Uptown Beer Garden/ Kedera Tiki Bar
Uptown knows how to pull off a theme (it’s a fan favorite for both Halloween and Christmas), but for the summer, locals and tourists are also in luck. Uptown’s tiki-themed expansion, Kedera is a great pick for the sunny season, and this year it boasts a full-service Orange Crush Bar, new food menu, zero-proof sippers, frozen tipples, and more.
The space holds two full-service bars, swing seating, palm trees, greenery and more to make it an urban oasis for those in the city, and the menu reflects that ideology as well. Options span some signature cocktails like the Island Spice (Ancho Reyes Verde Liqueur, pineapple, lime and simple) and frozen options like the Frozo Espresso (Skyy Espresso Vodka, cold brew, coffee liqueur and simple), plus a variety of beer, wine and seltzers. Food, on the other hand, will span buffalo chicken sliders, fish & chips, pulled pork tacos, boardwalk fries and other seasonal picks. Kedera will also be participating in Center City Sips this year (launching June 5) as well.
1500 John F Kennedy Blvd, uptownbeer.com
Borgata’s Summer Social: A Taste of Paradise
Later this summer, Philadelphians can head to the coastal town of Atlantic City to check out one of its premier culinary events. Taking place June 28 from 8 to 10 p.m., the event will be helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Michael Symon of Angeline and ultimately, Summer Social will feature specialty culinary items from Borgata’s 11 restaurants (each bite themed for the night), crafted cocktails, and live entertainment.
Food highlights include a pig roast, coconut seafood stew, musubi, and huli huli chicken with grilled pineapple salsa. Guests can pair their bites with signature cocktails, beer, wine, or even try some tasting stations of their favorite spirits (with brands like Patron and Bacardi in attendance.) General admission tickets are $125 per person, but there are also a limited number of VIP tickets available for $175 per person, which will give guests access to early entry to the event beginning at 7 p.m., private cabana seating, plus an exclusive happy hour with food and drink offerings and butler service.
1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, New Jersey, borgata.mgmresorts.
Aqimero
For those looking for something a bit more unique in the elevated realm, Aqimero is offering a special Boozy Tea Experience to coincide with a four-course tasting menu from Chef Richard Sandoval. Options for tea cocktails include a Chamomile Coconut Cooler with chamomile-infused rum, coconut water, lime and agave; the Hibiscus Paloma Punch with hibiscus-infused mezcal, grapefruit and agave; and the Jalisco Jasmine Margarita with jasmine tea infused tequila, lime and edible flowers.
The drinks will be accompanied by fresh bites, like tuna ceviche with a lychee citrus broth, guacamole with grilled peaches and Baja Coast empanadas with ají shrimp. Visitors can then finish everything off on a sweet note with house-made churros, macarons, truffles and sorbet. The Boozy Tea Experience costs $125.00+ per guest and is available on select dates throughout the summer from noon to 2 p.m. Upcoming dates include June 15 and 16, July 20 and 21, Aug. 24 and 25, and Sept. 21 and 22.
10 Avenue of the Arts, aqimero.com
Asher’s Chocolate and Conshohocken Brewing Co.’s Beer Garden
For the second summer in a row, Asher’s Chocolate and Conshohocken Brewing Co. are partnering up again to host an outdoor beer garden at Asher’s location in Souderton. The venue will serve up a selection of specialty brews from Conshohocken Brewing Company, paired with a variety of Asher’s premium chocolates, plus, live music, food trucks and special events.
The beer garden will be open now through October, with a break from July 13 through the end of August. It will have regular weekend hours and occasional weekday events, but a full schedule can be found online.
80 Wambold Road, conshohockenbrewing.com
Le Virtu’s La Panarda
Taking place on June 2, La Panarda is the venue’s 40-plus dish “love letter to Abruzzo”, and its back after a 5 year hiatus. As a news release notes, the nine-hour exercise in “Abruzzese lunacy” has earned national acclaim since its inception in 2011 and remains the only true representation outside of Abruzzo of the proud Italian tradition with roots tracing back to 1657.
The fare is meant to highlight the region it was inspired by — from the Adriatic Sea, through the verdant hill country, and onto the rocky slopes of the highest stretches of the Apennines. The meal will also be accompanied with a wine, or, Philadelphians can opt to try a digestivo out of the ice luge on site.
Some highlighted dishes from the occasion include the Misto Crudo di Mare (assorted fish and crustaceans from Local 130 Seafood, served raw with pepperoncino, lemon, herbs and cucumbers), triangoli con mortadella (mortadella-stuffed triangle pasta, with toasted pistachios and Parmigiano-Reggiano), coal-roasted lamb leg with salmoriglio and olives, Maccheroni alla Mugnaia (single-strand noodle, with hot peppers, pecorino and garlic), a coal-roasted sucking pig, and much more.
1927 E Passyunk Ave., levirtu.com
