By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

The great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt is this Saturday March 13th from 1 to 4pm.

Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt
Narberth, PA
Downtown Narberth, Corner of Haverford Avenue and Forrest Avenue
www.narberthonline.com
email: info@narberthonline.com
Saturday, March 13th from 1 to 4pm

The third annual Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt is being held in downtown Narberth on Saturday, March 13, from 1pm – 4pm. The annual event, courtesy of The Narberth Business Association, is an anticipated Main Line family tradition. Local kids, young and old at heart, can get St. Patty’s Day started early with this free family event. Kids hunt all over downtown Narberth for leprechauns, and collect treats along the way. Find them all, and get a prize at the end. The hunt goes until 4 pm or until prizes are gone.

This fun, challenging scavenger hunt allows kids to search all over town to find thirteen leprechauns. Children start the hunt by getting a map and a game card and an empty pot o’ gold from the Blarney Booth at the corner of Haverford and Forrest Avenues. They get treats as they find the leprechauns, who are hiding in shops all over town. Once they’ve found all thirteen leprechauns, they return to the booth for a prize. The hunt lasts until 4pm or until all prizes are gone.

Taste of Britain
Wayne, PA
Eagle Village Shops
www.easyelegance.net
easyelegance@comcast.net
610-971-0390
Saturday, March 13th
Acccepting reservations from 5:45-8:30

Popular Main Line BYOB Taste of Britain, in their fresh locale in the back part of Eagle Village Shops, is offering their annual Saint Patrick’s Day dinner on Saturday, March 13th. Featuring a 3-course pre-fixed menu for $38 per person, Taste of Britain’s holiday menu includes: Irish soda bread and cheddar sage savory scones, smoked salmon platter or irish potato leek soup, lamb and Guinness stew served with Colcannon or corned beef and cabbage and more. For dessert, Taste of Britain patrons can choose from apple oatmeal crisp with whiskey sauce, chocolate stout cake or white and dark chocolate bread pudding with Irish cream sauce.

New Hope Winery
New Hope, PA
www.newhopewinery.com
215-794-2331
Saturday, March 13th

New Hope Winery is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, March 13 with Callanish, a traditional Irish five piece band, with local Irish Dancers performing between sets. Tickets to the performance are $23.00 and all seats are at cabaret style tables.

Wine and a corned beef & cabbage supper with Irish soda bread will be available before and during the show. Show time is 8:00 pm. The winery is located at 6123 Lower York Rd in New Hope, PA about 1/2 mile from Peddler’s Village. Reserved seating by calling the Winery at 215-794-2331 or order tickets on line at www.newhopewinery.com. New Hope Winery offers ample free parking.

Silverspoon Café in Wayne will be offering a tasty seasonal St. Patty’s Day menu at their new locale in the Eagle Village Shops. Pictured are owners Ruth and Ron Silverberg.

Silverspoon Café
Wayne, PA
Eagle Village Shops
www.silverspoonwayne.com
silverspoonwayne@gmail.com
610-688-7646
Tuesday, March 16th & Wednesday, March 17th

For St. Patrick’s Day, Silverspoon Cafe will be looking across the Atlantic for inspiration from the best restaurants in today’s Emerald Isle. Chef Ron Silverberg, son of owners Ruth and Ron, will be offering his take on some contemporary Irish dishes on Tuesday, March 16th and Wednesday March 17th. These dishes will be served in addition to Silverspoon’s regular dinner menu.

Highlights include: Ballyshannon Fisherman’s Pie; Irish Mist Glazed Pork Belly with cockles; House smoked salmon with Boxty and crème fraiche appetizer, Dublin short ribs, and Brown soda bread and more! Silverspoon will serve a fun, complimentary flute of green champagne too. Reservations are highly recommended for interested parties. Dinner hours are from 5 to 10 p.m.

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Courtney Apple

Otto’s BMW general manager Michael Vadasz with his guest Ashleigh Wilson. Otto’s was the corporate sponsor of Be Mine on the Main Line II.

Be Mine on the Main Line II, AML’s second annual winter fundraiser which aims to raise funds and awareness for a local animal charity brought out over 200 partygoers for a fantastic night of fundraising for Philadoptables. The festive night, on Thursday February 4th, hosted by the popular bar and nightclub Spamps in Conshohocken, was sponsored by AroundMainLine.com client Otto’s BMW. “Be Mine on the Main Line was a very successful event with great food, drinks, and conversation. Otto’s BMW is proud to have been part of such a great event that supports such a wonderful cause – Philadoptables,” said Otto’s general manager Michael Vadasz.

Spamps, Conshohocken’s most popular nightclub, was transformed into a festive and fun Valentine’s-themed space thanks to major Be Mine sponsors Beautiful Blooms boutique and Eclatante Event Design—both of Northern Liberties. In addition, Blue Bell’s Secrets Limousine provided transportation for the AroundMainLine.com staff and family in the form of an elegant Asanti Charger limo.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Hip cats can learn to appreciate jazz as the museum’s 18th annual junior jazz festival winds down this weekend.

The 18th Annual Junior Jazz Festival

Hip young cats across the Delaware Valley take note! It’s time for Please Touch Museum’s jazziest festival of the year! The 18th Annual Junior Jazz Festival, the only area event to introduce young children to the wonderful world of jazz, is winding down this week at Memorial Hall. The fun family event transforms the museum into the biggest and hippest jazz club around! Live music, theater performances, and educational activities will fill the museum for five weeks focusing on musical expression and the history of jazz. “Jazz is a genre for everyone to enjoy,” explained Francis Coates, the museum’s music coordinator. “Music and embracing the creative arts is so important to the development of children and their education. It encourages creativity and discipline that translates into many areas of life-science, math, and improvement of speech patterns. And, jazz is fun! Every performance we have had this month has been filled, so parents should come at least thirty minutes early to make sure they can get in,” enthused Coates.

Top kid-friendly musicians will take the stage of the museum’s Playhouse through February 28th. And, kids will also learn a bit of jazz history by taking in a Please Touch Playhouse performance of “Scat Cat’s Junior Jazz Jamboree.” This interactive show tells the “tail” of an everyday alley cat who happens upon “Max Roach,” who teaches her the history of jazz. Max also introduces her to some of the well known artists who made it popular—Stingray Charles, Bunny Goodman, Louie Arm and Hammerstrong and Piggy Lee. “Scat Cat’s Junior Jazz Jamboree” will be on the Please Touch Playhouse stage weekdays February 1-26, with performances Mondays-Fridays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Free with museum admission.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Courtney Apple

Whipped Bakeshop’s Valentine designs are almost too pretty to eat!

Pastry chef and owner Zoë Lukas is an artist by trade. And one glance at her elegant creations of cupcakes, cookies and cakes on her website, whippedbakeshop.com, and its clear this is no ordinary bakery. Her intricate, custom designs-from Yoda cupcakes to elegant wedding cakes to oh-so-Martha vintage Valentine replicas-and attention to detail are part of her booming business and soaring city reputation. “Baking and art are my two loves so my cookies and cakes are really my canvases…in essence. I love looking at patterns and fabrics and I enjoy knitting and sewing. If I go to a museum, it reignites my creativity. I can see a vintage plate or a piece of beautiful stationery and get a concept for a wedding cake or a new cookie pattern; it’s a constant process for me. I really love and appreciate anything that is designed well and I try to transform that to my work,” explained Lukas.

Lukas started Whipped Bakeshop in 2007 and this past October opened the doors to her Fishtown storefront to much aplomb, with the support of her husband, Brennen. “We started getting a ton of momentum with the business the first year through our Flickr site. My husband encouraged me to take pictures constantly and upload them on a regular basis and that really kept people engaged. Then the website followed, and Twitter took off. Now, we are here and business is very, very good,” said Lukas.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of April Ziegler Photography

Haverford School Alum and Main Line native Steve Sabol “What I got at the Haverford School was a sense of competition and accomplishment. Many people are creative but they lack the skill to harness those ideas effectively. And, that’s what I learned from my education at The Haverford School.”

You would be hard pressed to find a Main Liner, even a Philadelphia sports fan, who does not recognize the name Steve Sabol. Sabol is the renowned alum of The Haverford School and, most notably, founder of NFL Films along with his father Ed. From second grade to his senior year in high school, Sabol roamed the halls of The Haverford School and hit the field every fall as part of the football team. The 1960 graduate, is, of course now the head of NFL Films, headquartered in Voorhees, New Jersey. Sabol Field was christened at The Haverford School this past September and, is, in essence where NFL Films was born.

Ed Sabol, a spry 93, according to his son, and retired in Arizona, began filming Steve playing football at his son’s prep school. He enjoyed it so much he parlayed the hobby into shooting pro football. As the well-known story goes, Ed Sabol paid then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle $4,000 for the rights to shoot the 1962 NFL Championship game. Sabol’s film, with its dramatic close-ups and stirring music, impressed Rozelle. Ed convinced the owners to kick in $20,000 apiece to create the company now known as NFL Films.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Dr. Catherine Foote, a Lower Merion high school grad who boasts an undergraduate and medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, is a third generation dentist.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. So, there is no better time to catch up with one of the Main Line’s most beloved orthodontists—Bryn Mawr’s Dr. Catherine Foote. Foote, an Ardmore native, Lower Merion grad and third generation dentist holds an undergraduate degree from The University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Foote dedicated ten years to higher education at the University of Pennsylvania where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology followed by a DMD degree and Certificate of Orthodontics. In her state of the art, newly renovated office across from Bryn Mawr Hospital, Dr. Foote treats both children and adults, offering traditional braces, ceramic braces, Invisalign, and take-home whitening.

Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. NCDHM messages and materials have reached millions of people in communities across the country. According to the ADA, developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.
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By AML Publisher
Photos by Belle Vie Photography

Chef and ‘Mommy Martini Night’ hostess Olga Sorzano is available for private parties and functions around the Main Line and Delaware Valley.

Chester County chef Olga Sorzano wants her clients to consider her “a party chef, not just another caterer. I am bringing the experience of a gourmet restaurant and my love of people into your home,” insisted the former personal chef and house manager to a prominent Chester County family. Sorzano, mother to daughters Tessa, 15 months, and Kira, 2 months, left quite an impression on AML staff photographer Heather Berkenstock recently when the two met up in the checkout line at the Downingtown Wegman’s. With a shopping cart brimming with gourmet food (enough to feed dozens), a curious Berkenstock struck up a conversation with the 33-year-old statuesque blond. Turns out, Sorzano was preparing for a private holiday party she had been hired to cater in December. A brief business card exchange and a follow up email from Sorzano and AML had happened upon one great connection.

Sorzano, who grew up in Siberia, has been a successful figure in the local restaurant scene for years. She is a graduate of The Restaurant School of Walnut Hill College and studied in Italy, Thailand and Switzerland. Most notably, Olga trained with renowned Chef Jim Coleman of Normandy Farm in Blue Bell. She continues to work with Chef Coleman with television appearances and occasional cooking classes at the Dilworthtown Inn.
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By AML Publisher
AML Snow Photo by Belle Vie Photography

Season’s Greetings from AroundMainLine.com!

This blanket of snow across the Delaware Valley makes me think this may be one long winter ahead—as all the local meteorologists are predicting. But, it also put me immediately in the holiday spirit—I can’t recall the last time we had a white Christmas in Wayne, my hometown. I saw a tweet last night from one of my followers that said it’s been over a hundred years since the region had this kind of snow in December. Maybe this is an omen for an exciting 2010? We shall see…

As for this past year, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support, encouragement and friendship with AML in our first inaugural year. I’m not sure where 2009 has gone?! But, we worked hard here at AML to cover the most interesting people, places and events across the Main Line and Delaware Valley that make this such a fantastic area to call home. One of our most exciting growth areas this year with our audience was in social media. I am very proud to say we are approaching 1,000 AML Facebook Fans and have over 1,500 followers on Twitter. The majority of these fans and followers I will never have the chance to personally thank and meet—so I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude here. Thank You!
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Ooka’s teppanyaki keeps patrons of all ages entertained during the popular Hibachi show.

The word Ooka (Oh’-kah) means cherry blossom in Japanese-and is a fitting title for one of the region’s most prosperous suburban restaurants. Fine Japanese dining in Montgomery County is here to stay and the buzz around Ooka Montgomeryville-which opened this summer-is palpable and purposeful. Duck consomme, Cajun tuna tataki, roasted Scottish salmon, raw maki, avocado sashimi-Ooka Montgomeryville’s menu reads like a wish list for lovers of sophisticated Asian cuisine.

Owners and brothers Benny and Lenny Huang, along with executive chef Shuji Hiyakawa and manager Skyler Strouth (both formerly of Center City’s Morimoto), have given Montgomeryville one sophisticated dining gem. Ooka restaurant opened in 1997 with a 35-seat fine dining restaurant in Doylestown. Since then, the Huang family has expanded to Willow Grove, Riverside, CA and now Montgomeryville. Benny and Lenny’s success is based on the fact they have relationships with the best seafood vendors in the world. “Because we resource from the world’s best, we try to be as authentic as we can get on the sushi side in the suburban area. Our goal is to offer new ideas and unique variety to our customer but keep our prices fair and reasonable. The variety of sushi and the sake list we offer is superior,” said Benny Huang.
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By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Marie Labbancz

‘Peppermint’, $115
“We do our research and we want people to look twice at our arrangements. Right now I am using a lot of cabbages and artichokes in my designs-finding unique greenery, unusual combinations of flowers,” explained O’Brien.

Think outside the box, er, the vase. That’s the advice of renowned Philly floral designer Donna O’Brien from Northern Liberties’ Beautiful Blooms. Beautiful Blooms is a full service décor design company that works with discriminating clients to create event concepts-from dream weddings, corporate events, bar/bat mitzvahs, intimate dinner parties and more. O’Brien’s bustling business was recently honored by The Knot as a Best of Weddings Winner 2010 as one of the best florists in Philadelphia.

Holiday centerpieces and wreaths in 2009 don’t have to follow any rules according to O’Brien, who prides herself on setting trends and concepts within the international design industry. Beautiful Blooms Boutique has created several floral designs and custom cedar or pine wreaths (ideal for the corporate client/thank you) that can be purchased for the holidays or throughout the winter season. These designs can be picked up or delivered ($55 or over for delivery) in Philadelphia. Variegated white, red and peppermint poinsettias wrapped in chic metallic paper have been flying out the door, said Donna, for delivery to several Philly corporations for office décor and gifts.
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