Philly Grub

Philly Grub, a stalwart in Philadelphia food news reporting, is on the cusp of its 16th Anniversary. This milestone marks a significant achievement and raises questions about the future. As founder and editor-in-chief of this longstanding blog, I am still deciding on a path, but it will involve exploring new content and formats. I might revisit my blogging roots, share more personal stories, and even experiment with a weekly or monthly column-like post to bring you the latest news and intriguing tidbits in one giant article. 

Your constructive feedback is invaluable as I figure out the next steps for this site. My mission, to keep you informed and celebrate Philadelphia’s vibrant food scene, remains steadfast. So, please let me know what is helpful to you, and I’ll try my best to keep you engaged. I do this in my spare time, because I like to know what’s going on in the Philly food scene, but I also want this site to provide value to you!

Anyway, where to begin? There was a lot of activity in Q1, and as we enter Q2 2024, a lot is still happening. Philly continues to boast a growing and evolving food scene that garners worldwide attention. 

One big event that will put Philly on the global stage is the Chef’s Conference, which will run from April 12-15. The website says the event’s mission is to “bring together emerging and established names in hospitality from around the world for meaningful dialogue on the most important topics guiding the future of the restaurant industry and unparalleled dining experiences.” 

Many big names are attached—celebrity chefs, acclaimed restauranteurs, journalists, luminaries, and other industry experts—it’s a Who’s Who. Some events have sold out already, but it will be fun to follow them on Instagram to see what they all get up to and to get the highlights. 

In other news:

• Serum Kitchen & Taphouse opened in West Chester.
• Teuscher Chocolate opened in Wayne.
• The Angelo Pizza (based in Old City) now serves its pizza inside the Pineville Tavern in Bucks County.
• Kampar Malaysian Restaurant opened in Bella Vista.
• Waters Edge Winery is open in Doylestown.
• Al Pastor Mexican Cantina opened in Havertown.
• Sabrina’s at PHL is now open.
• Satay Bistro Indonesian Restaurant is open in Spring Garden.
• Rosemary in Ridley Park welcomed new chef George Sabatino.
• Stockyard Philly in Fairmount passed the torch from William Lindsay to Chris Reed.
• Star Chefs announced its Rising Star Chefs of Philadelphia.
• Walnut Garden, a seasonal beer garden in Rittenhouse Square, is open for the season.
• Gouldsburgers Express is opening in Logan Square.
• Black Hen is opening in Old City.
• The 2024 Philadelphia Culinary Expo will be at The Linc on Tuesday, April 16.
• Amada in Radnor celebrated its first year.
• Happy 3rd to Perrystead Dairy.
• CraveWell Cafe (Collegeville and Malvern) celebrated its 5th Anniversary.
• M2o Burgers & Salads celebrates six years.
• Tavern on Camac reached 20 years in the Gayborhood!
• Happy 40th Anniversary to Les Dames d’Escoffier (proud Dame here!)
• Margaret Kuo in Wayne closed; Win Signature Restaurants will open a new concept in its place.
• Paffuto in Bella Vista introduced a Philly-style panzerotti.
• A new pizzeria by the Cicalas will open at the Divine Lorraine.
• Salt & Vinegar moves from Christian Street to 9th Street.
• Bucks County Wine Trail launched the Tasting Ticket, where participants can sip in a self-guided tour.
• Get an ice cream taco at Vanderwende in Old City.
• Did you know Harleysville has an American Wagyu farm?
• Fishtown also has a $24 burger at the new Mamajuana.
• Did you know Fishtown’s Kalaya has a $95 Tom Yum soup??

If you have any news tips or tidbits, send them to me. I’d like to include them in a future column. If you have any requests for column features, also let me know. I’m open to ideas. Either way, let me know if this is quality content or useful at all. Yes, I realize this needs formatting help, I’ll try to do better on the next one.

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