Photos courtesy of Betsy Barron Photography

It is ‘Mom's Night Out’ at The Gables at Chadds Ford-the perfect night for a group of local moms to wine and dine in style!

Moms in and around Delaware County…you deserve a girl’s night out! How about a fantastic treat at The Gables at Chadds Ford courtesy of AML starting Tuesday, February 7th?

Cool History

Wondering about this gorgeous property you have probably passed by dozens of times on Baltimore Pike? The Gables at Chadds Ford is situated on land that was originally part of a 138 acre land grant from William Penn to Brinton King. Around 1745, a pre-Revolutionary style house was built on the property. One of the first homes to be built in Pennsbury Township, the property operated as a working farm and quietly became part of the Brandywine Valley’s history. The route along Route One is well known to have housed numerous stops for the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. It has been suspected that the King house may have been one of these stops.

The house was renovated in the late 1800s by George C. King, son of Brinton King. He adopted the popular Victorian style by adding wrap around porches and twenty three gables. And, two of the four original chimneys from the pre-Revolutionary style home are still visible. In March of 2002, the house was placed on the National Historic Register.

Dates and Deets for Mom’s Night Out

So…AML and The Gables put our heads together and thought this is just about the perfect setting for a very fun series, Mom’s Night Out. Starting every other Tuesday, February 7th and running through Tuesday, April 17th, every group of four moms or more who dine at The Gables for dinner will receive a complimentary cheese platter and half off one glass of house wine each. It’s a guilt-free and very fun excuse for local moms to get together and hang out with friends at one of the western suburbs best restaurants! The dates for Mom’s Night Out are as follows:

Tuesday, February 7th
Tuesday, February 21st
Tuesday, March 6th
Tuesday, March 20th
Tuesday, April 3rd
Tuesday, April 17th

How to RSVP for The Gables Mom’s Night Out

Call into the Gables (610-388-7700) and be sure to tell the host/hostess that you are coming in for Mom’s Night Out with your group of four or more moms. Remember Mom’s Night Out is only available on the dates listed above. You can also check back on The Gables’ OpenTable page for a Mom’s Night Out code to make an online reservation.

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About The Gables at Chadds Ford

The Gables at Chadds Ford is located at 423 Baltimore Pike in Chadds Ford, PA. Visit their website: thegablesatchaddsford.com. To make reservations for a group of four or more for Mom’s Night Out call 610-388-7700.

By AML Publisher
Photos Courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

The perfect pony party!

Like any busy mom, Linda H. was late getting started on the logistics of her daughter Lily’s third birthday party. So, in a time crunch, she went to the best source of inspiration: her child. “I asked Lily one afternoon what type of birthday party she would like and she did not hesitate for a second. She turned to me and said, ‘A pony party Mommy!’ Then of course that set the stage and that is really all I needed for my creative juices to start flowing,” recalled Linda. “I think she picked ponies because we are zoo addicts, and she loves to ride the ponies there. Lily picked the color too…I showed her three horses to choose from and she picked the brown pony. Alas, pink and brown became her colors for the day!”

Linda, a Penn Valley native and Notre Dame Academy grad, moved back to the area after over two years in Montana with husband Kevin-whom she met there. Lily was born in Big Sky, a gorgeous albeit less populated place Linda and Kevin, a Mississippi native, were accustomed too. “Montana was amazingly beautiful, but we had to drive baby Lily an hour each way just to go to the pediatrician…we knew it was time to come back to the east coast,” she explained.
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By AML Publisher
Featured homepage photo: Silverspoon Café, Wayne, Courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Silverspoon Café in Wayne is hosting their first Mother’s Day at their new locale in the Eagle Village Shops. Photo courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Silverspoon Café
Eagle Village Shops
Wayne, PA
www.silverspoonwayne.com
Twitter: silvrspoonwayne
610-688-7646

Wayne’s popular Silverspoon Café will be hosting their first Mother’s Day brunch at their new spacious location in Eagle Village Shops-complete with a cozy outdoor patio. The casual country bistro, headed by husband and wife team Ron and Ruth Silverberg, offers contemporary American favorites. In addition to a lovely brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Silverspoon will be treating all Moms to chocolate dipped strawberries, a fresh cut flower and a $10 return gift card.

Menu highlights include: huevos rancheros; crispy braised pork belly with potato hash, poached eggs, hollandaise, and spinach; pancetta benedict, homemade english muffins, caramelized onions, aged cheddar, hollandaise; and a Cape May panini sandwich complete with sliced turkey breast, fennel cabbage slaw, strawberry mustard and cheddar. Silverspoon also prides itself on a number of gluten-free menu options.

Valley Forge Radisson
1160 First Avenue
King of Prussia, PA
www.radissonbrunch.com
610-354-8000

This Mother’s Day, show your love and affection for your mom by treating her to one of the most delectable Mother’s Day brunch in town at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge, from 11:00am until 3:00pm. The menu includes extravagant spreads of the finest breakfast foods, sides, entrees and desserts served in the Radisson Valley Forge’s elegant Grand Ballroom. Guests will be enticed by delicious brunch selections including omelets cooked-to-order with a variety of toppings to choose from. The Radisson’s Chefs will also be making waffles to order.
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By AML Publisher
Featured photography courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Chesapeake City, Maryland oozes with old world charm, quaint shops, gorgeous gardens and great dining. It’s a great daycation spot with mom and less than a 90 minute drive from the heart of the Main Line. Photo courtesy of Jubilee Photography

1) Chesapeake City, Maryland
www.chesapeakecity.com
Read our full story on Chesapeake City

Quaint, historic and charming Chesapeake City, Maryland-located in Cecil County-is a short and beautiful drive from Philly’s western suburbs. It is one wonderful daycation for a very deserving mom in your life! Chesapeake City’s historic area is on the National Historic Registry, as well as Maryland’s Historic Registry. The town has many restored historic homes, shops and galleries, featuring hand-painted originals and prints, antiques, collectibles, clothing, gifts and crafts.

Boasting a bevy of B&Bs, it’s a perfect getaway for mom and daughters or sisters for the holiday weekend. The town’s holiday dining spot for Mom’s Day is, without doubt, the Bayard House.The restaurant serves award-winning crab soup, tournedos Baltimore, and a breathtaking tableside view of the famous Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D Canal), one of only two vital sea-level canals in the United States.

Additional sites include the Canal Museum, art galleries, summer concerts, boat tours, and tours of the nearby horse country. Convenient to several large cities on the east coast, this historic village on the banks of the C&D Canal is a favorite spot for those seeking a weekend getaway or a vacation retreat.
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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
Shop photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography
Cupcakes Gourmet photo courtesy of Cupcakes Gourmet

Whinos in Wayne is almost here! What to expect? An amazing night of networking at Beethoven Wraps with prizes, fab food and new friends, great shopping and tons of fun!

Wednesday Night Whinos, AML’s official Main Line ladies social club, is hosting its second event in downtown Wayne! Whinos’ April 14th evening of fun and networking will be at the popular Wayne boutique, Beethoven Wraps. For more than a decade, Wraps owner Donna Martella has offered Main Liners unique gifts and distinctive, customized gift baskets for some of the region’s most prestigious corporations. Martella’s shop is named after a beloved stuffed animal her son, Artie, now sixteen, carried around as a toddler—during the time of the popular children’s movie Beethoven.

The shop carries select table top gifts and dinnerware ideal for hostess, welcome and wedding gifts. Several popular lines include Lilly Pulitzer stationery, candles and accessories; elegant stainless serveware and flatware by Mariposa; Thymes bath, body and home products; Spartina handbags; Robeez children’s shoes and more. In addition, Beethoven Wraps has an extensive selection of gourmet foods and Souderton’s Asher’s chocolates. “I think we have something for everyone in here. We can really help our customers find a great gift for a hostess or birthday party and then customize it in a fun way with our wrapping. Every gift should have a personal touch—so we always work with that customer to find creative ways to put a present together. For my corporate clients and their gift baskets, we are really an extension of that company’s marketing and image. Presentation is really important. So, we will work with them to make the basket a collaboration of their ideas and logo and something remembered,” explained Martella. Read the full story

By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

Bucks County native and children’s author Kristie Finnan at a recent book signing for Mommy’s High Heel Shoes.

In 2007, Kristie Finnan’s one-year-old daughter would start crying every morning when she watched her mom slipping on her high heel shoes-heading out the door as a pharmaceutical sales rep. “She knew that meant I was off to work and she wasn’t going to see me the rest of the day. She would say, ‘No shoes mommy!’” explained Finnan. Some quick research looking around for a picture book online that explained to children why their mom had to leave for work each day turned up some interesting stats-but no book. “What I found was approximately seventy percent of moms work in some capacity and sixty-two percent have children under six. There are a lot of moms across America who are probably facing that same dreaded morning scenario. But, everything I was coming across with children’s literature talked about daddy coming home or leaving for work, but no mention of mom. It started me thinking,” said Finnan.

A few chats with her husband and the 37-year old Bucks County native, and current mom to three children five years of age and younger, decided she would start pondering penning her own. Two years passed, she gave birth to a son and continued with her career. Then came her daughter’s third birthday in September of 2007-and a life changing moment. “My daughter got a frou-frou princess outfit and some plastic matching shoes for her birthday and she put everything on. She started walking around the house and came around the corner, looked up at me and said ‘Bye mom, I’m going to work!’ My husband turned to me and said, ‘That’s it, you have to write your book.’ Then I just got this one track mind about it and refocused on the idea of writing a children’s book,” explained Kristie. Read the full story

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 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
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography
All photos taken at The Strasburg Railroad

Santa’s Paradise Express will be pulling into Lancaster’s Strasburg Rail Road, bringing Santa on his journey to spread the magic of the season to thousands of families who believe.

The Strasburg Railroad
Strasburg, PA
www.strasburgrailroad.com
“Santa Paradise Express”
Dec 11th 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th & 20th
$16 Adults, $10 Children
717-687-7522

The Strasburg Railroad’s ‘Santa Paradise Express’ has been a family tradition for thousands across the Delaware Valley for fifty-one years. “I think riding with Santa on the train is just a different experience then seeing Santa in a traditional atmosphere-like the mall where the children sit on his lap for a minute or two and pose for a picture. On the Paradise Express, Santa comes to the kids and the family-and that is something very special,” explained Strasburg’s Event Manager Ric Gochenauer. Many families visit Strasburg every holiday season, some returning for decades bringing back generations of family members for the ride. This year Strasburg added a third weekend for the annual adventure (starting with Thanksgiving weekend) and expects over 10,000 riders for the ’09 Express.
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