Chairs, Chairs Everywhere! Parking Spot Marking During Snowy Times

By Washington Washington

Wasn’t all of that snow great? Yea… It was. Even the shoveling that came with it was a breeze, if you got to it early enough. I began shoveling at 1pm on Saturday, just after the snow stopped falling. It was light and fluffy, not too much trouble at all.

Aside from clearing off my walkways, porch, and steps, I also dug out the car I had parked on the street. This was a bit more of a hassle because the space between the tire and the curb was kinda difficult to access with the shovel, but still it wasn’t a big deal. I shoveled the few feet of snow that were in front of the car, and same deal in the back.

Later Saturday afternoon / early evening, I walked down to Bridge and saw many instances of “parking spot marking” with fold out chairs. I hate this practice… always have. It’s a town-wide epidemic that must stop. In some cities, such as Washington DC, if you get caught marking a parking space you could be slapped with a fine. Does this exist in Phoenixville? If not, it should.

Just because someone clears a parking spot does not mean that person owns the space and has the right to reserve it. This was clearly evident when I glanced out at the parking spot I had cleared only to discover someone else had put a chair there!

So this individual just decided that they would claim the spot I cleared for their own… Was it because I didn’t put a chair there? I don’t know what goes through someone’s head when they are doing that, and I don’t want to know. I don’t want to play the game. I will, however, kick over any chairs that get in my way.

Bottom line, the street is a public place and no portion of it should be reserved for any one indivdual (with the exception of the handicapped).

I’d really like to hear what other people think about this, so please leave comments.

2 Comments

admin, February 7th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Rants

Painted Blue Returns To Pickering Creek Inn (2/5)

By Washington Washington

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Painted Blue will return to the Pickering Creek Inn with a whole new lineup this Friday, February 5th. OneNineSixFourZero was unable to acquire details on these changes, so we’ll just have to go to the show to find out (we would have anyway).

Painted Blue’s skilled brand of folk and bluegrass (or “newgrass” as those in that genre call it) is a nice change of pace, making them a much welcomed monthly musical addition to the acts playing around town.

Tim Dodson (guitar and vocals) leads the group through songs about old-timey topics, train travel, and a myriad of emotions. As the master mood maker, Dodson’s gentle demeanor lends itself well to the overall vibe of the band. His guitarmanship is mega-legit and establishes the professionalism of the band.19460

As strings set the tone, Nichole Campanale definitely delivers on the fiddle. Not to be outshined, Mike Spillane makes magic on the mandolin, and Jerome McCaffrey is bangin’ on the upright bass. The chemistry between them is charming… It’s heartwarming drinking music.

Painted Blue conjures up images of fun in autumn. Even their songs with a more somber aesthetic seem to feel comfortable and warming. It’s the kind of thing that never gets old, even if it’s not modern.

Their first release Time Rolls On (2007) displays their skills wonderfully, but they’ve progressed as a band since then. Hopefully, they’ll record and release a new record soon.

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admin, February 4th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Previews

Thirsty Thursday: Renew your vows to Iron Hill’s Mug Club (2/4)

by Emmett Otter

Calling all Iron Hill Mug Clubbers:  have you gotten tired of lookin at that same old 2009 mug, with its’ black and blue façade? Well, get ready because now’s the time to renew your membership.  Next Thursday, Feb. 4, Iron Hill is hosting its Mug Club Renewal Party from 6 to 8 p.m.

For those of you who  don’t know about the Mug Club, it’s $35 beans per year and your account is instantly credited with 200 points.  Upon reaching 300 you earn a $25 gift card.  How are points accrued, you ask? Simple, by enjoying Iron Hill beers and food (both of which are quite tasty).  You earn a point for each dollar spent (tax, tip and purchase of gift cards not included).   On top of that, you get to keep your mug, which is a 24 oz bomber, at the time you sign up, and every time you flash your card you get your mug filled while paying the price of a pint, depending on the alcohol content of the beer (trust me, you may not be able to handle 24 oz of some of their Belgians).  That’s an extra 8 oz of beer people!!  What’s more, you also get an invite to Members-only (not the jacket) events where you can get a taste of new and specialty brews before Joe Schmoe.

Take it from me, if you regularly visit Iron Hill, this Mug Club card is a deal.

The Hill is currently featuring its Belgian Pale Ale, a light and refreshing brewski with the complexity of an Abbey ale.

More deets are available at the Web site:  http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/phoenixville/.

2 Comments

admin, February 1st 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Previews

Molly Maguire’s 1st Annual Wing Bowl (2/4 – Register by 1/31)

by Washington Washington

Molly Maguire’s 1st Annual WING BOWL will be held on Thursday, February 4th at 8:30. Tickets to enter wing eating contest can be purchased at Molly’s for $20.  This includes entrance into the contest, a souvenir glass, a $10 Molly’s Gift Certificate, and a chance to win…

Grand Prize – Foosball table and $100 Molly’s Gift Certificate

Runner-Up – Guinness Dart Board Set and a $50 Molly’s Gift Certificate

All entrants are encouraged to dress up in costume to represent their wing-eating alter ego.  The Best Costume will win a free order of wings at Molly’s each month for a year.

Tickets must be purchased in advance, no later than SUNDAY, JANUARY 31ST!!!

The Jagerettes will also be making an appearance for this event!

$4.50 Harp and Smithwick’s 20 oz. drafts!

Go to the Molly’s web site, www.mollymaguirespubs.com for more information.

2 Comments

admin, January 27th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

Pickering Creek Inn Craft Brew Night With Rogue Ales (1/28)

by Washington Washington

This Thursday Pickering Creek Inn will host their popular Craft Brew Night at 6pm, this time featuring Rogue Ales. There will be pint specials and giveaways as always.

The Pick will pour three different brews…

Double Dead Guy Ale (9.00% abv) – Deep amber copper color. Buttery peanut brittle, orange blossom tea aromas follow through to a rich chewy and fruity full body with nice notes of caramel drizzled dried apricot and roasted grains and spice. Finishes with a long, tangy grilled grapefruit and chocolate fade.

Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout (6.00% abv) - Ebony in color with a rich creamy head, earthy flavor and a mellow, chocolate finish.

Mogul Madness (6.25% abv) - Hoppy, caramel aroma, dark burgundy in color with an off white head. Intense flavors of citrus hops, and complex notes of nuts, berries and mocha. It finishes long and lingers for at least 15 seconds.

In case you forgot, karaoke starts at 9pm,  so be sure to put down a few Double Dead Guys and perform the perfect tribute to your new favorite beer…

1 Comment

admin, January 26th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Previews

Los Mariachis Mexican Restaurant – Reviewed by 16 People

by Washington Washington

Here’s a concept that might be catching on at this here website…

Last night, a group of sixteen people met at Los Mariachis Mexican Restaurant (201 Gay Street) to eat, drink and review the place. It was epic… A long table “last supper” style table was fashioned out of four normal “everyday” tables, and everything went pretty smooth.

First, I have to hand it to the staff at Mariachis for handling us so well. I mean, there were sixteen of us, getting beer’d up and being loud. The staff was well prepared and got (almost) everything right.

Second, no matter what the reviews below say, this place is a great bargain / value. Our bill was just around $185.00. That’s unheard of in this day and age.

Now, on to the reviews…

FEMALE #1
Order: Chicken Enchiladas (Verdes) Platter ($8.75)
Comment: Good comfort food. Good amount of everything. More refried beans would have made it perfect.
Would you order this again?: YES

MALE #1
Order: Tex Mex Taco Platter ($8.75)
Comment: Great tacos! Simple, but tasty grilled sweet onions on tacos!
Would you order this again?: YES

FEMALE #2
Order: Tamale Combo ($10.95)
Comment: Not the best I ever had. The flavor and texture of the tamales was decent, but the corn-to-meat ratio fell more on the corn side.
Would you order this again?: YES

MALE #2
Order: Chicken Enchiladas (Rojas) Platter ($8.75)
Comment: Chicken was well prepared. Refried beans spoke eloquently. Rice was tender but understanding. Ambience was sorely lacking.
Would you order this again?: YES

FEMALE #3
Order: Cheese Enchiladas (Verdes) Platter ($8.75)
Comment: Super tasty! The green sauce was the perfect temperature. Accompanied by rice and beans, it made the perfect dinner.
Would you order this again?: YES

MALE #3
Order: Veggie Burrito ($6.50)
Comment: Very plain… Only rice with a little bit of beans, lettuce, and tomato. No onions of peppers. However, I had some of the other burritos here before and they are excellent.
Would you order this again?: NO

FEMALE #4
Order: Stuffed Papper ($9.00) + Chicken Taco ($2.00) + Fried Plantain w/ Sour Cream ($3.50
Comment: The stuffed papper was not like what I was expecting. The papper was fried and I did not like the sauce. I did like the chicken tacos however. (NOTE: the plantain was not mentioned in this diner’s review, but I tried some, and it was pretty good)
Would you order this again?: NO and YES

MALE #4
Order: ???
Comment: A little over what I’d like to spend, but it’s always good food, good service, and good fun. They treat customers like good chicos and chicas. Would like them to have a twice grilled burrito. (NOTE: there was also what appeared to be a crudely drawn penis on the reviewer’s card)
Would you order this again?: YES

FEMALE #5
Order: Chile Rellano ($9.00)
Comment: A little spicy… Excellent cheese (fried flavor, not so good). Nice china! I’ll stick with my usual veggie quesadillas.
Would you order this again?: NO

MALE #5
Order: Tex-Mex Enchiladas ($7.75)
Comment: I worked in a Mexican restaurant for a couple years. I give them a 7 out of 10. Some things lacked flavor and heat.
Would you order this again?: MAYBE

FEMALE #6
Order: Tex-Mex Combo (pork): 1 taco, 1 tamale, 1 chimi  ($10.50)
Comment: A Mexican dream came to life with friendly service and an “authentic” feel; worth the meal. Not sure of the mystery meat, but the main food is flavorful. The BYOB is a plus – go with friends.
Would you order this again?: Not intentionally, but then again I didn’t order it in the first place.

MALE #6
Order: Tex-Mex Combo (1 taco, 1 tamale, 1 chimi) ($10.50)
Comment: Taco, rice and tamale are decent. Cheesy chimichanga with chicken was delicious!
Would you order this again?: YES

FEMALE #7
Order: Enchiladas Mole ($8.75)
Comment: Generous portions… Pretty good.
Would you order this again?: YES

MALE #7
Order: Mexican Platter (2 enchiladas, 2 mini quesadillas and 2 stuffed peppers) ($15.00)
Comment: Excellent sampling of great Mexican standards. The stuffed peppers were tops!
Would you order this again?: YES

FEMALE #8
Order: Pollo Guisado con Arroz (Stewed Chicken w/ rice, beans, salad) ($11.00)
Comment: Delicious! Chicken melted off the bone, salad was yummy and the rice & beans rocked!
Would you order this again?: YES

MALE #8
Order: ??? ($9.95)
Comment:  Chicken, lime, lettuce, fresh chopped onion, stewed jalapeño in a soft corn tortilla. Add in the cilantro and do I really need to say anything else?
Would you order this again?: YES

6 Comments

admin, January 22nd 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Reviews

MAXIM Magazine Gives Phoenixville Beers Props

by Washington Washington

MAXIM is certainly not the authority on “all things cool”, but they sure know their beer. In the February issue, MAXIM prominently features Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale as one of “The 25 Best New Beers in America”.

In addition, Philadelphia is named MAXIM’s “Favorite Beer Burg”, and both Iron Hill and Sly Fox get shout outs (in addition to Victory, Stoudts, Nodding Head, and Triumph).

Yeah!

1 Comment

admin, January 19th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

Haitian Relief Benefit Show – 1/20 – PJ Ryan’s underground

by Washington Washington

This Wednesday, January 20th, a benefit show supporting the Red Cross Haitiain relief efforts will take place at the newly-refurbished PJ Ryan’s underground (231-233 Bridge Street – formerly Lojo’s). The show (21+) starts at 10pm and a $5 (minimum) donation is required. Performers include: McReadyRock, Blanko Dave, Elissa Sapp (of Karma Bat), Everybody’s Favorite Band, and Si Senorita.

McReadyRock is an up-and-coming Phoenixville / Philadelphia alt hip hop collective. DJ Joey O of YRock on XPN said the following of the band:”The versatile McReadyRock defy classification with their ability to tackle almost any genre…call them electronic-rap-indi-rock if you must, but they’re the only band around with the testicular fortitude to cover both Jesus Christ Superstar and Run DMC.”

Blanko Dave is a singer / songwriter who plays guitar, both electric and acoustic, but also baritone, slide, 12-string, and electric sitar. He’s a talented local guy that creates some really solid Americana music.

Elissa Sapp (of Karma Bat) is also a singer / songwriter who plays acoustic guitar and piano. Her bandmate Jim Marchione recalls the first time he heard her perform at an open mic night: “She was this tiny little girl with an acoustic guitar that was bigger than she was, but her voice was so huge and spot-on… I don’t know when I’ve heard a better rock vocalist, I just knew we had to work together.”

Everybody’s Favorite Band performs a mix of Irish music and classic rock. Their Irish music selections include traditional and rebel songs, as well as some of their original Irish compositions, such as “Kill ‘em Again”. They play songs from great artists such as the Chieftains, Dubliners, Van Morrison, Flogging Molly, The Proclaimers, The Saw Doctors, U2, Dropkick Murphy’s, and more.

4 Comments

admin, January 17th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Previews

The British are coming to Iron Hill this Saturday

by Third Ave Hooligan

A’right there mates and mods, prepare yourself for a lesson all things related to across-the-pond brewskis this Saturday during Iron Hill’s British Invasion from 12 until 5 p.m. which will feature EIGHT English-style beers ranging from nut brown ale (think Newcastle) , regular and cask-conditioned, to ESBs (think Fullers).  The first team squad includes the aforementioned nut brown ale and ESB as well as an oatmeal stout, anvil ale, barleywine, pig iron porter and English strong ale.  There will also be some guest appearance beers, according to the Web site.

English fare will be featured on the menu, too, so grab some fish n’ chips or a meat pie and wash it down with some tasty beers.

Maybe the Hill will put some soccer on the telly so we can all get pissed and fight over which Premie team has the better squad (look out Man U supporters) or which band is the best to come out of England.  Play up Pompey!!

Oh, and to get us in the mood to be a hooligan, the Hill is giving away pint glasses to the first 50 mug clubbers!  Who doesn’t love limited quantity giveaways!?

No Comments

admin, January 15th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Previews

Pickering Creek Inn’s 1st Annual “Coney Island” Craft Brew Night & Hot Dog Eating Contest

by Washington Washington

Pickering Creek Inn will host their 1st Annual “Coney Island” Craft Brew Night & Hot Dog Eating Contest tonight at 6pm. In the Coney Island tradition, hot dogs will be sold for $1.00 and a hot dog eating contest will begin at 7pm ($5.00 to enter the contest and the winner gets a $50.00 cash prize). There will be pint specials and giveaways as always.

The Pick will pour three brews from Southampton Brewery…

Double White (abv: 6.8) – A ‘double’ version of traditional Belgian White Ale spiced with coriander and orange peel.

Imperial Porter (abv: 7.5) – An extremely dry light-medium bodied beer with average co2, feels quite thin on the palate.

Saison (abv: 6.5) – A farmhouse ale with stunningly complex with tropical fruit overtones of pineapple and passion fruit. Imported malt and hops create a smooth, earthy flavor on the palate.

So come on out, drink and few brews, eat a few dozen hot dogs, and sing your ass off at karaoke afterwards…

No Comments

admin, January 14th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized
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