The Best Philly Food Events Happening in November
This month we're raising our glasses to Philadelphia Magazine's Whiskey & Fine Spirits Fest, learning how to taste wine at Bloomsday, and going to Friendsgiving.
Scenes from Whiskey Fest 2022.
November is here, and we’re officially in the heart of indulgence season. It’s time to cozy up in a sweater and drink red wine, eat braised meats, and enjoy the bigger appetite brought to you by the colder weather. You’ll likely eat at home (or someone’s home) for Thanksgiving, but there are plenty of Philadelphia restaurants doing Friendsgiving dinners, if your aunt’s underseasoned stuffing isn’t thrilling you. Here are the best food events happening in Philadelphia this month.
Philadelphia Magazine’s Whiskey & Fine Spirits Fest, November 7th
What better way to kick off making the season merry and bright than by joining us at our annual Whiskey & Fine Spirits Fest. This year, we’re returning to the Linc where we’ll have more than 250 premium whiskies, scotches, vodkas, gins, rums, tequilas, cordials, and handcrafted cocktails to try. And to go with those drinks are bites from some of Philly’s favorite restaurants. We’re talking lamb merguez from Spice Finch, grilled steak and charcuterie from Fogo de Chao, and a suckling pig roast from The Twisted Tail, to name a few. General admission tickets get you in at 6:30 p.m., but if you want more time and less crowds, the VIP tasting starts at 5 p.m. Get your tickets here and we’ll see you there!
Día de los Muertos at Cantina La Martina, Saturday, November 2nd
Cantina La Martina is throwing a party for anyone who wants to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Mexican traditions around the holiday. They’ll have live music and a costume contest, plus special a la carte options like alligator barbacoa, calf brain tortillas, and plenty of tamales. Guests are also invited to bring framed photos of loved ones you’d like to be remembered to add to their altar.
Dreyfus at My Loup, Saturday, November 9th
Zachary Kolomeir and Carmelina Imola, owners of the Toronto-based restaurant Dreyfus, are coming to My Loup for a one-night pop-up that will combine My Loup’s French influence with their Canadian seafood and Jewish-Canadian heritage. There are still a couple of spots left for this dinner, which includes four courses served family style.
Taquiza de cabeza, cow’s head, will be served as part of the Día de los Muertos celebration at Cantina la Martina. / Photograph by PJ Agbay
Danny Childs at Lacroix, Sunday, November 10th
Lacroix at the Rittenhouse regularly does chef pop-ups, but rarely do they offer a drinks takeover like the one they’re doing with Danny Childs, the James Beard Award-winning author of Slow Drinks. Childs will do a drink pairing of his signature foraged and seasonal ingredient-driven drinks to go along with Lacroix’s luxe French food.
Laurent-Perrier Champagne Dinner at Jansen, November 14th
If you love champagne, you must attend Jansen’s champagne dinner in partnership with the legendary champagne house, Laurent-Perrier. They’ll be pouring a different vintage of champagne with each of the five courses, and it promises to be completely over the top.
How to taste wine at Bloomsday, November 14th
If you want to learn more about wine but aren’t sure where to start, this Bloomsday Academy wine event is for you. Sommelier Shontel Horne, creator of the Vinotes wine tasting notebook, and D’Onna Stubblefield, Bloomsday’s beverage director, will break down the basics of how to taste wine like a pro, without any of the pretense that so many wine tastings can evoke. Tickets include several glasses of wine and face time with the wine team at Bloomsday.
Shontel Horne of Vinotes and D’Onna Stubblefield of Bloomsday / Photograph by Emilie Krause
Steakhouse Night at Southwark, November 18th
My favorite way to spend a Monday night in Philadelphia is to have a glass of wine at the bar with Southwark sommelier Jamie Harrison Rubin, who opens special bottles on a night when the restaurant is mostly closed (there’s normally a small food menu). Every now and then, chef Chris D’Ambro gets involved and does things like steakhouse night, where he’ll whip up French onion soup and prime rib. For the occasion, Rubin will open bottles of wine from legendary Napa Valley wineries to pair with your steak.
Friendsgiving at Kiddo, November 20th
Kiddo would be my pick for a classic Thanksgiving experience with a nice balance of cheffy twists and classic flavors. There are sure to be handmade pastas and plenty of squash, plus a portion of proceeds go to Broad Street Love, which helps offer stabilizing services to those living in deep poverty in Philadelphia.
Friendsgiving at Kalaya with Nok Suntaranon and Shola Olunloyo, November 27th
November is a big month for Kalaya chef Nok Suntaranon; her debut cookbook comes out this month, and her Chef’s Table episode will drop. This basically means it’s about to get even harder to get into Kalaya, so make a reservation now for her collaboration dinner with chef Shola Olunloyo. The menu will combine Suntaranon’s Thai cooking with Olunloyo’s tropical West African flavors, all served the night before you eat dry turkey with your whole family.
