Cheers to a sleek new cocktail lounge in Berwyn, a Jurassic Quest for the new year and brunching in your PJs. Happy holidays, neighbor!
• Midtown Social Replaces 30 Main
Berwyn’s 30 Main has rebranded as a buzzy new cocktail and game lounge called Midtown Social. Billing itself as a “hub of endless entertainment,” Midtown Social boasts separate areas for cocktail sipping and people watching, gaming and dancing. Patrons are raving about the sleek lounge space, the gaming room with 100-inch screen (perfect for trivia nights and PlayStation sessions) and second-story dance floor.
The menu is a mélange of tasty sharables and small plates, including sushi, lobster sliders, flatbreads and savory fondue.
Midtown Social will happily host your next private cocktail party, holiday gathering or bridal shower brunch too (Sundays through Tuesday afternoons are reserved for private events, which include valet service). By February, Midtown Social hopes to debut grab-and-go morning café service featuring breakfast sliders, coffee, smoothies and homemade scones.
Midtown Social is located at 660 Lancaster Avenue in Berwyn. Hours are Tuesday 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM and Wednesday – Saturday 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM. Reservations accepted for the lounge or game room.
• Oh Boy! Malvern BBQ Gets Permanent Digs
Paul Marshall’s acclaimed Farm Boy BBQ has a home of its own! Bright and airy with aromas of savory woodsmoke and BBQ wafting through the air, the new location features plenty of seating and a menu filled with customer favorites like the beef short rib, brisket, the pulled pork sandwich and something called the “Hot Mess” (jumbo sea salt sweet potato stuffed with South Texas barbacoa, chipotle crema, cotija cheese, bacon and green onions). Sides and desserts are homemade, and Saturday nights are Steak Night (get a 12-ounce Certified Angus Beef Ribeye cooked over an open fire for $39). Marshall sources only premium meats and smokes ‘em low and slow in top-quality hickory, cherry and post oak wood.
A former LSU football player, Marshall trained at landmark restaurants around the country, including Emeril Lagasse’s Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. After meeting his wife Julie—a Devon native and AIS grad—at the James Beard House in New York, the couple moved to Malvern, where they restored a circa 1745 dairy farm. During the early days of the pandemic, Paul taught himself Central Texas BBQ and Farm Boy was born, originally operating out of a Sunoco gas station parking lot. Safe to say the Morehall Road spot is a major upgrade.
Farm Boy BBQ is located at 625 N Morehall Road in Malvern. Hours are Wednesday to Saturday 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM or until they sell out. The eatery is BYOB.
• A New Shop for Littles?
Good news for those morning the closure of the Children’s Clothing Patch in downtown Wayne: Rumor has it The Little House Shop plans to open a children’s boutique in Eagle Village. In business since 1934, The Little House Shop is known for its sophisticated, carefully curated selection of wedding, shower and hostess gifts; home décor and stationery. The shop currently carries a small selection of goodies for baby and kids. Given the shop’s discerning eye and elevated style, the offshoot will be goooood.
• Villanova & Cabrini Work on Their Marriage
After months of due diligence, Villanova University and Cabrini University have hammered out an official sales agreement. The merger announcement this past spring followed years of shrinking class sizes, financial woes and leadership turmoil at Cabrini. Fortunately, several area institutions stepped up to offer Cabrini students new avenues to complete their degrees.
As part of the merger, Villanova will keep the Cabrini name of the campus and continue the school’s legacy and mission by creating an immigration center and establishing a Cabrini Scholars program with Cabrini High School in New Orleans, among other initiatives. Two designated Cabrini reps will serve on the Villanova Board of Trustees as well.
• Jurassic Quest Roars into Philly
The nation’s largest immersive Dino experience takes over the Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks January 5 – 7, 2024. Guests of “Jurassic Quest” will stroll through 165 million years of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
The show features some of the largest rideable dinosaurs in North America, live dinosaur shows, and interactive science and art activities, including a fossil dig. Real fossils are on display too, including a T-Rex teeth, triceratops horn and a life-size Dino skull. Tots can amuse themselves in the bounce houses and inflatables.
• White Dog Celebrates 35 Years of New Year’s Day PJ Brunch
Come January 1, you can roll out of bed and head straight to your nearest White Dog Café (might want to brush your teeth first…just sayin’). For over 30 years, the eatery has served a special New Year’s Day brunch where guests are invited to come in their PJs (even the waitstaff dresses the part!).
The à la carte brunch menu stars handcrafted mocktails and cocktails, a classic cage-free white omelet, avocado BLT and other favorites. Brunch will be served from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the Haverford, Glen Mills, Wayne and University City locations. Reservations are encouraged.
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