Seven Days A Week…

Beginning in 2011 Vietnam Restaurant and Vietnam Cafe will both be open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

The restaurants do not take reservations for lunch or dinner but if you are planning a special event, log onto http://www.eatatvietnam.com and and you will find everything you need.

Call 215.592.1163 for Vietnam Restaurant (221 N. 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107) or 215.729.0260 for Vietnam Cafe (816 S. 47th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143). To plan you’re visit check out their website here.

A New Year’s Eve Bash at Kokopelli Restaurant & Tequila Bar

Say goodbye to 2010 in style. Welcome in 2011 under the glow of the ever-changing mood lighting at Center City’s newest hot spot, Kokopelli Restaurant & Tequila Bar at 1904 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.

Enjoy a variety of luscious small plates when you dine a la carte on Chef Gina Rodriguez’s Southwestern offerings. Menu items include an ahi tequila crudo on a crisp tortilla with roasted garlic avocado crema; mussels in red chili tomato broth with sun dried tomato on grilled ciabatta; and bison sliders topped with manchego cheese, spicy pickle, and shallot rings. Small plates range from $4 to $17 each. Every plate is designed to provide a full range of fun-filled flavors. Kokopelli also features an extensive library of more than 50 tequilas, a variety of specialty cocktails, and a Latin inspired wine list.

Kokopelli is THE place to dine and dance on New Year’s Eve. DJ Adam Bennett will be spinning top 40 music until 2 a.m. upstairs at Kokopelli. There is no cover and no minimum. A cash bar will be open for drinks and a complimentary champagne toast will be offered at midnight.

Kokopelli Restaurant & Tequila Bar is located at 1904 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Call 215.557.7510 for reservations or click here for more information.

Think Dessert First

Christmas is right around the corner. You’ve shopped for the presents, decorated the tree and now it’s time to think about what you will serve for dessert.

Linvilla Orchards would love to help you with your Christmas dinner. Now is the perfect time to get an early start on your feast and order your pie from Linvilla. The orchard has over 40 pies to choose from ranging from the traditional pumpkin, caramel apple walnut, apple cranberry, pecan, sweet potato, cherry crumb, coconut custard and banana cream. No matter which variety you choose your guests will be sure to be smiling!

Order today and your holiday pie will be ready for pick up any day next week. To order call Linvilla at 610-876-7116. Check out the varieties here.

Just their cup of tea …

Is there a tea lover on your list? Of course there is – or there will soon be if you wrap up your holiday shopping with a gift from Lotus Farm to Table in Media, PA.  The restaurant, known for its fresh approach to cooking and its extensive tea list, offers a variety of wonderful options at prices that are anything but (a-hem!) steep.

Take the beautiful glass teapot, available for under $25. The clear glass lets the recipient see what’s inside – and lets everyone know when the tea is brewed just right.  Or give a sampling of Lotus’s fabulous hand rolled teas for every mood. Like Happy Tea, a clear green brew with a hint of mint and a whisper of lavender. Beauty Secret is an amber selection, blended with oolong, redolent of fresh cassis, and reputed to be good for the complexion.  Charm Tea is lemony and light. And if you really want to make someone smile, give one of Lotus’s flowering teas – gorgeous when the blossoms open up inside the clear teapot. Gee, we wish we were on your holiday list!

Lotus Farm to Table is located at 112 West State Street in Media, PA 19061. 610.565.5554.

Crabby Tuesday at Blackfish

Get ready for that special day of the week. It’s Tuesday Tasting Night at Blackfish Restaurant in Conshohocken. The featured ingredient for Tuesday, December 14 is king crab and Chef Chip Roman is offering four courses for $45 per person.

Some of the menu items will include things like king crab legs with grapefruit, fennel, and honey vierge; king crab “cake” served with tartar sauce and horseradish; king crab “tails” with porcini, saffron and a pumpkin tart with honey gelato and a smooth cinnamon cream for dessert.

Blackfish is located at 119 Fayette Street in Conshohocken. For reservations, click here or call 610.397.0888.

Seafood for the Season

When you’re searching for the perfect gift for the foodies on your list this holiday season, think Phillips Seafood.  They are offering a way to give the gift of a Clam Bake for Two or their Famous Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. These creative gift ideas are sure to impress.

Their Clam Bakes for Two are available by mail order for just $199. It includes two 1-½ pound lobsters, a pound of mussels, a pound of shrimp, a dozen clams, two ears of corn, baby red potatoes, and Phillips Seafood Seasoning. It comes complete with a pot to cook it in, claw crackers and, of course, lobster bibs. The Phillips Famous Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes come as six 4-ounce crab cakes made with jumbo lump crab meat and a can of Phillips Seafood Seasoning. The cost is only $85. Recipients can enjoy the flavors of Phillips Seafood Restaurants in the convenience of their own home. This is sure to be a gift that will be talked about for years to come and from the name that you’ve come to trust.

Phillips Seafood Restaurants is one of the most popular restaurant groups in the country. The third generation family business from Maryland is best known for serving the finest seafood available. To order, visit www.phillipsseafood.com/store or call 1-866-531-2722. To ensure freshness, Phillips ships all fresh seafood items overnight. Every item is expertly packed and shipped in a sturdy cooler, allowing them to arrive in perfect condition. They must receive your order two business days prior to delivery.

The Gift of Farming

Linvilla Orchards Donates to Heifer International this Holiday Season

This holiday season while you’re having fun at Linvilla Orchards’ Christmas Around the Farm you can also help out a great cause. All donations made to Linvilla’s Playland Playground in the month of December will be donated to Heifer International, an organization that helps train families in other countries how to farm to help fight hunger and poverty.

Linvilla asks its visitors to donate $1.00 for the use of their playground to help maintain the facility, but in the spirit of the season Linvilla is giving the money to a cause they are passionate about, farming. Linvilla is dedicated to teaching young people about farming through their class trip program, so Heifer International was a perfect fit for the farm. The non-profit organization gives the gift of livestock and training to families in other countries to help them improve their nutrition and become more self-reliant. So stop by Linvilla Orchards this December for some holiday fun and giving!

And if you can’t make it out to Linvilla in person don’t fret, you can still donate online at Linvilla Orchards’ Team Heifer site, www.heifer.org/teamsearch/Linvilla or visit Linvilla’s website at www.linvilla.com

To learn more about Heifer International visit their website at www.heifer.org.

Linvilla Orchards has over 300 acres dedicated to agriculture, education and entertainment. Linvilla’s hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. To learn more, call 610.876.7116 or visit www.linvilla.com.

Check out this new website – Lotusfarmtotable.com

Courtney Rozsas’s Lotus Farm to Table is an intimate 32-seat jewel box of a restaurant located in the heart of Media, at 112 W. State Street. Chef David Berg had created a tasty menu of healthy dishes. Every dish is prepared from whole foods, easily digested and proportioned so that diners can enjoy multiple courses with lots of variety without feeling over extended. No cream. Nothing is fried. Only extra virgin olive oil is used in small quantities. There’s also an extensive tea menu featuring dozens of varieties with their health benefits. The clear green tea enhances your mood and calms your nerves. A rare Anji white tea boosts the immune system and helps bones grow strong. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Click here to view their new website. Call 610.565.5554 for a reservation.

Santa Clause is coming to town!

Get your cameras ready because every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas Santa Claus will be at Linvilla Orchards!

Old St. Nick will be in Linvilla’s new Greenhouse and Garden Center from 1-2 pm every weekend for pictures with the kids. Don’t forget BYOC, bring your own camera.

The Greenhouse and Garden Center is also the new home of Linvilla’s Christmasland. And don’t forget to stop by their Farm Market for some delicious holiday pies and cakes! For more information call 610-876-7116 or visit www.linvilla.com.