Solid Good Tunes

Ooh, Thanksgiving!  Four awesome/exhausting/magical days of doing absolutely nothing but eating/drinking/sleeping/drinking/watching snow fall.  Whether I was dealing with Red Heads with Ponytails/Asian mobs/Taxi threats/one too many shots of Tequila, it was a superb time, and I was mostly superbly intoxicated for it all.  BUT, the absolute highlight of the long weekend was dancing to DJ Ed Blammo's, Solid Good Times, at Medusa Lounge...Gasp!!  I know, I know...I had never dreamed of stepping foot into the infamous ML, but I was drunk enough/it was a friend's bday/I was intrigued by the stories, take your pick, and I went.  And, I am so glad I did.  Despite the red carpeted walls or the windows covered with trash bags or the bathroom doors that don't lock (and no mirrors!!) or the weird, rubbery, vinyl floors or the extremely low ceilings littered with ripped dollar bills/graffiti/ you name it....okay, okay, I've made my point.....despite ALL of that (and more) Blammo's tunes were bumpin', the people were jumpin'(I don't understand how they avoid hitting their heads on those low, littered ceilings), and my head was literally thumpin'(for several days). DJ Ed Blammo also entertains his crowds at PYT and Barbary, and this Saturday night, he will be at Kung Fu Necktie for Ego Trip.  His tunes are diverse, great for dancing, and put you in an awesome mood.  I absolutely cannot wait to check him out again, wherever it may be.  And, although I wouldn't recommend hanging out at Medusa Lounge on just any old night, it is definitely worth going to, to check out this guy.

Going Green in NoLibs

I recently checked out Green Eggs Cafe, on 2nd street in NoLibs, for brunch, and I couldn't be more pleased with the neighborhood's new addition to the list of brunch-spot goodies.  The restaurant was packed, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes or so for a table (no, prob!  I'll just pop-over to Arcadia and do some browsing.)  The space inside isn't much to brag about.  The white walls could use a splash of color, and the rectangular box with high ceilings would definitely do well with a few pendant fixtures.  Nevertheless, as soon as I saw the menu I could tell the food was much more inspired than the aesthetics of the space.  Items like Crabcake Benedict, The Kitchen Sink, and the Philly Style Eggs Benedict were all hard to choose from.  Most of all my mouth was watering over the French Toast; Peanut Butter Crunchy and Creme Brulee were just a few options.  The menu had a healthy offering of vegetarian dishes as well and best of all, when I ordered a pitcher of freshly made OJ ($30), it came along  with a sparkling treat!!

Another new addition to the neighborhood is Green Olives Mediterranean & Vegetarian Food, also on 2nd street.  As soon as I entered the store a wave of delicious smells and spices consumed me.  They offer a wide range of take-out items for lunch, a catering menu, and treats to stock the kitchen with like freshly baked pita, cheeses, home-made baba ganoush, olive oils and more.  After just eating a brunch to hold me over for the rest of the year, I did not leave with any purchases, but I most definitely left with the scent of an Arab souq trailing me for several blocks.

 And lastly, to wrap it up, I checked out Tendenza, Cescaphe's new reception hall on 2nd street.  And, Wow!  The amount of green spent on this place definitely shows.  It is bling, blingin'!  Too many chandeliers to count, superb finishes on the columns, a nicely sized bar with back-lighting, and zebra print carpet?!  And, since they've begun taking bookings, their schedule and availability is completely wiped-out.  Note to self....must get on guest-list.

Beaujolais Nouveau!

This Thursday, 11/18, the shops/bars/restaurants of 13th street in Midtown Village will be celebrating Beaujolais Nouveau, which is a red wine produced in the Beaujolais region of France.  Starting at 5pm and continuing throughout the night, fav spots like Barbuzzo, El Vez, Lolita, Zavino will be offering Beaujolais Nouveau inspired snacks/tasting-menus/wine-cheese pairings/specialty cocktails.  Yum & Yum!  And in addition to this fabulous-ness, retailers will be offering discounts and complimentary wine tastings as well.  Cannot wait!  Friday morning is going to be rough!

LTISH! (Lunch-Time Is So Hard!)

For some reason the question, "What am I going to have for lunch today?" becomes more and more difficult for me to answer.  It's sad/ridiculous/frustrating that I waste half of my morning preparing myself to come up with something that's new/tasty/healthy/not-overly-priced to eat.  How many times can one person eat the Shanghai Chicken Salad at Cosi in a week?  Or order the Maoz Salad Box with Hummus, Falafel, and Eggplant, please!  I need variety!  Thankfully, that is exactly what I stumbled upon at Grocery, the market shop owned by Marcie Blaine, (owner of Bindi, Lolita, Barbuzzo) which serves fresh new varieties of tasty food and treats daily.  And, I was in heaven when I realized their soup selection, which changes constantly (yum!), is upated on Twitter daily.  Lunch-time just got a little easier!  Turkey chili today. Score!

What's Going On?

The Holidays are quickly approaching, which means events at stores, restaurants, bars, salons and spas, etc. will be in overdrive throughout the season.  Below, are some events that I will be checking out within the next few days and weeks.  Free drinks and products!!  Not something to be passed up my friends. 

One of my personal favs of the season is bluemercury's Holiday Shopping Party, which involves champagne and samples (who could ask for more?), as well as discounts on your purchases.  The Rittenhouse event is 12/1 and begins at 4pm, and the event in UC is 12/9 and also begins at 4pm. 

Giovanni and Pileggi will be hosting an up-do event, this Wednesday night from 7pm - 9pm, complete with drinks, food, and samples!!  RSVP @ ellebeauty3@hfmus.com 

Whisper While You Work-It

A few weekends ago, my friends and I made some plans to have a GNO in CC.  We planned for dancing, one too many G&Ts (preferably free), and showing off our cute/short/new/shiny outfits;  checking-out Whisper Club (formerly, Denim) seemed like a great idea.  And, it was (for the most part...more on that later)!

Like most after-hours clubs, the crowd didn't get there until just after midnight.  We, however got there a little early, to scope out the scene and all of the in's and out's of the club.  Whisper is basically made up of one main dance floor, two mezzanine levels towards the back of the club which overlook the dance floor, and several bars on all levels (I believe I counted five, but that could also be the number of drinks I had).  The bartenders and bouncers were all super friendly; making strong drinks and willing to take pics.  The DJ was great, the crowd was enthusiastic and good-looking (we quickly made friends with a well-dressed Jay-Z look-alike), and dancing on random platforms was encouraged by all.  Overall, it was a fantastic time, until....Duhn, Duhn, Duhn....The Coat Check.

Unfortunately, my coat, which my friend paid their employees to look after, was lost/misplaced/stolen, still waiting for the details, by the end of the night.  A shrug of the shoulders, (not even a sorry) and "next in line" was what I received from the young "lady" after informing her of this loss.  Realizing, that she would be of no help whatsoever, I talked to the manager downstairs, and he very politely apologized and gave me his card and told me to call him in the next few days. And that is exactly what I did.  However, I am still waiting for a call back.  I will be very disappointed if this is how Whisper plans to treat their clientele, but I'm hopeful that they will make-up for it soon, and I will be DMAO there soon again!

Girl About Town

Welcome!  fille en ville, my new blog, is dedicated to providing you with my personal reviews and opinions on what's happening/opening/closing/worth checking-out/worth ducking-out in Philadelphia.  Why am I starting this blog you ask?  Well, I am frequently asked (almost on a daily basis), by co-workers/friends/family/friends-of-friends, you name it, where to take their date/client/husband/mother out for dinner/lunch/brunch/a night out on the town, and I thought to myself; 1. I am spending way too much money on this social life of mine, and 2.  I must be pretty good at it.  And, after much push by friends, and after asking many friends "would you read this?"...Voila!  My blog was born.  I hope you enjoy it, I hope you share your comments, and I hope you Follow the Girl.