Rock n Roll Exxon: Music Is Our Oil

First of all, you have to realize how incredibly ridiculous this place looks in the setting of Port Richmond north Philly sprawl, where the corners of the intersection feature a Radio Shack and some guy selling Phillies jerseys out of a tent. The square columns for the overhang of the gas pumps are painted with booming speakers set aflame. All windows of the "Grilladelphia" are tinted red. Badly painted iconic images of Tina Turner, Jim Morrison (pictured here, with an admirer), and Gene Simmons decorate the facade. Lest I forget the giant yellow peace sign abutting an image of soot-spewing smokestacks with the slogan "MUSIC IS OUR OIL." Who is responsible for this? Not an Exxon conglomerate, not the gas station's owners. It's The Roots (sort of)! The idea of the "MUSIC IS OUR OIL" World Tour is to "send America's greatest Hip-Hop and Rock artists to oil producing countries to barter music and other essential commodities for 20 million barrels of oil. The 20 million barrels of crude oil will be transferred into 125-gallon MIO gas cards, which will be distributed to 3.2 million Americans thru the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) program." No word yet on the results.

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Gas Stations • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Be the Change

The locals may be sans teeth, but for the most part they're friendly, and they're all for rebuilding long forgotten "Pop's Playground' into a skateboard park to steer the local youth towards a productive extra curricular activity. Joan Long, native of New (and Old) Kensington, says she can't remember a time when the playground was in use. The New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), with the help of Exit Skate Shop and other volunteers, are in the trenches, working to change that. Building ramps and digging holes to root trees, moving bricks from one side of the park to the other, and working to raise money to compute the project via financial sponsors, art shows and parties. Jesse Clayton, project manager, says the project will not be complete until winter, but the park will be safe to skate long before then. To speed up the process, contact Steve Miller of Exit Skate shop for volunteer info.

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Landmarks • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Battle of the Burgers

Hello, hype. I see you got to Sketch before me. All over the Philadelphia internets, people seem excited about the new burger-and-shake joint from the fine folks who brought us Canvas Coffee. Look: Sketch is really tasty, but it's not amazing. For example: beyond lettuce, tomato, and sauce, all of the extra toppings are a dollar. Even onion. $1 for onion on your burger! I think you can buy a whole onion for less than $1. Anyway. I ordered the vegan burger, which was delicious and homemade. But the reactions of my meat-eating compatriots varied widely. One of my friends said her burger was too pink to do more than nibble around the edges, but my boyfriend said his burger was one of the best he's ever eaten. I say: definitely go try Sketch for yourself. It's good. Just don't get too hyped up before you go.

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Restaurants • Fishtown / Port Richmond

New Location, Old Thrift

Perhaps you have recently rambled up Frankford, north of Girard… and perhaps you'd noticed, gasped, almost fainted when you realized "CIRCLE THRIFT IS GONE?!" Perhaps you held a silent memorial for its wares, saddened for all the dusty records and lonely-one-half-BFF-heart keychains you'd never discover. Quit your fretting. If you hadn't fainted back there you would have kept going up the road and realized, "Hey! Now this place has and even better spot two blocks up to scrounge for Urban Outfitters rejected samples!" Circle Thrift has a new home, a grey cinderblock space which is clean, much easier to navigate, and where you can actually see all the shoes. Though I don't typically find many "finds" at Circle Thrift (the vintage dress selection is not so great), it's become a staple of Fishtown/Kensington. And I'm happy to report it's thriving anew.

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Shopping • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Locally Grown Thanksgiving

The big, unsurprising Thanksgiving news this year? It's good to buy locally grown turkey-day foods. Vegetarian Times used the fresh-food buzzword "heirloom," the New York Times went for "locovore," and everywhere in between, people are extolling the value of getting your Thanksgiving goods close to home. We all know it's a good idea--locally grown food is fresh, helps your community's economy, and gives you the ability to let people know that you're a better human than they are when you buy local and they don't. But where do you get all of these lovely local goods? After all, most of the farmers markets and farmstands are closed for the year... or are they? This year, the fantastic people at Greensgrow Farms are offering a special Thanksgiving market on November 25 and 26 from 2-6 pm. Unfortunately, it's too late to sign up for a local gobbler from them, but you can still stop by to get all sorts of delicious side dish ingredients, and maintain that smug "I'm doing something good" feeling.

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Farmers Markets • Fishtown / Port Richmond

And The Music Was Awesome

Apparently, after Craig Laban's review of the pickles here, everyone flocks for the beer-battered kosher dills. I didn't. The waitress advised me that after a platter of ten, I would no longer have my drinking waist on. And I didn't want that. Instead, I opted for two of her favorites: the Pilsner Brines Hot Wings with Blue Cheese and the Suicide Sweet & Spicy Onion Rings with Habanero Cream. She wasn't lying. The onion "rings" were actually thinly sliced, lightly breaded and delicate enough to fall apart in the thick, creamy and quite spicy habanero dip. It was a Lonestar "bloomin' onion" fit for a queen, as opposed to a bunch of hungry ten year olds and their mini-van driving mom.

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Nightlife • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Hot and Tiny

The chef who originally brought you Tiffin has opened a marvelous spot on East Girard... and Ekta is hot as hell. This is not only true of food temperature and spice. The present in-house dining area can seat merely 8 people, and if you nudged the cashier to the right and had decidedly good aim, you could potentially spit into your own food--while they are cooking it. It's really freaking small and hot in there. But fret not. If you aren't satisfied with take-out or delivery, a second floor dining room is in the works. With similar menu items, Ekta could seem blase. But the price is right at about $8 an entree, and the menu features a few new things--basil and rosemary naan? Two each, please.

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Restaurants • Fishtown / Port Richmond

To Twang and To Hold

Jack White plays a Dipinto. So does Dick Dale. That means you should at least see what the fuss is about by heading down to Girard Avenue. Careful, you might miss it if you're driving--two trees partially block the bright red and white sign. Dipinto guitars and basses are bold: glitter, bright colors, racing stripes... well, you get the idea. Dipinto also has an arch top series with two beautiful models, the Philadelphian and the Bacchus. Along the store walls are guitars of various models so don't let the sign out front fool you--they also sell strats, teles and pauls plus some models you've probably never heard of. What the hell is a Kalamazoo or a Decca/Teisco? Looking for an acoustic? They have them as well, some dating back to the fifties and sixties. Amps? Yep. Oh, and they also sell mandolins, keyboards and vintage arch tops. I'm a lefty and I think that compared to other stores they have a decent selection of lefties but that seems to be dwindling a bit recently. Still, I always check them out... you never know what you're going to find.

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Shopping • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Law Advice and Mismatched Dishes

Old Attorney Pants. While it might sound like a silly nickname for a lawyer, it's also what you might be able to find at The Little Thrift Shop, a store that recently moved into the Thomas Landis Law Office on Girard. "Oh," I thought when I saw the sign. "There's a thrift shop where the law office used to be!" No, not quite. There's a thrift shop there, yes, but the window is also peppered with signs about how the lawyer is still practicing, and he has evening and weekend appointments available. The thrift shop itself is nothing all that special; it feels like your typical garage sale. There is a sign that says the money goes to charity, but if it turns out that it doesn't, don't worry--I have the number for a lawyer.

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Shopping • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Oldfangled Oblectation

Scoops is an ice cream window and it's pretty die-hard. It's open every day, sells 5 cent candy and wiffle ball-and-bat sets, water ice, lottery tickets and pizza nuggets (and so much more). Pizza nuggets, if you're not familiar with this neighborhood delicacy, are fashioned with Philly pretzel pieces, marinara and mozzarella, and microwaved to perfection. Although not as common as Artic Iced Tea, you can see many a street urchin cupping their pizza nuggets close to their chests while patrolling the neighborhood. The most brilliant thing about Scoops is the fact that it's open year round. That means I can have birthday cake ice cream on my birthday and you better believe I'm making it a tradition. And so should you.

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Shopping • Fishtown / Port Richmond

The CSA

Community Supported Agriculture. The phrase has sterility to it, but mostly it's just troubling. Do they support the agriculture with weight-bearing rods and old-fashioned pulleys? Or is the community made up of humans with very strong backs? I found out no human pyramids are involved. Just raspberries. Farm eggs. Mountains of kale. Swiss cheese. The CSA is a food program run by a really cool local market/nursery that knows local farmers and bakers and even breweries. They say, hey, these city people need some locally grown food because it sustains Philly's economy and food is healthier and tastes better, etc., and then they get it for you. So I signed up. From May through November (that's 6 months people) I'm getting a "Half Share." For a total of $420 bucks--again, over six months this is $70/mo. Every other week I get to go to Greensgrow in Fishtown/Port Richmond and pick up food. This week I get: Peas, strawberries, Napa cabbage, spring mix, a bunch of kale, homemade pierogies, kohlrabi (what is that? from SPACE?) and my choice of a dairy item. For responsible meat lovers: There's a share especially for you, too. For timid cooks: Each share comes with a newsletter complete with recipes! For all of you who want to sign up next year: It happens in the spring, so make a point to get on the list early!

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Farmers Markets • Fishtown / Port Richmond

True Love!

It's no secret that the young men of Fishtown and Port Richmond love riding vehicles that are not appropriate for the city streets. Every day my neighborhood buzzes with the diesel rumble of motorized scooters, tiny motorcycles, and four wheelers. For whatever reason, these inappropriate vehicles are status symbols around here. But OMFG, this kid got the inappropriate-vehicle-as-status memo so wrong and so right because he is riding a CLOWN BIKE. SERIOUSLY. Look at that thing. The wheels can't be any more than five inches in diameter. I want him to be followed by a brass band and some elephants. And kid, if you come across this post, seriously: do not think I am making fun of you. I am in love with you for riding your tiny bike around my neighborhood. If you ever need someone to spot you when you ride your tiny bike across a tight rope, please: just let me know.

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Landmarks • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Check It

I love pizza. That's why I can't believe it took me two years of living in Fishtown to find a local pizza place I like. It's not as if I didn't try: I had run-ins with the mediocrity of Key Pizza and the straight-up horror of Jimmy's Old London. But after a while I got tired of eating bad pizza just for the sake of experimentation, and I resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted delivery, I was best off getting Chinese food or Tiffin. But recently I was walking by Father & Sons, and I stopped in to pick up a slice. Holy goodness! It was a fantastic combination of thin-but-not-too-thin dough, slightly sweet sauce, and delicious cheese. If you live in the Fishtown area, don't bother fooling around with anything else: Father & Sons has your pizza.

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Restaurants • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Local in Wares, Foreign in Name

Being a complete computer idiot, I’m on the internet most of the day. Thusly, the first thing that attracted me to Memphis Tap was its sassy website. Allured by the thought of a brew pub in Port Fishington (on the border of Fishtown and Port Richmond), I visited just after it opened in early May. They have what you might expect from a bar menu—sammiches, hummus, fried onions nicknamed “Walla Walla Suicide Rings.” You might have to pay a little more than “cheap” to get them though—Memphis’ menu serves only local food, which yeah, makes your pulled pork $8 instead of $6. But they aren’t trying to hose you, I promise. My Monk’s Flemish Sour (on tap) was only $4, and the owners say they hope to keep the local beer as affordable as possible. One of the owners pointed down the crowded bar and reflected, “I keep thinking to myself: I opened a bar in Kensington/Fishtown, and I don’t even have Lager.” Affordable amazing beers? I can get behind that.

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Nightlife • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Super-Concentrated Entertainment

Few events are quite as entertaining as a good ol' kinetic sculpture derby. One part art and fashion show, one part heart-thumping race, and one part mud wrestling, I'm pretty sure that such derbies are the perfect modern American entertainment. Hey, when I went to the Kensington derby last year, a lot of the sculptures even had shiny things. Now I know what you're thinking: "Meg! That sure does sound like a lot of entertainment, but I also need to keep my jaw moving and my cash circulating, and you didn't mention anything about food or shopping." Well! The Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby is also part of the Trenton Avenue Arts fest, where you can get lots of great food, beer, and wares from local artists. So mark your calendar for May 17 (at 2 pm): you have a date with some serious entertainment.

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Events • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Brunchin' in Fishtown

Fishtown is having an identity crisis. Alongside its traditionally Irish working-class establishments are new thrift stores (rumored to be regularly bestowed with rejected samples from Urban Outfitters' corporate headquarters) and new condo kings buying up, and building over, the classic row homes. Fishtown pride is consistent as all hell anyway. Ida Mae's is no exception. A relatively new joint to the area, this bruncherie is not just a great place for some mean buttermilk pancakes--they also champion of a "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" business model. Plates range from $5-15, featuring a classically Irish breakfast (with black pudding) and special pancakes (like mango and whipped cream). Ida Mae's may be just a restaurant, but they are also heroes of Fishtown in my eyes--serving up a tofu scramble to welcome the new area residents, but never going to consider taking the bangers and mash off the menu.

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Restaurants • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Rocket Cat Café

Any place with a cat wearing an old timey space helmet for a logo has gone and set some high expectations for itself. Will Rocket Cat deliver? Can the intrepid Rocket Cat save the earth? Well the second one’s a long shot, but I’m gonna say “yes” to the first question. You can take your pick of adjectives–warm, inviting, cute–but I’ll go with comfy. There’s plenty to nosh on, including the usual suspects, but there’s also portobello sandwiches and grilled tofu lurking about. It’s a good size place with the feeling of a large living room with salvaged furniture and plants. Sure, some of the furniture only gives the appearance of a sturdy, comfortable place to sit, but there’s a diner-type coffee bar to sit at as well. That alone is almost as cool as a cat in a space helmet. Oh, also the coffee is good. And did I mention they’ve got a cool logo?

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Coffee • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Atlantis The Lost Bar

In the 40s film, "The Lost Weekend," Ray Milland said of alcohol: "One's too many an' a hundred's not enough." Sure, I'll tread lightly on my likeness to the title character in this surprisingly harrowing film...but while you're out feeding your terrible addiction, why not do it in an aesthetically pleasing, all-embracing place? You should spend your Lost Weekend at The Lost Bar, Atlantis in Fishtown. Among the many corner bars in this area, Atlantis is a diamond in the rough. It's a fun little place with tasty brews on tap (from micro to Miller), and a comfortable atmosphere complete with pool table and a fish tank. It's your typical bar done atypically. Would I be a regular anywhere else? Don't be ridic.

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Nightlife • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Bada Bargains

Nick at Bada Bargains can find anything. Okay, I’m not 100% sure on that, but there’s a pretty good chance that if you are looking for something, Nick can find it. The other day I walked in unannounced and told him that I needed some cheap items that a turn-of-the-century gentleman might wear. Nick responded by putting pair after pair of golden cufflinks in front of me. This is the sort of thing that happens regularly at Bada Bargains. Tucked under the El on Front Street, the place is stuffed full of your requisite flea market finds of VHS tapes and old board games. But amongst those items are also pinup photos, beautiful old books and diaries, World’s Fair mementos, and more. And oh yeah–it’s all cheap. Like, crazy reasonably priced. Nick and the other vendors just like finding interesting things, matching them with the right people, and telling stories. And that, that is awesome.

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Shopping • Fishtown / Port Richmond

Rocket Cat Café

Some days you just go to get coffee. Some days you find yourself outside of a coffee shop, lip-synching to Plastic Bertrand's “Ca Plane Pour Moi" with a puppet. On any day, you will be happy if the coffee shop you frequent is Rocket Cat Café, a truly eclectic, fun coffee shop that entices one's inner bohemian. With plenty of space to veg out, Rocket Cat Café is the place you can go and work on that novel you say is almost done. Or, if it actually is done, you can go there and tell people about it. While you're at it, buy a beverage and a tasty treat. For artists, or 20-somethings who pretend to be artists, Rocket Cat is the finest coffee shop around.

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Coffee • Fishtown / Port Richmond