing!).
On the Northeast corridor, the train-versus-plane-versus-LimoLiner issue is often a close call, and from, say, New York to Boston, we prefer the train, sometimes. We like this AirTran deal, however, because a regular Amtrak ticket on the same route only dips below $140 during some terrible timeslots, and that journey takes about six hours. Also, now that carry-on liquid rules have been slightly relaxed, it's feasible to make an all-carry-on, quick 'n' easy getaway out of this.
Fares are lowest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, so for maximum action on a short jaunt, you have a choice between flying out on Saturday morning and enjoying Saturday night, or flying out on Wednesday, enjoying Friday night, and high-tailing it out on Saturday.
The end of summer always seems the perfect time for a come-from-behind sports movie. Today's won't disappoint. South Boston's own Mark Wahlberg has taken time from producing Entourage to hit theatres today with Invincible.
The film is the story of Vince Papale, a down-on-his-luck teacher/bartender who gets a shot to try out for the Philadelphia Eagles and by some miracle, makes the team. Billed as "every man's dream," it's no surprise this one also comes from the producers of The Rookie.
As much of the film was actually shot in Philadelphia, we offer you some cool things to check out around town:
Where To Stay: Park Hyatt Recover and rest your bruised body after the big game at one of the city's most luxurious hotels--it's a Philly institution. The Park Hyatt, on the corner of Broad and Walnut, offers guests a champagne toast, plud the lobby's stocked with upscale shops. Check into the Bellevue Suite for 831-square feet of space and an awesome city view.
Where To Walk Around: Old City Stroll through one of America's most historic neighborhoods and check out Betsy Ross's former digs, the U.S. Mint, and a ton of museums. Billed as "hipstoric" by the Old City District org, the neighborhood does offer interesting things like sidewalk sales and a "First Friday" open art event.
Where To Watch the Game: For Pete's Sake A more upscale sports bar than most, this one's got microbrews and a gas fireplace, and of course, big screens. Menu items can be as ritzy as you'd like, from New Zealand mussels and pan seared salmon to nachos and chicken wings. Come during the week and take advantage of the after-work drink specials. Who knows, maybe you'll run into Andy Reid and he'll ask you to try out!
Menupages Philadelphia is live, and full of cheesesteak-y goodness (yes, there's a separate section for them, but, alas, not for those gross soft pretzels). You'll be able to live out your wildest fantasies of clogging your arteries and being buried in a piano box without ever having to leave your desk.
Of course, if you do make it to Philly, you must remember when ordering at famed cheesesteakery Geno's Steaks to request "wid" or "widdout" (onions) and please specify Cheese Whiz or Provolone in re your cheese choice.
Geno's currently has the dubious honor of fighting the city over a sign posted there which reads "This Is America. When Ordering Please Speak English." Of course. When we think of perfect English, we think "One wid whiz".
Well get ready, Morimoto and the like are gearing up for restaurant week in Philly, which is February 19-24.
Courtesy of blog fiftyonefiftyone and mapping site CommunityWalk, we have access to a cool map of tons of participating Philly restaurants, complete with menus. So now you can Google map your way to the tastiest cheesesteak in Philly hottest restaurants in the imaginary sixth-borough.
We here at Jaunted find that not only is there many a slip `twixt the cup and the lip, but there is often a wide gulf between how a city is portrayed in the media and the reality. In light of recent discussion on Gridskipper, here are some comparisons for the City of Brotherly Love (Full Chart Post Click):
--Cheesesteaks and Soft Pretzels hold a special place in many people's hearts, but to the consternation of some, Geno's continues to serve "Freedom" Fries. On the street, the potentially unhygienic, loaf-like form of the pretzel tripped up the Frugal Gourmet. Cheese Whiz is, at best, a dubious condiment.
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by egw
