Philly by Way of NYC

The move from Calgary to Philadelphia was another long one that necessitated some welcome extra days off. We opened in Philly on Thursday, giving me a chance to go home to New York! I flew into Newark on Monday afternoon and was home in Washington Heights in time for a late supper with my beautiful wife. I spent most of Tuesday puttering around the kitchen in preparation for a small dinner party Sheila Marie and I hosted for some friends from the neighborhood. Sheila Marie created a great summer menu (green gazpacho, spicy pecan slaw, roasted pork tenderloin with grilled pineapple relish and crumble topped baked peaches) that was big hit with our friends. So nice to spend a day in the kitchen and an evening with good friends that I haven't seen in a long time! Wednesday evening, after a quick bite with Erin and SME, I hopped a train bound for Philly and life on the road again.

WaHi dinner party: Steve & Dana Krashin, Mark & Bess Fifer alongside the Everetts

Thanks to Dana for the picture!

It's been fun to return to Philadelphia. It was one of my early stops on the tour (March and April of 2007) and the first stop where I really felt like I had my stuff under control. (The series of blogs on Philly started with this one.) This time, I walked into the Academy of Music already knowing where everything was, how the show would fit and knowing a large portion of the local crew. It certainly made Thursday night's opening easier.

Loading the big skit into the Academy of Music

Sheila Marie took advantage of Scholastic's "Summer Fridays" plan and has arranged to have the three Fridays that I'm within an easy train ride off. She arrived Friday in time for lunch (it was a late night in NYC celebrating Dave Ruttura's birthday on Thursday) and a stroll around Philly. The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous - August in Philadelphia can be swamp hot, but we've had breezy mid-80's days - and made for a nice day of wandering.

One of the great parts of returning to a familiar city is revisiting favorite haunts. Though I was laid up for much of Philadelphia in 2007, there are still plenty of old favorites. First thing on Saturday morning, Sheila Marie and I headed to Reading Terminal Market and to the Pennsylvania Dutch corner for sticky buns. We're both crazy for these gooey treats made by the good folks from Lancaster County.

SME with the first sticky bun of the visit

We had lunch with Suzanne on Saturday at another Philly favorite: Monk's Cafe. Though I didn't hit this one last time, it was a Spamily favorite. Monk's has a Belgian theme and an impressive beer selection from around the world. The menu is substantial and varied, but their mussels are the star of the show. They come in 6 varieties - steamed in beer or wine and spiced with all manner of aromatics and vegetables. Paired with a Flemish Sour Ale, it was the sort of lunch that doesn't make you want to go back to the theatre for another show...

Suzanne at Monk's

Gurr's away on vacation, so SME and I had her all to ourselves! You can read Gurr's posts from the wilds of Idaho here. (They're making me crazy jealous.)

Sunday, Ken called the second show and Francesca graciously agreed to deck Act II so I could catch an early train back to New York with Sheila Marie. Philadelphia is such a great city, it's almost a shame that I leave it at every opportunity...

A last look at Philadelphia's City Hall as I descended the steps to Suburban Station and the train home

The first week here in Philadelphia was a short one, but I intend to get in more sightseeing in the remaining two than I did last time. I'm looking forward to several more "Weekends with Wife" split between the City of Brotherly Love and the Big Apple. And, of course, I will have to enjoy a proper cheese steak!

TVFMHRW - Philadelphia Round 2
This time I'm staying at the Radisson Plaza - Warwick near Rittenhouse Square; no view of William Penn atop City Hall, but a great city view none the less.

JV