Where to Shop, Eat and Party in Philly This Month

Embrace the new season with artistic experiences, sumptuous dining experiences and more.Become an expert cheese board maker at one of the Philly Cheese School classes this month, with seasonal and inventive flavor combinations.

LEARN Elevate your cheese board game at the Philly Cheese School’s (phillycheeseschool.com) first shop in Bella Vista. This month, the LGBTQ+and woman-owned business is here to teach turophiles with a variety of classes: Mocktails & Cheese With Fever-Tree (Oct. 14), Potato Chips & Cheese (Oct. 21) and Halloween Candy & Cheese (Oct. 31). “We are all about finding ways to make artisanal cheese tasting fun and accessible, and a great way to do that is by offering it alongside different pairings that might be new to people or even break the rules,” says founder Julia Birnbaum, who established the business online in 2020. After a cheese-filled hour and a half, attendees leave with expert tips and tricks from the former head monger of New York City’s renowned shop Murray’s Cheese.

During the show, attendees can listen to songs like Academy Award-winning tune “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

DANCE Get ready to relive the time of your life with Dirty Dancing Live in Concert (dirtydancinginconcert.com), coming to the Kimmel Cultural Campus (kimmelcenter.org) Oct. 29. Th e first live concert experience of the 1980s classic brings a live band and performers to sing along to a digitally remastered showing of the film. Following the performance, attendees are invited to stay for the encore party—a concert that will play popular hits from the soundtrack. Dance and sing along like it’s 1987 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of this generational masterpiece in true Johnny and Baby style.

PARTY Leave the men at home—it’s Ghouls Night Out at Autograph Brasserie (autographbrasserie.com) on Oct. 20. In celebration of the fall season, ladies are invited to shop, dine and mingle for an inspirational and powerful experience, featuring engaging talks from women like CEO of Purposeful Networking Jennifer Robinson. During the event, indulge in bites like butternut squash soup and housemade orecchiette with roasted tomatoes, basil and Parmesan while supporting local women-owned businesses, such as Body+Beauty Lab, Mindful Presents and the Kathy Romano collection. Before you leave, stick around to win one of the dozen prizes available and take home a complimentary live fashion illustration of yourself by local artist Denise Fike.

The Riverhouse at Odette’s

READ For the ultimate book club, head to the River House at Odette’s in New Hope (riverhousenewhope.com) for its new author series, starting Oct. 26. Each month, the boutique hotel will promote one author, encouraging guests and locals to catch up on their reading prior to the author’s visit. Mingle and listen in as the featured writers talk through their literary choices and process, as a peek into their creative strategies. “We wanted to provide a retreat, not only for the authors themselves to enjoy but also for our guests and local residents to have a one-on-one tailored experience with some of today’s most revered writers,” says Ron Gorodesky, founder and CEO of Refined Hospitality. The series kicks off with Philadelphia resident Jason Rekulak and his latest novel, Hidden Pictures.

Glossier’s wide selection of cosmetics are ideal for creating the “no makeup” makeup look.

GLOSS Hold on to your lipgloss—New York-based cosmetics brand Glossier (glossier.com) is finally opening its first brick-and-mortar in Philadelphia later this month. Since launching in 2014, this will be the beauty brand’s eighth store, housing a wide selection of skincare, makeup, bodycare and fragrances. “Glossier Philadelphia will feature the iconic design elements fans of the brand have come to love and expect, like the innovative wavy-design product testing tables and You Look Good selfie mirror,” says CEO Kyle Leahy. “Th e store draws inspiration from local landmarks and environment to put a unique, locally inspired twist on the space.” Be sure to stop by the Walnut Street location, as locals will also have access to exclusive merch for the Philly market, with 5% going to charity.

Combining “home” and “omakase,” Ten Homakase fulfills omakase dreams from wherever one desires.

EAT It’s no secret that omakase dining has skyrocketed in popularity—but what if we told you that there’s a new way to enjoy the Japanese cuisine? Enter Ten Homakase (tenhomakase.com), a customizable and intimate dining option coming to Philly this month that gives you the opportunity to host omakase in your own home. Invite a group of friends over for a night of nigiri (12, 15 or 17 courses), with mouthwatering addons like uni, wagyu and sake tastings. Spearheaded by head sushi chef Daniel Kim (formerly of New York City’s Sushi by Bou) and Lim Piao, who trained at premier sushi counters in Chicago for over a decade, the evening will surely be unforgettable, and tasty. “Our distinct and truly unique omakase experience is your restaurant for the night,” says Kim.

Grab a VIP ticket to enjoy swag bags with goodies from every conference vendor.

PAMPER Self-care is the game and SELF(ISH)philly (selfishphilly.com) is the name of this women-focussed conference (Oct. 2). For the third year in a row, women are invited to Vue on 50 for a day of relaxation, wellness and all things self-care. Starting the day with a cellular massage by sound by artist Luna Maye, attendees will also be able to access sessions for acupuncture, massage and reiki. Plus—don’t miss discussions on a variety of topics, including biohacking business and health from Dr. Nicole Rivera and grief management with a panel of therapists, podcast hosts and more. New this year is the VIP lounge, which offers five-star treatment from Exhale Spa.

Since its launch, Burger Brawl has grown to a 5,000-person event.

BRAWL In 2019, Lucky’s Last Chance brought home the Judge’s Choice award during Philly Burger Brawl (phillyburgerbrawl.com), hosted by Rouge. Now, three years later, the food-tastic event is back and better than ever. Watch and taste as over 60 of Philly’s favorite eateries compete for the best burger on Oct. 23 at Xfinity Live!, which includes a day of live music, the Jim Beam Cocktail Competition and, of course, the must-see burger battle. Started 12 years ago by Rouge owners Maggie and Rob Wasserman, the event’s main focus is philanthropy—to date, they have raised nearly $500,000 for Philadelphia schools and youth programs, with this year’s focus on Parks & Recreation. “We never believed that the Philly Burger Brawl would be entering its 10th year,” says Rob. “It’s exciting for us to be able to reach children in the community through programming outside of school hours.”

CELEBRATE Celebrating 25 years of excellence, Fork (forkrestaurant.com) is pulling out all the stops with a zine initiative—a self-published mini mag. “In June, we launched our first Fork Zine, which focused on sustainability throughout the city of Philadelphia,” says Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group’s co-founder and owner. “Each issue will focus on key pillars such as sustainability, community, collaboration and creativity and feature writing from High Street Hospitality Group’s staff, local and national writers including Inga Saffron and more.” Leading up to their birthday, a portion of sales will benefit a cause tied to the theme of the zine issue. Be sure to celebrate with the team on Oct. 9 with slices of giant cake at Old City Fest, and again on the 15th—large-format bottles of sparkling wine will be offered to toast their official birthday.