How Philly Fell for Krampus — and a Darker Kind of Christmas
The Parade of Spirits in Liberty Lands Park originated as a Krampus parade. / Photography by Laura Swartz
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On a cold December night in Northern Liberties, Liberty Lands Park fills with bells, drums, horns, and fur. Lanterns glow. A bonfire crackles. A Slavic choir sings. This is the Parade of Spirits, an annual winter procession that winds through the neighborhood in celebration of the darker side of seasonal folklore.
The most popular costume? Krampus, an imposing figure from Alpine winter traditions. Think of him kind of like the anti-Santa: While St. Nicholas rewards good little children, Krampus punishes the naughty ones. He’s usually depicted as a horned, demon-like creature with fur, cloven hooves, a long tongue, and chains or birch sticks, which he uses to scare or “discipline” misbehaving kids. Some carry a basket on their backs to kidnap babies. (And while he’s now linked to Christmas, there’s evidence that Krampus dates back to pre-Germanic paganism.)
Krampus at Parade of Spirits
In Europe, Krampus shows up on Krampusnacht (December 5th), when people dress up in elaborate, terrifying costumes and roam the streets in a mix of folk tradition, winter ritual, and controlled chaos. NoLibs’ Parade of Spirits, in fact, was originally called Krampuslauf when it began in 2011, modeled after the European parades. But the event has now grown into one of the city’s most distinctive and inclusive holiday gatherings.
In a season often dominated by forced cheer and commercial gloss, Philly is embracing a little darkness, a little rebellion, and a reminder that the holidays don’t have to look the same for everyone.
Philly’s Dark Christmas
“There’ll be scary ghost stories” always seemed like a random line to throw into a caroling standard, but there’s always been a little darkness to Christmas here. Anyone who’s walked through Wanamaker’s Dickens Village as a kid likely has visceral memories of the chained ghosts overhead and eerie graveyard scenes lifted from A Christmas Carol. Is it any surprise that, in a city with little patience for forced cheer, we’ve embraced the alternative?
“I’m so tired of the holly jolly sometimes, I think it’s almost too much holly jolly,” Michael Dalpe told me as we spoke at the Parade of Spirits. (He described his furry, red costume as “Cruella de Vil, but for Elmos.”) “It’s dark, it’s cold, it’s gross — let’s get the friends together and be weird.”
Michael Dalpe at the Parade of Spirits
Look around the city and you’ll see that the Parade of Spirits isn’t the only place to embrace the darkness. Last weekend, Manayunk’s Lincoln Mill Haunted House held “A Twisted Christmas” full of “sinister winter creatures” and scare actors at every corner. That same weekend, East Kensington Arts Committee held “Haunted Christmas” at Philadelphia Brewing Co., complete with spooky films, music, and vendors. There’s currently a pop-up Emo Christmas bar in the basement of the Divine Lorraine. And, for the first time, Fort Mifflin hosted its own Krampusnacht Festival on December 5th, the traditional night Europe celebrates the creature.
But that wasn’t the only Krampusnacht: Prism Arts held one that same night, with burlesque, art vendors, tattoos by the neighboring Houndstooth Tattoo, and of course, the man — er, beast — himself.
Cleary, Krampus held the key to this fascinating spiral into holiday darkness. So, I went out searching for them. And they had an Instagram account.
Enter Philly Krampus
Philly Krampus at the Parade of Spirits
Few people are more closely associated with Krampus’s rise in Philadelphia than Brandon Monahan, better known as Philly Krampus. Their @phillykrampus page shows a full schedule of appearances, which this year have ranged from metal bar Doom to bookstores to Conshy’s witchy shop Thirteen Circles to a dog bakery.
But Monahan didn’t set out to become a recognizable holiday figure. A few years ago, they were helping run punk shows and community events at Noble Earth, a tea lounge in Bristol, when the idea of a Krampus-themed fundraiser came up. When the original performer canceled shortly before the event, Monahan stepped in and built a costume with pieces from ScarePros in Levitttown.
“The original suit, I was wearing a sweater,” Monahan says. “It wasn’t even a gorilla suit yet.”
Over time, the costume became more elaborate, growing into the recognizable Philly Krampus we see today — complete with Austrian-made bells, basket, and horsehair whip. Monahan hopes to make it even more authentic going forward, commissioning a hand-carved wooden mask in the future.
When the pandemic shut everything down, the costume became a way to bring some levity into an otherwise bleak moment. Philly Krampus began making surprise appearances at friends’ tattoo shops, coffee shops, and small businesses. “It was kind of my way to cheer people up during COVID, because everything sucked,” Monahan says.
From there, the character spread quickly — first through word of mouth, then through Instagram. Businesses began requesting appearances, and Philly Krampus started doing low-cost photo ops, donating tips to charity.
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Over the past several years, they’ve raised thousands of dollars, including more than $2,000 this season alone for the Satanic Temple’s abortion fund and reproductive health clinics. While the name may shock people, Monahan describes the Satanic Temple as an organization focused on bodily autonomy, church-state separation, and civil liberties. “If you look more into them, they are more of a political movement than anything,” they explain. “So, it’s like a punk-rock ACLU?” I ask. Monahan approves.
That political edge, they argue, is part of what makes Krampus feel newly relevant. “One of the biggest things about Krampus is that Krampus is anti-fascist,” says Monahan. Historically, Krampus traditions in Alpine regions were suppressed around World War II, when the Nazis attempted to eliminate folk customs and reshape Christmas in their image. “So much of it was destroyed. The tradition was almost killed,” Monahan explains. Reclaiming the figure now feels pointed. “With the way the government is going right now, I absolutely love to be an anti-fascist Krampus,” they say. “It’s nice to be a little rebellious devil.”
The response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. Philly Krampus appears at places they describe as being “run by weirdos of some sort,” in the best way: “For the most part, everyone has loved it or been very chill about it.” Concerns about frightening children, a common critique, haven’t borne out. In some cases, kids warm up over time — high-fives first, photos later. And if a kid is too scared? “I’ll call it and be like, we’re not taking a photo, sorry.” As for the December 5th Krampusnacht event they helped start this year, Monahan hopes to make it an annual thing.
Part of the appeal, Monahan believes, is that alternative culture has moved from the margins to the mainstream. “Growing up, I was bullied for dressing the way that I do, and people hated on the emo kids and the goth kids. And I think that somewhere along the lines, whether it’s through music or horror movies or whatever, it just became trendy.” (They also point to the 2015 horror movie Krampus as popularizing the character in America, but warn that it is not an accurate depiction of the lore.)
A Krampus for the Rest of Us
Seph Gorgar paired a Mummers outfit with Krampus for the Parade of Spirits.
At the Parade of Spirits, that symbolism feels less theoretical. Krampus isn’t an outlier there — he’s one figure among many finding community and joy. “It’s cool to see everyone putting in their own element to being Krampus,” says Monahan, who attends every year.
The event invites reinterpretation, and costumes range from historically inspired Alpine designs to playful Philly hybrids: one Krampus I met there, Seph Gorgar, paired the iconography with a Mummers outfit. He’s been coming to the event for more than a decade, he tells me, but has seen it grow and the costumes become more widespread and elaborate. What’s changed, Gorgar believes, is exposure — and curiosity. “In America, they just focus in on Santa Claus, and they stole St. Nick,” he says, but now people are discovering “all these other crazy characters.”
Michael O’Hara, a Krampus improvised with a red necktie for a tongue, agrees: “It’s like an extra Halloween. And I think that’s the appeal…these sort of older traditions, people were kind of like why not?”
Michael O’Hara’s improvised Krampus at the Parade of Spirits
And as for his darker overtones? Dalpe, my new furry Elmo-monster friend, explains, “We want something to root against … In a world where there are so many real-life horrors, there’s something, I think, almost comforting about a children’s story that can be overcome.”
The Parade of Spirits embodies that shift. It’s communal rather than consumer-driven, rooted in folklore rather than branding, and open to interpretation rather than strict tradition. In that context, Krampus isn’t just a devilish counterpoint to Santa — he’s part of a larger movement toward reclaiming the darker, stranger edges of winter celebrations.
As Philly Krampus put it, watching the crowd of costumed figures gather there each year, “I’m happy that people are down to be fucking weird.”
Want to catch Philly Krampus before the season ends? He’ll be at Laine’s Gluten-Free Bakery in Berwyn on Saturday, December 20th from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m., and at Doom Bar on Sunday, December 21st from 5 to 9 p.m.
What to Expect From Greg Vernick’s New Restaurant
Chefs Meri Medoway and Greg Vernick making pasta. / Photograph by Liz Barclay
It has been a long time since Greg Vernick opened a new restaurant.
It was 2019 when he first unlocked the doors at Vernick Fish. That was six years and a whole different world ago. Before that, it was the original Vernick Food & Drink, which opened in 2012 and helped to rewrite this city’s culinary DNA with grill-fired sourdough toasts topped with fromage blanc and pickled cherries.
It’s funny, looking back on the review Philly Mag’s critic, Trey Popp, wrote back in August of 2012, because the very first line is a quote from Greg himself, talking about opening new restaurants.
“Opening a restaurant is kind of like getting a tattoo,” he says. “Once you have one, all you can think about is getting the next one.”
And now, that’s exactly what he’s doing. After two years of planning, and months of build-out, menu testing, and research trips to Italy, he is finally almost ready to open his third restaurant — a mid-sized, Italian-focused spot at 2406 Frankford Avenue in Kensington called Emilia — with longtime chef de cuisine Meri Medoway
“Emilia will have the energy and everydayness of a neighborhood destination and the spirit of a trattoria,” Greg says. A pasta-forward concept, minimalist design, complimentary bread service with homemade focaccia, and lounge seating held aside for walk-ins and neighbors. There’s a wood-fired grill (because it wouldn’t really be a Vernick restaurant without one) and a collaborative menu that’s based on the collected dining memories of Vernick and Medoway’s lifetimes spent around Italian food.
And the location? That’s interesting to me because for such a long time, that kind of Kensington/Fishtown corridor was a place where young, small restaurateurs went to open their first restaurants. It’s where Philly worked out what it meant to be Philly, in a dining sense. But Vernick is a big name. And Emilia is neither small nor particularly risky — at least no more risky than any other new restaurant opening. So why Kensington?
Experience, Greg says. “After years of frequenting the area with my wife, Julie, the chance to introduce our new concept in this distinct pocket of the city felt like our right next step.” The area has always reminded him of his time in the East Village, early on in his career. There’s a vitality there. A sense of things being built. Of things happening. Plus, the building near the corner of Frankford and York? Its owners have been regulars at Vernick Food & Drink since the early days. So both parties knew exactly what they were getting into.
Emilia isn’t huge. Eighty seats, with 60 on the main floor, and an additional 20 in the bar and lounge area. Those are the ones that are going to be held aside for walk-ins — a trend that appears to be ramping up in Philly lately. Pine Street Grill, the new restaurant from Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp, is doing the exact same thing.
The menu is still being worked on, but it looks like it’ll settle out around 18 dishes — six small plates, six large ones, and six pastas. There’ll be a tortellini in brodo that Medoway based on a handwritten recipe she got while traveling in Emilia Romagna, a chicken ragú bianco that she and Greg tasted as a staff meal at the American Academy in Rome while on a research trip, rabbit cacciatore from the grill, and rotating specials to make the place feel fresh and alive. Medoway has spent years cooking with Vernick. She started as an intern at Vernick Food & Drink, bounced around, did her own thing, came back to help open Vernick Fish, and went back to Food & Drink in 2021. At Emilia, she’ll be in charge of the day-to-day.
And we’ll all get to see for ourselves what Emilia can do very soon. The opening is officially being scheduled for “early 2026,” and while there’s no official hard date yet, the team is hoping to have things ready in late January — post-holidays, which is smart, but just a few short weeks from now.
Here’s hoping they can hit that date. Because after all these years of waiting, I know Greg must be anxious for that third tattoo.
Want to Know What to Get at Palizzi Social Club? We Asked Philly’s Best Chefs
The classic Caesar and spaghetti with crabs from Palizzi Social Club. / Photography copyright © 2019 by Trevor Dixon. Dinner at the Club by Joey Baldino and Adam Erace, Running Press
Palizzi Social Club has been an institution since opening its doors on December 11, 1918. More than a century later — and with acclaimed chef and current president Joey Baldino at the helm — the members-only spot isn’t just surviving; it’s thriving.
The Club is one of the most coveted reservations in town. Sure, it’s exclusive, but the real draw is the food. Baldino is serving some of the best Italian food you’ll find in Philly, making it a favorite among chefs, bartenders, and hospitality professionals.
Curious to know what some of Philly’s top industry folks like to get, I asked a handful to share their go-to orders. From a crowd-pleasing seafood pasta to a clarified dirty martini, here’s what the city’s food and drink elite are having.
What to Eat
Sesame semolina bread and panzarotti
Bread Basket
Yes, you read that right. At Palizzi, the bread basket — often, an afterthought at restaurants — is a worthy warm-up act. There’s a crusty sesame semolina loaf, crunchy breadsticks, and a mozzarella and anchovy panzarotti, and salsa picante on the side. It’s a beauty to behold for any carb lover and sets the tone for the rest of dinner.
Friday Saturday Sunday’s Chad Williams likes the bread so much that he asks for an extra basket whenever he’s there. Kampar’s beverage director and general manager Sam Pritchard is also a big fan — “Heck, the whole bread service is worth the trip,” he says — while Liberty Kitchen’s executive chef Beau Neidhardt confesses he’ll “slaughter the bread.”
Panzarotti
Every year, Baldino looks forward to the panzarotti at his cousin’s Christmas Eve dinner. While they might not get an invite to that soirée, Palizzi diners can enjoy a similar version, made with mozzarella and anchovy for a pleasantly briny flavor.
Neidhardt says “the mozzarella and anchovy panzarotti stands no chance” when he’s there, while Pritchard calls Palizzi’s take on the dish “unmatched.”
Classic Caesar
Classic Caesar
Palizzi’s humble Caesar — made traditionally with romaine lettuce, shaved Parmigiano, and anchovy — has won over the likes of Marc Vetri, Mike Solomonov, and Jesse Ito. And the list goes on: Michael Vincent Ferreri of Irwin’s, The Lovers Bar’s head bartender Paul MacDonald, Machine Shop pastry chef Emily Riddell, Rachel Lorn of Mawn and Sao, Alex Kemp of My Loup and Pine Street Grill, and Friday Saturday Sunday’s Hanna Williams all love the club staple, too.
While the Caesar is a pretty fuss-free dish — down to its no-frills presentation in a little wooden bowl — Baldino has still made his own mark on the salad. “We put our little twist on it, balancing the intense heat of the garlic with milder shallot and adding a sprinkle of thyme to round out the flavor,” he says in his book, Dinner at the Club: 100 Years of Stories and Recipes From South Philly’s Palizzi Social Club, written with Philadelphia magazine contributor Adam Erace.
There’s also the addition of Locatelli pecorino in the dressing — Baldino’s nod to the more affordable cheese that many Italian American families would have in their kitchens when he was growing up — and croutons made from the club’s sesame semolina bread.
Stromboli
Stromboli
Palizzi’s stromboli is a must whenever Ferreri or My Loup’s bar director Jillian Moore visits.
This version tastes just like the stromboli Baldino’s mom would make him growing up, filled with mozzarella and pepperoni and tinged with oregano and garlic. It’s also served the same way, without marinara. (But we won’t tell if you dunk it into the salsa picante that comes with the bread basket.)
Spaghetti with crabs
Spaghetti With Crabs
By far the most in-demand pasta dish on the menu, the spaghetti with crabs is unsurprisingly a hit with Philly’s culinary elite. “If you ask me, a meal at Palizzi is not complete without the crab spaghetti,” Kalaya’s Nok Suntaranon says. “Without being too heavy, the crab gravy is layered with flavor from delicious additions like anchovies and clam juice. I just love it.” The sauce gets its rich taste from whole blue crabs simmered in marinara for two hours. The crabs are left to sit in the mixture as it cools; anchovy fillets and clam juice add umami, while Chablis and brandy are added for a deeper flavor.
The dish has also won over Chad Williams, Ferreri, Ito, and Vetri — for whom the menu item is particularly personal. “The spaghetti with crabs holds a special place in my heart, as it’s a dish I would often share with my father,” Vetri says, speaking of his late dad, Salvatore. And it’s a meaningful dish for My Loup’s Moore. “I actually cried the first time I had the crabs and spaghetti,” she says, “because of how much it reminded me of my grandfather’s recipe.”
Escarole and beans
Escarole and Beans
One of Baldino’s Palizzi favorites is also one of the simplest items on the menu: the escarole and beans. The wintry classic is doused in olive oil, covered in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and served with a grilled hunk of sesame semolina bread on the side — ideal for dipping and mopping up the dregs of the bowl.
While the club president prefers to eat the vegetarian-friendly dish as it is, Alice bartender Justin Bruno orders it with extra protein on the side. “My go-to order is a timeless combo: sausage alongside escarole and beans,” Bruno says. “Mixed together, it’s the perfect balance of comfort and flavor.”
Lamb chops
Lamb Chops
“The lamb lollipops may be the best thing on the menu,” Kampar’s Pritchard says. They’re also a must-order for My Loup and Pine Street Grill’s Alex Kemp and Amanda Shulman — the latter considers them “the perfect dish.” Chad and Hanna Williams, MacDonald, and Phila Lorn of Mawn and Sao regularly get the chops, too. “I must look hungry because they always send out the lamb chops,” Phila says. “All of this happens after midnight.”
Before they’re tossed on the grill, the chops are rubbed with anchovy paste, lemon, rosemary, and bay leaves, then left to marinate before they’re coated in oil and cooked until they’re just medium.
Raviolo Vasto
Raviolo Vasto
Another pasta highlight, the raviolo Vasto — named for the Abruzzese town that the Club’s original members hailed from — is fun to split with dining companions. Slice the giant spinach and ricotta-filled parcel down the middle and an egg yolk glides out, deepening the rich notes of the sage-infused brown butter sauce and giving the dish a silky finish.
Moore always gets the raviolo when it’s available, while Chad Williams and Solomonov are also fond of the pasta. For Solomonov, it’s cozy food like this that makes dining here feel like an intimate experience. “Eating at Palizzi feels like an invite to Joey’s Sunday supper,” he says.
Chicken Cutlet
The chicken cutlet, often available on Palizzi’s late-night menu, is a crowd-pleaser with hungry industry folks after a long shift — including Ito, the Lorns, and Moore.
Prepared similarly to the club’s veal cutlets, the chicken is pounded flat and marinated in Palizzi’s “Club Rub” (parsley, garlic, and red pepper flakes), then dusted in flour, dipped in egg, and coated in a breadcrumb mix with dried oregano and Parmigiano-Reggiano before they’re fried until crispy. The result? A delicious, nostalgic after-hours snack.
What to Drink
Cocktails from Palizzi Social Club
Whether they’re gathered at the main bar or upstairs at the President’s Room, the city’s hospitality pros like to end a long day cradling everything from a Peroni to one of Palizzi’s signature cocktails.
Many, including Ferreri, Neidhardt, and the Williamses, opt for a classic Negroni, made the traditional way with equal parts gin (here, they use Beefeater), Campari, and sweet vermouth, served on the rocks.
Martinis are also, unsurprisingly, popular. Much of the menu at the President’s Room is dedicated to the drink, from a grown-up appletini to a clarified dirty martini — a regular order for Baldino and Moore, who also like to get the house espresso martini (a favorite of Rachel Lorn’s, too). While Kemp is partial to a classic dirty martini, Ferreri drinks his gin martini with an olive, lemon, and orange twist; and MacDonald of The Lovers Bar starts a night at the club with “a proper, grown-up martini” — made with two parts gin, one part vermouth, and a lemon twist — before finishing it with Lambrusco.
Kampar’s beverage wizard Pritchard often gets the Cosmopolitan and says bartender Gabrielle Fenerty makes “the best Cosmo I have ever had.” Or, Pritchard will go off-book to try drinks that aren’t on the menu. “While the menu cocktails are always great, I think watching Jorgen [Eriksen, Palizzi’s general manager and beverage director] play with off-menu rum cocktails is one of life’s best delights,” he says. Pritchard also enjoys the “fancy Stoli-Doli” — a take on the pineapple-infused vodka martini popularized by the Capital Grille — that Eriksen and bartender Jason Ferraro make.
As for Palizzi’s signature cocktails, Rachel Lorn orders The DiCicco, named after Dominico DiCicco (who served as club president in the ‘30s) and made with olive oil-washed vodka, dry and white vermouth, and a lemon peel garnish. Baldino likes to get The Bozzelli, named for another of his predecessors, Michele Bozzelli (Palizzi president from 1946 to 1951). A spicy spin on a Last Word, the beverage is made with gin, Galliano, Cocchi Americano, and a few drops of a house-made habanero tincture, which gives the drink a warm finish. “The Bozzelli is my favorite drink on the menu and how I test our bartenders,” Baldino wrote in his cookbook. “If they can correctly make this cocktail,” he adds, “I know they’re in good shape.”
Philly Fromage Expert Emilia D’Albero Explains How to Live Your Best Cheese Life
Cheesemonger Olympics gold medalist Emilia D’Albero / Photograph by Stevie Chris
South Philly’s own Emilia D’Albero recently became the first American ever to win a gold medal at the Cheesemonger Olympics in France. Here, she talks Cooper Sharp, living in Point Breeze, and the one huge mistake you’re making with your pecorino.
I was named after … my great-grandmother, who came over on the boat from Italy when she was a teenager.
My job is … spreading knowledge and passion for cheese. I handle sales and marketing for a company that sells cheese packaging and storage and tools.
One cheese I do not like is … industrial-produced Brie that has the rind sprayed on and tastes how I imagine diaper to taste.
The stinkiest cheese you can eat is … Foxglove from Tulip Tree Creamery.
When I want to relax … I watch any hospital TV show. I love watching stressful situations on TV. Watching stressful situations somehow makes me feel less stressed.
My partner, Tommy, is … also a champion cheesemonger, and he is the category manager of cheese and charcuterie for DiBruno’s.
When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be … a marine biologist, but it turned out that science wasn’t my strong suit.
I became a cheesemonger by … accident. I was working for Eataly corporate in New York and wanted to become a butcher, and they told me to start on the cheese counter and learn some knife skills. Then I fell in love with cheese, and that was eight years ago.
When I am not thinking about cheese, I am … playing with our dog, Bruna Alpina, named after a brown Swiss dairy cow breed.
A cheesemonger is … someone who specializes in the sale of cheese, butter and other dairy products. But we also tell the stories of the cheese and represent the producers and connect customers with their favorite cheeses. We are stewards and educators.
If you ask me to play Fuck, Marry, Kill with Cooper Sharp, Cheez Whiz, and provolone, I would … kill Cheez Whiz, obviously. I’d marry provolone. And I would absolutely fuck Cooper Sharp. I’m such a Cooper Sharp girl. It’s the only cheese I always have in my fridge.
The most expensive cheese I have encountered is … a Smeraldo white truffle pecorino for around $100 per pound.
People like cheese so much because … there is a cheese for every palate, and also, cheese is a taste of the moment in history when it was made and the place where it was made. Every cheese tells a different story.
If you want me to talk about something other than cheese, you should probably ask me about … sharks or 2000–2010 emo music.
Emilia D’Albero wins the gold medal earlier this year (photo by Alexandre Alloul)
One cheese you should consider for a holiday gift is … Gruyère Alpage, a raw cow’s milk cheese made at a super high elevation in Switzerland. The cows eat such a lush mix of grasses, flowers, and herbs. It comes from a tradition that has lasted hundreds and hundreds of years. And it’s very labor intensive keeping this tradition alive.
The best cheese for a grilled cheese is … Comté, a younger profile but still with that oniony, savory note, and it melts well.
I celebrated my big win by … traveling through France and Italy with my partner, my best friend, and my boss – and eating more cheese.
If you want to try making cheese at home, I would start with … not doing it. Leave the cheese to the professionals. Seriously.
One mistake most people make with cheese is … wrapping it in plastic wrap. That suffocates your cheese and makes it mold faster. Also, buying too much cheese all at once. The key is buying less cheese more often.
The most beautiful space in Philadelphia is … Suraya. Whenever someone visits me, I take them there. And their brunch is unreal.
Living in Point Breeze is … better than I ever dreamed it could be. My quality of life is one I never thought I would have.
On New Year’s Eve, you will find me … dipping nontraditional things into a very high-quality fondue.
The second-best food to cheese is … steak.
A local cheesemaker you should visit is … Birchrun Hills Farm and Perrystead Dairy.
I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but … I love eating puffy Cheetos. As a cheese professional, that feels sinful.
Published as “One of Us: Emilia D’Albero” in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
Everything You Need to Know About Pine Street Grill’s Surprise Opening
Dishes at Pine Street Grill / Photograph by Bre Furlong
Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the weekly Foobooz food news round-up. With the holidays upon us, you’d think that things would be slowing down in restaurant world, but we’ve got lots of big news happening this week, including (but not limited to) Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp’s new restaurant, a coffee shop for the Navy Yard, high-end Mexican in Market East, last-minute gift ideas, and a big Dry January event for all you N/A cocktail fans out there. So let’s get right into it, shall we? We’ll start things off this week with …
Pine Street Grill’s Surprise Opening
Pine Street Grill-co-owners Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp / Photograph by Bre Furlong
It was way back in July when we first heard the name Pine Street Grill. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and we got tipped off (courtesy of some internet sleuthing) that chefs Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp were sniffing around Fitler Square for a third location, looking to capitalize on the twin successes of Her Place Supper Club and My Loup.
They had a space (the old Dmitri’s at 2227 Pine Street) and they had a name — Pine Street Grill — but back in July, that was pretty much all we knew. And up until about a week ago, we didn’t really have any additional details other than it was going to be an American-style neighborhood spot with a bar and lots of seats held out for walk-ins.
Then, a few days ago (and just weeks after Her Place brought home a Michelin star for Philly), Pine Street Grill opened. I mean, I’m sure it looked different from behind the curtain, but out here in the world, Pine Street just popped into existence, fully formed and ready to serve.
“Join us for a burger and a beer, a rotisserie chicken, a familiar eggplant parm, wings or a salad,” the team said on Instagram. “Bring your babies. Come watch the game. We’ll soon be open every day but Tuesday but have a few funky days while we get our footing and celebrate the holidays. We are so proud of our team and can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on. Cheers!”
Reservations are available, but half the tables are reserved for neighbors and walk-ins (a new-ish trend in our suddenly-reservations-starved city that I am a big fan of). The menu is straightforward, comforting, and approachable. There are mortadella-stuffed cherry peppers and chicken nuggets with buttermilk ranch, shrimp Louie and soft pretzels with mustard hollandaise. You can have wings or a half rotisserie chicken with gravy, a double-decker smashburger with a side of house mac and cheese, matzah ball soup or acorn squash stuffed fondue, all of it done with the kind of attention to detail that Shulman, Kemp, and their team (including chef de cuisine Jonathan Rodriguez) lavish on everything. There’s a happy hour program with $8 small plates and $10 glasses of red, a kids’ menu, and late-night burger-and-a-beer specials for the adults: $20 for a pint and the house PSG burger with two dry-aged patties, Cooper Sharp, and onion on a seeded milk bun.
Pine Street was open Monday, closed on Tuesday, and is coming back today at 4 p.m. for happy hour. You can make reservations or, you know, just walk right on in if you’re feeling lucky.
Now what else is happening this week …
Hanukkah at Famous 4th Street
Latkes at 4th Street Deli / Photograph by Gab Bonghi
Speaking of Michelin restaurants, Famous 4th Street Delicatessen, the 100-year-old Jewish deli which scored a Bib Gourmand nod at last month’s Michelin ceremony, is right in the middle of its big Hanukkah prix-fixe.
It started on Sunday, December 14th and will run through the 22nd. Included in the multi-course spread are chopped liver with onions served on challah, kreplach dumplings, potato latkes with applesauce and sour cream, herb-roasted chicken or beef brisket, roasted green beans with herb butter, and an assortment of sweet rugelach and sufganiyot for dessert. Best thing about this dinner? They’re letting it go for $39 per person, dine-in or take-out, which is a great deal. Second-best thing? For $155 they’ll set up a whole to-go Hanukkah dinner kit for four people, available for pickup or delivery right here.
Coffee and Wine in the Navy Yard
Happy Bear Coffee rendering by RHJ Associates
The Navy Yard is in the process of turning itself into a destination — a mixed-use retail/residential/service community with a multi-year plan to bring in apartments, shops, restaurants, and everything else a redeveloping neighborhood needs.
One of those necessary things? A coffee shop. A place for people to gather, get their morning jolt, sip lattes and maybe have a sandwich, too. And right now, it looks like Happy Bear is set to be that coffee shop. Founded in 2023 by pals Dan Kredensor and Frank Orman, Happy Bear was a purely online venture — a coffee company and hospitality brand with a charitable bent, pledging five percent of all proceeds to causes chosen by their customers.
Now, though, it looks like Kredensor and Orman will be moving from the virtual to the physical because they’ve just signed the papers on a 3,000-square-foot space on the first floor of a life sciences building at 1201 Normandy Place and will turn it into their flagship brick-and-mortar location — a combination coffee shop, cafe, and wine bar with an opening planned for spring 2026.
Happy Bear will be doing the specialty coffees they’re already known for and expanding into offering a curated wine list and “a refined menu of sandwiches, breakfast items, soups, salads, flatbreads, tomato pie, and other chef-inspired grab-and-go offerings.” So an all-day cafe, essentially, offering all the Philly classics courtesy of a partnership with Carlino’s Specialty Foods.
When construction is done, there’ll be a wine bar and indoor seating, plus an outdoor space overlooking the five-acre Central Green Park. The interesting thing about all this is that, right now, much of what the Navy Yard might become is still speculative. The “retail corridor” that Happy Bear is supposed to be a part of is still being constructed; some apartments are for lease, but many are not. The whole thing becomes a kind of chicken-or-the-egg problem: People won’t want to move to the area if there are no amenities (like coffee shops and wine bars) in the neighborhood. But without many people living there (yet), who is going to visit the coffee shop?
Yes, there are businesses in the area. And yes, people move through the Navy Yard for a variety of reasons. But it’s still going to be an interesting project to watch. I mean, look at Fishtown a decade ago. Or Kensington. Or North Broad. Who knows what might happen at the Navy Yard.
But in any event, soon there’ll soon be a place to get a cup of coffee and a glass of wine. Because you gotta start somewhere.
Now who has room for some leftovers?
The Leftovers
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We’ve got another opening just recently announced, this one in Market East, and it’s kind of a big deal.
Washington D.C.-based (and James Beard Award semifinalist) KNEAD Hospitality is coming to town with their first expansion outside of the D.C. market. They’re taking 8,000 square feet of space at 1150 Ludlow Street and turning it into the first Philly location of Mi Vida — an upscale Mexican concept inspired by Mexico City’s culinary scene. Chef Roberto Santibañez already has three locations in D.C. in partnership with KNEAD, offering bright colors and modern Mexican vibes. The new spot will be big, and plunked down just steps from the Convention Center, Reading Terminal Market, and all those tourists. So yeah, it’s gonna be a thing.
They were originally hoping for a mid-2025 opening. When that didn’t work out, the date got pushed back and the best guess right now is a mid-January grand opening. Another thing that makes this interesting is that KNEAD’s founders, Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin, got their starts in Philly. Berry went to Wharton, and Reginbogin spent a year here working for Starr. So while up to this point they’ve focused their attentions on D.C., this new Mi Vida location will be something of a homecoming for them.
Looking for a last-minute gift for the Eagles fan in your life? Bird Gang Spirits and BOTLD have a limited-edition Irish whiskey with a Kelly-green bottle and the 2025 Super Bowl ring on the label. Distilled and aged in Cork, and bottled in PA, it’s a three-year Irish whiskey, but you’re really picking it up for the pride. Bottles are available online and in all BOTLD shops.
Photograph courtesy of Bird Gang Spirits
And finally this week, if you’re looking forward to Dry January, then I’ve got the perfect event for you.
Dry Vibes, Philly’s biggest zero-proof “social celebration,” is coming back to Philly on Saturday, January 31st at Billy Penn Studios. There’ll be speakers, vendor tastings, an open dry bar full of mocktails, pop-ups from Philly “wellness brands” and celebrity guests from within the non-alcoholic, better-for-you lifestyle space.
Look, it’s not my kind of thing (the word “wellness” just makes me itch), but I know there are lots of you out there who are trying to make changes, live healthier or find some social options for yourselves that don’t involve the liberal application of gin, tonic, and some limes. And that’s cool. The new year is for making changes and trying to live a better life despite the myriad horrors of being alive and sentient at this moment in history. Me? I’m going with tacos, pasta, pie, and cocktails. But you do you.
So if you’re down, tickets for Dry Vibes are available now for around 50 bucks. You can get yours right here.
Just a Picture-Perfect Addison Street Proposal
Rob Skalicky proposed to Hannah Beck on Philadelphia’s gorgeous Addison Street. / Photography by RingShot Photography
Proposal season is in full swing at Philadelphia Wedding, and we’re excited to share this “will you” on Addison Street — one of our favorite spots in the city for couples to become engaged. RingShot Photography beautifully snapped the big moment, which you can discover below.
And if you need more inspiration, check out our proposal coverage here. Or if you’d like to submit your own engagement, do so here!
The couple: Hannah Beck, 29, and Rob Skalicky, 30, both of Rittenhouse, where they live with their long-haired chihuahua, Bruno
How they met: Rob and Hannah were introduced by mutual friends while down the Shore, in Ocean City. Shortly after, they went on their first date to Via Locusta, in Rittenhouse. They dated for four years before getting engaged.
The proposal: Rob told Hannah they were heading to drinks at a co-worker’s house followed by a work dinner. It was a beautiful, early November evening, so the couple decided to walk to their destination. He turned onto Addison Street — a classic Philly proposal spot, beloved for its twinkly light-covered trees and historic architecture — and got down on one knee. (The work dinner was, of course, fictive. What followed instead was a romantic night to celebrate their engagement.)
Her reaction: Hannah admits she wasn’t suspicious at all — even though the “work dinner” was scheduled for a Saturday. “He was cool, calm, and collected all day, which kept me totally unassuming,” she says. “It wasn’t until we turned onto Addison Street and Rob started fidgeting with his pockets that I realized the proposal might be happening.” After he asked Hannah to marry him and unveiled his grand scheme, she started crying happy tears. “We went on to have the best night ever.”
His reaction: “I was more nervous for everything to go right — the weather, setting, photographer, plans after, keeping the surprise, etc. — than I was to actually ‘pop the question,’” Rob says. “Seeing how surprised and excited Hannah was made it all the better!”
The post-proposal moments: The soon-to-be weds toasted to their love with celebratory drinks at SkyHigh at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. Then, they went back to the site of their first date — Via Locusta — for dinner. When they arrived home, Hannah was surprised again: Rob’s cousin had decorated their apartment, and a group of friends gathered for an impromptu engagement party at Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse.
The wedding plans: The two are early in the planning stages, touring Philly-area wedding venues. They hope to wed in the summer or fall of 2027.
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That Awful Sore Throat Everyone’s Talking About? Here’s the Deal
Photograph by Andrea Piacquadio
Talk to anyone right now, and chances are they’re sick or just getting over a gnarly infection that comes with a horrible sore throat, lots of mucus, and zero energy for days (or even weeks!). People are calling it the “mystery throat virus,” and claim they haven’t been down for the count like this in years. What’s going on? For answers, we reached out to Eric Sachinwalla, Jefferson Health’s medical director of infection prevention and control, to learn about what’s leaving us bedridden — and how long it’ll take to get back to healthy.
Listen to the audio version here:
It seems like everyone is really sick right now! What is going around?
Most patients who have had that really bad sore throat had adenovirus, a common virus that spreads throughout the year. Unlike flu and COVID, which we can consider treating with prescribed medications, we don’t often test for adenovirus because there’s no real treatment for it — or for other viruses we tend to see this time of year, like parainfluenza and rhinovirus.
So what is adenovirus, exactly?
Adenovirus is a group of common viruses that can cause cold- or flu-like symptoms. It’s pretty contagious because it’s heartier than other viruses — soap and water, or everyday disinfectant, won’t kill it. So it tends to live in the environment longer. You see more clusters of these infections in places like daycares and military barracks because of close contact — it can spread through the respiratory tract, shed through stool, and live a while on contaminated surfaces. As for symptoms, adenovirus attacks many different parts of the body, so you can experience everything from sore throat, runny nose, and cough to middle-ear infection, high fever, and shortness of breath. It can even cause pink eye and diarrhea. It all depends on what strain it is — there are nearly 60 for adenovirus. We don’t necessarily know which subtype is causing illness right now.
Wow! All those symptoms could make it difficult to figure out what you actually have. At what point should you see a doctor?
For sure, this can be tricky. If you’re generally healthy and you’re feeling crummy, but not experiencing shortness of breath or high fever, you’ll likely be okay and get better with supportive care at home. The people who should seek medical attention are those who are immunocompromised, parents of young babies, or have underlying medical conditions like lung or heart disease. But if you’re sick, don’t just show up to your doctor’s office. Call first — they might want to do a telehealth visit if your symptoms sound very contagious.
How many days should you ride out your symptoms at home?
If you’re feeling worse by day three, that might be a good reason to call your doctor and see if what you’re experiencing is worth getting checked out for.
Got it. So if this typically spreads every year, why have people basically been bedridden this time around?
There are different variants, and viruses often mutate, so that could be the case this season. Perhaps this variation is causing these more severe symptoms and just knocking people down. Think back to COVID. At the start of the pandemic, the main symptom was loss of smell, but we don’t see that symptom much anymore. This past summer, the major symptom of COVID patients was a razor-blade sore throat. Viruses — and their symptoms — evolve.
Doctors are predicting that this flu season is going to be pretty rough. What are you seeing?
Like I said, we don’t typically test for adenovirus, but the numbers the City does have aren’t particularly higher than prior years. (Ed. Note: The City of Philadelphia tracks cases of illnesses when they get testing results from local healthcare facilities.) As for this upcoming flu season, the forecast is based on the prior season in the southern hemisphere — it tends to predict how we’re going to fare — and they had more infections than they did last year. But also: Fewer people are getting their flu shots, for a number of reasons. Though the shot isn’t perfect, it can help reduce the severity of symptoms if you do come down with the flu.
What at-home remedies do you recommend that actually work?
The biggest thing is rest, which I know can be hard for some people! You also want to stay hydrated. Not all fevers need to be treated with Tylenol or Motrin, either. A fever is actually a tool of your body’s immune system — it’s how we fight infection. Still, if your fever is accompanied by body aches or chills, maybe you’ll want to turn to medication. And if it reaches 103 or 104 degrees, call your doctor.
Will any of those remedies help people get better, faster?
Unfortunately, nothing I’ve seen is a quick fix. Sometimes, it just takes several days to feel better. For the flu, Tamiflu can sometimes cut off a day or two if you catch it early, but for adenovirus and similar illnesses, you often have to let them run their course. Basic hygiene practices, like frequent handwashing and cleaning high-touch surfaces, typically work the best to keep you healthy.
From Sleep to Skin Care: Here’s How to Support Your Health During Menopause
Illustration by Tara Jacoby
Perimenopause and menopause signals a major life shift. Fluctuating hormone levels, especially the drop in estrogen, can lead to changes in your everyday health. Below, four Philly experts share how you can better understand and manage your blood sugar, skin health, fitness regimen, and sleep during peri/menopause.
Navigating Blood Sugar
Photograph by Phil Kramer
Ashley Furlong, integrative health practitioner and owner of Whole Health Studio in Washington Square West
The drop in estrogen during perimenopause directly affects insulin levels and glucose metabolism. Here’s why that matters: Insulin is a hormone that breaks down sugar (glucose) from the food you eat when it enters your bloodstream — and estrogen optimizes insulin activity. So when estrogen declines, insulin has to work harder to get the same job done. If blood sugar spikes are frequent, this can lead to inflammation, weight gain, and hormonal problems, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Your insulin efficiency follows your body’s natural circadian rhythm — it’s strongest earlier in the day. To support healthy blood sugar during perimenopause, eat a protein-dense breakfast — 20 to 30 grams of protein will stabilize blood sugar, keep you energized, and curb midmorning sugar cravings and crashes — and avoid eating at least three hours before bed to avoid overnight blood sugar spikes that can interfere with sleep.
Navigating Your Skin
Viviane Aires, esthetician and founder of Viviane Aires Skin Wellness in Rittenhouse
When estrogen levels decrease, we start seeing less collagen production and a reduction in skin elasticity, which can lead to dryness, dullness, and more pronounced expression lines. Some women may also experience acne, facial hair growth, or flushed skin.
Focus on moisturizing, protecting, and nourishing the skin. I always recommend hydrating, gentle cream- or oil-based cleansers, a serum with hyaluronic acid for moisture retention and niacinamide to improve skin barrier function, retinol to encourage cell turnover and stimulate collagen production, and a rich moisturizer. And, of course, a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 (ideally 50) to protect against further collagen breakdown and prevent hyperpigmentation.
Navigating Exercise
Photograph by Chris Koontz
Shoshana Katz, strength coach specializing in women’s and perinatal fitness; Katz leads perimenopause strength training at KG Strong in South Philly
After the age of 35, the rate at which women lose muscle mass begins to increase, and bone mineral density starts to decrease about 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent each year. How do we combat this? Not with HIIT workouts or classes that keep your heart rate high, but with strength training. Pilates and weighted vests are super, but they do not replace what lifting weights will do for your muscle and bone health. Women need to be lifting heavy — I know this can scare people, but please remember that heavy is relative to you — ideally three or four times per week, though as often as you can is better than not at all.
Navigating Sleep
Photograph by Todd Zimmerman
Seema Bonney, functional medicine physician and founder of the Anti-Aging & Longevity Center of Philadelphia
In perimenopause, fluctuating estrogen and progesterone can cause unpredictable cycles, night sweats, and restless nights. Once in menopause, when hormone levels remain consistently low, these sleep difficulties often persist — sometimes compounded by hot flashes, mood changes, or shifts in metabolism. And poor sleep can worsen irritability, contribute to weight gain, impair memory, raise cardiovascular risk, and accelerate inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and cognitive decline.
Restoring quality sleep requires a total approach. Checking (and potentially treating) hormone levels — including a true thyroid panel and cortisol levels, as well as micronutrients — gives us a clear picture of what the body needs. Non-hormonal strategies such as magnesium, vitamin D, B vitamins, or herbs like valerian, ashwagandha, and black cohosh can also help rebalance sleep.
Published as “The Power of Change” in the 2026 issue of Be Well Philly.
How Stetson Built Its Legacy in Philadelphia
Stetson’s former store on Sansom Street, in 1914 / Photograph courtesy of Stetson
Looking at a Stetson hat, it’s impossible to not think of the West. The very silhouette of the brand’s archetypal cowboy hat calls to mind the region’s rugged topography, its crown pinched and creased like the craggy peaks of mountains, its undulating brim as wide as the plains. It’s an enduring symbol of the Wild West, inextricably linked to Hollywood Westerns and rope- and rifle-wielding stars like Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and John Wayne. And yet the Stetson hat was born here in Philadelphia — in a one-room workshop at 7th and Callowhill streets.
“Stetson is closely associated with the West, but we see ourselves first and foremost as an American brand,” says Stetson CEO Robert Dundon, himself a Philly-area native and Temple grad. “Given that, it’s only fitting that an iconic American brand like Stetson would be founded in a city known as the birthplace of America.”
The company’s 160-year history, celebrated with Rizzoli’s recently released tome Stetson: American Icon, begins thusly: In the 1850s, John B. Stetson, the son of a New Jersey hatmaker, traveled west seeking fortune, adventure, and a cure for his tuberculosis in the clear, dry mountain air. While prospecting for gold in the Colorado Rockies, Stetson noticed the poorly made hats of his fellow pioneers and fashioned a wide-brimmed, waterproof hat from felted animal furs, which he sold to a passing bullwhacker for a five-dollar gold coin.
In 1865, Stetson returned east and opened his namesake business. He soon launched his “Boss of the Plains” design — a flat-brimmed topper with a high, rounded crown inspired by the sombreros worn by vaqueros (the Mexican and Spanish horseback cattle herders who were the predecessors of the American cowboy). The hat catapulted him to success, and within 10 years, his company had moved to a nine-acre campus on the outskirts of Kensington. (This campus would eventually include a hospital, free dispensary, and lending library for its 5,000 workers, who enjoyed Stetson’s progressive benefits — health care, education programs, and profit sharing.)
Bruno Mars for his 2024 collaboration with the brand / Photograph by Daniel Ramos
Though the factory is no longer there — manufacturing moved to Missouri in 1977, then to Garland, Texas, where the company is currently headquartered, in 1986 — Stetson’s Philly legacy lives on through retailers like Alfonso Aramburo, who sells the cowboy hats in Viejo Oeste Western Wear #2, his Italian Market shop. (You might know it by the eight-foot-tall fiberglass cowboy boot stationed out front.)
“It’s the most recognized brand of hats in the U.S. and worldwide,” Aramburo says. “There are so many different profiles, shapes, and materials.” But it’s his own family history with the brand that resonates the most: “My grandfather and my dad wore those hats all the time.” (The brand is also carried locally at Center City’s Les Richards Menswear, Boot Barn in Cherry Hill and North Wales, and Leo’s Apparel in North Philly; Aramburo carries Stetson’s cowboy and dress hats at his Delaware outpost.)
But even as Stetson has steadily risen to stratospheric fame, the company hasn’t forgotten its Philly roots. “Our signature hats are now made in Texas, but we still live by the values John B. Stetson established during his early days in Philadelphia,” says Dundon. Stetson unveiled a limited-edition beaver-fur dress hat called “the Philadelphia 160th Edition” as a tribute to the city it first called home. A five-dollar gold coin emblem glints on the hat band, symbolizing John B. Stetson’s first sale, a happy harbinger of things to come.
The Stetson Story
Founder John B. Stetson / Photograph courtesy of Stetson
1862: John B. Stetson designs and sells his first hat.
1865: Stetson borrows $60 from his sister to found his company.
1874: Production moves to a factory on the outskirts of Kensington.
1906: John B. Stetson dies; he gives most of his fortune to charity before his death.
1911: Fresh off winning the World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics are featured in a Stetson hat marketing campaign.
1932: The company begins producing hats for women.
1977: Stetson moves its manufacturing to Missouri, then to Garland, Texas, in 1986.
Photograph by Blair Caldwell
2024: Beyoncé wears a Stetson hat on the cover of her Cowboy Carter album.
2025: Stetson celebrates 160 years in business.
Published as “City Slicker” in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
Lane Johnson’s Season of Strong Mental Health: When Asking for Help Makes You Stronger
Coming off the Eagles game against the Raiders, the two-time Super Bowl champ shares why he’s so inspired by a friend and fellow football great, Las Vegas Defensive End Maxx Crosby.