Ocho Supper Club

Ocho Supper Club feels less like a restaurant and more like a culinary event — intimate, intentional, and full of storytelling. Led by the incredibly talented Chef RJ Smith (@chefrjsmith) with impeccable table-side charm, this Afro-Caribbean tasting experience at the Rittenhouse Hotel is one of Philly’s most exciting dining moments right now. Thoughtful service, memorable flavors, and real heart in every course. This is special-occasion dining done right. 

 Afro-Caribbean brilliance from the very first bite. The Jamaican festival stuffed with confit shredded duck and drizzled in curry-spiced hot honey - my favorite — perfectly spiced! The Kanpachi crudo with heirloom masa tostada, yellow curry, citrus, and roasted garlic was bright, balanced, and beautifully layered. 

 Then came the comfort and craft. The cornbread in mole negro — inspired by Chef RJ’s grandmother — was fluffy, sweet, and deeply nostalgic, while the mole brought earthy complexity from dates, carob, cinnamon, and nuts. The Atlantic cod was even more refined than before, sourced straight from Cape May and butter-poached to perfection, topped with teff puffs, basil oil, and Ghanaian seafood stew accents. Subtle, elegant, and deeply satisfying. 

 The main event? The jerked duck. A heartier PA-sourced cut, perfectly spiced and paired with an ultra-umami roasted duck bone demi-glace. Coconut rice, crisp scallion emulsion, and golden carrot purée rounded out a dish that was rich, balanced, and unforgettable. This is the kind of plate that makes you pause mid-bite and just appreciate what’s happening. 

 Dessert didn’t miss a beat. A roasted miso brown butter ice cream with watermelon hibiscus granita refreshed the palate before the stunning jet-black cocoa tart — filled with raspberry jelly, cream, and chocolate ganache, topped with coquito whipped cream. The pairings by @slowdrinks impressed — especially the three-rum blend cocktail topped with a plantain chip.

 #chefrjsmith #ochosupper #ochosupperclub #afrocaribbeancuisine #adventure

Philly 2025 Winter

  Shane Confectionery

110 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

1pm to 4pm at museum 

4:30 to 5:15 

Christmas Market

1500 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

http://philachristmas.com

wallsforjustice

Her Place Supper Club

 Her Place Supper Club in Philadelphia, PA has recently been awarded Michelin stars—and it’s easy to see why.

It’s part restaurant, part dinner party with friends. Imagine showing up to a friend’s home who truly loves to cook, and trusting her completely with whatever she puts in front of you. Cozy, intimate, and full of heart, Her Place offers a supper club experience where warmth, hospitality, and deep culinary knowledge are infused into every course. The tasting menu is entirely seasonally driven and deeply thoughtful.

My favorite bite of the night was the scallop with pear, hazelnut, and brown butter—magical. Light, fresh, clean, slightly sweet, with a beautiful crunch from the hazelnuts.

As someone always seeking flavors and experiences I haven’t had before, I loved discovering unexpected standouts like the pickled carrot with fondue and the parsley “salad” atop the beef tenderloin—officially normalizing parsley as more than just a garnish.

Complete Menu: Fondue Night | 12.20.2025

• Scallop, Pear, Hazelnut, Brown Butter

• Fondue, Truffles with Crudité, Squash

• Buns & Pickles

• Black Trumpet & Dried Cherry Terrine, Sourdough

• Beet Mezzaluna, Poppy Seeds

• Beef Tenderloin, Winter Vegetables, Red Wine Jus

• Molten Chocolate Cake

An unforgettable evening and a well-deserved recognition. 

Kendrik Lamar, May 5, 2025, The Link, Philadephia

Philly

Met Alfred for lunch. Then I planned to checkout out Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, but they were closed for the installation of a new student art exhibit. Instead I walled around downtown shopping.  I definitely think I could live in Philly. 

Met my nephew Alex for dinner and "Good Mob" concert! A definitely flashback to the last 90's. I purchased all their albums from back then and still listen to them often.  The are probably my favorite musical group. 

Of course, I had to purchase the T-shirt!

CeeLo Green - probably my favorite male singer.  

Philly Excursion

Lunch at Morimoto - a Japanese restaurant in philly. 

Philadelphia Museum of Art - I believe I've visited this museum 4 times prior and clearly from this visit I haven't seen the entire permanent exhibit.  All my prior visits seemed to have been focused on specific temporary exhibits. 

 We visited the Mütter Museum next. It contains a collection of medical oddities, anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment. The museum is part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Capped off by a fun evening at Talula's Garden with Alex, Denita, and Alfred.  

Philly

Philadelphia Weekend

 Constitution Hall 

 Barnes Foundation 

 Philadelphia Flower Show

 Oysters on the Half Shell

Escargots

(Snail ragout, fava beans and trumpet royale mushrooms flavored with tarragon)  

Pied de Porc

(Braised pig foot stuffed with foie gras, French lentils “Du Puy”)

Cheese Platter

Bibou Restaurant

 Philadelphia Museum of Art 

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Philadelphia - Day Visit

I checked out the Barnes exhibit in it's new location.  It was clearly more accessible, brighter, and roomier than the original location.  Although the original location was difficult to find, it was more intimate and highlighted the controversy between Dr. Barnes, his art collection and the City of Philadelphia. Quick fun visit. I often forget Philadelphia is a true city.

"Outsider Art" - Philadelphia Museum of Art

"Great and Mighty Things": Outsider Art from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection

March 3, 2013 - June 9, 2013

The power of self-taught artistic talent, the drive of the human spirit to create, and the wonders of highly original inner worlds revealed. These are just a few of the reasons why the Philadelphia Museum of Art is proud to debut the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection, a promised gift to the Museum of more than two hundred works by self-taught artists.

Discover the visual strength and original beauty of these works by twenty-seven untrained American artists, each with a moving personal story, many from disadvantaged, rural backgrounds far removed from the mainstream art world. This exhibition surprises and challenges museum goers, forces examination of the conventional definition of the word “artist,” and shows that good art is good art regardless of the maker’s résumé. Visitors will see unforgettable works, dating from the 1930s to 2010, by passionate artists who made objects of seductive richness that can stand alongside the best of modern and contemporary art.

What is Outsider Art?

What is “outsider” art that it should be given this confusing designation (outside of what?), be treated as a separate entity from mainstream art, and often be shown only in specialized museums and sold by particular galleries? The basic answer is that it is art made by people who have not gone to art school, who usually do not operate professionally or earn their livings as artists, and who create, for the most part, with limited or no connection to the art world and its dealers, galleries, collectors, critics, schools, and museums. Not categorized by styles, movements, or trends, it is art made by individuals who are driven to create by their own particular inner compulsions, which may be visionary, derived from memories, evangelical, or popular-culture inspired. It is almost always strongly influenced by local or regional cultures and often is made from found, homemade, or unusual materials.

The best outsiders produce work that is out of the ordinary, edgy, imaginative, or even obsessive-compulsive. Their creations are frequently raw or crude in execution but masterful in color choices and composition. Many of these self-taught artists create large-scale “environments,” some of which derive from the southern African American yard-art tradition.

Recognized as a specific field from the early twentieth century in Europe—at that time associated with the art of the mentally ill—and in America since the 1930s and 1940s, outsider art is now a global phenomenon, albeit a minor one within the full spectrum of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art. It occupies a position parallel to but not identical with mainstream modern and contemporary art.

Weekend in Philadelphia, PA

Thursday: Camden Aquarium, Cuban for Dinner (My Fave: yuca fries, grilled octopus & mojitos), Shopping (bathing suits - half price), Lowes Hotel.

Friday: Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Swimming, Pedicure, Manicure, Facial, Trolley, Eastern State Penitentiary, Franklin Institute, Brazilian Rodízio.

Saturday: 105 degree weather, King of Prussia Mall, Katy Perry Movie "Part of Me 3D", Jim Thorpe PA, major storm, Holiday Inn Express (dump).