Forbes.com just published a story about America's heaviest drinking cities, and guess what? Philly didn't crack the top fifteen. Wait, what?

Yep, you read that correctly. Austin is the big winner, with a mix of likely (Milwaukee: a beer town if there ever was one) and unlikely (San Francisco: somehow, we don't think of it as a drinking town) suspects rounding out the top ten. It seems strange though that Philly wouldn't rank up there with the Milwaukees of the world - that is, until you read all the way to the end of the article.

Of course, just because a city ranks high on the list doesn't make it a den of debauchery. A top-drinking town could be populated by health-conscious adults who sip a glass of wine a day in order to keep their hearts healthy.

Oh. All of a sudden, things have become quite clear. That doesn't sound like us at all.

"America's Hard-Drinking Cities" [Forbes]

[Photo: snacketeria/flickr]

Okay, so we don’t have any proof about how the Charleston became a dance, but if we were to hazard a guess, we would say it had something to do with old-school cocktails. We say this because fancy watering holes that serve retro elixirs have been welling up all over town, and after some sampling, we couldn’t help but notice that they pack quite a punch! So what are some of these classy establishments where one can sip on a Sazerac or take cautious swigs of a Tom Collins? Why, glad you asked!

• Although it’s no new kid on the block, Southwark has an impressive list of concoctions, with everything from Pisco Sours to Sidecars. A fantastic bonus is the possibility of ordering food from the first-rate kitchen, so that while you are imbibing your Aviation, you can also nibble at a small plate or devour one of the big plates, like say, the stuffed rabbit saddle, with gigante beans, cabbage, and smoked ham.

• Continental is another promising old-school cocktail locale and serves both drinks of their own making, like the “Buzz Aldrin” (tang, Absolute Peach vodka and triple sec in an orange tang-rimmed glass), and classics like a Negroni. They too serve food, which is fortunate for any imbibers at the bar, because their eclectic Asian fusion menu is sure to satisfy.

• For those who want to feel as though they are in a speakeasy, the Society for the Promotion of Extraordinary Cocktails is just the thing. Not a bar or restaurant, but an occasional party, attendees get to mingle with like-minded cocktail fans. At one of the last SPEC events, the fortunate guests sipped potions like Mint Mayfairs (a muddle of lime, simple syrup, cucumber, mint and Hendrick’s gin), which were an original cocktail at the Bellevue Hotel, way back in the day. The next glamorous fete will take place August 23.

Southwark [MenuPages]
Southwark [Official Site]
Continental [MenuPages]
Continental [Official Site]

[Photo: Kenn Christ/flickr]

Ever since the story broke, we've been fascinated about the firefighters in Delaware County, Pennsylvania who were caught running an illegal bar out of their firehouse.

A bit of background... The firefighters of Colwyn serve a small borough of .3 square miles with a population of just 2,453. Colwyn has been a dry town for decades; located near the larger municipalities of Landsdowne, Sharon Hill and Darby, it's largely reliant on those neighbors for public services.

However, Colwyn does have a very small volunteer fire department consisting of approximately 100 neighbors. Colwyn's population is 2,453. That means that more than 4% of the town volunteered for the FD — an admirable rate of civic participation.

Except that, if the local press is to be believed, the vast majority of Colwyn Borough Fire Company's members just came by to get sloshed and gamble. On a raid on Thursday, May 8, the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control seized 10 bottles of liquor purchased outside state lines, two illegal video poker machines and approximately $2100 in cash. The firehouse (pictured) included a garage-sized barroom with a pool table and shuffleboard.

Meanwhile, the actual fire department living facilities themselves were smaller than the bar and were limited to a small room with two futon couches and a television — most non-garage space was allegedly devoted to the bar.

Although knowledge of the "secret" bar first went public in 2004 thanks to a report on WCAU-TV, legal action was not taken until the raid in May. The raid allegedly took place after state authorities were tipped off by the firefighters themselves, upset that the FD's non-firefighting members controlled the kitty. Shortly before the raid, they all resigned en masse:

The now former firefighters said the hundred or so social club members also control the $40,000 in fire taxes raised by the borough.

"They go out and buy a 50-inch plasma TV, but we can't get air packs," Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Patterson said.

Among the drinkers when the State Police raided the secret firehouse bar... Well, both the mayor of Colwyn, John Fitzgerald and several borough councilmen were among 'em. According to state police, the public officials insisted they weren't buying drinks — just "making donations."

All this came to a head on Tuesday, when the Colwyn borough council voted to sever the municipality's relationship with Colwyn Fire Company Number 1.

As of the time we write this, Colwyn lacks any fire department whatsoever. Colwyn residents will have to rely on the firefighters of neighboring Darby and Collingdaale instead.

See what happens when you turn your firehouse into a bar, kids?

(And for the curious, yes, the Colwyn Fire Company website is still up. It requests that all potential members "be in good standing" with "good moral character." Free shots of Jim for everyone!)

Firefighters Resign Over Alleged Illegal Bar In Dry Town [NBC10]
Colwyn Votes To End Relationship With Troubled Fire Company [NBC10]
Colwyn firefighters resign, citing social club raided by police [Inky]
NBC10 Eliminates Town's Fire Company [PW]

Although we still miss the old days when The Khyber served burritos, the new menu kind of rules. Hamburgers, hot dogs... that whole thing. But we haven't gone there early in the day often enough to sample the whole menu.

That's why we're happy that Philadining tipped us off to the Khyber's pretzel dog: A hot dog wrapped in freshly-made pretzel dough at a price that makes the mall chains look like a bunch of punks.

Meanwhile, another Philly indie rock institution does good things with fried food... even if we don't have their menu. You see, Johnny Brenda's features a constantly changing chalkboard menu. But one of the constants on the menu are the awesome french fries, which Foodzings recently paid tribute to. Crisp, salty, perfectly fried... these are some good french fries.

Also, as far as live music... The Kills are playing Johnny Brenda's on Saturday night and Starkweather will be at the Khyber on the 11th. Do the right thing and go.

Bread Based Snacks [Philadining]
The Khyber [MenuPages]

More Food at Johnny Brenda's [Foodzings]
Johnny Brenda's [Official Site]

[Image via Philadining]

Let's talk about Stephen Starr's new Atlantic City hotel. The Chelsea is scheduled to open this summer with two Stephen Starr restaurants, a 7500 square-foot spa and a 15,000 square-foot pool. Locationwise, it's across the street from both the Tropicana and Caesars. But what really interests us is the Paul Sevigny connection.

In New York, Paul (aka Chloe Sevigny's brother) runs popular celeb hangout the Beatrice Inn. But this morning, we woke up to find — in our inbox — news that Sevigny and partner Matt Ambramcyk have teamed up with Starr to oversee the hotel's nightlife. Here's the good word according to developer Curtis Bashaw:

“It will be SoHo House-y [...] All on the fifth floor, you’ll have a library, a game room, an oval-shaped bar and a Stephen Starr restaurant, which connect like a big house and spill out onto an enormous pool deck.”

In other words, they're going straight for the heart of the SoHo House/Beatrice Inn demographic. It's an ungainly mix of minor European nobility, new media titans, indie rock royalty and assorted Olsen twins hangers-on. New York nightlife blog Down by the Hipster seems kind of doubtful about it, but our local friends at The Illadelph are a bit more positive.

The question remains: Can Atlantic City attract the kind of crowd that would rather spend their time cajoling free drinks/scenestering around Nolita or Echo Park lounges than gamble at the Taj Mahal? We'll see.

The Chelsea [Official Site]
SoHo Meets HoJo in Atlantic City [NY Times]

Aw. The Inquirer has just discovered that Philadelphia still has rich people. Not only that, but people with money (crap!) even like to go out and have fun too. Nightlife scribe A.D. Amorosi notes the recent opening of Center City spaces like Pearl (whose menu is coming to MP soon), Vango and G Lounge:

"This is a high-end product where, when you pay for a drink, you'll see and feel what you're paying for," said Pearl owner Brett Perloff, a lawyer and a promoter.

"I don't know that it's the best time to open, what with America heading for recession," he added. "But this is the product which I'm an expert at. This is what I do and wanted to open. Surely those other venues feel likewise."

Diaa Sawan does. He was looking for his Vango to offer a posh brand of nightlife with top-notch bottle service and Japanese delicacies, topped by an immense roof deck. "I wanted to offer an experience with the best things life had to offer," Sawan said, "to the best patrons."

With $14 cocktails, bottles going for $150 to $350, and a price tag estimated at $2.5 million, G Lounge bucks the recessionary trend.

Conspicuous consumption, we love you.

Where recession recedes [Inky]

Everyone knows that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is an inept bureaucracy easily swayed by lobbyists. Everyone knows that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has held our city's dining scene back for decades thanks to a Byzantine list of restrictions. Everyone knows they stink.

Now Pennsylvania's craft brewers and microbrewers are in arms over a new beer reform act that will allow beer distributors to sell six-packs, 12-packs and 18-packs. They think that because only major breweries (aka Anheuser-Busch, Miller, et al) offer 12 & 18-packs, it gives them an unfair edge.

Our official MP opinion? Fuggedabout the craft brewers' complaints. We want to focus on the important thing: We'll be able to buy six-packs at beer distributors. Now all we need to do is to be able to pick up beer in grocery stores and supermarkets, and we'll be fine.

A six-pack of controversy to go [Inky]

The next best thing to a drive-through liquor store (pictured) is a mobile liquor store. According to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokesman Nick Hays, the state agency is strongly considering setting up mobile liquor stores in rural areas of the state.

Does this mean that residents of deep Chester, Montgomery and Bucks county are getting their grubby hands on trailers filled with vodka, whiskey and wine? We sure hope so.

Liquor control agency may offer booze on the road [The Patriot-News]

[Image via Bwog]

The hopes and dreams of millions of Cubans were dashed when Raul Castro was named as Fidel's successor. But that doesn't mean Cuban restaurants should avoid publicity stunts. Hell, if they didn't... it'd be downright unamerican.

Until Thursday, February 28, eaters at Cuba Libre (in both its Philly & Atlantic City incarnations) get a complimentary Cuba Libre cocktail with each meal. Also:

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is also inviting guests to sign Cuba Libre’s “Freedom Book” to express their own hope for democracy. Cuba Libre’s “Freedom Book” is a living document that has been circulating since early 2007. The book is available for viewing and signing from February 24-28 at the restaurant’s Philadelphia location and can be signed online at http://cubalibrerestaurant.com/freecuba/. Cuba Libre hopes to one day send this list of thousands of names to a free Cuban government. Also available for viewing at the restaurant is a copy of Fidel Castro’s high school yearbook, which features his class photo.

Cuba Libre [MenuPages]
Cuba Libre [Official Site]

Joe Sixpack's money quote from today's Daily News about Italian beer:

Italian beer - isn't that one of those classic oxymorons, like giant shrimp and Microsoft Works? Moretti, Peroni . . . and then what? Would you believe beer made with chestnuts? How about pineapple, tea leaves, licorice, carob or grapes?

Recommended beer types include the Val D'Aosta Seson and Birrifico Del Ducato's Nuova Mattina.

Do you know where we can get these beers in Philly or South Jersey? Let us know.

Italy - the next great brewmaster? [Daily News]

We've got good news for two of our favorite target demographics: Alcoholics and music fans.

Noche and Drinker's Pub owner Avram Hornik is planning a 20,000 square foot music venue designed to rival both the Trocadero and the TLA(*).

After a deal in Fishtown fell through to open in a space on the ever-gentrifying corner of Front St. & Girard Ave., Hornik is back talking to real estate agents and looking at potential spaces. His business partner in the project is Mark Fichera.

*: As a matter of pride, we're not calling it "The Fillmore." Sorry, Live Nation.

Avram Hunting for New Music Venue [Impresario/PhillyMag]

Back in our college days, one of our simple joys in life was grabbing a burrito at the Khyber during happy hour. Then we graduated, made more money, the Khyber stopped serving food and life went on.

Then we got word (via the City Paper) that the Khyber will be serving food again. No burritos, alas... but the menu is chock full of bar classics like hot dogs, hamburgers, wings and Italian sausage sandwiches. Passing away the post-work time on South 2nd Street just got a lot more calorie-filled: The food menu will be available from noon to 7pm.

Food at the Khyber? [The Clog]

Pirates love rum. We love Rum. We also found out from Blogalicious that over at Center City's Rum Bar, owner Adam Kanter is offering weekly rum tastings on Wednesdays at 6pm. So kick off work early, swing by, and try some quality rum.

Calling All Pirates [Blogalicious]
Rum Bar [MenuPages]
Rum Bar [Official Site]

Veteran Philly nightlife scribe A.D. Amorosi is all about the late night happy hour at upscale-ish South Philly restaurant James:

Since the mister-and-missus team of Jim and Kristina Burke - chef and host, respectively - took over the spacious ex-Michael's Ristorante spot, they've made James a crown jewel of the Italian Market - a white-linen, mod Italian room darkly lit and romantic. The food is sharp, from crispy sweetbreads and cabbage leaves stuffed with foie gras and mushrooms to cioppino and pappardelle with duck ragu. The dining room's daring turns sensuous and fun in the restaurant's leather sofa-and-love-seat lounge: a Tuesday late-night happy hour that, during these winter months, plays to folks content to cozy in a corner, hanging and drinking. [...] "These guys are South Philly slacker hipsters," said Evan Gusz to his girlfriend Jackie Samschick, referring to the area's dressy nerds. "They're the in-cubicle guys who work in the neighborhood, I bet."

It's not really our scene of choice, but we can still dig it.

James [MenuPages]
James [Official Site]

[Image via Inquirer]

"Extreme beers" — that's the term the New York Times' Eric Asimov (son of Isaac) uses for beers with extremely high hop and malt contents (and huge alcohol content). There's the Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA (9% alcohol), the Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA (11% alcohol) and Easton, PA's own Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA (9% alcohol).

Check out the NYT's interactive sideshow for more.

Here's how the Pennsylvania beer did:

Our No. 2 beer, the Weyerbacher Double Simcoe I.P.A., seemed to embody the term “killer,” the extreme beer fan’s favorite compliment. Killer hops, killer fruit, overwhelming yet bearable, even enjoyable, because it is so well balanced.

A Taste for Brews That Go to Extremes [NY Times]

Singapore's Clinic is a medical-themed restaurant and bar (pictured). It's designed in a complete medical theme, with an interior that features wheelchairs, hospital beds, operating lights and test tubes. The restaurant was created as a tribute to Damien Hirst and the menu offers cocktails like "Nitro-Sangria" and "Sex on a Drip." It's like someone crossed University City's Pod with the Penn Hospital. So wrong yet so right.

Clinic [Official Site]

Victory is introducing a new beer for 2008 that looks damn good. Joe Sixpack reports that the brewery's newest launch is the new "Victory Baltic Thunder," a Lithuanian-style porter:

The story goes that the British introduced Russia's Catherine the Great to their strong (or stout) porter. They fortified their dark ale with even more alcohol to survive shipment to freezing St. Petersburg, and imperial stout was born.

Not all the beer made it to Russia.

Port cities in Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Poland and elsewhere took a swallow and then added their own twist. Showing their German roots, Baltic brewers reproduced the inky porter with lager yeast that ferments at cooler temperatures.

The ale is a recreation of the former Heavyweight Perkuno's Hammer. We're looking forward to trying it — sounds to us like Baltic Thunder is going to taste pretty close to beloved Russian beer Baltika.

Victory Baltic Thunder arrives [Daily News]

• Whiskey. We like whiskey. The Inky likes whiskey too.

• The Field House: Yessir, it's a sports bar.

• The wonderful world of diabetic cookbooks.

• You wouldn't expect good Jewish deli food at a cafe inside Fairmount Park, but there ya go.

We just got a tipoff from Daily Candy that James in Bella Vista is kicking off a new, blessedly late Tuesday happy hour. It's called "Hours of Happiness."

From 9pm until 12am, James will be offering free homemade popcorn, roasted chestnuts (!), warm spiked cider and numerous drink specials. Sounds good for us.

James [MenuPages]
James [Official Site]

The most mildly offensive cocktail in Philly? According to one blogger, it might be Shouk's guido cocktail:

Flavored with pomegranate, cardamom, and mint, Shouk’s cocktails are bold and, in the case of the Guido (Sambuca and Kahlua), mildly offensive.

Make Me Wanna Shouk [Blogalicious]
Shouk [MenuPages]
Shouk [Official Site]

Philadelphia mag has put together a list of smoker-friendly bars in Philadelphia

Smoking Bars in Philadelphia [Philadelphia]

Thanks to the Wall Street Journal's expose of beer pong entrepreneurs (!), we learned that Philly plays a crucial role in America's beer pong scene. Nah, it's not the antics of all those Penn/Drexel/Temple kids... instead, a local firm named Bing Bong creates beer pong tables for nationwide distribution. Who woulda thunk it?

Thwock, Gulp, Kaching! Beer Pong Inspires Inventors [WSJ]
Bing Bong Tables [Official Site]

Because we love you (and because we love open bars), the word on the street is Byblos is offering complimentarty mojitos on Wednesday, August 8 between 9pm and 10pm. Mmm... Free alcohol.

Byblos [MenuPages]
Byblos [Official Site]

The Inquirer has an update on the breakup of Yards Brewery. Company founder Tom Kehoe Jr. will keep the name, trademark and recipes, but former business partners Bill & Nancy Barton will keep Yards' Kensington brewery and all tanks. they will restart as the Philadelphia Brewing Co. Meanwhile, all this is slowly going through the courts and is (mostly) resolved:

"In June, McBride filed two suits against Yards and Kehoe in Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas. In one, he sought repayment of $30,000 in personal loans. In the other, he asked to be compensated for the use of brewing tanks. The two sides said they figured out how to divide the business after an 11-hour marathon bargaining session Thursday."

Taps for brewery breakup [Inquirer]

[Photo via Inquirer]

If you stopped by Finnigan's Wake yesterday, you might have had the chance to see Cardinal Justin Rigali. The Cardinal appeared thanks to "Theology on Tap" — a program that brings Catholic speakers to bars and pubs nationwide:

"His topic was neither sin nor salvation, but rather his three decades as a priest and bishop in Rome, working for the three popes he came to know well as their English-language translator. [...] Jim Masiak, Finnigan's Wake manager, used the opportunity to present His Eminence with a green T-shirt bearing the bar's logo, but instead of reading "staff," it read "rod and staff."

Rigali speaks at a city pub [Inquirer]
Finnigan's Wake [MenuPages]
Finnigan's Wake [Official Site]

[Photo via Inquirer]

Because we know our readership has lots of boozehounds and (damn right) cares about their beer, we wanted to offer an update to yesterday's post about the team behind Yards Brewery going their seperate ways. We recently got a press release from Tom Kehoe, the founder of Yards that gives a lot more additional information. Besides, the release boils down to the fact that everything's gonna be alright for Philly microbreweries.

The goods after the jump.

Continue reading "More Info On Yards Brewery Split" »

The team behind Yards Brewing are breaking up. The brewery's assets will be split; founder Tom Kehoe is keeping the Yards trademark and co-owners Bill and Nancy Barton will keep Yards' Kensington brewing facility (which will produce beers under a new name). Under the terms of a proposed agreement,Yards will be brewed in Kensington until the end of 2007 and will move to a new facility after. Their brewery produces around 10,000 barrels annually and is a popular offering around town.

Yards Brewing [Official Site]
Breaking up is Yards to do [Daily News]

One of America's oldest breweries is for sale on Craigslist. Well... it might be. Joe Sixpack has some background info over at the Daily News on the "was it a brewery or wasn't it" question about the house in Burlington County, NJ:

The evidence is sketchy.

There is nothing in the house that shows any sign of beer-making. It's possible the brewery was razed completely and this old house was built in its place.

But Kimmel points to the location of the original main entrance, on the side of the house, as proof of its age. If it was a re-built house, he said, you'd expect the door to face toward the street and the scenic river. Instead it faces toward the location of what historians believe was the old malt house.

Could this really be America's oldest standing brewery?

"If it's true, it's certainly very exciting," said Dale Van Wieren, an area beer historian and author of "American Breweries II," a chronology of American breweries. Currently, he said, the title of oldest standing brewery goes to the Patrick Creagh house in Annapolis, Md., circa 1749.

Gregg Smith, an author who has written about American beer history, said it's possible Kimmel is on solid ground. "But then again," he said in an e-mail, "most substantial farms and settlements had one and could in one way or another make the same sort of claim."

Either way, the Craigslist post makes a great read. Recommended.

Did this old house make brewing history? [Daily News]
The Oldest Brewery Building in the United States, 1690s [Craigslist]

[Photo via Curt Hudson / Daily News]

Local smokers are going to have things a bit easier. According to Inquirer reports, Harrisburg has put major curbs in Philly's smoking ban. So what does this mean for your average Philly smoker? Basically, you're now free to light up in cigar bars, private clubs, bars where food makes up one-fifth or less of gross sales (!), charitable fund-raises where cigars are sold and one-quarter of the gambling floor at slots parlors. All in all, good news for dive bar-loving Philly smokers.

Senate acts to curb Phila. smoking ban [Inquirer]

June 16 is Bloomsday, aka grad student Mardi Gras. The day, dedicated to James Joyce's June 16, 1904 set novel Ulysses, is getting the full on Philadelphia treatment. A "Bloomsday 101" is scheduled for 6pm at Fergie's and drink specials will be available at the Irish Pub, Nodding Head, McGlinchey's and McGillins Old Ale House (a free beer for anyone with a James Joyce book). The "official" Bloomsday celebration will convene at the Rosenbach Museum.

Bloomsday [Wikipedia]
How To Celebrate Bloomsday in Philadelphia [Uwishunu]
Fergie's [MenuPages]
Fergie's [Official Site]
Irish Pub [MenuPages]
Irish Pub [Official Site]
Nodding Head [MenuPages]
Nodding Head [Official Site]
McGillins Old Ale House [MenuPages]
McGillins Old Ale House [Official Site]
Rosenbach Museum [Official Site]

A rundown of live music venues with good food is on tap over at Chowhound. Fishtown's Johnny Brenda's gets a shout out for their food, as does Tritone, Warmdaddy's and Ortlieb's Jazzhaus.

Which Music Venues in Philly Have Better Cuisine [Chowhound]
Johnny Brenda's [Official Site]
Tritone [MenuPages]
Tritone [Official Site]
Warmdaddy's [MenuPages]
Warmdaddy's [Official Site]
Ortlieb's Jazzhaus [MenuPages]
Ortlieb's Jazzhaus [Official Site]

• The owner of new Puerto Rican/Mexican restaurant Cobre is a busy, busy woman.

• Hershel's East Side Deli in the Reading Terminal Market? It's "not the Lower East Side."

• Want to stuff yourself at an all-you-can-eat buffet? City Paper has a battle plan.

• A new Cuban restaurant is opening in the former Abilene space.

• Old City is going Deutschland with spargelzeit at City Tavern.

• For West Philly punk rock nostalgia, how about the New Angle Lounge?

• CityPaper's definition of waterfront restaurants includes a restaurant with an aquarium. Interesting.

• Where to find made-to-order Caesar salads in Philadelphia.

This Sunday's Inquirer kicked off a new bar review column in the Image section (Tangent: Am I the only one who really misses the old Inky Sunday magazine?). The initial installment is a look at G-Ho live music and pierogie standby Tritone, written by scenester around town A.D. Amorosi, who knows his bars. Tritone owner and bartender Rick D. passed away last month. A long time institution in Philadelphia's music community, Rick's bar still has those $3 PBR-and-Jim Beam combos, deep fried Snickers bars and a intimate live music room that's hosted a who's who of the local indie rock, jazz and blues communities.

Scene: Tritone [Inquirer]
Tritone [MenuPages]
Tritone [Official Site]

[Photo via Peter Tobia / Inquirer]

It turns out there was a beer-lovers convention at Monk's Cafe that flew under the radar. The restaurant held a dinner for beer expert and cookbook author Lucy Saunders that centered around high-end canned beers. It turns out that these days advances in polymer film have made it possible to remove the metallic-taste problem from beer cans. Microbreweries have rapidly been turning towards offering canned beer:

Expectations were raised. Style was elevated. Thus, when you belly up to the venerable bar and order a featured Pikeland Pils, the exquisite, German-style pilsner from Sly Fox, the Phoenixville brewer, there is one thing you are not in any way conditioned for: The stuff, my friend, comes in a can. You heard that right: Craft beer(s) in a can.

Can Do - Craft Beers Kicking Glass, Going Metal [Inquirer]
Monk's Cafe [MenuPages]
Monk's Cafe [Official Site]

[Photo via Akira Suwa / Inquirer]

OK. The Kentucky Derby is this Saturday. We've got a few options for watching the race.

First, the Public House near Logan Square/Franklin Institute is throwing a Kentucky Derby party at 2pm with horse race pie, hot brown sandwiches and mint juleps. Ladies with the most outrageous derby hats win a prize.

Then there's the Turf Clubs— Both the Center City Turf Club and Upper Darby Turf Club are showing the race. Bonus: In all their OTB goodness, betting on the race is allowed.

Also, we expect a number of sports and sports-oriented bars will be showing the Derby. Recommended picks: O'Neal's, Chickie's & Pete's Cafe, Buffalo Billiards and Moriarty's. But the usual caveats apply, especially since this Saturday is both Cinco de Mayo and the De La Hoya-Merriweather fight. In other words: Call first.

Public House [MenuPages]
Public House [Official Site]
Center City Turf Club [MenuPages]
Upper Darby Turf Club [MenuPages]
O'Neal's [MenuPages]
O'Neal's [Official Site]
Chickie's & Pete's Cafe [MenuPages]
Chickie's & Pete's Cafe [Official Site]
Moriarty's [MenuPages]
Buffalo Billiards [MenuPages]

Pennsylvania has bizarre liquor laws. We accept it, we understand it (somewhat). However, they are perplexing to outsiders. Why are all the liquor stores state run? Why are there so many BYOBs? Why can't you buy beer in grocery stores?

Some of the best answers we've come across can be found at Chowhound, where they are currently discussing Pennsylvania liquor laws. A large part of it has to do with Pennsylvania's liquor license system: the state has a limited number of liquor licenses based on population. Philadelphia has more restaurants than the licenses it's allocated. New restaurants are forced to buy their liquor licenses on the open market from restaurants that are closing—and the price averages $250,000, according to Chowhound user JugglerDave (there are even brokers, such as the Pennsylvania Liquor License Exchange). As a result, many Philly restaurants opt for BYOB.

Meanwhile, restaurants are allowed to give customers complementary glasses of wine or champagne with dinner, as long as they don't charge for it—as can be seen at many South Philadelphia establishments.

As for the whole only-buying-beer-at-bars-and-distributors-thing... We're not going to go into too much detail. Far too complicated and legalistic, thanks to PA's Quaker heritage. But the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently discovered a convenience store in Altoona that is allowed to sell beer through a loophole in the liquor laws. Apparently restaurants (and bars) are allowed to sell beer but delis and convenience stores are not. This one particular store built a seperate seating area, meeting the requirement that any establishment selling beer be able to seat at least 30. And now you know.

Can someone please explain the liquor license thing in Philly? [Chowhound]
Pennsylvania Liquor License Exchange [Official Site]
A convenience store to sell beer in Pa. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

We just found a great piece on this week's daily news from Joe Sixpack about Philly during Prohibition. It turns out that, much as one might suspect, Philly didn't go in for Prohibition that much. An estimated 8,000 speakeasies throughout Philadelphia opened up and the city government turned a blind eye to much of it. The Weisbroad & Hess brewery (now the site of Yards) was caught multiple times brewing beer and a secret North Philadelphia brewery passed convoys of beer trucks past the police unnoticed. The Feil Brewery on 6th & Susquehanna used off-duty cops to deliver its beer. The Rising Sun Brewery used secret walls and hidden entrances to get beer trucks onto the street.

But, best of all, New Jersey's Camden County Beverage Company stretched a rubber hose through the Camden sewers to pump beer from their brewery to a hidden beer drop four blocks away. The genesis for the idea came from a company executive who was a former administrator of Philadelphia's prohbition office.

Raise a glass to mark Prohibition's end [Daily News]

Newly reopened South Philly creole/soul spot Warmdaddy's is offering several discounts of note. Most intriguingly, the restaurant is trying to spur mid-week traffic by offering 50% off all food items on Wednesdays between 5:30pm and 7:30pm. There are also two all-you-can-eat nights: Tuesday for baby back ribs ($10.95) and Thursdays for fried shrimp ($15.95). For blues fans, there's a packed music schedule including Australian blues singer Fiona Boyes tonight.

Warmdaddy's [MenuPages]
Warmdaddy's [Official Site]

· Elisa Ludwig goes to Xochitl. Highlight: "If you've never had the pleasure of eating corn smut, consider this your chance."

· There are a million reasons why CP thinks you should buy game from a proper vendor. Top among them: bloody meat.

· Drew Lazor welcomes Smith's and Uzu to town. Mmm... Raising Arizona rolls.

· I have no idea where Macungie, Pennsylvania is. But apparently they're the home of the Barista Bowl, sponsored by Murky Coffee.

· Hey, tea is good for your health.

· CP's bar of the week, West Philly's Dee's Hideaway, has a strict policy of only serving drinks to the 30+ crowd.

We just found a loving ode at Phillyist to what they consider to be the best ladies' bathroom in Philadelphia. It's at L2 over in Graduate Hospital/G-Ho/whatever you want to call it. Although it is not quite as opulent as the luxurious bathroom pictured, Phillyist's Katie Kuhl still manages to wax rhapsodic about it:

This bathroom, like the entire place, is beautiful. The walls are painted with gorgeous gold tones, and match nicely with the floral tapestries covering chairs to sit on as you wait for your friends (because, no, 99% of the time, girls do not go to the bathroom by themselves). They've got a big mirror over the sinks, so you can actually see what you look like, and should you be unhappy (at least about the state of your hair), they've kindly left out hairspray to fix any evil frizzies that may have popped up to say hello.

Royal Flush: L2 Restaurant and Bar [Phillyist]
L2 [MenuPages]
L2 [Official Site]