Tuesday shorts: Give your input on the revitalization of the west side, benefit for the Arden Concert Gild, 15 year win streak for Iron Hill Brewery

1) New interactive website lets you have input on the revitalization of the west side of Wilmington (which includes the areas around Canby Park and Little Italy).  The site was designed by Interface Studio and commissioned by the West End Neighborhood House, as well as other neighborhood organizations and businesses.  How the website works: view the map of the west side that's provided on the site, click on a spot within the map that needs improvement, and submit comments and suggestions that will correspond with place markers that will then appear on the map.  As an example, someone else wrote "More trash cans" for a spot on Union Street.  I think this is a great idea.  Website here.

1) Have lunch, dinner or drinks at Stoney's Pub to benefit the Arden Concert Gild.
Spend money at Stoney's today (Oct .11), from 11am-1pm, and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Concert Gild to help with the enormous costs of replacing the roof of Gild Hall.

2) Congrats to Iron Hill Brewery for a 15 year winning streak at the Great American Beer Festival.  This year they received a bronze medal for their Grand Inquisitor Stout, a bronze medal for their Vienna Red Lager, and a silver medal for their Russian Imperial Stout.   Full story over at Iron Hill's webpage.

Philly FEASTIVAL, to benefit Philly Fringe Fest, to be held on September 14th.

From Foobooz:

The now annual FEASTIVAL will again bring together top Philadelphia chefs as the culinary arts raise fund for Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe.
The event, building on the success of last year’s gala will be held on Wednesday, September 14th, 2011. This year the event will be held at Pier 9, located at 121 N. Columbus Boulevard. More than seven hundred attendees are expected to attend the tasty cultural event.
FEASTIVAL will once again be co-hosted by Stephen Starr, Michael Solomonov and Audrey Claire Taichman. This year’s event will honor Former Governor Edward Rendell for his role in Philadelphia’s cultural community.
“FEASTIVAL celebrates both our artistic and culinary scenes – two great economic engines that push Philadelphia forward,” said Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe Board President Richard Vague. This year’s FEASTIVAL will feature a culinary feast from the city’s top chefs, live performances by Live Arts artists, and a silent and live auction. All proceeds will benefit the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe.
For more information and tickets visit www.phillyfeastival.com

Food Bank of Delaware fundraiser - looks interesting if you have the dough:

Pike Creek Chiropractic Center is offering free services in exchange for donations to Food Bank of Delaware.

If you donate $50 or more to the Food Bank of Delaware, through Pike Creek Chiropractic, you'll get an exam, X-rays, and a consultation for free.  The offer expires Friday June 3rd.

For more info and for a printable coupon:
http://www.relylocal.com/newark-delaware/business_listings/pike-creek-chiropractic-center#coupon2031

Also: Happy Memorial Day.   Will be thinking of my pop (who'd been a p.o.w.) today.

Charity happy hour tonight (Tuesday) at Vinoteca 902

5-7pm.  Donate a $10 gas card (or cash) at the door, and it will go directly to local Meals On Wheels drivers.  There will be a special happy hour food and drinks menu, plus a surprise guest bartender.   Vinoteca 902 is on Market Street, close to Rodney Square.

Update: On Thursday, 5/26, the same charity happy hour will happen at Fish On.  

Garden jazz concert on Penna. Ave. on Wednesday, to benefit DCH.

The concert will be held at the Goodstay Gardens, 2600 Pennsylvania Ave., on Wednesday evening from 6-8pm.  This should be a good way to check out a local garden you might not have known about, hear some fun jazz, and support a good cause.  The band is the Hoppin John band from Philly, playing New Orleans brass band, early r&b, Dixieland, and straight jazz.  The concert benefits the Delaware Center for Horticulture, one of Wilmington's most worthwhile community-building institutions (they plant flowers and trees all over Wilmington and teach inner-city youths how to care for gardens).  Tickets are $10.  Cash bar, wine and beer.  For more info:

http://www.thedch.org/activities-events/calendar-events/event/jazzing-goodstay-gardens

MuFu Fest at Newark's Cinema Center 3 on Tuesday.

The MuFu Fest will benefit the National Film Preservation Foundation.  There will be bands, a DJ dance party, and avante-guard film.  Featured bands are Mean Lady (who I've recently been very pleasantly surprised by), Stallions, Easy Pyramids, Robot House, Dr. Dash and Troubled Hips.  There will also be DJs.  The festival starts at 8pm and goes until 2am on Tuesday the 17th, at Cinema Center 3 on the east end of Main Street, Newark.

For more info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148515701885983

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Also under the category of "concert on a school night": Arctic Monkeys at the Electric Factory on Wednesday,  8pm.  Tickets $33.

Taste of Italy, a benefit for the West End Neighborhood House, is taking place later this week.

It takes place on May 17th, 18th, and 19th, and features 26 venues - 13 restaurants and 13 small businesses.  The restaurants will have special menus, and all businesses will donate a percentage of sales (generally 15%) to the community center.  Wilmingtonic's top pick is Pomodoro, which is easily the best authentic Italian restaurant in New Castle County, maybe the state.  But there is something for every taste.  Participating restaurants are:

Pomodoro, Pastabilities, Bang Kok House, Blue Parrot, Dead Presidents, Juliana's Kitchen, Kozy Korner, Madeline's, Mona Lisa, Mrs. Robinos, Tijuana Taco Shop, Union City Grille, and Walter's Steakhouse. 

Participating businesses include:
Yatz Steaks & Subs, Walt's Flavor Crisp, The Little Kitchen, Sansones Seafood, Papa's Pastry Shop, Fierro & Sons Cheeses,  El Toro Mexican Food, Crimson Moon Tavern, Black Lab Breads, and Capriotti's. 

For the full list, and details on what percentage each business will contribute to the West End Neighborhood House, visit:

http://www.atasteoflittleitaly.com/

Two different comedy benefit shows on Thursday in the Wilmington area

Comedy benefit show at Mojo 13:

This comedy show benefits cancer patient and young father Dustin Walls.  The show runs from 8pm-11 on Thursday, and features local comedians Joe Mayo, Greg Lynn, Tommy Pope, Benny Michaels, Brendan Kennedy, and Michael Rainey (who has put this together).

From the organizer:

"This is a benefit for my good friend Dustin Walls. Last year, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of cancer. Since then, Dustin has been fighting it while having to endure radiation and chemotherapy. Dustin is one of the finest friends you could ever come across. This benefit means a great deal to Dustin, his wife Kylee, and their beautiful 2 year old daughter Layla. Also, some of my best comedian friends were willing to perform for free to make this event even better. I will be performing, as will Joe Mayo, Greg Lynn, Tommy Pope, Benny Michaels, and Brendan Kennedy. Please come out to support this event and the awesome person whom it stands to benefit."
The admission price is not being advertised on the event listing, but I would expect it to be somewhere around $5. 

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=159768147418037

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Comedy benefit show in Trolley Square / Little Italy:

This event benefits the Delaware Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and features comedians Mike Vecchione, Big Jay Oakerson, and local Geno Bisconte (who is amusingly hyped here as "seen on Fox News!").   The venue is Club 3 on 12th & Union.  I'm not familiar with this club, but it looks like the same location where several different clubs have been over the years, next to Frank's Wines.  Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.  Thursday, 9pm-midnight. 

For more info or advance tickets: http://www.inwilmingtonde.com/events/event.php?e=311

Ravioli contest to benefit West End Neighborhood House, Friday May 13th

I'm posting this a little early so the cooks out there have time to plan.  I don't know about your families, but my husband has phone conversations with his ma in which the only thing discussed is "who has the 'rigot' on sale this week".  From West End Neighborhood House:

"West End is hosting the Best of Little Italy Ravioli Contest on Friday, May 13th, at 11:00 a.m. Community members are welcomed to enter their best renditions of ravioli! Participating Taste of Little Italy restaurants will compete against each other, and community members will compete in a separate contest. The contest is a fun way to kick-off a Taste of Little Italy."

To enter the contest and get more details, contact Monica Alvarez of West End Neighborhood House at 302.888.5305 or at malvarez@westendnh.org.

Soul food dinner to benefit West End Neighborhood House's track team this Saturday.

This community center on the western side of Wilmington apparently has a 67 member nationally-ranked track team, and they need to raise some money to attend a national track meet in New Orleanss.  It's a good cause, and the food doesn't sound like it would be hard to get down, so pick up a plate if you're in the area on Saturday from noon to 4.  The center is located on 7th & Lincoln in Little Italy.  From WENH:

"Do you like soul food? Sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, red beans and rice, and fried chicken? Well, come out to West End on May 7th and support our nationally-ranked track team - Above Xpectations - and buy a soul food dinner! All proceeds will help the team and its 67 members get to a national AAU track meet in New Orleans! Dinners are being sold on Saturday, May 7th from noon until 4:00 p.m. You can also pre-order and pick-up! Contact Antwain Flowers at aflowers@westendnh.org for more information or to place an order!  If you can't make it in to buy a dinner, monetary contributions are also being accepted, of course!  THANK YOU for your continued support of West End, our programs, and the people we serve."

Guest bartenders needed for a West End Neighborhood House fundraiser in mid-May

I will be posting something about the Taste of Little Italy benefit later in the month, but in the meantime, guest bartenders are being sought for two Little Italy bars.  From West End Neighborhood House:

"GUEST BARTENDERS NEEDED: No experience necessary!

Opportunities are available to sling some drinks, have some fun, and support one of Delaware's most well-respected and innovative social service agencies. Show your friends and families what you can do behind the bar, instead of in front of it! As part of a Taste of Little Italy, guest bartending slots are open at Dead Presidents and Blue Parrot from 6:00 p.m.  through midnight (May 17-May 20).
Contact Hayley at 302.658.4171 x-181 or at hschmittinger@westendnh.org
for more details!"

Be Healthy 5k Run/Walk - deadline to preregister is May 4th

The race will be next Saturday, the 7th, in front of the Chase Center on the Riverfront.  It will benefit Healthy Delaware Foundation, First Tee of Delaware and the Needy Family Fund.  You can register on the day of the race, but you save a few bucks by preregistering.  The first 500 participants will receive free tote bags, and all participants are eligible to win a pair of sneakers.  For more info:

http://delawareonline.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=30522

Dining out tonight? Consider the following restaurants that are participating in Dining Out For Life

Eat at any of the following New Castle County eateries on Thursday, April 28th.  1/3 of profits will be donated to AIDS Delaware:

BBC, Jack’s Bistro, Jessop’s, Traders Cove, Caffé Gelato, Soffritto, Timothy’s of Newark, BellaVista Trattoria, Bellefonte Café, Chelsea Tavern, El Diablo Burritos, Extreme Pizza, Fresh Thymes Cafe (staying open for dinner tonight), Kooma, Lamberti’s (Prices Corner & Claymont), Lucky’s Coffee Shop, Pastabilities, Stoney’s, and Union City Grille.

This week at Theatre N:

The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town:

This Bruce Springsteen documentary combines concert footage from the late seventies with modern interviews of the E-Street Band, and those involved in their career.  Per The Boss's instructions, 100% of proceeds will go back to Theatre N.  Showsings are Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 5:30pm.   Ticket price is $10 for this one.

Super:

Starring The Office's Rainn Wilson, and Liv Tyler, this James Gunn comedy is the latest in the recent trend of movies about average guys becoming, or attempting to become, super heroes.   With an obviously diy costume, a wise-cracking sidekick (Ellen Page playing the petite-girl-with-gruff-voice-and-saucy-attitude role she always plays), and an odd weapon choice, this superhero should be at least mildly entertaining.  Friday at 8, Saturday at 3:45, or Sunday at 3:15.  $7.

Power Struggle, with wine and cheese reception, Thursday only.  From Theatre N:

"In late 2006, 22-year-old Kathryn Cunningham Hall set out to bring round-the-clock electricity to a hospital in West Africa. Since then, Power Up Gambia has improved conditions at a number of Gambian health facilities, thanks in large part to supporters in the Wilmington area.

Now, PUG is featured in the compelling documentary film “Power Struggle”. Power Up Gambia is inviting our supporters, both old and new, to join us for an exclusive evening at Theatre N in Downtown Wilmington.
Seating is limited and reserved seating is required. (Use "comp ticket" as form of payment when reserving).
The evening’s programming includes:
•Wine & Cheese Reception
•“Power Struggle” Documentary Film Screening
•Q&A with PUG founder Kathryn Hall and filmmaker David Dawkins
•PUG Board Members share the latest from their recent trip to The Gambia.
•Coffee, Tea & Desserts"

Thursday at 7pm.  Free, but donations to the cause are appreciated.

Royal Wedding Live:

If you're really into the whole royal wedding thing (somebody must be - Barnes and Noble has no less than a dozen books about the young couple.  Really?), and you don't mind the torture of a pre-dawn alarm setting, Theatre N is showing the royal wedding live on Friday.  At 4am.  They'll have scones and English tea.  Free.

Saturday at El Diablo Burritos:

$1 from every made-from-scratch burrito, salad, quesadilla, or taco sold will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  

El Diablo is located in the heart of Trolley Square, at Delaware Ave. and Dupont streets.  Saturday hours are 11am - 10pm.   Phone: 302.691.5532

Wilmingtonic is not a fan of Wilmington's "Loops" (organized pub crawls, for out-of-staters)

Just too many off-putting experiences in years past.  Call me totally over the Loop concept.

However, not everyone is a curmudgeon / has the same problem I have with hordes of drunks, putans dressed in indistinguishable "sexy" costumes, and bus drivers that try to extort money out of you to drive their assigned bus routes.  So if you insist on your Loops, at least the newest one to hit the schedule, the "Bunny Hop", will benefit something besides the Jagermeister brand.   The $5 cover fee, which gets you access to 21 clubs and more cliche Playboy Bunny sightings than you can shake a VD test at, will benefit the Delaware Humane Association, Delaware SPCA, and Faithful Friends.   The loop is on Saturday, in the usual Wilmington locations, from 8 to drunk-o-clock.

A letter from the Philadelphia Orchestra Association

Wilmingtonic's preface: The recent news about the venerable Philadelphia Orchestra having to file for bankruptcy is heart-breaking.  The orchestra was a big part of my childhood.  My mother started taking me to the orchestra when Eugene Ormandy was still conducting, and we went frequently, sometimes every other week, up through my late teens.  I took music lessons with a few members of the orchestra (mostly Joseph Lanza Sr. and later with Joseph DePasquale), and a good number of the lessons happened backstage at the Academy of Music.   My sister and I once nearly knocked Itzhak Perlman off of his crutches as we, late to our lessons, rushed up to the door of the green room  just as he was coming through it after a rehearsal.   I've only seen the orchestra a handful of times as an adult, but I never imagined there could come a time when the orchestra simply isn't there, any more than I could have imagined a Philadelphia without a liberty bell.

The orchestra's plan is to stay operational, but if they don't get some funding over the next year, that could change.  Read the letter from the player's association here:

http://www.philorchtoday.org/a-message-to-our-patrons/

The most important part is this:

"We ask you to stand with us now and show your support for The Philadelphia Orchestra. One of the best ways you can support this cultural icon is by attending concerts. Buy tickets for our remaining performances and consider a subscription for our exciting 2011-12 season. We appreciate that there might be concern for our future and as such, we are placing all revenues for the 2011-12 season in escrow until the concerts occur."

Honestly, this brings tears to my eyes.   The Lanzas and the DePasquales must feel sick.

Johnny Brenda's in Philly is hosting a happy hour fundraiser for the Delaware Estuary Project on Tuesday

The event will last from 5-7pm on Tuesday night, ideal for Philly-DE commuters.  All proceeds from the sale of fresh and baked oyster specials and Flying Fish's Farmhouse Ale will be donated to the Delaware Estuary Project, which is dedicated to the Delaware River and Bay. 

Johnny Brenda's is located on Frankford & Girard in the Fishtown neighborhood.  Visit http://www.johnnybrendas.com/ for info.

The Wilmington Library's bi-annual book sale is on this week

The spring book sale this year spans from Monday the 11th to Wednesday the 13th, inside the library.  On Monday and Tuesday, hardbacks are $2, most paperbacks are $1, and the small pocket-sized paperbacks are 50 cents.  On Wednesday, the selection will be smaller but you can fill a bag for a set amount of money - usually about $7.   There's also a small collection of (mostly dated) CDs, DVDs, VHS, and vinyl. 
Hours are 9:30 am to 7:00 pm, making it ideal for city workers to drop in during a lunch break or after work.  The library is located on the south side of Rodney Square, at 10th and Market. 

Vinyl enthusiasts won't find the latest 7" from Secretly Canadian, but if you're into the Mantovani Strings Play Vivaldi, you're in luck!  Still, the book selection is pretty large and interesting.  I always manage to find a few really choice books, especially in the non-fiction section.  Funds benefit the library. 

While you're there, check out the library's small-but-interesting exhibit on the 150th anniversary of the first shot of the Civil War.  The exhibit includes a very old map of Delaware from the library's archives, and vintage newspapers that reported on the activity at Fort Sumter.   It's worth a glance just for the mid-19th century newspaper advertisements, including one for a brand new "Living Home and Home for the Insane".  This particular ad reported that beds were filling quickly, so you'd better sign up if you saw a need for this home in the near future.  It was, hilariously, at once matter-of-fact and chipper, as if they were selling prom dresses. 

For more information on the book sale:  http://www.wilmlib.org/events.html