By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Heather Berkenstock, Belle Vie Photography
Click here to view our virtual tour of Susanna Foo’s on AML’s Facebook Fan Page.

"Thank you for organizing such a wonderful event. We are excited to be part of the inaugural Main Line Restaurant Week." Susanna Foo, Susanna Foo's Gourmet Kitchen

AroundMainLine.com is throwing a fantastic launch party for the first ever Main Line Restaurant Week at Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor July 22nd! In what promises to be one of the Main Line’s hottest summer events, guests will be treated to complimentary hors d’oeuvres, amazing drink specials and a festive atmosphere—with the suburbs top chefs and restaurant owners in attendance.

For more than 25 years, Susanna Foo has changed the paradigm of Chinese food melding traditional Chinese foods with classical French techniques. With two cookbooks and two internationally known restaurants, Chef Foo is a two-time James Beard Award winner and is widely recognized as one of America’s top Chinese chefs. Many Asian cuisine aficionados credit Foo with having brought Chinese food into the modern realm. In November 2006, she opened Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor—now one of the Main Line’s most successful and respected restaurants. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

With Conshohocken’s only open air dining setting, The Stone Rose Restaurant has become a popular neighborhood destination.

AML’s Monday Night Meetup, our fun, regular social get-together, returns this Monday evening, June 21st, at Conshohocken’s popular Stone Rose Restaurant. Stone Rose opened last October with owner Brian Pieri, a former executive in the financial industry, and executive chef Jason Mase spearheading one of the Philly’s burbs hottest new dining spots.

Stone Rose is tucked away off the main stream of restaurants in Conshohocken near the corner of 9th and Fayette—across from the Conshy Fire Department. The welcoming exterior with outdoor seating gives way to a cozy and sexy upscale neighborhood restaurant inside. The front room boasts a beautiful fifteen seat bar. The ‘Rose’ also has an intimate back room, rustic Italian accents and Conshy’s only open air dining setting.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

Nectar executive chef and partner Patrick Feury is hosting a beer dinner with his brother, chef Terence Feury, and Bill Covalescki of Victory Brewery.

The bad news? Philly Beer Week is coming to an end. The good news? If you have not had time to partake in the hundreds of events across the city and suburbs this week, a fantastic finale is planned this Sunday at Bryn Mawr’s popular pan-Asian restaurant, Nectar.

Executive chef and partner Patrick Feury has teamed up with Downingtown’s Victory Brewery and his brother, Fork executive chef Terence Feury, to launch Fists of Feury. Fists is an English pale ale created via the Victory collaboration. It is only available at Nectar, Old City’s Fork and Victory while the batches last. Sunday both Feury brothers and Victory’s Bill Covaleski will host a special four course beer dinner at Nectar, with one seating, starting at 5 p.m.

AroundMainLine.com: Chef Feury, I love that, as one of the Main Line’s most prestigious and respected chefs, you are vested in beer and food pairings. How did this event and relationship between Nectar and Victory come about?

Patrick Feury: I’ve known Bill (Covaleski) for many years and I’ve been home brewing since I was very young. So we decided to do a beer that was ‘chef driven’ and paired well with food. It’s the perfect marriage and it’s been a great learning experience for Terry and me.

AML: What inspired you to brew an English pale ale specifically?

PF: My mom was born in England and my dad is first generation Irish. We really wanted a brew that was similar to our heritage and so Terry and I took English hops and American hops and came up with Fists.

AML: I guess we can let everyone in on the ‘secret weapon’ in Fists of Feury-rosemary.

PF: I use rosemary a lot in my food at Nectar as a background accent that people may not realize is in their food. Even my citrus vinaigrette that I use for my salads has rosemary. I thought rosemary would be fun in the beer!

AML: Count me in for Sunday night! What can the diners expect with this event?

PF: We designed the dinner to be a loose, fun party atmosphere, with stellar food, for everyone on Sunday. Its not so structured as you would think for a four course dinner. We will also be serving Victory’s Summer Love ale-and Bill has never launched two ales at once which I think beer lovers will appreciate. Its really going to be fun.

Fists of Feury Beer Dinner at Nectar

When: Sunday June 13th 5 p.m. Please arrive by 5 p.m. as there is one seating.

Where: Nectar Restaurant, Bryn Mawr

What: A special four course dinner celebrating the release of Fists of Feury, a limited release English pale ale

Cost: $55 per person, beer included, gratuity is additional

Reservations: Call Nectar for reservations, seating is limited: 610-725-9000

Address: 1091 East Lancaster Avenue, Berwyn

Website: www.tastenectar.com

Facebook Fan Page: Nectar Restaurant and Lounge

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Brenda Carpenter Photography

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is one of the largest and most prestigious outdoor equestrian events in the country.

The Devon Horse Show has been honored with the United States Equestrian Federation’s designation as a USEF Heritage Competition. A historic Pennsylvania equestrian event that has become a part of the fabric of the American horse show scene and a Main Line family tradition, Devon is only the fourth show to receive this honor. Devon opens Thursday, May 27 with a full day of equitation in the Dixon Oval and pony breeding in the Gold Ring. Children 12 and under will be admitted free on opening day, courtesy of Hartstrings, a locally headquartered children’s clothing company.

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, May 27th to June 6th, benefits the Bryn Mawr Hospital, to which it has donated almost $14 million. New footing in the Dixon Oval at Devon has been installed by Equestrian Services International, which has provided the footing for the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, and jumper riders are thrilled with it. A Devon favorite is Laura Chapot, who has ridden the Open Jumper Champion for three of the past five years and has also been Leading Open Jumper Rider three of the past five years. Chapot is bringing a new grand prix horse to Devon this year, Tsarin, a mare she got only recently in Europe. Chapot is bringing three additional horses, Bradbury, Valentia and Chili Pepper as well as a couple of young horses for the Five-Year Old, Six-Year-Old and Seven/Eight-Year-Old sections which will compete Tuesday and Wednesday, June 1st and June 2nd. Open Jumpers compete Tuesday May 31 through Saturday, June 5. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Kate’s Lens Photography

The Westtown School Garden Tour
Historic Hunter's Hill

Chester County’s Westtown School is launching its inaugural Garden Tour, featuring an evening reception and preview garden Party on Saturday, May 22nd. In addition, a self-guided tour of seven beautiful private gardens will follow on Sunday, May 23rd. Carol Trask, Westtown’s Special Events & Volunteer Manager, has the task of creating events that appeal to the Westtown community as well as the general public. “There is a beautiful variety of gardens on the tour, including a native meadow that was recently reestablished. We are really excited to offer this to the public as a wonderful weekend experience-and support our efforts at Westtown,” said Trask.

The evening reception on May 22nd will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at a historic 18th century farm and home, Hunter’s Hill. Westtown alum Charles Brock II offered his property as the backdrop to kickoff the tour-a 162-acre farm in Newtown Square that was part of an original grant by William Penn. “It’s only been owned by three families since the land was cleared in the early eighteenth century, which is pretty remarkable,” enthused Trask. On the property is the beautiful main stone house-one portion which was built in 1726. In 1758, the home was expanded and four years ago the Brock’s added on. Only on Saturday evening, with the preview party, will the public be able to participate in a guided tour of the Brock home with its fine art and antiques-while being entertained with historical information about the home and the area.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Bryn Mawr’s Verdad was the sophisticated setting for Wednesday Night Whinos’ successful launch party.

AroundMainLine.com kicked off an exciting new ladies social club, Wednesday Night Whinos, at Bryn Mawr’s Verdad on the evening of March 3rd! Over 40 ladies from our AML Facebook fan page and Twitter group came out to Verdad to connect and celebrate the launch of Whinos, enjoy wonderful tapas food and Spanish wine and win fantastic prizes.

Verdad head chef Nick Farina, formerly of Bryn Mawr’s Blush, is a good friend of the AML family. In October of 2008, AML hosted our emagazine’s launch party at Blush and have been working with Farina ever since. Verdad proved the perfect central location for the Whinos kickoff party with delicious tapas food served all night long in the bar area. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Majestic Images

Let Them Eat Cake is Philadelphia’s popular wedding cake design competition for professionals, students and those who love to bake to create.

Cake bosses and cake lovers mark your calendars for the city’s sweetest spring fundraiser! City of Hope will hold its annual wedding cake competition, Let Them Eat Cake, on Monday, April 12th. Let Them Eat Cake is Philadelphia’s popular wedding cake design competition for professionals, students and those who love to bake to create. Brides-to-be and fondant foodies will converge for the sixth annual competition featuring the best of the best. Proceeds benefit City of Hope, a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

More than 700 people are expected to attend the highly anticipated event, to be held at the Loews Hotel. Guests will be wowed by the skills of over 35 of the best professional pastry artists from the Tri-State area entered, as well as 15 up and coming student pastry chefs. “We started out with ten bakers the first year at The Park Hyatt and this just has grown and grown. Now, we have expanded to max out at fifty in our sixth year. And, this event is really all about the cakes and the great pastry chefs. There are other cake contests across the country but nothing like this in Philadelphia,” enthused Harry Giordano Senior Director of Development for City of Hope’s Northeast territory. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of the Chester County Historical Society

The 28th Annual Chester County Antiques Show features 18th and 19th Century American and Continental furniture, rugs, paintings, porcelain, glass, silver, jewelry, needlework and other decorative arts.

The 28th annual Chester County Antiques Show, benefiting the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS), is returning for its second year to the historic Westtown School near West Chester, PA the weekend of March 19 to 21, 2010. This year’s Honorary Show Chairs are Leonard A. King, President of the Devon Horse Show and his wife, Pat. In support of the Equestrian Traditions of Chester County theme, rarely seen trophies from the Devon Horse Show, including the Wanamaker trophy, will be showcased. Memorabilia from private collections in the Chester County equestrian community will complete this remarkable History of Champions loan exhibit. Kristine C. Lisi, one of the co-chairs of this year’s show and chair for the dealer’s luncheon, has been involved in the Chester County Antiques Show for three years. Lisi said that CCHS is excited to be partnering with the Devon Horse Show. “I think it’s a great marriage. And, anyone who is in the horse world knows and appreciate that Chester County is at the center of that culture. It’s a perfect fit.”

Described by Maine Antiques Digest as ‘the best venue for an antiques show in the Delaware Valley,’ Westtown School’s spacious new field house allows ample room for 59 dealers from eleven states to display their beautiful collections of antiques for purchase. With the winning combination of PECO as the renewed Presenting Sponsor, the 2010 Antiques Show is sure to be another winner. There is a Preview Party on Friday, March 19, to get an early viewing of this special loan exhibit and the wonderful array of beautiful antiques, as well as meeting the honorary show chairs, CCHS Board of Trustees, and fellow supporters.
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By AML Publisher
Photos by Spark Photography & David Campli Photography

“We wanted Aisle Style to be very approachable and chic-a cocktail party where ladies can mingle and enjoy themselves,” explained Beka Rendell of Innove Events. Photo courtesy of Spark Photography

AroundMainLine.com is thrilled to be sponsoring its first ever Main Line bridal event! Aisle Style, a sophisticated Sunday afternoon cocktail party and chic gathering of the region’s best bridal businesses, is the brainchild of Beka Rendell, of Innove Events. The event will take place on Sunday, March 14th from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Davids Golf Club in Wayne. Rendell, who holds a degree from F.I.T. and has established a very successful Center City events business, decided it was due time to bring a wedding event to the Main Line that offers a unique experience and atmosphere. “It’s a sophisticated event that is geared towards brides, but also other special events too. So, ladies planning a baby shower or child’s birthday party, bar mitzvah, anniversary party—any event can be inspired from this show and the incredible businesses that will be on hand. We wanted Aisle Style to be very approachable and chic—a cocktail party where ladies can mingle and enjoy themselves. This is much different than a traditional wedding trade show atmosphere with vendors and booths. It is very ‘loungey’ with ottomans set up to relax and an amazing focus on design. The people we are working with are pulling out all the stops for Aisle Style—it will be something to see,” promised Rendell.

Innove Events launched in January of 2005 after Rendell, 28, left her position working as an event planner for a clothing company in New York City and moved to Center City. Rendell draws her company’s creative visions from an extensive background in fashion marketing. “When I left New York, I knew that I wanted to get involved in event planning but more on the social side. We wanted this to be a fun company, appeal to our clients and speak to an audience that wants a sleek, fresh modern approach to their wedding, bat mitzvah, baby shower, you name it. The brides we work with want very Martha, very DIY, but of course it’s not DIY. That’s the feel that Innove offers to our clients,” explained Rendell.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Amy Wren

The Big Deal Casino Night-Unmask the Possibilities is the Philadelphia Junior League’s fourth annual gala.

When you think of Philadelphia’s most esteemed service organizations, undoubtedly the Junior League comes to mind. For almost a century, the Junior League has been making a positive impact in the Greater Philadelphia area. Over 950 volunteers have contributed more than 75,000 service hours annually.

To celebrate this female organization’s commitment to promoting voluntarism, the League is gearing up for its fourth annual winter gala. This year’s theme is The Big Deal Casino Night—Unmask the Possibilities. The evening is black tie optional, and the hundreds of anticipated party-goers are encouraged to accessorize in keeping with the Mardi Gras theme.
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