People at Woody's during Philadelphia Black Pride

March 25, 2019

April 2019 Story Ideas: Philadelphia

Looking for a story to tell this month? We got you.

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Robert Toland, pastry and events chef at Terrain, is a rising food star you ought to know.

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Philadelphia Black Pride celebrates its 20th year, April 25-28, 2019. Photo by A. Ricketts for Visit Philadelphia

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Ana Caballero creates an abuela-inspired Honduran "If My Grandma Were To Cook For You" dinner at Jezabel's Cafe on April 19, 2019.

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Carnaval de Puebla returns to Washington Avenue April 28, 2019. Photo by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadephia

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The American Whiskey Convention takes place at Penn Museum April 5, 2019. Photo courtesy American Whiskey Convention

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Looking for a story to tell this month? Philadelphia has plenty of them. Here are some of the people, places and events on our radar right now:

COOL FOOD EVENT:
Last month, Spruce Hill chef-restaurateur Jezabel Careaga of Jezabel’s Cafe launched her third-Friday-each-month series If My Grandma Were To Cook For You with a sold-out dinner by South Philly Barbacoa’s Cristina Martinez. On April 19., Careaga hosts Ana Caballero, who has worked as cook and sustainability manager at Fork, who’ll make a dinner inspired by her Honduran abuela. With Doña Linda guacamole (with egg, queso and saltines) and Yuca con Chicharrón (pork carnitas, boiled cassava), it’s not to be missed. On May 17, Nacho Mari will serve a Spanish dinner of escalivada, eggplant escabèche, paella and crema catalana. June 21, Careaga offers seasonal vegetable escabèche, carrot leaf and rice croquettes, pollo dorado and summer fruit salad con merengue from her native Argentina.

PROFILE: ROBERT TOLAND
Robert Toland, pastry and event chef at Terrain at Styer’s, has worked hard for what he’s earned. But he was also born into it. “My father’s a chef. Everyone in my family has been into cooking and art as well,” said the Philadelphia native. “My interest in pastry came from the idea of combining art and food.” The alum of Parc, Oyster House, Bar Ferdinand and Stateside fulfills triple roles at the Glen Mills lifestyle garden store. He oversees the daily baking of hundreds of flower-pot breads, plans and works weddings (he got married there in 2017) and teaches baking classes, sometimes, with Martha Stewart. His latest creation: an edible terrarium, layers of milk chocolate namelaka, dark chocolate cake (looks like soil), a chocolate mousse “stone” and matcha crunch to mimic moss.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA^®NEWS:
Visitors—and locals—can now buy XOXO swag at the Independence Visitor Center’s newly expanded gift shop and on their online shop. Signature merchandise includes coffee mugs, T-shirts, chocolate bars and notebooks, all made With Love.

WHAT WE’RE EATING NOW:
Daniel Davis, Media Relations Coordinator: Eating healthy is a big priority for me this year. FUEL’s Korean BBQ Rice Bowl, made with chicken (or tofu), brown rice, red onion, Portabella mushrooms, carrots, kale and kimchi is a good, healthful meal I’ve been enjoying.

APRIL EVENTS:

April 2-June 29, Civil Disobedience: Celebrating Queer Resilience: The Lightbox Film Center hosts an exhibit of LGBTQ art organized by the Da Vinci Art Alliance and the June film series “Queering the Lens;” both focus on protests and bravery during the time of Stonewall.
April 5, American Whiskey Convention: Elite distillers show off and offer lectures on more than 250 whiskies—all available for tasting— at the Penn Museum.
April 5-September 2, Sara Berman’s Closet: The National Museum of American Jewish Historypresents its first public art installation and an indoor exhibit of the revelatory personal effects of an immigrant grandmother, along with works by her artist-writer daughter, Maria Kalman, and designer-curator grandson, Alex Kalman.
April 16-August 18, The Impressionist’s Eye: Philadelphia Museum of Art assembles a rarely seen compilation of familiar and less familiar Impressionist works in one exhibition.
April 17-28, PEEPS in the Village: This first-ever display of (and competition among) the popular marshmallow treat takes over Peddler’s Village.
April 19-21, Tiny Room for Elephants: The DJ-driven, pop-up art and music festival appears for its first year at Cherry Street Pier.
April 25-28, Philadelphia Black Pride: Celebrating 20 years of gathering in the Gayborhood with lectures, gatherings, parties and more.
April 28, Carnaval de Puebla: Colorful, musical, costume-full Mexican parade makes proud return to Washington Avenue, representing the native home of many Philadelphians.

LOOKING AHEAD:

May 4, Bold Women & Beer Festival: Philly’s first-ever female-focused beer festival takes over Love City Brewing for the day.
May-June, Whitman at 200: The University of Pennsylvania Libraries Kislak Center has organized a yearlong celebration, from Philadelphia to Camden, NJ, around Whitman’s 200^th birthday, with an expanded roster of events during the date itself, May 31.