Need some cool desserts to share with your guests and family on Easter Sunday, April 24?

Night Kitchen Bakery offers  delicious sweets that are festive and will keep everyone in the holiday spirit. Try the Lemon Basket-Lemon Curd Cake or the Bunny Cake (chocolate or carrot cake) with cream cheese icing and shredded coconut. Check out the full menu here.

To order, call 215-248-9235 by Wednesday, April 20^th. Night Kitchen Bakery is located at 7725 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118. For more information and the Easter menu, check out their website.

Come out for Dine Out Japan (Japanese Restaurant Week), an event part of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, from Sunday, April 10 through Thursday, April 14.

Click here to download a coupon for a 20 percent discount at 15 restaurants in the Greater Philadelphia Region just after taking a short survey. Here are the participating restaurants:

Tokyo Hibachi Steakhouse & Sushi Bar (Philadelphia, PA)

Shiroi Hana (Philadelphia, PA)

Fuji Mountain (Philadelphia, PA)

Kabuki Japanese Restaurant (King of Prussia, PA)

Fat Salmon (Philadelphia, PA)

Zento Contemporary Japanese Cuisine (Philadelphia, PA)

Numa (Philadelphia, PA)

Raw Sushi (Philadelphia, PA)

Aki Japanese Fushion & Sushi Bar (Philadelphia, PA)

Morimoto (Philadelphia, PA)

Umai Umai (Philadelphia, PA)

Yakitori Boy & Japas (Philadelphia, PA)

Margaret Kuo’s (Wayne, PA)

For more information, visit the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia website.

Kevin Sbraga, season seven winner of Bravo’s Top Chef, shares some history with Chip Roman, chef/owner of Blackfish Restaurant and Mica. Both got their start working for Philly’s own Georges Perrier – Sbraga at Le Mas Perrier in Wayne and Roman at Le Bec Fin.

On Monday, May 2, the two chefs will team up to create one tip-top meal. The collaborative five-course dinner will be held at Blackfish, located at 119 Fayette Street in Conshohocken, PA. Blackfish was recently named Philadelphia’s top restaurant by Philadelphia Magazine.  For more information, visit their website. For reservations call 610.397.0888.

The community is invited to celebrate the grand opening of Linvilla Orchards Garden Center, just in time for the spring planting season. This family friendly event will be filled with entertaining activities for everyone to enjoy! Hear live music, visit with costumed characters, and witness unbelievable magic.

What: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the Grand Opening of this 15,000 square foot greenhouse and garden center.

When: Saturday, April 9, 2011

11:15 a.m.        The Penncrest High School Marching Band performs

11:30 a.m.        Presentations and ribbon cutting (hosted by FOX-TV’s Sue Serio)

12:30 p.m.       Bennett Daniels Jazz Band performs

2:30 p.m.        Magic Show by John Cassidy

Linvilla’s green house is green in more ways than one! It features cutting edge, earth friendly technology and energy conserving systems including: geothermal heating and cooling, a polycarbonate roof, radiant floor heat powered by an innovative wood chip burner, automatic shade curtains and vents, and LED and fluorescent lights. This efficient facility is also equipped to recycle rainwater for watering greenhouse and nursery plants.

The Garden Center is fully stocked with hundreds of varieties of annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs to make your outdoor space lush and inviting. Linvilla is also loaded with flowering hanging baskets and planters, plus the seeds, planting soils, plant care products, gardening tools, gloves and watering supplies to make your landscape and garden the envy of your neighborhood. Talk with their in-house horticulturists who will be on-hand with expert advice. You can also explore the wild bird department and discover the gift and toy shop, filled with beautiful, educational and fun items.

Linvilla Orchards Garden Center is located at 137 West Knowlton Road, Media, PA. For more information, call 610-876-7116 or visit their website.

Open Season

Meal Ticket’s roundup of spring day-trip destinations near and far.

By Adam Erace

From freshwater fishing to Japanese tea ceremonies, getting off the grid (literally and figuratively) connects our urban selves to uncommon flora, fauna and food, as well as the places they come from. From well-traveled to truly out of the way, here’s one of the seven spots for a more delicious spring.

Linvilla Orchards, Media

Distance from Center City: 29 miles

When you were young, you went for the giant slide. Now go for the apple, peach, pear, plum, apricot and nectarine trees spread across 300 acres of Media. (They grow 45 varieties of peaches alone.) Visit early or late to avoid school trips, though at this point in the season, backyard green thumbs and savvy suburban hostesses are more likely to overrun Linvilla than hay-riding tykes. The orchards supply the low-slung farm market with fruit for more than 40 types of pie; served warm, the strawberry rhubarb is a personal favorite, though you may have to wait until late spring, when Linvilla is the place for independent berry-picking. Visit at the end of this month for the annual fishing derby, in April for the flower festival and in May for an antique car show. 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, linvilla.com.

(See the full story at the City Paper‘s website.)

Celebrate the first night of Passover on Monday, April 18, and entertain your guests with some delicious desserts. Be sure to check out The Night Kitchen Bakery’s Passover menu that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Here is the menu:

Coconut Macaroons: $1.25 each

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons: $1.50 each

Truffles: $1.75 each

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries: $2.00 each

Chocolate Dipped Apricots: $1.50 each

50 piece cooking tray with assortment of above items: $50.00

Meringue Nests: $2.50 each

Chocolate Truffle or Fresh Fruit Tarts with Coconut Crust: (Serves 6-8): $25.00 each

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Small Serves 6-8: $24.00

Large Serves 10-12: $30.00

8 ” Plain Cheesecake with Matzoh Crust: $24.00

8” Chocolate, Cherry or Strawberry Swirl  Cheesecake with Matzoh Crust: $29.00

Orders must be placed by Wednesday, April 13^th. To place orders, call 215-248-9235. The Night Kitchen Bakery is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bakery is located at 7725 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118. For more information check out their website.