The Supreme Shop ‘n Bag at 43rd and Walnut streets will be closed until tomorrow morning because of technical problems.

A worker there said the grocery store is experiencing issues with its computer system and plans to reopen at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

As always, we here at West Philly Local aim to keep neighbors abreast of community news and inform you of updates to that news. For today’s installment of updates, we’ve rounded up news about three big projects we’ve featured in the last three months that verge from the exciting (tacos!) to the conflicting (another expensive development!). And, of course, if there are other updates you’d love to know, we’d love to hear them in the comments.

Groundbreaking for Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral’s $110 Million Development

Photo by West Philly Local.

Tomorrow, Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral and Radnor Property Group (RPG) will hold a groundbreaking for 38Chestnut—the $110 million mixed-used development at 38^th and Chestnut Streets that will see the razing of two historic brownstones (pictured) formerly used as the Cathedral’s parish house. The demolition will make way for a three-prong 326,000 square-foot project (owned by 3737 Chestnut, LP and developed by RPG) to be completed in 2015, and will include the construction of an allegedly “state-of-the-art” 25-story apartment building targeting professionals and grad students, as well as the Episcopal Cathedral Center that features a three-story office building with ground floor retail, a community center, and an early-learning childcare center. Additionally, as part of a settlement with the Preservation Alliance, the development will also see the renovation and maintenance of the cathedral itself. The groundbreaking starts at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral, located at 13-19 South 38th Street.

As we reported in November, the demolition to the two 19th-century brownstones has been nothing but contentious since it made news last summer. In an 8-2 vote, the Philadelphia Historical Commission approved the Cathedral’s hardship application to bulldoze the two historically-sanctioned houses, which were on the list of Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The Preservation Alliance appealed this decision almost immediately, but came to an agreement with the Commission in March, in which a 50-year preservation and restoration plan is implemented and maintained by the Cathedral, with project funds set aside for immediate work on the house of worship.  Continue Reading

Pitruco’s Salame pizza / Photo from Pitruco Pizza’s tumblr

Chowing down on a slice of pizza while downing gulps of beer—seems like the perfect match for a college bar. At least, that’s the thought behind the Smokey Joe’s and Pitruco Pizza partnership that launched three weeks ago.

A few weeks ago Nathan Winkler-Rhodes and Jonah Fliegelman—the boys behind the sought-after Pitruco Pizza food truck—began running Smokey Joe’s kitchen, serving their signature fare as Enjay’s Pizza (a play on their names, said Smokey Joe’s owner Paul Ryan). With Rhodes and Fliegelman at the helm, Smokey’s, located at 210 S. 40^th Street will now offer a revamped menu with pizza as the star and offered in seven small or large varieties including spicy, sausage and pepper, and tomato—plays (but not direct copies) off their Pitruco menu. Chicken cutlet, meatball and fried cauliflower hoagies are also on the list of options, in addition to salads, Italian vegetable plates, and pub starters like garlic knots and artisan fries.

Ryan was looking to serve pizza and turned to Pitruco after checking out foodie reviews. In turn, he said, the duo was looking to set up a brick-and-mortar shop for their highly rated truck, so they were on board when approached by Ryan. And so far, says the owner, the partnership is “terrific.”

“The reviews of the food have been great,” Ryan told West Philly Local. “I think it’s a great match for a college bar.”

Smokey Joe’s has long sublet its kitchen to budding culinary entrepreneurs looking for a built in audience and good location without the overhead of their own space.

Fliegelman and Winkler-Rhodes will run Smokey Joe’s kitchen from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Currently, takeout is only available.

–Annamarya Scaccia

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

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.