We rocked Philadelphia! And we have medals to show for it!! 13.1 glorious miles.

The sesame pretzel from [brand new] Sigmund Pretzels
comes with a free dip of your choice. Mine was wholegrain mustard.

Braving the windy, chafing, chapping cold of the East Village yesterday, we set out on our pretzel pilgrimage to Sigmund Pretzels. Why? Because this review in Serious Eats New York told us that Sigmund had soft pretzels to rival Philadelphia's. Well, the pretzels were quite tasty. But the pretzel attitude was all wrong.

In my humble opinion, a soft pretzel is a food of the Everyman. Sigmund's pretzels, however, are a little too precious. And they don't make enough of them. I was planning to buy 6 (and give a bunch to my Mom & Dad), but they only had one sesame pretzel left. And it was only 2pm. Weren't they going to make any more? I mean, they're open until 10pm. The counter person wasn't so forthcoming with any information. And the two owners were milling about having coffee. It wasn't a great vibe at Sigmund, to be sure; but upon returning home, heating up the pretzels, and making our own tasty sandwiches, I wouldn't necessarily never return. Well, that's the best I can do for a positive review here. Try it if you are nearby. On a warmer day.

Sigmund Pretzel Shop
29 Avenue B (2nd & 3rd Streets)
East Village/Alphabet City
646.410.0333
Tues-Sun 10am-10pm
Closed Mondays

I amazed myself and deftly sliced the pretzels in half. No rips!
And then spread the mustard on every square inch, both sides.
Super delicious.

Voila! A pretzel sandwich many vegetarians would enjoy.
Sesame pretzel, mustard, soy salami.


I definitely want another right away. But to be honest, I would
probably take the Amtrak to Philly and get the yummy Philly Pretzel Factory
soft pretzels instead. We still have 2 in the freezer! More pretzel sandwich pics to follow.

[page print from zoozoom.com]

Published: Zoozoom.com, The Zoo Daily
Read it on Zoozoom: click here
Writing: Elaine Perlov
Photo: courtesy of Valerie Ferus



I first saw Valerie Ferus' unique cameo jewelry at Sodafine in Williamsburg. When Erin explained all about Valerie's work, I became most interested to write the piece.



If you cannot view on Zoozoom: click on the image above
To read more of my articles for Zoozoom: click here

'Henny Penny' from the Blush collection

'Bliss'

'Mod Vases'

'Polly'

I found Fabulous Stationary this morning by clicking through an ad on Decor8. Aren't these cards fabulous? I was most attracted to the Blush collection for the 50s quality of the line and color, and selected these four examples above. I love the wry expressions on the birds' faces. All cards are customizable with your desired message, monogram or name. Each set contains 25 notecards and 25 envelopes. Customization options are numerous, so be sure to scroll down on the order form and thoroughly explore your options. Production time is quoted as 5-7 days. That seems super-speedy and great! Even if you are short on time for planning a fun party, you can still get customized invitations.

You may also love the fabulous Metropolitan collection, if you love bold flat pattern. I do. Ok, I'll let you start browsing. And coincidentally, Fabulous Stationary is based in Philadelphia!

Czech Street Festival, NYC
Yes I am aware that this is a lousy picture.
No I don't know those people.

The Fall Festival in Philadelphia. One of the restaurant tents.

The crowd on S 13th at the Philadelphia street fair

My husband and I are suckers for a good street fair. We'll go to any one and browse (and find the popcorn sample guy). We found two street fairs in Philadelphia. One seemed to only serve cheese steaks. We left. Another, on S 13th and Sansom that I mentioned, was in the shape of a giant plus sign, which was not optimum for crowd flow, and was really just a giant outdoor patio where restaurants put up tents in front of their establishments and served drinks mainly. Here is a blurb about the Philly Fall Festival, with a great graphic.

I think I like the New York Street fairs better. We wandered up to the Czech Street fair on 83rd between Madison and Park on Saturday, which was filled with not unsimilar food to our Polish neighborhood restaurants, and then gradually wandered our way down Lex to pick up still more Click Clack containers at The Container Store on 58th. What we found in between those two points was pretty fabulous, but I will describe more about that later. Here, a gratuitously visual post: my tales of three street fairs in two cities.

The phamous Philly cheese steak.
Yes I was a tourist and took a picture.
So what, I was a tourist.

A flattened Sumo wrestler costume at the Fall Festival, Philadelphia
Inexplicable, yet amusing.

The activated Sumo wrestler costume.
As I was photographing this event, a man asked me
how much it cost and did he have a partner and what was
this thing anyway. I stared back blankly. I don't know.
Oh I thought you knew him, he said. No I don't.
I would have said, no I am a blogger, but I don't
really engage people on the street anymore since I've lived in New York.
Philly is strange. People make eye contact and talk to you there.
I am not used to that anymore.

Grocery, an upscale corner mini market on 13th and Chestnut in Philadelphia is just one of the retail ventures of dynamic duo Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney. They also own and operate Open House, a dazzling home accessories store just two doors down, as well as Lolita, a Mexican restaurant across the street, and Bindi, an Indian restaurant sandwiched in between Grocery and Open House that is slated to open in November in the old Grocery Cafe space.

Don't their cupcakes look good? The jimmies sparkle in the sunlight. The cupcakes are prominently featured in the store, which also offers Dean and Deluca-style lunch options such as lovely yet pricey sandwiches, panini, salads, and the like, as well as a small selection of cheeses, and packaged goods. We ran into a fun, but mini by New York standards, street fair on Saturday on S 13th and Sansom and had the opportunity to browse Safran's and Turney's retail offerings at length. Grocery is about one third of the size of a New York deli, but hey, it's Philly. Judge it on its own merit. I still say, Philadelphia is a great town for eating.


Grocery
105 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA
215.922.5252

Bindi
105 S 13th St
opening in November

Open House
107 S 13th St
215.922.1415

Lolita
106 S 13th St
215.546.7100

Thomas Paul melamine bird plates come in so many cheery colors,
you really want to gather them all up for your own nest.
Available at Open House, $6-18 each.

Images D'Orient coasters which imitate Persian Rugs and tiles.
Made of die-cut rubber. I love all the different elevations, like a hand-cut carpet.
Available at Open House, $26 for a set of 6.

What do I like about this font at the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building on Market and 12th Streets, now the Loews Philadelphia Hotel since 2000? The rounded smoothness. Just look at the beautiful '8.' And the depth of the letters. They cast quite a shadow.

The PSFS by architects George Howe and William Lescaze was completed in 1932 and is noted for being the first truly modern skyscraper in Philadelphia, complete with an escalator in the lobby. Created in the International Style, this converted 36-floor office building is wonderfully unique hotel experience in the heart of the city. It was a thrill to stay in this historic landmark a few years ago. And the pool! The pool was fabulous. Here is a bit more about the ground-breaking design of the PSFS Building from AbsoluteArts.com:

The second section will demonstrate how every aspect of the building, from its red neon rooftop sign to its Cartier clocks, was designed by the architects as a seamless work of art. Beyond its progressive architecture, the building was heralded for other pioneering elements, some of which would become standard features of post-World War II commercial buildings. Among these innovations are street-level shops, the use of an escalator as a primary means of entrance, radio outlets in every office, nearby garage facilities, high-rise elevators, thermostatically controlled heat and a rooftop observation platform. Perhaps the most noteworthy advance of all was the use of air conditioning, which ranked PSFS the second tallest building in America to be climate controlled. This section of the exhibition will also display photography and Modernist graphic designs created to promote the building at its opening.

Hot apple dumplings from one of the Amish stands.
They look so delicious and only cost $2.25. Imagine how fresh they must taste.
I took a few pictures.

We made a beeline for the Reading Terminal Market as soon as we arrived on Friday in Philadelphia. We walked from our hotel in University City on 36th and Chestnut, all the way down to 12th and Arch. Yes we like to walk our feet off. Especially if the goal is great food. Our favorites of the market always include the spinach pies at Kamal's Middle Eastern Specialties, the soft Amish pretzels at Fisher's Soft Pretzels, the coffee at Old City Coffee, the biscotti at Termini Brothers, and now a new favorite, the hot apple dumplings at Dutch Eating Place. Had I known the Amish stands would be closed on Monday (the day we left), I would have tried an apple dumpling on Friday. And stocked up on the soft pretzels too. Maybe it was best. We did stock up on spinach pies for the ride home. It is our tradition after all.

Unfortunately there would be no musings from the pool for me in Philly. Our hotel only had an outdoor pool, and well, it was drained for the season. By the way, this was the view outside our window. I guess there would have been non-stop screaming kid noises had the pool been open, so I should count my blessings.

I cannot stop thinking about Foster's Homeware which opened on Market and 3rd in Philadelphia this past weekend. This store is jam packed with all my favorite items for the home, all brightly colored, appealing, well-designed, and best of all, affordable. I love the store's aesthetic. There were so many things I wanted to bring home with us, but my suitcase was already to capacity, filled with many outfits, and well, 6 pairs of shoes. Do you tend to bring too many shoes on your vacations, or is it just me?

Anyway, back to Foster's. They have great place mats and table runners. You can find these items right as you walk in the door. I am wishing I purchased a certain brown polka dotted table runner now. But hey, there is always the Website. Or another trip to the store. If you live in Philly, check out this new spot!

Philadelphia is a great restaurant city. There are so many gems all within walking distance. We hadn't been to Philly since we moved from Boston, and let me tell you, the Amtrak trip is so short and sweet from New York Penn Station. Only an hour and a half vs. seven hours from Boston. We have vowed to make reservations at our favorite restaurants, like Alma de Cuba on Walnut and 16th, and go to Philly more often.

Above, a view of the Philadelphia 30th Street Station from the Schuylkill River. Check out the new mirrored building behind the train station. That is a new one since our last visit. I like it. More on Philly eating and shopping to come.

[page print from zoozoom.com]

Published: Zoozoom.com, The Zoo Daily
Read it on Zoozoom: click here
Writing: Elaine Perlov
Photo: courtesy of 4mula



Just in case you forgot to read Zoozoom this week, here was my piece from Monday. Check out this previous post for a little background information on my new gig, if needed. Aren't these modular soaps by 4mula clever? I think they make great gifts.



If you cannot view on Zoozoom: click on the image above
To read more of my articles for Zoozoom: click here

Want to go somewhere for Memorial Day, but you forgot that it is this Monday? Well, there may still be hope for you. Try typing your destination into Hotwire* or Hotels.com for some cheap rates in your favorite city. I found an $88. per night deal for Saturday night in Philly (great coal oven pizza and great dining too). Of course the Amtrak rails have to stay up and running to make that trip possible. Stay away from the beaches. You will just get a sunburn. And a great big dose of overcrowded.



*If you have never used Hotwire, here is how it works. You pick the city, or location within the city, and it shows you prices and stars. You can choose a 3-star for $88 or a 5-star for $250. You won't be told what hotel you have selected until you pay. Kind of a Russian roulette of trip planning. But I have used Hotwire 3 times to good effect. Good luck!