Ahh, ye ole pub crawl… A time-honored tradition of intoxicated jackassery. And what better town to perform such a ritual than the pub-peppered streets of Phoenixville?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term (including variations like “gin crawl” and “beer crawl”) has been in use since the late 19th century. The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English defines ‘pub crawl’ as both a noun and a verb, with the noun (dating from 1915) being defined as “a drinking session that moves from one licensed premises to the next, and so on”, and the verb (1937) meaning “to move in a group from one drinking establishment to the next, drinking at each.”
One must first determine an ending point for the crawl. The perfect placement of Phoenixville’s imbiberies on Bridge Street makes this task a cinch. You’ll either end up at the Pickering Creek Inn, or PJ Ryan’s (since the Moon Saloon is closed until further notice). If feeling ultra-wacky, one could add Prima Lounge to the mix (not encouraged).
Are you in the mood for an ol’ fashion ass whoopin’ of the aural variety? Well so are the fine folks at Stay On Point Booking, and to prove it, they’re bringing original hardcore music back to Phoenixville. Several bands will lay it down tonight at The On Point Room (328 E High St.), starting at 6pm: Steel Nation, Troublesome (“This Hell” 7″ record release), Doubledealer, Thin Ice, Run For It, and Dead End.
A bit about a few of these bands…
Steel Nation is simply a Pennsylvania Hardcore band. In the spring of 2005, Steel Nation formed in a practice shed in Lewistown PA by Neil, Ethan, Steve and Alex. Steel Nation was not started in an attempt to be an Integrity worship band or a Biohazard rip off, it was just 4 guys writting music that represent their own influences and experiences. Since 2005, they have gone through several singers but now have finally decided to ditch the front man and keep the band as the original 4 members. They plan on a releasing a full length later this year that will finally represent the ideas and the stlye of the band.
Troublesome hails from Lansdale and is another traditional hardcore band. They list Pantera, Dysphoria, All Out War, and Integrity as infulences to name a few. They’ll be celebrating the release of the “This Hell” 7″.
The legendaryLeon Redbone will be gracing Phoenixville with a performance this Saturday at 8pm at theColonial Theatre. He’s somewhat of a mysterious singer / guitarist who performs what is best described as early 20th-century music or neo-vaudeville. His trademark look of fedora, dark sunglasses, Groucho Marx moustache, and bow tie, lends an image to the fact that virtually nothing is known for certain about his background or true identity.
Throughout Redbone’s career, he has refused to release any background or personal info… According to legend, the desire to protect his privacy was so immense that he once duped famed producer John Hammond by giving him the phone number a joke service, instead of his own.
He was also often accused/suspected of actually being other famous people, mainly 70s funny man Andy Kaufman and/or eccentric musician Frank Zappa. These theories were all laid to rest when those artists died.
His rise to fame began in 1974 with an article in Rolling Stone who praised the authenticity of his performances. By the late 70s / early 80s, Redbone would make frequent appearances on Saturday Night Live, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Through the mid 80s / early 90s, he had earned a certain measure of fame through various television theme songs and ad campaigns.
More recently, Redbone did a duet with indie favorite Zooey Deschanel for the closing credits of the 2003 film “Elf.” It’s a brilliant cover of Frank Loesser’s romantic Christmas song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” He also voiced the character of Leon the Snowman in the same film. This may all be due to his 1987 album “Christmas Island,” on which he performed a version of “Frosty the Snowman” with Dr. John – perhaps the most recognizable song of his career. He has released a total of 16 albums since 1975.
Don’t miss this chance to witness a true American legend! Tickets are $24.50 – $34.50 and are available by cash or check at the Colonial Theatre Box Office. Credit card sales available by calling Charge-by-Phone at (866) 468-7619 or click here to go to ticketweb.com.
This Wednesday from 7 – 9:30pm, local artist Chuck Hirsch will be presenting a Historic Phoenixville Art Exhibit at the Schuylkill River Heritage Center . The event is free to the public.
You may also know Chuck from his framing expertise. His mother Freda is an incredible artist who also owns / runs Phoenixville’s oldest grocery store… Hirsch’s Grocery (147 Washington Ave).
It’s going to be a busy Friday the Thirteenth at the Sly Fox and no, Jason Vorhees will not be there. This Friday marks the beginning of the brewery’s Fifth IPA Project, a yearlong series that features new, tasty, single-hop pale ales each month. This month’s release is the Amarillo Pale Ale, made with 100% Amarillo hops. According to the brewery’s Web site, Amarillo hops are gaining popularity in the world of craft brewing and “offer a pungent citrusy aroma and flavor with floral notes as well.”
At the Phoenixville location, which won’t be moving across the street until early 2010 due to building permit issues, each variety of pale ale will be featured first on hand pump (a delicious treat). A “firkin” or cask keg will then be tapped and served until it kicks. After that, the beer will be available on draft. (For those of you who, like me, love your growlers, a draft keg will be handy if you want one filled before the cask is kicked). The celebration starts at 11:30 a.m. so take an early lunch and call out the rest of the day.
The celebration of the IPA Project kicks it up a notch in December on Hops Project Day when all of the varietal pales will be on tap and the Odyssey Imperial IPA, made with all those hops, will be released.
Also at the Phoenixville location, a camera crew from Comcast will be in the house starting tonight to shoot footage for a Sly Fox video to be part of their “Best of the City” On Demand feature. Hell, who doesn’t want a shot at being on TV while drinkin’ a great beer?
This Thursday, November 12th at 6pm, Pickering Creek Inn will host a Craft Brew Night featuring Victory Brewing Company. In typical fashion, if you buy a pint, you keep the glass! Also, for each pint you put down, you’ll earn a chance to win a beautiful Victory gift basket featuring more than a dozen select brews and several pieces of Victory glassware.
The Pick will be pouring three different selections from Victory:
Yakima Twilight( 8.7% ABV) – A fantastic seasonal brew with a big juicy hop aroma and dark roasted malts.
Braumeister Pils(5.4% ABV) – Dry quenching character with signatures of great hop varieties.
Golden Monkey(9.5% ABV) – Strong and sensual Belgian-style ale. Gets you ripped right quick.
Come on out, drink a few Golden Monkey drafts, and then you’ll have all the courage you need to belt out your favorite Michael McDonald song when karaoke time rolls around (8 pm)…
Robert, a commentor one our article about Wasko’s, smartly described the strip of Route 23 known as Nutt Road as “Hoagie & Pizza Pike.” True there are a handful of pizza and sandwich joints on that stretch of road, but when it come to pizza it’s home to some of the best pies in town. You’ve all read (and some have disagreed) about my views on Mimmo’s and I’ve admitted that probably one of those slices (most likely the eighth), was due to my recollection of growing up eating pie’s just like Mimmo’s. Well, also on Nutt Road is another of Phoenixville’s finest pizzas, and its made at Sal’s Pizza Box (95 Nutt Road), whose slogan is “Pizza is for lovers.”
Since Sal’s doesn’t deliver (a definite down side considering it’s small parking lot and location at a five-point intersection), I decided to order a large pie to watch while hoping the Fightins would force a Game 7 in the World Series. Even though the Phils lost, I’m sure glad that I had such a quality pie to help drown my sorrows. Before gettin into specifics about the pie, it should first be noted that Sal’s has a sweet selection of take-out sixers to enjoy with your ‘za.
Alright, now down to the nitty gritty… Sal’s crust is very similar to Mimmo’s, it’s a thin crust, slightly crispy and very light. The sauce is sweet with hints of parsley and basil and balances nicely with the saltiness of the cheese. Overall, everything works together deliciously. Maybe it was me, but the large pie didn’t seem so large and I easily housed the three-slice MAN-imum. Sal’s pie is a little bit pricier than most, but it’s TOTALLY worth it. Hands down one of the best pies in town and worth the drive for pick up (remember, beer selection.)
In sum, pizza from Sal’s Pizza Box is true to its slogan. It’s a pizza lover’s pizza.
You may have noticed that the building of the new bird for the 2009 Firebird Festival (Dec 12) has begun. The next 2 weekends of November (7-8 & 14-15), the committee will finish the building. They are looking for volunteers to help, so get out out there and throw some wood around!
There are several other activities building up to the burning of the bird on Dec 12…
The Firebird Festival Lantern Making Workshop is being held on Saturday, December 5 between 10 AM – 4 PM at the Phoenixville Public Library. Suggested donation is $5 per lantern (It takes about a half hour to make a lantern). The Children’s Procession of Light will join the parade with these handmade paper mache lanterns, lit with battery operated votives, and move into a spiral shape in the parking lot, near the Artisans, for a luminous finale.
Another way to be a part of the festival is through the Clay Firebird Workshops. You can create your own clay bird at the Phoenix Village Art Center. Six workshops for ALL LEVELS of experience will be offered on Dec. 1st, 2nd and 3rd by Lisa Muller. There will be 2 workshops per evening: 6:00-7:30pm & 8:00-9:30pm. Participants will make one bird each that will be placed in the Phoenix at the Festival and retrieved from the ashes the next day. This bird is yours to keep! All workshops are $25, and all tools and clay is provided. Register for the workshop at Phoenix Village Art Center (207 Bridge St. – 610.983.9430).
Blink and you might miss it, but try it once and you won’t soon forget it. Phoenixville’s newest sandwicherie, Sessano Café & Deli (6 South Main Street – 610.933.4901), does not disappoint. This small brick building location is a tiny version of their parent store at 1840 Markley St. – Logan Square Shopping Center in Norristown.
The menu is basic: hot sandwiches, hoagies, wraps, fried foods, soups, and breakfast fare. In all honesty, it appears to be a bit too simple upon initial inspection. But once you set eyes on what is known as the Sessano Special, you might think otherwise.
This hoagie consists of prosciutto, salami, capicolla, provolone, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted peppers and basil. It also comes equipped with some kind of balsamic oil spread on to the fresh baked roll. I’ve never had a hoagie with fresh mozzarella in it, but it really vibes with the pepper and basil elements creating a truly unique and remarkable taste… Surely something to order if you tire of the traditional Italian variety.
According to the Sessanowebsite, they’re also quite proud of their pork sandwich. They were declared winner of The Times Herald “Great Pork Showdown” and also won the best of Montgomery County 2008 & 2009 for “Best Deli and Café” and “Best Pork Sandwich.”
So the next time you’re feeling hunger pain, you might want to step down to this little brick joint at 6 S. Main.
by Washington Washington
Alright, now down to the nitty gritty… Sal’s crust is very similar to Mimmo’s, it’s a thin crust, slightly crispy and very light. The sauce is sweet with hints of parsley and basil and balances nicely with the saltiness of the cheese. Overall, everything works together deliciously. Maybe it was me, but the large pie didn’t seem so large and I easily housed the three-slice MAN-imum. Sal’s pie is a little bit pricier than most, but it’s TOTALLY worth it. Hands down one of the best pies in town and worth the drive for pick up (remember, beer selection.)
by Washington Washington
Blink and you might miss it, but try it once and you won’t soon forget it. Phoenixville’s newest sandwicherie, 
