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  • Wilder’s book dinners bring customers face to face with local authors

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    Ticket prices are usually around $125 and include a copy of the book, a five-course meal and tax and gratuity for the staff. Additional proceeds are donated to a local charity of the author’s choosing — which have included the William Way LGBT Community Center, Savage Sisters Recovery and Mighty Writers.

    For the first time, February’s book dinner will be broadcasted by WURD Radio’s Sara Lomax-Reese, who will be moderating the event. Cook hopes this will give more people the opportunity to be a part of the discussion.

    “I’m looking forward to seeing [the discussion] move beyond the four walls and further into the community,” Cook said. “[Reese] is a profound Philly icon and such a powerful human to be in conversation with, especially during this season.”

    Proceeds will go toward Cook’s nonprofit organization, Harriet’s BookClub, which funds programs that send local students on educational field trips to Paris.

    “With Jeannine, we’re really excited that she’s not only an author but also owns a bookstore in Philly,” Kleppinger said. “With Wilder being an independent restaurant itself, Jeannine was a great collaborator for us and aligned with the values that we also have as a business.”

    The next book dinner will be a discussion with Philadelphia-based author M.L Rio about “Hot Wax,” on Tuesday, March 24. While there are no more events on the schedule, Wilder staff says says more are on the way.

    “The book dinners … give people a fun event, but it’s also fun for our team to have that creative outlet,” Kleppinger said. “It gets us thinking outside the box. … Everyone who’s involved in it loves doing it.”

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    Molly McVety

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  • Take a peek inside World of Flight, Nike’s new Jordan Brand store in Center City

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    World of Flight, the Nike spinoff store dedicated to the Jordan Brand, opens Friday in Center City with a 4 p.m. block party on the 1600 block of Walnut Street.

    The two-story shop in Philadelphia is the Jordan Brand’s first outpost in the United States and one of only five worldwide. It’s packed with streetwear, sneakers and visual callbacks to Michael Jordan’s legendary NBA career. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has a Jordan Brand endorsement deal, also figures heavily into the store’s merchandise and design.

    MORE: How a Point Breeze cheesemonger became the first American to win a world championship

    Hurts is expected to make an appearance at Friday’s block party, a Jordan Brand spokesperson said during a tour of World of Flight on Thursday afternoon. But the decision to open the brand’s first U.S. store in Philly actually was made before Hurts became an ambassador.

    “It was a combination of sports, culture and passion for community — that resonates deeply for Jordan Brand,” said Jeremy Bolds, general manager of Jordan Brand North America. “We sit at pretty much the intersection of sport and culture. What our brand values and what the city values was a perfect match.”

    The shop at 1617 Walnut St. occupies 6,344 square feet in a Beaux-Arts building that’s listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The Jordan Brand’s design team had to work within parameters set by the city’s historical commission, including restoring the storefront’s facade and its French windows above the entrance. The goal was to infuse the building’s historic elements with the aeronautical themes of the Jordan Brand.

    WOF ExteriorMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    Nike’s World of Flight store at 1617 Walnut St. is shown above on Oct. 2. Ahead of Friday’s opening, Nike added a final touch of Jordan’s iconic Jumpman logo on the arch above the entrance. A smaller Jumpman sits in the pediment at the top of the Beaux-Arts building constructed in 1921.

    World Flight MJWorld Flight MJMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    Art on the walls of Nike’s World of Flight store pays homage to Michael Jordan’s stellar NBA career.

    “You come in through a very historic facade and as you walk through the spaces, you start to see a bit of a transition again — the idea of the history and then it being more future-facing,” said Andre Kim, Jordan Brand’s director of retail design. “It’s meant to feel a bit otherworldly.”

    One of the store’s most eye-catching fixtures is a circular, digital display that hangs from the ceiling of the first floor and cycles through clips featuring Hurts. Among other products, the Eagles star’s exclusive Jordan Brand collection features shirts and hoodies with his “Love, Hurts” slogan.

    Jalen Hurts CollectionJalen Hurts CollectionMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    Jordan Brand athlete Jalen Hurts has his own streetwear collection that will be sold exclusively at the World of Flight store in Philadelphia.

    Hurts Digital NikeHurts Digital NikeMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    A digital display on the ceiling of World of Flight’s first floor shows clips of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

    The store also has sections for winter wear, women’s and kids’ apparel and everyday comfort. The sneaker displays are on the second floor, where there’s an array of sections for basketball and streetwear.

    Jordan Brand partnered with Mural Arts Philadelphia to choose local artists to create the designs seen on the walls and behind the register at World of Flight. Nick D’Auria, who goes by NDA, painted a mural on the second floor that Kim said represents the city’s youth culture. Even the store’s wayfinding signs are inspired by historic plaques in the city with wings added to give them a Jordan flare.

    World of Flight MuralWorld of Flight MuralMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    Philadelphia-based muralist Nick D’Auria is among the local artists whose work adorns the walls of World of Flight.

    Women's Jordan BrandWomen's Jordan BrandMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    Above, the women’s section of the World of Flight store.

    WOF Shoes NewWOF Shoes NewProvided Image/Jordan Brand

    World of Flight’s sneaker displays are on the store’s second floor.

    World of Flight SWorld of Flight SMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    World of Flight has a wide selection of men’s, women’s and kids’ Jordan Brand sneakers.

    The store plans to carry a rotation of T-shirts with hyperlocal designs exclusively available in Philadelphia. Some will be created by local artist Dina Scott, whose work is featured behind the register and on the walls of the fitting room in the back of the first floor.

    The highlight of the store is the second-floor lounge and customization area where shoppers can have their clothing and shoes embellished with a selection of patches and pins. The lounge is decked out with a glass display and shelving filled with Jordan sneakers, memorabilia, books and nods to Philadelphia. A side wall features iconic photos of Jordan, including one from his final game played on the road against the Sixers as a member of the Washington Wizards in 2003.

    Nike WOF Display NewNike WOF Display NewProvided Image/Jordan Brand

    A lounge on the second floor of World of Flight showcases sneakers, memorabilia and photos that highlight the intersection of the Jordan Brand and Philadelphia.

    Workshop Jordan BrandWorkshop Jordan BrandMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    The customization workshop on the second floor of World of Flight lets shoppers put their own touch on sneakers and apparel.

    On Thursday afternoon, the store welcomed members of the Jordan Brand’s youth-focused Wings Scholars program that was founded in Philly in 2015. The program now operates in six cities and works with local partner organizations to give teens internship experience with the company. The Wings Scholars each received gift bags with sneakers and other apparel.

    Jordan Wings ScholarsJordan Wings ScholarsMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    Members of the Jordan Brand’s Wings Scholars program in Philadelphia got the first look at the city’s new World of Flight store on Thursday afternoon.

    Kim said hardcore sneakerheads who visit the shop will be able to spot a few Jordan Brand Easter eggs throughout the space. The door handle to the store is shaped in the design of the plastic “wings” on the sides of 1989’s Air Jordan 4s.

    Jordan 4 DoorJordan 4 DoorMichael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice

    The door handle at the entrance to World of Flight pays homage to the adjustable ‘wing’ feature of the Air Jordan 4 sneakers released in 1989.

    “If you know, you know,” Kim said. “It kind of gives you a peek in terms of what you’re going to see and experience throughout the space.”

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • 3 Philly restaurants, including Kalaya, named among 50 best in North America

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    Kalaya, Friday Saturday Sunday and Royal Sushi & Izakaya were recognized among the best in North America by a group of 300 chefs, restaurateurs, journalists and gourmets.

    Kalaya ranked seventh on the 50 Best brand’s inaugural list of “North America’s 50 Best Restaurants,” which evaluated restaurants in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Friday Saturday Sunday ranked 16th and Royal Sushi & Izakaya was 32nd. Kalaya’s owner Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon was named North America’s best female chef. 

    MORE: Tria opens Rittenhouse event space that will host wine-tastings and classes taught by sommeliers

    The 50 Best list is published by the United Kingdom media company William Reed, which is known for publishing annual editions of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” Restaurants from Mexico, Central America and a few Caribbean countries, including Cuba and the Dominican Republic, are included in the company’s list of “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.” 

    Kalaya was recognized for its “imaginative Thai cooking with reams of charisma” and ability to elevate Thai food to an upscale dining experience in its luxe warehouse in Fishtown. Its $98 tom yum soup, bird-shaped dumplings and tamarind-glazed pork chop stood out to the experts who compiled 50 Best’s list, but Suntaranon particularly drew their praise. 

    “As beautiful and evocative as Kalaya’s ambiance is, the most luminous part of it is Suntaranon herself,” 50 Best’s entry reads. “She’s the charisma magnet that powers the whole restaurant, as comfortable handling a searing hot wok as a Birkin bag, she understands hospitality is about making guests feel special.” 

    Suntaranon spent three decades as a flight attendant before opening the first iteration of Kalaya in 2019 in a small space in the Italian Market. She was 50 at the time and named the restaurant after her mother, who sold curry pastes while raising Suntaranon in southern Thailand. 

    Within its first year, Kalaya won the James Beard Award for best new restaurant. This year, it was named a James Beard semifinalist for outstanding restaurant. Suntaranon also was named to the Time100 list, garnering praise for her “wild, whimsical” nature.

    “Kalaya is a place where every detail is deeply personal,” Suntaranon said in a statement. “I named the restaurant after my mother. This restaurant was built with love and pride to preserve the flavors and memories of my childhood. I’m so grateful to my team and partners who work tirelessly to deepen their understanding of Southern Thai food and culture and, in turn, share that passion with guests.” 

    Friday Saturday Sunday, an American restaurant in Rittenhouse, was lauded for its infusion of classic French technique with African diaspora influences and for its Lovers Bar’s “extraordinary” cocktail menu. Earlier this year, head bartender Paul MacDonald was named among the most innovative bartenders in the country by Wine Enthusiast. 

    Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village, was recognized for its casual but energetic atmosphere and nigrini entrees prepared with “texturizing knifework as fine as calligraphy.” 

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    Molly McVety

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  • Bartender of Friday Saturday Sunday’s Lovers Bar honored for his innovation

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    The head bartender of the Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday — one of Rittenhouse’s most acclaimed restaurants — recently was named as one of Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 Tastemakers. 

    Paul MacDonald was the only honoree from Pennsylvania, with the outlet citing his creative and methodical approach to his craft. 

    MORE: The Philly restaurants added to the Michelin Guide will be revealed at the Kimmel Center this fall

    Wine Enthusiast says it releases the annual list as a way to highlight people in the industry who “inspire innovation and are bringing the drinks industry into the future.”

    “It’s a huge honor to be acknowledge by a prestigious publication like Wine Enthusiast and to join the incredible slate of honorees past and present,” MacDonald said. “It’s always been my goal to push Philadelphia’s bar scene ever further into the national conversation, and I’m very grateful for this recognition.” 

    MacDonald taught himself the craft of bartending in 2010 and has worked at Friday Saturday Sunday, located at 261 S. 21st St., since 2016. 

    Last year, the Bethlehem native unveiled a cocktail menu called the Carousel, which features a list of 21 spirits, liqueurs and fortified wines arranged in a circle on a lazy Susan-like wheel. Customers spin the contraption to reveal five different ingredients that are incorporated into a mixed drink using a ratio that mimics the Fibonacci sequence (1/4 ounce, 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 3/4 ounce, and 1 1/4 ounces). Since the ingredients can be read clockwise and counterclockwise, there are 42 possible cocktail recipes.

    MacDonald’s decadelong effort to create the Carousel has resulted in a deceptively simple and engaging game of chance — and now a mention as one of the nation’s most innovative bartenders. 

    “The game plays into MacDonald’s philosophy of a bartender being responsible for not only mixing drinks but also managing a bar’s social scene and setting an example for how they want their clientele to behave,” MacDonald’s entry reads.

    When asked by the publication what trends he’s looking forward to seeing in the beverage industry, MacDonald encouraged a return of “affordable, low-concept cocktail bars.” 

    “We saw a ton of places open nationwide that execute simple, classic cocktails excellently without charging an arm and a leg, and I applaud that,” he said. 

    This summer, the Lovers Bar received a James Beard Award nomination in the outstanding bar category. In 2023, Friday Saturday Sunday won a James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant.

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    Molly McVety

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