“Bamboo Lot” at 5123 Baltimore Ave.

As was reported last spring, Greensgrow West, which is currently renting the former Elena’s Soul space at 4912 Baltimore Avenue, had secured a new, bigger location on the 5100 block of Baltimore, on the so-called “Bamboo Lot.”

We’re happy to report that Greensgrow is preparing to welcome customers at the new location by mid to late summer. The new location will have an expanded garden and education center, including a plant nursery, a farmers’ market, a greenhouse, an outdoor classroom, and gathering space. Here’s what Greensgrow West Assistant Manager Lee Baldwin writes about the relocation:

“We will be operating our retail sales out of our familiar 4912 Baltimore Avenue location through mid to late summer. Our current plan is to use the hot months of July and August to transfer the bulk of our operations to the new 5123 Baltimore Avenue location. We are usually at our slowest during late July and early August, and so there will be less impact on our customers if we move during that time.”  Continue Reading

A rendering of the proposed Trolley Car Station restaurant at 40th Street Trolley Portal.

Update (April 8, 2016) – The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the plan for the Trolley Car Restaurant following a March 29 hearing. Specifically, the ZBA approved a variance for the building as a sit-down restaurant. Construction is expected to begin this fall.

The public got a look at plans on Tuesday evening for the development of the 40th Street Trolley Portal, which includes a two-story, 125-seat restaurant with take-out beer and outdoor seating.

University City District officials and the owner of the Trolley Car Diner in Mount Airy presented the plans to the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee and about a dozen members of the public.

Now an expanse of concrete criss-crossed with trolley tracks, the portal will be turned into a more navigable public space complete with moveable tables and chairs, enough racks to accommodate 48 bikes and “vegetation everywhere,” Nate Hommel, UCD’s director of planning and design, told the zoning committee. The trolleys will still run through it, but it will be more pedestrian friendly.  Continue Reading

Just in time for spring, two West Philly-based baked goods businesses have announced that they will be having grand openings this weekend.

Everything is ready for Dottie’s Donuts official opening on Friday, March 18 (Photo from Dottie’s Donuts Facebook page)

The long-anticipated opening date for Dottie’s Donuts’ first brick-and-mortar location at 4529 Springfield Avenue was announced this morning on the popular business’s Facebook page. According to the announcement, the shop will officially open on Friday, March 18, and the hours for now will be 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Along with a wide selection of vegan donuts, the shop will sell bagels and other baked goods, plus coffee and tea. You can read more about Dottie’s Donuts and the people behind it here.

If you didn’t get a chance yet to check out the recently opened Lil’ Pop Shop‘s bakery, here’s a great opportunity this weekend. The new bakery and shop at 4608 Woodland Ave. is inviting everyone to its grand opening celebration on Saturday, March 19. Stop by any time between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and enjoy free treats, coffee, and spritzers (fruit-based seltzer drinks).  Continue Reading

Snacks at Lulu Cafe (photo from Lulu Cafe’s Facebook page)

It took a little longer than planned, but Lulu Cafe, an Asian cafe and restaurant serving coffee, tea, snacks, and sweets, has finally opened at 4508 Walnut Street (next door to Hunter Gatherer Tattoo). The final inspection was on Tuesday, according to the cafe’s Facebook post, and it’s now ready to serve its customers.

The opening was anticipated and the wait was worth it. We checked on the new establishment on Friday, its opening day, and saw a sizable crowd inside.

The cafe’s specialty is milk tea. As one happy customer put it, “No more long trips to Chinatown for milk tea now!” The snack food menu includes popular Chinese and Taiwanese street food items (all garlicky and spicy), such as popcorn chicken, squid balls, sweet potato fries, and green beans. And you can top everything off with some shaved ice with three toppings of your choice.

Lulu Cafe is open daily 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit: www.lulucafeusa.com.

Friday, Feb. 26 is National CSA Day celebrating community-supported agriculture. This is the day when many farms start offering sign-ups for their summer CSA programs.

One of local CSA programs, Greensgrow Summer CSA, is also launching their online application this Friday and inviting West Philly residents to Dock Street for a happy hour from 4-6 p.m. There you can meet Katie Jacoby, a West Philly neighbor and CSA manager, who will answer your questions about what’s in store this season.

There will also be a guest appearance and sampling by Fikira Bakery, which will be joining CSA this year by providing a Greensgrow West bakery share.

Friday’s event is also an opportunity to sign up for a discounted share and a further discount for returning members. Monica McCollin, the manager for the SNAP box program and a West Philly resident, will be at Dock Street to answer any questions about the monthly affordable access share.

The Greensgrow Summer CSA runs from mid-May through early November, and shares can be picked up at their West Philly location at 4912 Baltimore Avenue.

If you can’t make it to Friday’s event and would like to sign up, you can do it online starting Feb. 26. A $15 discount will be applied if you sign up by March 11, 2016, just use the code WPLOCALS16 at online signup at http://greensgrow.csasignup.com/members.

We’ll let you know about other 2016 Summer CSA programs soon. In the meantime, check out our previous posts here.

Photo from Snapdragon Flowers’ Facebook page.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the new flower and gift shop, Snapdragon Flowers, recently opened on Baltimore Avenue. The store is offering special Valentine’s Day rose bouquets and three sizes of designer’s choice roses in reusable heart-shaped boxes. But that’s not all. There is also a free same-day delivery within the 19143 zip code ($10 fee for same-day delivery within 10 miles of 19143; $15 fee for next-day delivery within 15 miles of 19143). Check out the Snapdragon Flowers website and Facebook page for more details. The store is located at 5015 Baltimore Avenue.

Also located on the 5000 block of Baltimore, VIX Emporium has a nice selection of goodies for sweeties, like jewelry, scented candles, Valentine cards, warm scarves, and more. Paul Carpenter’s ever-popular pint glasses are back in stock, which pair wonderfully with new brass bottle openers. There are also handmade ceramic mugs, guaranteed to make any drink taste better. Stop in and see what gifts catch your fancy, and pick up a box of Girl Scout cookies while they last.

While on Baltimore Avenue, also check out Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop (Facebook page). The store offers an eclectic mix of vintage and modern pieces at affordable prices. At Zed’s, which has relocated to 4514 Baltimore Avenue from its original location across the street, you can also find some unique ethnic treasures and beauty products.

If you didn’t get a chance yet, stop by the recently opened Jinxed Store (4521 Baltimore Ave.) and check out their selection of art, clothing, and antiques.

Also check out these Valentine’s Day specials at local restaurants:

                           Renata’s Kitchen.

Couples are invited to enjoy a romantic candlelit 7-course prix-fixe Valentine’s Day chef’s tasting menu at Renata’s Kitchen (4533 Baltimore Ave.). The $45 menu features shared plates from the Middle East, and vegetarian options are also available. And you’re welcome to bring your wine, of course! To make a reservation, call 267.275.8254.

This weekend, Clarkville is offering a Valentine’s Day special for couples in love or just besties. You can get two appetizers, a heart shaped cheese pizza (cut broken upon request) and a dessert to share for $25. This special is for eat-in only, and reservations are accepted but not required (email reservations@clarkvillephilly.com or call 215-387-4992).

Distrito Taqueria has Valentine’s Day specials all weekend, like $20 margarita pitchers and $5 guacamole and chips.

For information on Valentine’s weekend events, visit our Events page.