By: Marcia Abramson
Pennsylvania's Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Flower Show runs from March 7-10, 2002 at the Convention Center and is well worth a visit. It is truly spectacular with wonderful floral displays and great ideas for a Long Island garden. The marvelous floral scents feel the air and the bursts of color are treats for the eyes. Just wear comfortable shoes, for you will cover a great deal of territory at the center.
This event can be part of "Philly's more fun when you sleep over" promotional package. It is available through March 31, 2002 on Friday and Saturday nights and gives the guest two nights for the price of one with free parking on each night. Packages are available at more than 40 hotels including the Park Hyatt, Four Seasons, the Ritz Carlton, the Westin Philadelphia, the Wyndham Franklin Plaza and the Sheraton Rittenhouse Square as well as the Airport Hotels. Some of the rates at participating hotels start at $89 and go up to $350 at the 5-star Ritz Carlton with a free gift and a Philly Trolley Works two-for-one tour of the city.
I stayed at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue Hotel, a 172-room hostelry in the historic 1904 landmark and stellar example of French Renaissance style architecture. The opulence of the Victorian blend of massive domes, weeping Palladian windows and elliptical stairs of elaborate iron and marble is breathtaking. Another asset is its location just off the Avenue of the Arts and within two blocks of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
The Ritz Carlton Philadelphia Hotel is in the neo-classical domed Melon/Girard Bank Building with a fabulous rotunda, modeled after Rome's Pantheon in its public areas. It has all the attributes and splendor of the Ritz Carlton's. What a great way to indulge yourself at the bargain rate of $350 for two nights!
The Loews Philadelphia Hotel, a modern skyscraper with 583 rooms has a sleek lobby of black granite and stainless steel and as an added attraction welcomes pets. You can actually book online www.gophila.com or by calling the hotel of your choice direct.
And now to the serious business of eating. I was very favorably impressed with Avenue B, the new restaurant creation of Neil Stein and Gabe Marabaella, who are also responsible for the award-winning Striped Bass Restaurant located in a magnificent marble former bank. Avenue B overlooks the Avenue of the Arts and is just across the street from the new Kimmel Center. It features a Tuscan or Northern Italian menu, home-made pastas, potato gnochi with sweet Gorgonzola sauce and wonderfully grilled swordfish and mouth-watering tuna steaks prepared to perfection. I also found the beef capaccio a wonderful first act. The decor of the restaurant is in keeping with its surroundings on the Avenue of the Arts with 16-foot ceilings and enormous picture windows and two huge French clocks to keep you aware of the curtain time when you're dining. The food here is certainly on a par with New York City's LeCirque 2000, especially since the Chef Patrick Feury was imported from the Big Apple. This is definitely a marvelous culinary experience, and worth the price.
Another highly recommended restaurant is named, of all things, Tangerine, even though I did not see a tangerine on the Mediterranean menu. Stephen Starr is the restaurateur and is referred to as the culinary Cecil B. DeMille because of his lavish ambiance. Tangerine is no exception. I did not know what to expect when I entered a dimly lit expanse of crimson colored curtained walls embroidered with Moroccan designs. Other walls contained hundreds of flickering votive candles, which added to the mystery of my North African surroundings. I did not know what to expect from the cuisine which was served family style by knowledgeable waiters who encouraged sharing the appetizers of crunchy calamari ras al hanoiut, Moroccan aromatic stew called tagines named for the earthenware pots in which it was cooked; harissa gnocchi with a sauce of peppers, garlic, cumin, dates and creamy celery root; bisteeya of chicken (chicken pie), shredded chicken in crispy golden-brown phyllo crust surrounded by candied almonds. What a way to start a dinner! On to the main course of Casbah duck served on a pile of pilaf studded with olden raisins and almonds. Another serving of shrimp and scallops afrique came to the table in an almond curry with very dry rice with chopped tomatoes and onions. The desserts were equally fabulous. The food was absolutely superb and well worth the cost of $150 for two.
I could not leave Philadelphia without a short visit to historic Valley Forge. On this trip I visited the Wharton Esherick Museum, who is known as the dean of American craftsmen with remarkable wooden sculptures in his studio which is now a world-class museum. In my opinion every bit as exciting as Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Waters.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail: mascribe@aol.com
