By Michelle Levine By Michelle Levine | September 1, 2022 | Culture, Food & Drink, Style & Beauty, Feature, Events, Art,
Celebrate the changing seasons with new ice cream flavors, opera festivals and the launch of a luxury sports bar.
Watch your favorite teams battle it out at this new spot.
CHEER Elevate game day at Bankroll (bankrollclub.com), the 16,000-square-foot luxury sports bar opening in the former historic Boyd Theater. With premium box seats, VIP concierge services, TVs at every angle and menu items provided by STARR Restaurants, Bankroll is the best place to catch a game. “Philadelphia is undoubtedly the greatest sports city in the U.S., and we’re launching Bankroll here because it’s the best place anywhere for sports,” explains founder Paul Martino. On nights without local games, be sure to catch the speaker series, featuring athletes, sports celebrities and betting experts for a one-of-a-kind experience. CEO Padma Rao adds, “No other sports bar combines these quality features, offerings and scale.”
Stanley’s works are created with charcoal and graphite
MARVEL Is it a photograph? Painting? No, these realistic, life-size works of art in the style of hyperrealism are sketches done in charcoal and graphite by Nigerian artist Arinze Stanley (arinzestanley.com). And his first solo exhibition in Philly is coming to Corridor Contemporary art gallery (corridor-contemporary.com) this month. Don’t miss the Sept. 2 opening of Deconstruct, a collection of works focussed on the resilience of Nigerian youth. Each stroke carefully depicts states of emotion. “The means in which he [Arinze] communicates his and his peers’ thoughts, feelings, struggles and triumphs is astounding,” says Director Damian Munoz.
Forsythia’s red wine, truffle-glazed lamb ribs
TASTE There’s nothing quite like Paris in autumn, and with the French AF series by Forsythia (forsythiaphilly.com) chef-owner Christopher Kearse, you can experience it all without taking an eight-hour flight. La Fête du Foie is the latest five-course tasting menu with a focus on foie gras, and it’s available on Sept. 14 for one night only. Typically a winter dish, Kearse will demonstrate how the French delicacy can be incorporated with other flavors, making your taste buds dance. “This time around, we’re using ingredients entirely sourced from local farms and purveyors to showcase how in line Philly is with foie gras,” Kearse explains. Wine pairings are also available to top off the Parisian night.
Selections from Rick Owens
SHOP For 50 years, Joan Shepp (joanshepp.com) has been dressing some of the city’s chicest women. And now, just in time for fall, it is continuing its tradition of housing some of the hottest trends to date. Think new finds from designers Rochas, Kenzo and Courrèges—featuring boots, jackets, fall accessories and more. “Accessories are better than ever, and the shoe game shows heels and boots in a new fresh way,” owner Ellen Shepp says. “We have found so many new brands exclusive to Joan Shepp in Philadelphia.” There’s never been a better excuse for a shopping spree.
Philadelphia’s Academy of Music
LISTEN Warm up your vocals—Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O (operaphila.org) is back for the first time since 2019 with a lineup of new performances. Celebrated over 12 days, Festival O22 includes Rossini’s Otello, Hosokawa’s The Raven and more. Aside from these live performances, there will also be opera on film, a decision based on the success of forced streaming during the pandemic. “As we’ve returned to live performance, we’ve found that film seems to have a place as part of our work,” says David B. Devan, general director and president of Opera Philadelphia. Each song, lyric and note creates a quintessential welcome back to live opera in the city.
The new location is in Chestnut Hill.
GIFT Looking to buy a never-before-seen gift? Check out Occasionette (occasionette.com) at its fourth and newest location in Chestnut Hill, opening Sept. 9. The woman-owned retailer is known for irresistible presents like embossed stationery from JooJoo Paper, cozy Barefoot Dreams socks and much more—plus a dreamy lavender pumpkin candle (founder Sara Villari’s favorite). “It’s poured exclusively for us by a talented candle-maker in Michigan and we are obsessed,” she says of the seasonal product.
Insomnia Cookies’ Caramellionaire ice cream is the perfect topping for one of its fall cookies; the new, seasonal Midnightberry cookie.
INDULGE When Insomnia Cookies (insomniacookies.com) debuted its first approach to ice cream, locals were all screaming for the delightful treat. But the best way to enjoy it? Nestled within two cookies, of course. While favorites like the s’mores deluxe are always a go-to, sweet tooths can flock to a variety of new fall fl avors to sandwich their ice cream treats. Picture this: Classic Cookies ‘N Cream with Cookie D’ough ice cream, or Classic Caramel Apple Pie cookie with its Caramellionaire ice cream. No matter your choice, it’s bound to be delicious.
The festival is celebrating 26 years with nearly 200 productions and experiences.
DANCE The 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival (fringearts.com) returns to the stage Sept. 8 for a four-week showcase of art in every medium. Featured performances include the U.S. debut of a new piece by Jérôme Bel with his “auto-bio-choreo-graphy” performed by Philadelphia native Megan Bridge, interactive murder mystery Larry’s Late Show by producer and actor Chelsea Cylinder and director Julianne Kastner and many more must-see acts. More than 1,000 performers travel from around the world to participate, bringing the best in the business to your backyard.
Lacroix at The Rittenhouse’s new brunch is a must-try for foodies.
BRUNCH Brunch is always a good idea, and now with Lacroix at The Rittenhouse’s (rittenhousehotel.com) new off er, it’s irresistible. Starting Sept. 25, the luxe hotel restaurant will be hosting Sunday brunch each week, bringing the fine dining experience to all meals of the day. Browse the buffet to find a raw bar, countless hors d’oeuvres, a cheese and charcuterie station, dessert sections and more. As tempting as it is to fill up on bites and bits, executive chef Eric Leveillee has prepared a set menu of entrees you won’t want to miss.
Camilla’s fall 2022 styles are making fall vibrant with colorful skirts, dresses and more.
DRESS Tiered skirts, cargo jumpsuits, color-splashed blouses… all of these and more await beyond the doors of JWH Boutique (hjboutique.store) as owner Hillary Jean launches a fall collection from Australian designer Camilla. Much like the boutique’s other carried brands, Camilla will be exclusively available at Jean’s boite. “We want our clients to be the only ones with them and feel special and not run into someone else wearing the same clothing, which we find quite oft en when we go out to an event,” she explains. Shop the collection and more at the newly renovated location in Wayne, which brings the chic vibes of Rodeo Drive to the Main Line.
Photography by: COURTESY OF BANKROLL; COURTESY OF ARINZE STANLEY AND CORRIDOR CONTEMPORARY; PUNCH MEDIA; COURTESY OF JOAN SHEPP; B. KRIST FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA; COURTESY OF PUNCH MEDIA; ANNA VAN KOOIJ; COURTESY OF LACROIX AT THE RITTENHOUSE; COURTESY OF CAMILLA