Yearly Archives: 2003

Stuff it: Fans fume over hoagie ban

ON DAY TWO of Hoagiegate, the prosciutto hit the fan.

The Philadelphia Eagles angrily dug in their heels, saying they would “never” lift their ban on BYO food at the new Lincoln Financial Field.

Citywide, hoagie-makers, worried about lost sales, turned red as a cherry pepper.

And fans, accusing owner Jeffrey Lurie of price-gouging at the taxpayer-funded stadium, started talking … Read the rest

Cheesesteak bites John Kerry

THE presidential election is still 15 months away, the nation’s attention is on Ben and Jen, and the biggest name in politics is Schwarzenegger.
But we may have just witnessed the unraveling of the Democratic front-runner’s campaign for the White House right here in South Philadelphia, at 9th and Wharton.

Let it be recorded: At lunchtime on Aug. 11, 2003, … Read the rest

Play a few bars: The best and worst taproom jukebox tunes

YOU’RE sitting quietly at the bar, peeling the label and stacking your change, when a stranger puts a buck in the juke.

The digits flash and the laser lines up on the disc, and suddenly the whole place is transformed.

It could be Sinatra or the Clash or Sheryl Crow or U-2, it doesn’t matter. Music makes a bar.

And … Read the rest

These bars are historic

[SIDEBAR]

Called “the most genteel tavern in America” by no less than John Adams, the City Tavern is a Philadelphia treasure.

No, it’s not the original – that burned in 1834. The building now standing at 2nd and Walnut streets is a re-creation, based on National Park Service research. It was completed in 1975.

Whether for a bite or a … Read the rest

Philly’s tavern scene was the real birthplace of America

STUCK IN OLD City without a ticket for this weekend’s grand opening of the National Constitution Center?

Grab a cold one at the nearest taproom, instead. Not only will you avoid the crowds, but – bonus! – you can raise a fitting toast to our forefathers.

After all, the U.S. Constitution was as much a product of Philadelphia’s 18th-century taverns … Read the rest

Hoagies of mass destruction

EAGLES FANS, leave your hoagies at home. All BYO food will be banned at the Eagles’ new Lincoln Financial Field when it opens next month.

In a startling policy acknowledged yesterday by team officials, the Eagles said their fans would be prohibited from bringing snacks and beverages to games.

Instead, hungry fans will have to stand in line and pay … Read the rest

Movies and a beer

Arlington, Va., has a cinema pub. So does Tampa, Fla. Even Salt Lake City has one.

And now, tiny West Hazelton in upstate Pennsylvania has one.

Opened in March, the Cinema & Drafthouse serves cold brews, a full dinner menu and second-run movies. Showing this weekend: “Phone Booth,” with an afternoon matinee of “Holes.”

Admission: $3.

“It’s been fantastic so … Read the rest

When the boys from Bud came for Joe Sixpack

THE MEN FROM Bud came knocking on my door the other day. It was only a matter of time till they tracked me down.

They wanted me to drink their beer.

Suddenly, I was back in 1978. Not sure of the exact day, but it was a hot night at McGlinchey’s. “Gimme Shelter” was on the jukebox and the Phillies … Read the rest

Manayunk Brewpub serves the masses

BETWEEN THE Saab convertibles attempting to make illegal U-turns into 25-cent parking spots and the overpriced gift shops selling third-world trinkets, Manayunk has always rubbed me the wrong way.

Not the real Manayunk – the old neighborhood of rowhouses cramped beneath the SEPTA trestle, of Pretzel Park and towering St. John’s church, of the Wall and the canal.

But the … Read the rest

Manayunk beer fest and more

The weather is finally warming up, time to hunker down with some springtime brews.

The season’s biggest event is tomorrow’s Manayunk Beer Festival at Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant (4120 Main St.).

The brewpub will host 26 East Coast breweries, including some that rarely show their face inside the city. In addition to the usual suspects, look for brews from Fordham, … Read the rest