Han Dynasty, one of the city’s premier Chinese restaurants, has quietly opened its West Philadelphia location. The restaurant had a soft opening two weeks ago at 3711 Market Street, the former MidAtlantic restaurant’s space.

The restaurant specializes in authentic Chinese (Sichuan-style) cuisine and recently has been included in the list of the 50 best Chinese restaurants in the U.S. It serves lunch and dinner (no buffet), and offers takeout.

See the menu here. Stay tuned for set hours or call 215-222-3711.

Now we know what’s happening in the empty space adjacent to Manakeesh Cafe Bakery at 45th and Walnut. The Bliss Juices and Ice Cream bar is scheduled to open this summer, according to manager Abd Ghazzawi.

Manakeesh has fairly quickly become an anchor neighborhood business. It opened in January 2011 after months of renovation on the old bank building. Folks in the neighborhood had been speculating for some time on what Manakeesh would do with the other half of its building.

The exact opening date of Bliss has not been set, but Ghazzawi says it will probably be in early July. In addition to ice cream and freshly squeezed juices, the menu will include Lebanese fruit cocktails, breakfast items like crepes and waffles, Granita, and a few other things. Stay tuned for more information on the opening.

Good news: Dollar Strolls are returning this summer to Baltimore Avenue, according to University City District. Bad news: it looks like there won’t be a stroll in June, meaning we will have to wait until July for $1 samosas, cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and theater tickets.

Here are the dates:

July 19

August 16

September 20

Stay tuned for more information on participating businesses and their $1 specials, and as a reminder of what we’ve been missing since last summer, check out the gallery below.

Folks who work, study or live in the area near 30th Street Station will soon have a convenient opportunity to buy fresh produce and healthy foods from local farmers. The Porch, a public space that opened near the station last fall, will have its own Farmer’s Market every Wednesday, beginning May 16. The market will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Here’s a list of participating vendors:

Brulee Bakery
Brulee Bakery serves bread, brownies, gluten-free treats, quiches, muffins and scones.

Frecon Farms
Frecon Farms sells fresh fruit, fruit butter, cider and cut flowers.

FreshaPeel Hummus
A fresh approach to hummus infused with natural ingredients and with flavors such as lemon kale, jalapeno, tomato basil, pumpkin, and spicy black bean.

John & Kira’s
Gourmet, artisan chocolate gifts and handmade confections.

McCann’s Farm
A third generation farming family from Elk Township, NJ with a full line of farm fresh produce, fruits and herbs.

Mompops
Homemade gourmet popsicles such as chocolate banana, strawberry cream, cantaloupe, mango, lemon-lime, strawberry basil, and peaches and cream.

MyHouse Cookies
Old fashioned, hand-crafted cookies, pies and quiches baked in small batches.

Spruce Hill Farm
Spruce Hill Farm features a variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs and cut flowers.

There will also be some supplemental programming for the first twelve weeks of the market, with Give and Take Jugglers and Citywide Specials musical ensemble entertaining the shoppers.

The Porch Farmer’s Market is produced by University City District in partnership with Farm to City.

People hanging out in the new Sister Cities Park near Logan Circle at 18th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway can now get a little taste of West Philly.

Milk and Honey Market opened a satellite cafe at the revamped park in a building that also includes a welcome center. West Philly resident Jules Dingle designed the single-story building, which includes walls of windows, a green roof and an inviting outdoor space. Those who know design have noted that the building’s low-slung, limestone design makes an interesting transition from the nearby high rises to the small parks around Logan Circle.

Sister Cities Park, which officially opened yesterday, also includes a children’s garden where kids can splash in a small pond and climb rocks. Plan Philly has a nice rundown on the park’s design and construction here.

 
Now you can have dessert after your tacos. Lil’ Pop Shop, a locally owned artisan popsicle shop, officially opened today at 265 S. 44th Street, between Honest Tom’s Taco Shop and Tampopo. The owner, Jeanne Chang, lives right around the corner and said that she was very excited about opening the shop in the neighborhood.

The shop hours are Tuesday-Saturday 12-9 p.m., Sunday 12-5 p.m., maybe longer or shorter depending on how traffic is, Jeanne said. Also, a mobile cart will be out starting Wednesday and hours and locations will vary.

The popsicles are made on the premises using mostly locally grown ingredients.

The current popsicle flavors include Chocolate w/ Salted Caramel Brownie, Lime Mint, Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade, Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk and many others. All flavors sell for $3 each.

Jeanne is still working on her online presence. We’ll pass that along once it’s up and running. For now, the shop can be reached at 510-919-0784.