A Visit to Philadelphia

Over the weekend we took a desperately needed overnight trip to Philadelphia and it turned out to be just what the doctor ordered! It sounded like a lot of fun when we originally signed on for it, but as we got busier and busier and the nightmare of our powder room redo got worse and worse we began to have second thoughts. However, we'd arranged to shoot our next episode there, so we pulled ourselves together and made the trip and were really glad we did!

We began at Reading Terminal Market, which is chock full of fabulous little eateries and merchants. It can be overwhelming, due to the crowds, but we gamely got in line at DiNic's, which we'd seen on TV was named as having the best sandwich in America - their roast pork.  We got one with hot peppers and broccoli rabe and it was really great.  We followed that up with a Whoopie Pie from the Flying Monkey Bakery, which was also fabulous.  We were even ushered into seats by our friend Jeff, who'd organized the trip, which was nice after a long car ride.  We shot some video and headed off the The Yachtsman, the tiki "dive bar" which was the centerpiece of the day.

The Yachtsman is celebrating their first anniversary and we were fortunate to be able to shoot there. They've done a lot with their little space, including a fabulous hidden space called the Pineapple Room, whose lighting scheme I plan to steal. The drinks I tried were amazing and I'm happy that we'll be sharing one tomorrow on our new episode! A huge thank you to our friend Jeff Westlake for organizing the event! If you're in the DC area, be sure to check out his Tiki Thirstday nights for great drinks, food and company!

After that we walked over to Joe's Steaks & Soda Shop for cheesesteaks and pizza fries, which were perfect after a few tropical libations.  It was a very meaty day, but so good!

We spent the night with our friends Beth (a.k.a. Mod Betty, from the fabulous Retro Roadmap blog) and Cliff in their adorable home about a half hour outside the city.  We also got to see their fantastic, newly restored vintage travel trailer, which made me very envious!  They were wonderful hosts and can't thank them enough for their hospitality.  We capped off the visit with breakfast Sunday at The Fisherman, a local eatery/time capsule that we've now been to twice and highly enjoyed both times. Order the scrapple!

Here are a few shots from the weekend. Can't wait to return!

The Yachtsman, Philadelphia

Two yachtsmen at The Yachtsman. I'm not sure I trust them at the helm!

The Fisherman, Phoenixville, PA

The Fisherman is ready for Christmas!