3 New Ideas for Entertaining in Philadelphia

Here's a look at what's new for 2017 in the Philadelphia area.

Amy Gordon
December 2, 2016

Get ready for 2017 with the latest ideas in catering, teambuilding activities, and more in and around Philadelphia.

Parks on Tap
In the summer of 2016, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation launched Parks on Tap, a mobile beer garden that traveled to different city parks each week. In addition, the program offers catering for private events with three tiered options, ranging from a small, four-tap beer truck and seating area to a 10-tap beer trailer, generator, tables and chairs for 200 guests, hammocks, and lighting. Bathroom trailers are also available at an additional cost.

In the summer of 2016, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation launched Parks on Tap, a mobile beer garden that traveled to different city parks each week. In addition, the program offers catering for private events with three tiered options, ranging from a small, four-tap beer truck and seating area to a 10-tap beer trailer, generator, tables and chairs for 200 guests, hammocks, and lighting. Bathroom trailers are also available at an additional cost.

Photo: Albert Yee
Reading Terminal Market Concierge and Valet Service
Reading Terminal Market launched a free shoppers’ concierge service on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer of 2016. Now customers can opt to store their purchases either in a refrigeration unit or a dry shelf while continuing to shop. The concierge counter, which is staffed by Reading Terminal Market employees, keeps packages secure until shoppers are ready to leave. A valet service, which delivers purchases directly to customers’ cars in a designated loading zone, is also available. Plus, the market launched a line of branded products, including travel mugs, tote bags, aprons, and more, which planners can include in gift bags.

Reading Terminal Market launched a free shoppers’ concierge service on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer of 2016. Now customers can opt to store their purchases either in a refrigeration unit or a dry shelf while continuing to shop. The concierge counter, which is staffed by Reading Terminal Market employees, keeps packages secure until shoppers are ready to leave. A valet service, which delivers purchases directly to customers’ cars in a designated loading zone, is also available. Plus, the market launched a line of branded products, including travel mugs, tote bags, aprons, and more, which planners can include in gift bags.

Photo: Courtesy of Reading Terminal Market
Mural Arts Customizable App
Mural Arts, the organization that oversees tours of the city’s many murals, rebranded in October and launched a mobile app that uses geo-tracking technology for self-guided tours all over town. Planners can contact Mural Arts to create customized sponsored tours for their guests, which can include local points of interest like restaurants, hotels, and shops, as well as a curated selection of murals.

Mural Arts, the organization that oversees tours of the city’s many murals, rebranded in October and launched a mobile app that uses geo-tracking technology for self-guided tours all over town. Planners can contact Mural Arts to create customized sponsored tours for their guests, which can include local points of interest like restaurants, hotels, and shops, as well as a curated selection of murals.

Photo: Courtesy of Mural Arts
More in Philadelphia
Kontrol, a “secret” bar, club, and late-night kitchen, opened in Midtown Village in September. The colorful, 1,000-square-foot underground space accommodates as many as 100 guests for cocktail-style events. The decor incorporates industrial elements like a polished concrete floor, exposed beams, historic brick and tile, graffiti from local artists, and a 25-foot granite bar. A glass wall showcasing the door to the original cellar vault honors the building’s heritage as the former home of Tradesman’s National Bank and Trust Company. The kitchen serves upscale bar bites like German pretzels, fresh-cut fries, and in-house smoked pork.
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Located on Avenue of the Arts, Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown Center City opened in March. The 223-room property includes multiple areas available for meetings or events. A 2,298-square-foot meeting room seats 120 guests theater style, 80 classroom style, or 48 conference style. The 510-square-foot boardroom seats 12 around a large conference table. Meeting amenities include a ceiling-mounted screen and projector, wireless microphones, built-in speakers, and HDMI-compatible hookups. The hotel also features a restaurant with views of the city skyline, Bluetooth compatible mirrors in each guest room, and in-room microwaves and refrigerators.
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Seasoned Philadelphia restaurateurs and collaborators Stephen Starr and Aimee Olexy opened the Love in Rittenhouse Square in November. The sophisticated yet relaxed café celebrates creative and seasonal American cuisine, with dishes such as crispy duck salad, truffle gnudi, seared New England scallops, and rosemary-garlic lamb roast. The 2,500-square-foot, bi-level restaurant seats 100, which includes an 800-square-foot upper-level loft that fits 45 for receptions or 20 for seated meals at a communal table.
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New Jersey-based mini-chain Porta opened a Philadelphia location in January. The Midtown Village restaurant serves authentic Neapolitan pizza in varieties that appeal to vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters, as well as pastas and shareable dishes. The venue includes a variety areas for events. The main floor measures 4,500 square feet and includes a “classic” side and a “fancy” side; the former seats 144 guests and features communal tables and mismatched chairs, while the latter includes smaller tables and seats 34 total guests with an additional 14 seats at the bar. A 2,200-square-foot mezzanine with seating for 78 overlooks the main dining room.
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Big Red Pedal Tours has introduced a Philadelphia food tour. While riding on the company’s signature 15-passenger bikes, guests enjoy a two-hour tour of some of the city’s standout culinary destinations, including Reading Terminal Market, Barra Rosa, and Destination Dogs. Tours typically start and end in Philadelphia’s Historic District, but planners can reserve private group tours and arrange for pick-up at hotels, meeting venues, or other locations. The tour fleet includes four bikes, which can accommodate groups of as many as 60 people. Weekday tickets cost $46 per person.
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East Passyunk Avenue welcomed Barcelona Wine Bar Passyunk in July. In addition to an award-winning wine list, the menu offers dishes inspired by the bold flavors of Spain and the Mediterranean, including charcuterie and cheeses, tapas such as spiced meatballs and patatas bravas, and entrees like vegetable paella and squid ink noodles. The restaurant features an open kitchen and is divided into several spaces that can accommodate groups of varying sizes; the 2,206-square-foot dining room seats 156, the 215-square-foot bar seats 23, and the 739-square-foot patio seats 70.
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Walnut Street Café opened in the FMC Tower in University City in June. The modern venue offers both casual and fine dining areas, as well as a cocktail bar and a patio. In total, the 3,000-square-foot restaurant can seat as many as 130 guests or accommodate 200 for cocktail-style receptions, with room for 60 additional guests on the patio, weather permitting. The American menu spans breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with diverse offerings such as gourmet croissants, scrapple, pork belly sandwiches, pastas, and steaks.
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Known for serving health-conscious dishes with 500 or fewer calories, Philadelphia mini-chain Fuel renovated its Midtown Village outpost—called Fuel Center City—in April. The menu includes salads, juices, sandwiches, desserts, and more, all of which are made with locally grown produce. The 1,700-square-foot space now offers flexible seating options, Philly-centric artwork, a community table, and a second-floor private event space. Planners can book events for as many as 72 seated guests in the main dining room, 20 seated guests on the outdoor patio, and 20 in the private event space.
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Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in the Pocono Mountains will unveil an extension in March. The addition includes 520 guest rooms and suites, bringing the total number of accommodations to 977. The property will add two new dining venues: Double Cut Charcoal Grill and Sortino’s Italian Kitchen. The Africa-theme resort also offers 65,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including two ballrooms measuring 25,000 square feet and 19,000 square feet, respectively, and 18 different meeting rooms. Event space is equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi, state-of-the-art lighting and audiovisual capabilities, and built-in HD projectors and monitors. Elsewhere on the property are amenities including the country’s largest indoor waterpark and a full-service salon and spa.
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