Weekend must-tries: Hookah and hummus, budino pops and coffee growlers
Aloosh, which opened two weeks ago, expects its liquor license next week; for now, the bar dispenses fruit smoothies. There's bellydancing Friday and Saturday nights.
The corner property at 36th Street and Lancaster Avenue has a killer outdoor patio and a warren of dining rooms.
Even before school season, it's already become a destination among Drexel and Penn students who groove on hummus and schawarma in colorful but low-lit surroundings while communally puffing. (I'm an avid nonsmoker and was impressed at the power of Aloosh's smoke-suckers.)
To see a slideshow of photos from Aloosh, click here.
Harvest opens in North Wales. Sunday is the public debut of Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar in the Shoppes at English Village in North Wales. It's the third location of this calorie-conscious restaurant, after Glen Mills and University City.
Heirloom food tasting. Whole Foods at 20th and Callowhill Streets will host a program on heirloom foods from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Chefs will offer Heirloom Tomato Flatbreads, Heirloom Bean Hummus, Heirloom Tomato Parfaits and more as part of the What We Sow program. The Mural Arts Program will create a mural that first will be displayed at market café and then will be donated to Bache-Martin Elementary School and installed in its school garden.
Growlers - for coffee. You've heard of growlers, whereupon you tote a jug to a beer bar for filling? Talula's Daily, the new takeaway/cafe adjacent to Talula's Garden on Washington Square, does growlers of its cold-brew La Colombe coffee. At $15, it is not cheap, but it's potent and convenient.
Budino pops. Well, of course. It's summertime. Marcie Turney has converted her salted caramel budino, the signature dessert at Barbuzzo, into a pop. The frozen babies get a roll in chocolate cookie crumbs. Starting today, they will be sold at Verde (108 S. 13th St.) on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until the end of August.