PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Hotel West and Main a destination for dinner and happy hour
The West and Main Hotel is Conshohocken’s premier hotel for 22 years.
But it is much more than a hotel. The bone of the space is a 148-year-old fire station on the historic register that has been restored.
The original facade surrounds you in the hotel lobby as well as the 2nd floor Hook and Ladder restaurant. The fine dining chophouse offers a menu that includes appetizers such as bone marrow, prime rib, and a 42-ounce tomahawk steak.
The cocktail menu is inspired by the building’s history with drinks named after the fire company with titles like Slow Burn and Downtown Heat. The indoor/outdoor space features a two-sided bar, heated patio, and beautiful courtyard views.
1874 Social is the lobby bar with pop-up fire station doors that open to the courtyard and plenty of room to spread out.
The space is open as an all-day cafe and a great after-work happy hour stop.
Hotel West & Major | Facebook | instagram
46 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428
To hang up & Ladder | Facebook | instagram
2nd floor of the West Hotel & Major
1874 Company | Facebook | instagram
1st floor of the West Hotel & Major
Fork celebrates 25 years with vintage wines, former guest chefs
When Ellen Yin opened Fork on October 15, 1997, she had a very specific mission: to create a community focused on supporting local farmers and food artisans.
And in the quarter century since, the wealth of local offerings has blossomed.
Fork has become known for its high-quality bread program and modern American cuisine, and Ellen says the restaurant is evolving with each new executive chef putting their own personal twist on the menu.
For George Madosky, that has meant dishes like baked beans, pepita tomatillo soup, dry-aged beef burgers and sugar shack oysters from Barnegat Light, NJ that remind him of his childhood on the coast. It’s, he says, the kind of comfort food diners have been craving since the pandemic.
For its 25th anniversary, Fork is releasing wines from the 1997 vintage and hosting a series of alumni chef takeover dinners, each raising money for the chef’s chosen charity.
Terence Feury, who managed at Fork ten years ago, is on deck November 16 with a sustainable seafood dinner. He will benefit from a culinary scholarship fund for his brother, Patrick Feury, a fellow chef who died last year.
Fork also launched a Zine to mark their milestone. The first issue was about sustainability; the second explores how integral restaurants are to the community post-pandemic. Ellen says the zine is meant to provide a platform for thought leaders hoping to spark ideas for solutions.
Zines cost $10 each, with proceeds going to a local nonprofit. The 2nd issue will benefit Soil Generation, a Black and Brown-led coalition of gardeners, farmers, individuals and community organizations working to ensure people of color regain community control of land and water. food.
When small independent restaurants struggled to survive the pandemic shutdown, Ellen joined the Sisterly Love Food Fair, a group of female food entrepreneurs who banded together to support each other.
And when the virus sparked a surge in anti-Asian hatred, she launched The Wonton Project to raise money for AAPI nonprofits.
Along with Fork, she runs High Street Bakery and has. Kitchen + Bar in Rittenhouse Square, and has been nominated four times for Outstanding Restaurateur by James Beard.
While she isn’t sure what the future of Fork might hold, she says she’s confident the restaurant’s commitment to building community will never change.
Fork Restaurant | 25th Anniversary Graduate Dinners | 25th anniversary zine |Facebook | instagram
306 Market St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
The wonton project | Facebook | instagram
Brotherly Love Collective | Facebook | instagram
Taco Heart brings Texas-style breakfast tacos to South Philadelphia
At Taco Heart, the specialty is Texas-style breakfast tacos.
Owner Nano Wheedan lived in Austin, Texas for 15 years before returning home to Philadelphia, and he brought the popular breakfast food with him.
The most popular menu item is the migas taco, which is very well known in central Texas.
These are tortilla chips crushed into scrambled eggs with tomato, onion, cilantro, Monterey Jack cheese, avocado, then wrapped in a freshly made warm flour tortilla.
In fact, the menu was built around the flour tortilla, and they are prepared every day in front of the guests.
It all started when Nano moved to South Philly in 2020.
He taught himself how to make flour tortillas from scratch and started selling his own breakfast tacos from his front porch.
Demand quickly overtook his sidewalk operation and that’s when he planned to open Taco Heart on East Passyunk Avenue.
taco heart | Facebook | instagram
1001 E. Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19147
445-230-0345
Celebrating International Vegan Day with old and new spots
AtiyaOla’s Spirit First Foods has been bringing vegan, vegetarian, and raw foods to West Philadelphia for over a decade.
You can opt for comfort foods like falafel burgers, mild or spicy vegan sausages, and vegan cheesesteaks.
There are two soups of the day, one of which is always chickpea with coconut curry because, says owner Atiya Ola Malik Khan, there’s a revolt from customers when it’s not on the menu.
For those who eat fish, they also cook salmon, but Atiya Ola’s is known for its raw platters and raw wraps.
Atiya Williams is the co-owner and goddaughter of AtiyaOla. The restaurant is part of the Enterprise Center and just like the business incubator it calls home, AtiyaOla’s supports other local makers with products like locally made honey, jewelry and even detergents for sale. .
They also offer locally made vegan desserts; the raw vegan cheesecake is a must.
AtiyaOla’s Spirit First Foods |Facebook | instagram
310 S 48th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
215-939-3298
Fitz on Fourth opened in June, bringing vegan cocktails, tapas and full-size plates to Queen Village.
The cafe is the project of Alison Fitzpatrick and her son, Alex Soto. Alison is the Executive Chef:
Alex is the master of mixing and quickly became the Fitz on Fourth ice cream guy.
Her graham cracker ice cream made with coconut milk is paired with a recipe for Alison’s grandmother’s apple crisp that she describes as “beautiful and crispy on top, then melty deliciousness underneath.”
For the main meal, Alison prepares dishes like edamame meatballs and squash, crab cake made with hearts of palm and artichoke hearts, Caesar salad with cashew parmesan, and tacos.
Alex has created a collection of cocktails, from the Nightbird Espresso Martini to the Pear Elderflower Martini and the Pumpkin Butter Bourbon. Cocktails are made with local spirits and homemade simple syrups.
Both mother and son came to hospitality from the health sector. They became frustrated with COVID and decided to pursue Alison’s lifelong dream of opening a restaurant.
Alison, a chef by training, went vegan in 2018 on the advice of her doctors and says the diet has reduced her list of medications from nine to one.
They want the restaurant to reflect their personality and hope the ambiance will make everyone feel welcome and at home.
fitz the fourth | Facebook | instagram
743 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-315-8989
Callowhill Archery targets indoor fun and hits the bullseye
When people think of recreational sports, soccer, basketball, and baseball usually come to mind.
But Yuan Jie Wen is working to add archery to the list.
The former mechanical engineer got into the sport during the pandemic and now runs one of the city’s only indoor archery ranges.
Callowhill Archery offers lessons for people as young as 8 years old and also hires archery lanes and equipment by the hour for those with experience.
The establishment also has a family connection – it’s in the building that housed his parents’ tofu factory in the 1990s.
Callowhill Archery | Facebook | instagram
446 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
267-924-6504
(open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., closed on Monday and Tuesday)
Meet the KOP company that makes Bryce Harper’s bats
The bats made for Bryce Harper and a number of Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros are all made by two Philadelphia-area baseball fanatics.
Jared Smith and Ryan Engroff started Victus Sports in 2012, a passion project for two baseball players trying to stay involved in the game they love.
It started as a hobby and their passion led to a company that now produces bats for 25% of Major League Baseball.
This makes it the most balanced bat in MLB.
Victus Sports | Facebook | instagram
650 Clark Avenue D, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Theater XP will present the world premiere of “Crossing the Veil”
Martin Hopewell is one of the main characters in “Crossing the Veil,” except he’s dead and the play takes place at his own funeral.
As his family bids farewell, Martin’s spirit comes out of the coffin and he begins to dialogue with them, but they neither see nor hear him.
Martin realizes his family hadn’t seen him as the wonderful father and husband he always thought he was.
“It’s an interesting story about what we thought our lives were like and how others perceived it,” says Bob Bowersox, playwright and director of “Crossing the Veil.”
You might recognize Bowersox from his decades-running QVC show, “In the Kitchen with Bob.”
Bowersox grew up in Wilmington, Del. and says he started writing for screen and stage at just 9 years old.
He also starred in 22 movies, including M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable.”
“Crossing the Veil” was inspired by the funeral of Bowersox’s own father, as it detailed their real-life relationship.
“It was exploring those feelings and asking the son to say them for me, because I never had the opportunity to tell my dad,” Bowersox explains.
“Crossing the Veil” runs November 5-26 at Plays and Players’ Skinner Studio.
Copyright © 2022 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.