Craft beer and T.Rex

What happens when the Academy of Natural Sciences meets the first Philadelphia Restaurant Festival, this Thursday?

Twenty-five local restaurateurs, hungry foodies and craft booze mingle with old brontosauruses and live butterflies.

“We wanted to create a unique, affordable culinary experience where our customers could, not only go on a Philly food journey, but also take a trip around worlds — known, unknown — all under one roof,” says Ray Sheehan, President of Philly2Night.com, who organized the event.

The idea of noshing Doc Magrogan oysters, Eclat chocolates and sipping Bluecoat gin (amongst others) in an historic 200-year-old museum sounded spectacular to hosts and venue alike.

“The Academy’s marvelous live animals and captivating dinosaurs, our special exhibit Tarantulas: Alive and Up Close, all that food.. It’s going to be a wild party,” says Carolyn Belardo, Director of Public Relations at the Academy of Natural Sciences. “I hope our guests will raise glasses in a Jurassic toast to our amazing T. Rex.”

If you go:

Thursday, March 31
6-9 p.m.
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
GA: $50. VIP: $60
215-299-1000
Restaurantfestival.com/philadelphia/tickets