Last month, City Council passed an official resolution endorsing “Meatless Monday,” a national initiative to encourage individuals, families and businesses to curb meat consumption by taking a day off.

The resolution was sponsored by Councilman Bill Green and advocated by the Humane League, a national nonprofit working to reduce meat consumption and prevent animal cruelty. The organization worked closely with sponsoring Council Members to help them understand why less meat consumption is important.

“City Council looked at data regarding excessive meat consumption before considering the resolution,” said Rachel Acheson, Philadelphia director of the Humane League.

Of course, the resolution does not legally prevent anyone from getting their daily dose of protein, but it does show the city’s support for healthier and more environmentally sustainable eating habits.

“The beauty of ‘Meatless Monday’ is that it does not demand an ‘all or nothing’ approach. It offers a challenge that is do-able, one day a week in a catchy, creative way,” said Councilwoman At-Large Blondell Reynolds Brown, who co-sponsored the bill.

But will people actually give it a try? Some already have. Drexel University has been pushing Meatless Monday since last February. Drexel’s Sierra Student Coalition and Animal Welfare Association teamed up to promote Meatless Monday around the campus with the eventual goal of bringing the initiative into the university’s cafeterias.

This could serve as a precedent for the Humane League’s next big push. “Our eventual goal is to approach public schools,” Acheson said, adding that it’s crucial to change the eating habits of youth.

– Alex Vuocolo

(Photo via the Humane League)

Growing up, my late Nana would always make fried chicken. Thighs, breasts, wings…no part of that bird was left out of our frying pan. And her fried chicken was delicious, crispy, and addictive.

Up until last night, I thought I had lost my taste for fried chicken after my Nana passed away in 1999. None of the fried chicken could compare to hers—whether from a fast food dive or “upscale” home-cooking joint, the crispy coated birds were just grease-bomb artery cloggers. Then I tasted Wishbone‘s classic craft fried chicken and it was like I was eight years old, chomping on a thigh during holiday dinner. With each bite I understood why the line at Wishbone, which opened last week in Lee’s Hoagie House’s former home at 4034 Walnut Street, was almost out the door when I stopped by on Tuesday night. And this person agrees.

Wishbone is co-owned by veteran chefs Alan Segel and Dave Clouser who spoke with The Insider back in June about their plans to open a shop with a “takeout, delivery, some seating, a small menu… and no pretense.”

Battered in buttermilk and pretzel crust, Wishbone’s classic fried chicken, available in dark or white meat and offered at $8.95 a pound, was tender, crispy and juicy and had a minimal aftermath of grease (there’s also a Thai coconut curry & basil special offered, which I didn’t try due to food allergies). A variety of dips are offered at $0.50 each (I tried the pimenton aioli and modern BBQ), but—while good on their own—they lack the kick necessary to a proper accompaniment to the delicious (albeit slightly salty) chicken.

While the chicken’s a production, Wishbone is not. It’s nothing more than a “quirky” take out joint done cafeteria style with an upstairs seating area and decked out in a simplified country-inspired decor (think ceramic roosters and tin watering cans with flowers). It’s in its evolving stages as the general manager Erica Hope told me, so expect a few bumps like waiting 10 minutes for more chicken or stopping by to a closed shop because the chicken’s run out. As of Thursday, Wishbone is tentatively open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with possibly later closing hours during the weekends.

– Annamarya Scaccia

Food Day is a national celebration of local food and community. It takes place on Thursday, Oct. 24 at locations around the country. Here in Philadelphia, Drexel University will host an evening of free food and a screening of the documentary, “A Place at the Table,” which explores the state of hunger in America.

The celebration is organized by a coalition of food-based organizations, including nonprofits, businesses and government agencies. There were over 3,000 events around the country in 2012.

From 12 to 2 p.m., Drexel student organizations focused on food and environmental justice will give presentations throughout the campus on topics ranging from veganism to factory farming.

The film screening will be at 6 p.m. There will also be a free meal, prepared by Drexel Culinary students, starting at 5 p.m.

“The food is FREE but we ask that students and attendees bring a food item to donate to People’s Emergency Center’s food bank as they are having difficulty filling their shelves, “ said Hayley Tintle, lead organizer of the event.

The event will take place in room 103 of Disque Hall, located between 31st and 32nd just below Market Street. For more information click here.

– Alex Vuocolo

Here’s a good option for those who want access to locally grown fresh produce during the winter and spring months, when most CSAs are not operating. Winter Harvest is a buying club that works with regional producers and offers delivery locations in West Philadelphia. Membership is free and all you have to do is fill out an application online. After that you order what you want on a biweekly basis for weekly deliveries. You can choose a prepaid option, where a weekly amount is withdrawn from your account, or pay-as-you-go. And you can choose to order a little, a lot, or not at all as each week rolls along.

Currently, Winter Harvest has two West Philly drop-off/pick-up locations – in Spruce Hill (see more details below) and in Overbrook (near Drexel Rd. and City Ave) – and deliveries of fresh produce, dairy, eggs, poultry, flour, coffee, meats, cheeses and more start in November and go on through April.

For our Spruce Hill neighbors, the first ordering window opens on Friday, Oct. 25, with the first delivery on Thursday, Nov. 7. Pick-ups on Thursdays will be at 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Spruce Hill delivery site, at a house near Melville and Locust intersection, with “after hours” pick-up nearby. More details about the pick-up locations are available after registration.

For more information about Winter Harvest and to sign up, click here.

In case you hadn’t heard, we wanted to let you know that Shake Shack, a well-known New York City-based fancy fast-food chain, opened a West Philly location this morning, according to a report by Philadelphia City Paper. The University City branch of Shake Shack is located at Chestnut Square, the recently completed mixed-use development on Drexel’s campus at 32nd and Chestnut. The two-story University City Shack includes a patio for al fresco dining. The restaurant will be open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

This is the second Shake Shack location in Philadelphia – the first one opened in summer 2012 in Center City at 20th and Sansom.

Recently, we reported that two other popular food joints have chosen West Philly for their new locations. HipCityVeg opened this week on 40th Street between Walnut and Locust and Federal Donuts is coming to our area in early 2014.

Photo from HipCityVeg’s Facebook page.

In July, we reported that Nicole Marquis, owner of HipCityVeg—the to-die-for vegan eatery east of the Schuylkill River—is bringing her jewel of Rittenhouse Square to West Philly. Well, turns out HipCityVeg’s second location, which will make itself home in the former Won Oriental Restaurant space at 214 South 40th Street (between Walnut and Locust), is opening this week (thanks to Philly.com for the heads up on both accounts). If all goes well with construction today, HipCityVeg’s West Philly spot should open tomorrow, Melissa, a worker at HipCityVeg’s 127 S. 18th Street location, told West Philly Local.

HipCityVeg’s West Philly hours are tentatively 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a possible later closing time Thursday through Saturday, said Jess, another HipCityVeg employee. Jess also added that the hours are “up in the air,” though, and management will have a better sense of how to move forward after the weekend. We’ll update this post when we have more info.

–Annamarya Scaccia