Art in the Age Brings Ghostly Cocktails to Philly’s Most Haunted Bar

Photograph courtesy of Art in the Age

Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the weekly Foobooz food news round-up. There’s not a lot happening this week, so we’ve just got a few quick things to cover, including (but not limited to) an update from Fond, a collab at Fette Sau, some dumpling coverage, and (believe it or not) some news about Thanksgiving. But let’s start with the spookiest news of the week…

Any of You Ever Seen a Ghost?

If not, here’s your chance. The crew from Art In The Age (who’ve got a seasonal whiskey made with maple syrup tapped from graveyard trees) will be serving cocktails at this year’s HAUNT Halloween pop-up bar, and this year’s HAUNT festivities will be happening at Foundation and Broad Hall — the underground bar, performance, and event venues beneath the SUPER haunted Divine Lorraine Hotel at 699 North Broad.

HAUNT is happening on October 25th. It’s a costume party (if you’re into that kind of thing), with artists, cocktails, snacks, and a DJ.

AITA will be pouring cocktails made with their Graverobber Unholy Rye, which is just about the most Halloween-y thing you can possibly drink, and the whole thing will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a $5 cover at the door. After 10 p.m., the whole thing turns into an “underground spooky disco afterparty,” so there’s that, too. It all sounds very strange and very Philly, but that’s not what caught my eye.

What did get my attention is that the whole thing is basically happening in the basement of a hotel that’s one of the most haunted places in a city that is just FULL of haunted places. The building has been apartments for high society, the first racially integrated hotel in the United States, and an abandoned eyesore. In one form or another, the Divine Lorraine has been around for more than 100 years. It was designed by Willis G. Hale, “a controversial architect widely criticized for his unrestrained, high-Victorian style” and a dude who built buildings with some serious Gozer-worshipping, Ivo Shandor vibes. In 1948, it became the headquarters of the Reverend Major Jealous Divine and his International Peace Mission Movement. Later, Jim Jones (yeah, that Jim Jones) tried — and failed — to take it over. People see full-on ghosts here. Doors open and close. Music plays backwards in the penthouse where Divine used to live and stuff moves around. Angela Cicala — who, along with her husband Joe — currently runs two restaurants in the space (Cicala at the Divine Lorraine and the new pizza spot, Sorrelina), has witnessed a lot of this herself. The place is creepy.

So hanging out in the basement drinking whiskey made from dead people after dark on an October night? That sounds like a helluva time. Let’s hope the ghosts like disco music.

See Also: Halloween for Grownups: Pop-Up Bars, Spooky Soirées and More Philly Haunts

Conshohocken Italian Bakery Is Closing

The Dallas Sucks tomato pie at Conshohocken Bakery / Photograph courtesy Conshohocken Bakery

In a major blow to tomato pie lovers everywhere, the legendary Conshy bakery is shutting the doors after 51 years in operation.

This place did great tomato pies. It did other stuff, too, but the tomato pies? That’s the thing that people are going to miss. Oh, and the rolls, too. Excellent hoagie rolls and kaisers. And for those who grew up with the cookies, that’s a loss that has to hurt, too.

Okay, so there are a lot of reasons why this is terrible news, actually. And that’s before you consider that every time we lose one of these multi-generational spots — places that have been around for 40, 50, 60 years — it’s an irreplaceable piece of Philly’s culinary history that we never get back. But late last week, the bakery announced on Instagram that “after 51 fabulous years in the borough of Conshohocken, we will be closing our doors, forever.”

It’s the “forever” that killed me. Because that’s the sound of a decision being final. No equivocation. No we’re exploring our options in other locations. Nothing.

According to the family, there were personal reasons for the closure. “It is now time for us as a family to be together,” they said. “We’ve given you our best, and we hope it was good enough to keep those reminiscent anecdotes of Conshohocken Italian Bakery in your lives and to tell those stories of what once was, as we will continue to cherish the many memories you have given us. You have left an indelible mark.”

Looks like the last day of service is going to be October 27th, but if you’re looking to score a final tomato pie, I’d do it soon. Unsurprisingly, there’s been an outpouring of support on social media, and a lot of folks are going to want to drop in to say goodbye.

Meanwhile, out in Wallingford…

French onion soup from Fond / Photograph courtesy of Fond

A couple weeks back, I told y’all about Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki taking over the old La Cannelle Cafe space at 21 North Providence Road in Wallingford with the intention of slowly turning it into a suburban reincarnation of their beloved East Passyunk French cafe, Fond.

Well, guess what? They’ve called a date for the official changeover, and it’s … tomorrow.

Yup. Wednesday, October 16th, is the big day. They’ve got 40 seats on the floor, and reservations are already being taken. The place will be BYOB, and the hours will be Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with brunch while the sun shines and dinner in the evening.

The menus lean heavy on the classics: smoked salmon with eggs, omelets du jour, onion soup lamb kofta with golden raisins, and a corned beef reuben during the day, then chicken liver mousse, short rib rillettes, escargot, gnocchi with hazelnuts, pan-seared foie with apples, and french toast and onion-date jam for dinner.

Plus, Jessie will be stocking the bakery cases daily with fresh bread, pastries and desserts. The menu will change frequently, pulling from a decade-deep repertoire of recipes from the good ol’ days at the original Fond and sourcing as much as possible from the Styer-Prawlucki’s own small-scale farm, located next door to their home, just down the road in Media.

So what are you waiting for? It’s been three years since they shut down in South Philly, but now Fond is back. That’s nothing but good news.

Now, who has room for some leftovers?

The Leftovers

Chef Alex Nissley / Photograph by Gab Bonghi

Townsend Wentz has a pretty cool dinner coming up at his eponymous East Passyunk restaurant this week. He and exec chef Alex Nissley are doing a one-night-only “Pré et Marée” dinner with one of the best-looking menus I’ve seen in a while.

It’s happening this Thursday, October 17th, with just one seating at 6:30 p.m., and Wentz and Nissley are offering up the best of the land and sea. There will be tempura-fried oysters, merguez sausage, and Mahon cheese; blue prawn wrapped in prosciutto with rouille; and “a unique Pont-Neuf potato topped with vanilla ice cream, golden Ossetra caviar, chicken skin mimosa, and deviled egg yolks.”

And that’s just the amuse.

The night continues with tartare of filet mignon, peekytoe crab omelets, grilled lamb’s tongue with boquerones, sea scallop with a foie gras pithivier and black truffle, a 28-day dry-aged Côte de Boeuf served with butter-poached Maine lobster, and Armagnac-poached prunes, then chocolate soufflé with a Chartreuse anglaise to end the night.

So yeah, it’s a pretty spectacular board. And while it ain’t a cheap night out at $145 a pop, this is one of those dinners that’s probably worth splurging on if you have the means. Reservations are required, so if you’re down, I’d jump on over to Resy and book a seat now.

I’ve written about Brooklyn Dumpling Shop here before. In the past year, the dumpling automat has opened two locations (on South Street and Lancaster Avenue). And come October 24th, they’re going to be opening their third — right in the middle of Center City, at 1504 Sansom Street (in the former home of SNAP Custom Pizza).

And because this just seems like one of those places that couldn’t possibly let a food trend go unexploited, they’re celebrating the opening of their new location with the addition of new fall-themed dumplings to the menu, including a Pumpkin Spice Smash dumpling and a Thanksgiving dinner dumpling.

So if you’re the kind of person who thinks, Hmmm, I’ve got pumpkin spice coffee, candles, room spray, bitters, honey, whiskey, mixed nuts, soap, perfume, breakfast cereal, and toilet paper, but am I REALLY celebrating the season without pumpkin spice in dumpling form? then this is your moment.

Also on October 24th, the crew at Fette Sau will be teaming up with Love City Brewing and High West Distillery for a pairing dinner celebrating seasonal flavors, barbecue, and booze. We’re talking pulled beef with collards, smoked duck and mushroom hash, pear cobbler, Campfire whiskey, and Monstro Pumpkin Ale — all perfect for a cool October evening. Tickets are $75, and seating is limited. You can get yours here.

Then, on the 25th, chef Richard Sandoval will be in the kitchen at Aqimero at the Ritz-Carlton for a one-night-only Día de los Muertos dinner. He and his team will be doing empanadas de langosta, filete en la salsa negra, and house-made churros (among other things), and the bar has an add-on beverage pairing menu to complement the four-course dinner. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. Tickets will run you $75 a head (plus an extra $50 for the beverage pairing). And you can get yours right here.

Finally this week, I know it sounds ridiculous to be talking about Thanksgiving plans when it is still weeks away, but I just got word that Assembly Rooftop Lounge has opened up reservations for its Thanksgiving Day Parade Watch Party. They’ve got a good view of the Ben Franklin Parkway, City Hall, and the Art Museum from up there on top of the Logan Hotel, and they’ll have the firepits lit, an open bar, and a luxurious breakfast buffet set up for guests. This is an all-ages, family-friendly event, and it really does offer a pretty great view of the parade floats, but spots are going to sell out fast, which is why I’m mentioning it to you now. So if you’re the kind of person who can plan this far ahead (or are just looking for a really good excuse to get out of whatever family gatherings you’re trying to avoid this year), tickets are $165 for standing room, $195 for communal seating, and can be gotten right here.

And with that, let the countdown to the holiday season begin …