Cedar Park Neighbors is hosting a neighborhood Meet and Greet event tomorrow night at Aksum (4630 Baltimore Ave.). Don’t miss the opportunity to say hello to your neighbors and spend some nice time in their company while enjoying complimentary hors d’oeuvres served by Saba Tedla, Aksum owner and Cedar Park resident.

The meet and greet will begin at 6 p.m and go on until 8 p.m., unless, of course, you want to stay for dinner. To RSVP go to the event’s Facebook page.

The Baltimore Avenue restaurant scene expanded this summer when the Mediterranean restaurant/cafe Aksum opened near 47th Street.

Its beautifully remodeled dining room and exterior bring a welcome touch of color and diversity to this already lively location. The atmosphere at this BYOB restaurant is conducive to free-form conversation, and the menu of “small plates” encourages guests to linger and share. The setting is pleasant, and the staff is friendly and accommodating. These qualities are assets, but they can also be liabilities, and we hope that the place can work out a few kinks and become a success.

My first visit to Aksum was a low-key birthday celebration on a weekday night. My friends brought wine and a bottle of bubbly, and our server promptly supplied us with wineglasses and champagne flutes. From the small-plates menu, the Stuffed Grape Leaves ($5) were good but unsurprising, and the Avocado and Tomato salad ($9) was fresh but not remarkable. On the other hand, the “Angry” Baby Eggplant Salada ($10) was delightfully spicy and perfectly portioned for sharing, and the Grilled Calamari ($9) were outstanding. The Mahi Mahi Pita Wrap, however, didn’t fit the flavor and style of the other offerings. The aoli was tasty, but overall the dish was a little bland and awkward to share. We also ordered the Orzo Arrabiata ($11) and found it used the same sauce as the eggplant. It’s good sauce, but we would have liked more variety. Once we’d secured some pita, which was not as forthcoming as it should have been, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The chairs got more comfortable, the people-watching got better, and our server become friendlier; by the time we opened our third bottle of wine, she’d practically joined our party.

Toward the end of the evening, we reached an impasse: we wanted to finish our wine, but there wasn’t anything else we wanted to order. There were a few empty tables, and no-one was waiting for ours, so we decided to stay a while longer. The very friendly server and staff made us feel at home and didn’t rush us. It will be curious to see how well Aksum handles the problem of turnover as their popularity grows; without a liquor license (and no corkage fees) the restaurant becomes a very attractive low-cost place for folks to hang out and enjoy the evening without spending much money. I suppose we should have smoked an after-dinner hookah — perhaps next time.

About a week later, a friend and I tried the weekend brunch. Things were busier – the dining room was full, with families on hand (young children with their parents, and college students with theirs). Choices such as the Egg Mezze Platter ($9) and the UCity Breakfast Wrap ($11) looked great on the menu and on other people’s tables. We ordered Sweet Corn Griddle Cakes with blueberry compote, eggs, and turkey sausage ($13) and the Salmon and Spinach Omelet with delicious tiny twice-fried tomatoes ($12), both of which arrived beautifully presented, but slightly cold.

What we’d experienced as a leisurely pace at night became an bothersome delay at brunch. In the evening, we’d been happy to lounge, but at the start of the day, people have places to go. For lunch, brunch, or dinner, the food is basically good and the decor is unique and comfortable. Although the service can be slow, the staff is very friendly. You might not enjoy Aksum if you are on a schedule, but if you want a casual, cozy meal capped with a leisurely spell at the hookah lounge, this is the place for you. I think in the end Aksum’s success will hinge on how well they can match the tempo of service to the mood of the clientele while continuing to turn a profit. We wish them the best, and thank them again for a very pleasant birthday evening.

– Jen

It always seemed too good to be true. The experiment in buying wine at special kiosks in grocery stores around the state, including one at the Fresh Grocer at 40th and Walnut, is over.

The Pronto Wine Kiosk program which included around 100 kiosks across various Pennsylvania locations is being shut down due to some monetary disputes between the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) that runs the kiosks and the machine supplier, a Conshohocken-based company Simple Brands L.L.C. The PLCB claims to not have been reimbursed by Simple Brands for over $1 million in expenses it incurred from the kiosks wiring and stocking. Simple Brands were supposed to supply the machines at no cost to PLCB, while sharing the profits.

The kiosks had all kinds of age verification technology and even a built-in Breathalyzer (important for the one at 40th and Walnut streets, which is surrounded by students). But customers often said the kiosks were difficult to operate.

Penn’s student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian reports that the Fresh Grocer has expressed disappointment over the kiosk closing. It quotes Carly Spross, the Fresh Grocer Marketing Director, who said that this service brought “convenience” to the Fresh Grocer’s customers and “helped bring in additional foot traffic to our stores.”

Here’s a summary of a few events going on in the hoods this weekend.

Sustainable Saturdays: The West Philadelphia Local Food Series

Where: Various locations When: Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 8 p.m.

The last in the Sustainable Saturdays series is tomorrow, Sept. 17, starting at 9 a.m. The theme is “Preserving the Harvest” and it includes workshops on canning and fermentation, the West Philadelphia Homebrewing Competition, a sneak peek at Mariposa Food Coop (4824 Baltimore Ave.), Apple Cider Tour & Tasting, and Philly Homegrown West Philadelphia Farm-to-Table Trolley Tour. Tickets are still available for the Homebrewing Competition ($7) and the Trolley Tour ($50). For more information and the schedule visit this page.

Clark Park Fall Equinox Festival & Uhuru Flea Market

Where: Clark Park “B” (43rd & Chester, around and in the Bowl) When: Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The bi-annual Clark Park Music and Arts Festival (Fall edition) is also happening tomorrow, Sept. 17. The festival celebrates all things West Philly and offers a wide range of activities and entertainment, including live music (rock and non-rock), arts and crafts, kids activities, and popular food trucks and vendors. The music begins at noon. See the flyer for the full bands line-up.

This year’s last Uhuru Flea Market will be going on at the same time around the park’s Bowl. Check it our for some cool stuff, such as antiques, collectibles, ethnic arts and crafts, books, records, jewelry and more. If you want to help vendors unload or clean the park you can volunteer by calling: 857-233-7508 or email: philly [at] uhurusolidarity.org.

How do we know that the summer’s almost over? The final 2011 Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll will take place this Thursday, Sept. 1. Yes, the fourth and the final one this year. So, don’t miss the chance to enjoy $1 deals again and say goodbye to this event until the next summer.

We hear that nearly 20 businesses, vendors and food trucks will participate in the final Dollar Stroll, so look out for new participants.

The stroll will start as usual at 5:30 p.m. (it’s not a bad idea to come early) and will go on until 8:30 p.m. Apart from the vendors, there will be live music and street performances as well. And, as always, there will be copies of the free West Philly Mix Tape download card available for pick-up. If you haven’t got one, stop by the University City District table in front of Calvary Church (48^th and Baltimore).

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Mariposa Food Co-op is throwing open its doors a few times over the next month so that West Philly residents can keep tabs on the renovation of its new space ahead of the official opening in the fall.

The first of the three open houses is Sunday, August 28, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Others will be on September 13 (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) and October 2 (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). All three will take place at the soon-to-be Mariposa location at 4824 Baltimore Ave (see picture).

You can drop by the open house at any time and kids are welcome. Mariposa is encouraging people to RSVP here.