November 30, 2006
Philadelphia :: It's A Beautiful Day In The Gayborhood
Merle Exit READ TIME: 4 MIN.
The last time I was in Philadelphia the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts was being built. The magnanimous structure was to feature a soaring arched glass roof that would make way for music and theatrics on the inside. Peter Nero was performing with the Philly Pops, in a concert of "Broadway Showstoppers".
Broad Street, also called, "Avenue of the Arts," is home to the Merriam Theatre, Academy of Music, Prince Music Theatre and the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts as well as the Kimmel. Beyond the avenue, there are still more theatres, including the Walnut, Arden, Forrest and the outdoor Mann Center. Moreover, in Philadelphia, not only can you go inside to several art museums, there are also over 2500 murals on buildings to view, all truly works of art. It seems that graffiti artists were given a choice of either jail time or the Mural Arts Program.
While Philadelphia's art scene captivated me my last trip, I didn't spend much time with the arts this time. Instead, I got my bearings with a couple of city tours. Philadelphia Trolley Works has a pick-up/drop-off tour that goes to 20 sites, many major attractions outside of Center City. The pass has the additional advantage of functioning as a 24-hour pass to get visitors around Philly. All of the tours begin at Market Street around 6th, just outside of the Independence Visitors Center. Make sure you stop at the nearby Liberty Soft Pretzel at 618 Market Street, where Allan Barone creates the best pretzels I've ever had.
Speaking of food, Reading Market is Philly's farmers market, full of fresh produce, meats, poultry, cheese and seafood. For food that someone else is cooking, Philly has plenty of options. For the sweetest culinary option, try
Valanni, located at 1229 Spruce Street is just a few blocks from the Kimmel Center, but location is not the only reason to dine here. The restaurant combines Mediterranean with Latin cuisine. Executive chef R. Evan Turney uses organic ingredients from local purveyors to create a delicious menu. With a variety of tapas I chose the Dolmades of spiced ground lamb and warm feta stuffed grape leaves, tzatizki. I was impressed that the stuffing was not simply "rice".
Morimoto Omakase "chef's choice" was a multi-course tasting menu that I experienced at one of the Japanese Iron Chef's restaurants at 723 Chestnut Street. The atmosphere lends itself to white walls and changing colored lights. Yellowtail tartare was my starter and combined crispy shallots, chives, soy, mirin, dashi, wasabi, and a yama momo. Sashimi salad was follow by Chilean seabass, assorted nigiri and a dessert of tres leches.
Amada, located at 217 Chestnut Street, sports Spanish cuisine. Tapas like crab-stuffed peppers added to plates from the grill. Excellently seasoned lamb chops were a great accompaniment to the grilled seasonal Wild Mushrooms. What really stood out was the cheese plate each of which had a separate "dip". Bleu de Basques had a cherry pistachio salbitxada; garbotxa with garlic dulce de leche and aged manchego had a truffled lavender honey.
Another lunch was had at XIX located at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue on Broad and Walnut Street. This is all about grand atmosphere with food to match. Endive salad with smoked salmon appetizer followed a wonderfully satisfying squash soup. Steak was my choice of entr?e, cooked just as requested and topped with an herbal sauce. Not wanting the accompanying shoestring potatoes a meaty mushroom combo was served.
South 13th Street has been taken over by a lesbian couple, Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney. They started out about 4 years ago with Open House, a store with items for the home, kitchen, bath, garden and body. Then, they opened a modern Mexican restaurant, Lolita, a BYOT (Bring Your Own Tequila) hit. Their newest opening Grocery is also a caf?, with an Olive Bar, where you can buy various olive oils that Valerie and Marcie choose. The latest is a Blood Orange olive oil made by crushing citrus with the olives. What's next for the brilliant couple? It seems that they are looking to open a BYOB Indian restaurant. Stay tuned.
Philadelphia established itself as a leader in gay tourism in 2003 when the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation launched their "Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife" campaign. Independence Hall, one of the most significant buildings in the United States, was also the site of the nation's first gay rights protests from 1965 to 1969. An historical marker commemorates the activists at Sixth and Market Streets.
Philly has its own Gayborhood in downtown Philly also known as Center City. Businesses and nightlife can be found between 11th and Broad Streets, from Chestnut to Pine Street. Nightlife hangouts include' target='_blank'>
Noted gay and lesbian events are: the Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Theatre Festival, an 11-day, multi-venue celebration in June (215-627-6483) and Pride Parade & Festival (215-875-9288), also in June. The Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival runs in July (267-765-9700).
Merle Exit is a both a journalist and radio personality from New York City. Her background in show business as a comedian/singer and love of travel is the basis of sharing her life. You can view her website of www.merleswhirls.com.
