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IN THE LOOP - OCTOBER

• Honeygrow Heads to Wynnewood Honeygrow —the healthy stir-fry-salad chain founded by Philly native Justin Rosenberg 2012—will open a location in the Wynnewood Square Shopping Center this fall. Rosenberg launched the concept after transitioning to…

• Honeygrow Heads to Wynnewood

Honeygrow —the healthy stir-fry-salad chain founded by Philly native Justin Rosenberg 2012—will open a location in the Wynnewood Square Shopping Center this fall. Rosenberg launched the concept after transitioning to a plant-based diet in 2008. While he had no problem prepping wholesome meals at home, dining out was a different story. Rosenberg spent two years pitching his idea and finally scored financial backing on his 94th try. The fast-casual chain serves veggie-rich, fully customizable salads and stir-fry meals made with locally sourced ingredients (think Sweetgreen, but more noodle-focused). This will be Honeygrow’s fourth Main Line location; other outposts are in Radnor, King of Prussia and Bala Cynwyd.

• Best Bets

A shuttered off-track and sports betting facility in Oaks just received approval from the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission to relocate within a soon-to-open Chickie’s & Pete’s in Malvern’s Grove Shopping Center. Provided a liquor license is approved this fall, the facility could open by the end of the year, attracting an estimated 30,000 visitors annually. According to Parx Casino and Racing—the facility’s operator and owner—the move is part of an industry-wide trend to bring dining, bar and betting patrons under one roof.

• Own a Piece of PA History!

While there’s no shortage of historic homes and estates on the Main Line, few date back to the Pennsylvania colony’s founding. Listed at $1.2 million, this 1683 Newlin-Sharpless estate in Glen Mills sits on a sprawling 4.6 acres with 6,755 square feet of living space, eight bedrooms, eight wood-burning fireplaces, 11’ ceilings and a vineyard. The estate is currently being used as office space, so some handiwork would be required to turn it back into a residence.

• A Bright Spot for Seniors

Moved by her experience volunteering in a local retirement home, Conestoga High School student Hita Gupta has founded an organization to help seniors combat loneliness during COVID. Called Brighten A Day, the nonprofit sends cards, video messages, care packages, digital devices and more to nursing home residents in need of conversation and cheer. Individuals can visit the Brighten A Day Web site to donate money or volunteer to send notes and packages. The nonprofit’s army of volunteers have already mailed over 200,000 cards, thousands of care packages and hundreds of computer tablets to seniors in all 50 states and more than 40 countries.

• On A Roll

Two new sushi spots have rolled into town. After a two-year delay (blame COVID), Gary Chi finally opened Poseidon Asian Cuisine & Sushi Bar in Paoli in August. The BYOB outpost serves popular Asian-fusion dishes like Poke bowls, Japanese salads, traditional Chinese noodles and fried rice, plus a huge selection of sushi, maki and sashimi. Before opening, Chi expanded the patio seating and gutted the inside to make room for booths and alcoves, along with the piece de resistance—a massive sushi bar. This is Chi’s second Asian eatery; he and his wife also own Asuka in West Chester.

Just down Lancaster Avenue in Berwyn sits the newly opened Otoro Sushi & Grill, housed in the old Alfredo’s. Fresh fish is flown in twice a week to this sumptuous, reasonably priced BYOB that places a premium on presentation. You’ll find all the familiar favorites here, including sushi, maki, sashimi and hibachi steak, plus chef’s specials and tasting menus.

P.S. Prefer to dine in? Poseidon and Otoro offer extensive takeout options.

• IYKYK

Cult favorite 1-900-ICE-CREAM has set up shop in Ardmore, in the old Parlour. Every Monday, the owners dream up three to six new flavors for the week—the more exotic, the better. Though ingredients vary widely—from dark pretzel ice cream to gummy sharks—each flavor consists of a base, a crunch or chunk and a swirl. During the week, the ice cream is manufactured in small batches in a Kensington factory, and on Friday, those on the 1-900-ICE-CREAM’s e-mail list receive a notification of the week’s “drop,” with detailed instructions on how to place an order. All flavors are sold by the pint. (Act fast—some flavors sell out in minutes.) Saturday is pick-up day. For examples of past flavors (over 400 and counting!), check out the shop’s Instagram page—and get ready to start salivating.

 

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