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In The Loop - December

‘Tis the season for edible arts and crafts, new shops in Surburban Square, an adorable new party store in Wayne, cookies too pretty to eat and opportunities to help local families in need. Happy holidays,…

‘Tis the season for edible arts and crafts, new shops in Surburban Square, an adorable new party store in Wayne, cookies too pretty to eat and opportunities to help local families in need. Happy holidays, neighbor!

• Just in Time for The Holidays

4 new tenants have joined Suburban Square in Ardmore. Shoppers and diners can now visit the recently opened Addison Bay, Faherty, maman, and Veronica Beard. These are the first stores that Addison Bay, maman, and Veronica Beard have opened in the state of Pennsylvania. Additional retailers planning to open stores at Suburban Square in 2023 include Design within Reach, Custom Ink, and Jenni Kayne.

• A Larger Living Room

The Living Room in Ardmore is back and bigger than ever! Owner Laura Mann has repurposed the former home of Stuard’s Funeral Directors into an inviting BYOB lounge and performance space for live music, comedy shows and more. Featuring seating for 150 people, The Living Room conveniently connects to the brand-new Cricket Café (also owned by Mann), which serves homemade, California-inspired snacks, desserts and non-alcoholic drinks.

The original Living Room, which opened in 2018, is a past recipient of Best Small Music Venue by Philadelphia magazine and Most Unique Live Music Venue by Main Line Today magazine. Mark your calendars for open mic nights every Wednesday in December, a family Christmas show on December 10th, Kricket Comedy Night on December 13th and a New Year’s Eve concert.

The Living Room & Cricket Café are located at 104 Cricket Avenue in Ardmore. Cricket Café hours are 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily.

• Edible Arts & Crafts in Ardmore

Get your craft AND candy fix at The Candy Lab , a sweet new addition to downtown Ardmore. With a menu of over 150 edible arts and crafts—from candy jewelry to edible ornaments to tasty science experiments—The Candy Lab offers something to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. (Yes, they do birthday parties—your place or theirs.)

The Candy Lab’s December calendar features a host of holiday-themed workshops, including special Christmas-, Hannukah- and Kwanza-themed candy craft classes (gumdrop menorahs anyone?). Gingerbread houses are part of the lineup too of course, with workshops on December 11th and 18th. And why should kids have all the fun? Special packages for team-building events, bachelorette parties and bridal showers are available year-round. For those with dietary restrictions, The Candy Lab has plenty of vegan, gluten-free and even sugar-free substitutions on hand.

The Candy Lab is located at 22 East Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore.

Amada Coming to Radnor

After opening Buena Onda taqueria in Radnor to rave reviews this fall, Iron Chef and James Beard Award winner Jose Garces will expand his Main Line footprint even further when he opens his third Amada restaurant, taking over the old Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar in the Radnor Corporate Center.

Showcasing small plates with a modern Spanish flair, Amada hopes to begin serving diners in early 2023. 

At the original Amada—located on Chestnut Street in Old City—Garces made a name for himself with innovative takes on traditional Spanish dishes like lobster paella, tortilla española and whole roasted suckling pig. Amada Radnor will feature many popular dishes from the Old City location with a few surprises thrown in. Garces also plans to make heavy use of Amada Radnor’s custom wood-fired oven.

As for décor, Amada Radnor will stay close to its rustic-chic roots. The space will include an open kitchen, indoor and outdoor seating, a private dining room and seating for around 200.

Amada’s arrival is not only good news for Main Line foodies; it also breathes new life into the Radnor Corporate Center, which not only lost Harvest Seasonal Grill in 2020 but also Philadelphia Sports Club. (Earlier this year, AFC Fitness took over the old Philadelphia Sports Club and spent $4 million overhauling the space.)  

From Cookie Rookie to Booming Baker

After postponing her wedding twice due to Covid, Christine Pascua-Povey knew she needed something (anything!) to channel her creative energy and distract her from her wedding woes. So she started baking cookies. And not just any cookies—hand-painted, jaw-droppingly beautiful artisanal cookies that taste as good as they look. The in-demand Brookhaven baker—who works full time as a program director at CHOP—credits YouTube, Instagram and a few online cookie-making classes with teaching her the basics before starting her business, Pomp + Splendor by Chrissy . While early orders came primarily from family and close friends, word quickly spread and Pascua-Povey is almost fully booked through June 2023. 

Her cookies are popular choices for brides and baby showers, and she can even recreate photos and portraits with royal icing. Cookies start at $75/dozen for a detailed design with up to six colors; advanced techniques like transfers, hand painting, watercolor, florals and metallics up the price.

Lend a Holiday Helping Hand

‘Tis the season to give back! If you’re looking to support local Main Line families this year, TE Care makes it easy with two holiday collections. The first allows donors to sign up to fulfill a local family’s holiday wish list (sign up by Friday, December 2nd!). T&E Care is also coordinating holiday dinners for local families in need. Click here to donate a bag of groceries.  

Time to Party

An adorable party shop just opened on the Main Line, right across the street from the Devon Target. Billing itself as a modern party boutique specializing in unique, curated décor, gifts, paper goods and supplies for holidays and all types of celebrations, Party with Peonies also boasts a robust e-commerce site. Local delivery is available for orders over $50, along with gift wrapping and balloon bundles.  

Party with Peonies is located at 755 W. Lancaster Avenue in Wayne. Hours are Monday – Thursday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Fridays 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Saturdays 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Sundays 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

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