Amanda Seyfried, star of ‘Long Bright River,’ is glad she didn’t have to put on the Philly accent

Emmy-winning actress Amanda Seyfried sat in the backseat of a patrol car for a ride along with two Philadelphia police officers through Kensington.

Within minutes of the car pulling out of the precinct, there was a slight jolt. A driver had hit the patrol car, and Seyfried watched as the officers handled the situation with “humility” and “discretion.”

“I was asking a lot of questions, and they had a lot of answers about how to treat people,” she said. “The way they communicated, reacted to situations, and the patience they had as humanized police officers. We need to see the good ones, too.”

The actress, who rose to movie stardom after her breakout role as Karen Smith in the original Mean Girls, said the eye-opening tour through the 26th Police District prepared her for a “dream role” in Peacock’s new Kensington-set drama, Long Bright River.

Seyfried plays Michaela “Mickey” Fitzpatrick, a patrol officer who discovers a string of murders in Kensington’s drug market. As Mickey attempts to locate the killer, and find her missing sister Kacey (Ashleigh Cummings), she confronts dark memories from her childhood spent in the neighborhood.

The series, adapted from Philly author Liz Moore’s award-winning book of the same name, is close to home for Seyfried. The Allentown native grew up 60 miles north of Philly and was sold on Moore’s grounded portrayal of Kensington’s opioid crisis.

“It feels so local and important,” Seyfried said. “It’s a beautiful book that’s grounded in reality, and it’s an important story to tell. The perspective from a beat police officer in Kensington is interesting, and [playing] a female police officer has been a dream of mine. All the elements were there.”

Seyfried said Mickey is one of the more complex and challenging characters she’s had to play. She’s an “unlikable” character, whose past trauma and severed relationships have hardened her personality almost entirely.

“It’s hard to play her because I can’t fall back on a lot of the same tricks that I have when I’m playing a real person,” Seyfried said. “I’m not playing a character that we know. I’m playing a version of myself, and I struggled with keeping the metaphorical hat on. It was tricky.”

Seyfried leaned into their few commonalities. Like Mickey, Seyfried is a mother of two and an admitted control freak. Embracing the character’s dark past was admittedly hard.

“She has a completely different past than I do, and I had to fight to remember what I was, to keep hold of her story. It was a lot of emotional stuff,” she said. “It was a totally new uniform for me, metaphorically and as a literal police uniform.”

Moore’s presence on the set, Seyfried said, made it easier. The book is drawn from the novelist’s own experience of volunteering in Kensington, as well as her family’s history with addiction.

Moore’s involvement helped bring Philly to their filming location in New York City. As executive producer and co-creator of the series, Moore recruited local community members like Franciscan priest Father Michael Duffy and Philly rapper OT The Real for roles in the show. She also tapped organizations like Savage Sisters Recovery and the House of Grace Catholic Worker, which added to the show’s authenticity.

“We brought Philly to us,” Seyfried said. “I’m really proud of the people who never acted before that are in the show. I’m proud of the strength that Liz had to keep everything in line with Philly, and to bring us all together to put a spotlight on this neighborhood.”

When things veered off-center, Moore stepped in as the Philly aficionado. “Whoever was directing the episode at the time, she would always bring us back to Philly because Philly is a character in and of itself.”

To makes things a little easier, Seyfried wasn’t tasked with mastering the Philly accent. But Cummings, Seyfried’s Saudi Arabia-born and Australia-raised costar, didn’t have a choice.

“I don’t know what the [accent’s] elements are,” Seyfried joked. “It’s like things are [pronounced] a little wider … I definitely think that Mickey not having an accent is really funny, and it goes to show just how much of an outsider she’s felt her whole life.”

But Seyfried is barely an outsider. Filming the series and connecting with the Philly people on set brought back memories of her days in the city, from sleepovers at the Franklin Institute, visits to friends at Temple University, and nights dancing on tables at Center City’s Finn McCools.

She’s hopeful the limited series draws awareness to the issues in Kensington, while also highlighting the city’s beauty.

“I’m in awe of the city, and how it moves and operates. I understand the good and the bad, and in some way I feel like I’m coming home a bit. I can’t help but feel a kinship to the city,” she said.

“Long Bright River” streams on Peacock.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

The two-man Philly shop responsible for some of the iconic ‘Severance’ furniture

Outside the elevator doors of Lumon Industries’ severed floor, Severance‘s Miss Huang (Sarah Bock) awaits the arrival of Mark Scout (Adam Scott) and the company’s other “microdata refiners.”

The young deputy manager sits on a green bench, which has made its way to the AppleTV+ series from Columbus, Ind., by way of a Philadelphia shop.

While audiences kept an eye out for stunning revelations, furniture dealers and Rarify founders David Rosenwasser and Jeremy Bilotti squinted their eyes for a sharper look at one of their finds.

Miss Huang’s seat was a modified version of the John Behringer 1961 Link Bench the duo scored in Columbus, which they called the “mecca for modern architecture.”

“That was the first piece we saw sequentially that we were like, ‘Oh shoot, there it is!‘,” Rosenwasser said. “We knew it was a cool piece, but we didn’t know what it was going to be.” Reupholstered in green for the screen, the bench is one of several Rarify finds seen throughout the second season of the superhit TV show.

After years restoring and selling one-off vintage furniture pieces, the MIT and Harvard grads merged their interests in architecture, manufacturing research, and vintage furniture four years ago. The result was Rarify, the designer-led furniture and lighting dealership that sources hard-to-find furniture, refurbishes, and then sells them.

Last year, Rosenwasser and Bilotti opened their Bella Vista showroom at 735 Bainbridge St., while their larger collection is stored in a 80,000-square-foot warehouse in Lebanon, Pa.

“It was always something that was built from the ground up,” Bilotti said. “It started off as restoring just one single huge chair, which is wild to think about.”

The self-proclaimed “vintage furniture nerds” hand-picked the 1960s midcentury conference tables, desktops, prism lounges, and finely-crafted credenzas that fit the dark and ambiguous world of Severance creator Dan Erikson.

“They look almost futuristic, but they are also sort of vintage and retro in the same way,” Bilotti said. “There was intentionality behind what the decorators were doing, and the furniture and design of the spaces, the architecture, contributes to that in a very intentional way, which we really love.”

The furniture helps define the unsettling labyrinth below the surface of the Lumon Industries building, where Mark Scout, his coworkers, and partial love interest, Helly (Britt Lower), transform from their everyday selves (outies) into their Lumon identities (or innies).

Along with Miss Huang’s bench, other Rarify collectibles that made it to the show include a $15,500 Washington Prism lounge, ottoman, and table set by David Adjaye that finds pride of place in the muted and haunting home of Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry).

A Gerald Luss credenza ($19,950) stands in Burt Goodman (Christopher Walken) and husband Fields’ (John Noble) home, in a scene that was shot in the actual Gerald Luss House in Ossining, NY. There was also a full suite of Jens Risom and Florence Knoll pieces at the fictional Ganz College, where Mark and his wife, Gemma Scout (Dichen Lachman), first met and worked.

But the biggest shock came seeing one of their finds at the center of the explosive season finale.

The baby crib at the center of “Cold Harbor,” where Gemma Scout is forced to confront one of her last (and most traumatizing) memories, also came from Rosenwasser and Bilotti. And yes — spoiler alert — they spotted the oak-colored crib in an earlier episode in Mark and Gemma’s house before it moved inside in “Cold Harbor.”

“I didn’t really process the crib,” Rosenwasser said. “It didn’t really hit me because you couldn’t see it that well [earlier in the season]. And then on the last episode, it’s like, ‘there it is!’”

The Severance team, they said, even designed a custom box for the crib with “COL d’ARBOR” written across.

Bilotti and Rosenwasser found the crib by designer craftsman Charles Webb in Cambridge, Mass., after a lengthy search. When the Severance team wanted two of them, the duo scrambled to find one just in time for production “somewhere in the Midwest.”

The level of detail interwoven into the show’s story lines also went into its set design and decoration, Bilotti said. Both of them, he said, were thrilled to play a part in the three-year project.

“It’s wonderful for us as people in the furniture and design world to see such public interest in these pieces … We hope that we’ve made a tiny impact, and maybe educated some people, too,” Bilotti said.

Bilotti and Rosenwasser caught the attention of Jeanelle Marie, Severance‘s assistant set decorator, thanks to word-of-mouth and a series of viral videos of showcasing their restoration process and growing vintage collection.

After the pair collaborated with Marie on the Kaley Cuoco-led series The Flight Attendant, they met the then newly-assigned Severance set decorator, David Schlesinger, who had previously crafted sets for Knives Out, Hustle, The Equalizer 2, and Leave the World Behind. In February 2023, Rosenwasser and Bilotti showed Schlesinger their 15,000-plus collection in their Central Pennsylvania warehouse.

Once Schlesinger left, the duo started receiving “urgent” phone calls and emails from the show’s set decoration team, requesting hard-to-find items that weren’t in high circulation. The inquiries set the partners off on deep dives looking for pieces that could furnish the vague world of Severance, which blurs the line between the past, future, and present.

“They were looking for the best of the best that hadn’t been widely covered in culture and media,” Rosenwasser said. “If you could buy it from a furniture store today, it was a lot less appealing.” The ones that made it onto set, he said, were often in short supply.

Billoti and Rosenwasser sourced the pieces and shipped them to the shooting locations in central New Jersey or New York’s Hudson Valley.

“There were super-specialty things that were really unique, and they would need 10 of them. It was quite a challenge,“ Rosenwasser said. ”But we scoured the interweb, and by luck, there were other ones out there.”

For every item that made it into the show, Bilotti said, there were at least two more that didn’t. That list includes a John Nyquist desk chair, Lehigh Leopold end table, Lewis Butler coffee table, and an assortment of other fittings.

For Bilotti, Severance has become a version of AMC’s Mad Men. “The set of Mad Men was so integral to the identity, that made it a hit TV show. The same goes for the Bell Works headquarters, Gerald Luss House, and the other architectural works that Severance is filmed in. The furniture is a part of the lore of the story."

Is a third season collaboration in the works for Bilotti and Rosenwasser?

“We’re crossing our fingers,” Bilotti said.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

Japan’s king of carrot cake is a baker from York, Pa.

In December 1984, York, Pa., native Kyle Sexton gathered his belongings and left his life and career as a photo finisher in New York City behind.

The then-27-year-old boarded his first plane ever with little apart from $300, a small collection of books, and his love for Japanese food, language, and customs. He knew, even then, he wouldn’t look back. But he didn’t know he’d wind up becoming one of Tokyo’s most celebrated American-style bakers.

“My only goal was to live [in Tokyo]. I didn’t think about what I was going to do for work, or any of that … When I moved, I was just happy to be here,” Sexton said.

For more than three decades, Sexton, 67, has woken up at 6 a.m. to make the four baked goods that he sells at his Tokyo bakery, Kyle’s Good Finds: cheesecake, banana bread, brownies, and his famous carrot cake.

The four items — and a slew of other seasonal goods like zucchini bread, applesauce spice cake, and cherry pie — are at the heart of the Black-owned and family-operated bakery in the retro Nakano City neighborhood.

Since opening the bakery on March 8, 1992, Sexton’s pastries have been a hit with Japanese critics and international tourists alike. His carrot cake, though, has remained the star of the menu. “I only bake as much as I want to bake, and I work at my own pace. But people come here for the carrot cake, and that’s what I make the most,” he said.

When it comes to the recipe, Sexton is somewhat of a traditionalist. He uses the same core ingredients listed in dozens of recipe books: flour, sugar, eggs, freshly grated carrots, spices.

“When the Japanese press interviews me, they ask me the same question: ‘How do you make your carrot cake?’ And I always tell them, ‘It’s no different,’” Sexton said. “The only difference is I grind my own spices, and I suppose it’s a stronger taste. The cinnamon is larger than the cinnamon that you will find in a supermarket,” he said.

Once baked, the cake is topped with lemon-flavored cream cheese frosting — a simple, yet mouthwatering addition that makes the trip to Nakano that much sweeter. Thanks to a handful of culinary awards and a surge of social media buzz, Sexton’s bakery is now a must-stop for travelers who make the pilgrimage to the international food city.

The William Penn Senior High School grad has often ventured back to York over the years to attend family reunions. His fondest memories of home include spending time with his 45 first cousins, a number that has now expanded to 53. He didn’t spend much time in Philly growing up, but visited often when his daughter Safia attended UPenn.

Long before Sexton opened the doors to Kyle’s Good Finds, he worked as a photo finisher across New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. It wasn’t until he moved to New York that his interest in Japanese culture became an “obsession.”

After trying his first sushi in 1978, he was hooked. He began studying the language and Japanese customs, and soon formed a small circle of friends in New York, who later connected Sexton to friends they had back home in Japan.

Like many Americans who venture abroad, he first worked as an English teacher at a Japanese middle school. He turned to baking as a means to unwind after a workday.

A mix of cookbooks and several rounds of trial and error later, he perfected his carrot cake recipe and started bringing the spiced treat to his friends’ parties. They convinced him to make it a business.

After Sexton taught for seven years, three of his friends gifted him $10,000 each, and a fourth found the building that would later house Kyle’s Good Finds. Sexton and his wife, Shimizu Hikage, have run the bakery since.

“I never thought it was anything special,” Sexton said. “They seem to think it’s something special, but I didn’t know what all the hoopla was about. Before I was on the internet, I was always in the Japanese press.”

Sexton married Hikage in 1986 and they have four children: Kyle II, Elena, Xavier, and Safia. Xavier Sexton joined the business three years ago. The 23-year-old assists Sexton, who intends to pass the business to his youngest child.

But a retirement doesn’t seem too appealing to the longtime baker. “It’s just what I love to do,” Sexton said. “The shop is my sanctuary.”

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

A tree that bears 40 different fruits takes root in the Temple campus

Artist Sam Van Aken grew up on his family’s farm in Douglassville, Pa.

As a result, his favored medium to create art is a process called tree grafting. It involves taking a scion, or a desired piece of one plant, and combining it with the rootstock of another. The fusion creates a single plant that either sprouts the same fruit or shares elements of both trees.

He was introduced to tree grafting as a kid on the farm, spending years nurturing fruit trees from seed to full bloom.

He explored other mediums for his art, but kept returning to grafting. “It always stuck in my head,” Van Aken said. “I thought it was miraculous that you could take a part of one living thing, cut it, insert it, and stick it on to another living thing. It was absolutely fascinating to me.”

Only he didn’t stop at two combinations. Van Aken, an associate professor in Syracuse University’s art department, created Tree of 40 Fruit, a live tree that sprouts 40 different stone fruits, thanks to grafting.

“I always felt like I worked in partnership with the tree, but it’s also very much a partnership with the people where the trees are,” Van Aken said.

The first Tree of 40 Fruit was planted on the Syracuse campus in 2011, and there are 25 more of them in locations throughout the country including Maine, Indiana, New York, and California. The latest installation was planted on Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture campus on March 14.

The Temple Tree will burst out in crimson and white blooms this spring. And by late summer, stone fruits such as peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries are likely to sprout from its branches. All the varieties, the artist said, will be specific to the kinds that grow best in Philadelphia weather.

“One hundred years ago we were growing fruit for taste. But now we grow it for how long it will last while it’s shipping, or if it will look good at a grocery store. Taste and nutritional value are like fourth or fifth priority,” Van Aken said.

Along with beautifying the Tyler courtyard, the live sculpture will be a means of agricultural preservation, as it will grow stone fruit varieties that aren’t commercially produced or widely available. Students will be allowed to pick the fruits and eat them.

The agricultural artist often dives deep into the provenance, or the origins, of specific fruit varieties. Sometimes, it takes him back by 2,000 years.

One story involves the Lenni-Lenape, who were native to the Philadelphia area. An English settler stumbled on an apple tree they had planted and wanted to buy it. “It didn’t register in their philosophy because you can’t own a tree anymore than you can own air,” Van Aken said.

The cost of research, labor, and maintenance of such trees “can be prohibitive for individuals,” Van Aken said. So he primarily aims to place them in public settings. “Placing the trees in a public context also pays tribute to the Lenape philosophy that no one can own a tree, only be gifted from its abundance.”

To ensure Temple’s fruit tree thrives in the Pennsylvania sun, Van Aken found a bulletin from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture that was released in the late 19th century. The report listed fruit varieties that were recommended for the Philadelphia area, and those are the ones he used to graft the sculpture.

Climate change, he said, “has become an overwhelming concern.” But it’s not necessarily one that hasn’t been paid heed to in the past. In Gettysburg, the site of the famous Peach Orchard battle, the Sherfy family was monitoring cold hardiness in peaches in the 1870s “with the idea that long peach blossoms were better for colder climates than short-blossomed types.”

Van Aken’s trees usually spend their first three to five years in a nursery, after which the artist carves out a plan to graft them and plant them in soil. From thereon in, he visits them every four or five years.

“It’s weird,” he said, “but it totally changes your perception of time. I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a year away?’ and it feels like it’s tomorrow.”

The tree is part of Tyler’s eighth annual Jack Wolgin Visiting Artist program, which brings influential artists and thinkers to the campus for a free public lecture and to lead hands-on workshops with Tyler students.

“Sam’s work is absolutely ideal to bring our students together across different [disciplines] to see how those disciplines can be synthesized in the creation of a tree that’s also a sculpture, and is also an embodiment of cultural histories,” Tyler dean Susan Cahan said. She hoped he would bring students of differing disciplines together for a campuswide project.

For his project, Van Aken worked with Tyler students to plant an apple tree at Tyler’s campus site in Ambler. This tree, he said, is composed entirely of apple varieties and will ultimately grow 40 different types of apples originating or historically grown in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Van Aken, who believes an intimate engagement with nature to be essential, is excited to see how the Temple community members respond to the trees in full bloom.

“Seeing a seed grow into a plant,” he said, “is all the magic you need in the world.”

Nine BYOBs to try on the Main Line

BYOBs are as essential to Philadelphia-area food culture as cheesesteaks, hoagies, water ice, and soft pretzels.

With Pennsylvania’s notoriously strict liquor laws and expensive licensing fees, many restaurants in the Philadelphia region opt to go the BYOB route — helping fuel a vibrant dining scene where diners bring their own bottles to some of the area’s top spots.

Here are some Main Line BYOBs worth uncorking something special for.

Fraschetta BYOB

This intimate Bryn Mawr BYOB serves refined Italian fare in a cozy, elegant setting. Now owned by restaurateur Phuong Nguyen, Fraschetta continues to deliver satisfying housemade pastas and rich entrées, including creamy mushroom pappardelle and slow-braised wild boar in tomato sauce, finished with cocoa powder and Pecorino Romano.

📍816 W Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010, 📞 610-525-1007, 🌐 fraschetta.net

Dua Restaurant

In a sea of Italian spots, Bryn Mawr’s Dua Restaurant stands out for its traditional Mediterranean fare and cozy elegance. Chef Bledar Istrefi offers savory appetizers like burek and mussels pepata, and finely crafted bites like the pistachio crusted branzino and the mouthwatering pomegranate braised short rib over Israeli couscous.

📍 1000 W Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010 📞 484-380-2053, 🌐 duarest.com

Burrata Havertown

A sibling to its popular South Philly location, owners Dejvi Furxhi and Albi Furxhiu brought the charm of their Italian BYOB to the suburbs. Positioned on the bustling street of Eagle Road, Havertown’s Burrata location is adorned with Italian landscape portraits and cozy decor. The welcoming environment is complemented by delicious appetizers, pastas, and entrées, with items like truffle cream gnocchi and barramundi in garlic white wine sauce.

📍 26 E Eagle Rd., Havertown, Pa. 19083 📞 610-808-9933, 🌐 burratahavertown.com

The Choice Restaurant

Looking for a romantic night out? This 50-seat BYOB serves up Euro-fusion dishes with Ukrainian, French, and Asian touches. The restaurant, owned by Iryna Hyvel and her husband Volodymyr “Vlad” Hyvel, offers entrées like branzino with crispy potato balls, mushroom ragout, and striped bass ceviche.

📍 845 Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010 📞 484-383-3230, 🌐 thechoice-restaurant.com

Villa Artigiano Ristorante BYOB

This family-owned Ardmore restaurant boasts a menu of multiregional Italian favorites. Patrons can start with a small charcuterie board or other small plates before digging into signature dishes like gnocchi artigiano in fresh tomato basil sauce or pollo limone topped with crabmeat and a white wine sauce.

📍53 W Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, Pa. 19003, 📞 484-414-4997, 🌐 villaartigiano.com

Bam Bam Kitchen

From fried rib-eye and pork kimchi mandoo combos, to Korean fried chicken wings, and seafood pancakes, this Ardmore BYOB is booming with rich Asian flavor. Diners can enjoy Korean drink options like banana milk and the sac sac grape and orange flavors, or enjoy their own bottle while relishing over Bam Bam Kitchen’s succulent dishes.

📍 31 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, Pa. 19003, 📞 484-844-7827, 🌐order.bambamkitchen.com

Tiramisu Cucina Romana

This Chester County gem blends the BYOB model with a full cocktail bar, offering the best of both worlds. Tiramisu specializes in Roman-Jewish cuisine with refined flavors. Menu highlights include red snapper with pine nuts, raisins and balsamic vinegar, or lobster ravioli with lump crab and cognac sauce.

📍 720 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn, Pa. 19312 📞 610-906-3299, 🌐 tiramisuberwyn.com

Ryan Christopher’s

This family-friendly Narberth favorite is helmed by chef Michael Klaumenzer, who cooks and oversees a menu packed with crowd-pleasers. Crafted from locally sourced ingredients, the Narberth eatery’s dishes include an award-winning French onion soup and entrées like grilled New Zealand lamb chops, sesame-seared salmon, and a chicken and shrimp cacciatore.

📍 245 Woodbine Ave., Narberth, Pa. 19072 📞 610-664-9282, 🌐 ryanchristophersbyob.com

Veekoo

Tony and Shelly Li’s stylish BYOBs, which expanded to the Main Line after opening in Royersford in 2003, continue to deliver savory Chinese, Japanese, and Thai favorites. Offerings include sushi rolls and signature plates like the Hong Kong-style soft shell crab and General Tso’s Chilean sea bass served with steamed jasmine rice or brown rice.

📍 761 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010, and 564 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn, Pa., 📞 610-615-5118 and 484-318-7655, 🌐 veekoorestaurants.com

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

Raise a glass: 8 breweries to check out (mostly) on the Main Line

Summer’s here, and there’s no better time to soak up the sun with a chilled craft beer in hand. While Philadelphia is home to plenty of breweries and beer gardens, a different kind of drinking experience is on offer around the Main Line.

Think elevated patios, cozy lodge-inspired interiors, and menus that go beyond typical pub fare. From ski lodge vibes to scenic outdoor seating, these spots serve up top-notch brews, creative food, and a more refined suburban vibe.

Here are some of the best breweries worth visiting across Philly’s suburbs.

Ardmore Brewing Company

Fresh off a rebrand and interior makeover, Ardmore Brewing Co. features a full cocktail and food menu to match its rotating list of seasonal brews. Signature drinks include a watermelon margarita and a creamsicle cocktail topped with vanilla cold foam. Executive chef Antonio Hidalgo’s menu includes steak tartare, citrus-poached shrimp, fried tofu banh mi, and a bologna-and-cheddar panini served with truffle oil chips.

📍16 Ardmore Ave., Ardmore, Pa., 19003, 📞 610-896-7621, 🌐 ardmorebrewingcompany.com

Locust Lane Craft Brewery

This Malvern spot has something for every type of beer drinker, from extra special bitters to red Irish ales to light lagers for health-conscious sippers. The taproom menu includes appetizers like falafel balls, jumbo wings, and panko-crusted pork loin, along with handhelds like garage BBQ and NOLA-style sandwiches made with Cajun spice and slow-cooked pulled pork or chicken.

📍50 Three Tun Rd., Ste #4, Malvern, Pa., 19355, 📞 484-324-4141, 🌐 locustlanecraftbrewery.com

Sly Fox Brewing

With locations across the state, Sly Fox is a well-known name in Pennsylvania beer. The Malvern taproom boasts a broad range of craft beers and a spacious back patio with a performance stage for a blend of outdoor dining and entertainment. Menu highlights include smash burger tacos, oven pizzas, and Nashville hot fish sandwiches. The beer list features locally-crafted Belgian wheat ales, fruit beers, German-style pale lagers, and other expertly-selected beers.

📍20 Liberty Blvd., Ste. 100, Malvern, Pa., 19355, 📞 484-328-3567, 🌐 slyfoxbeer.com

Tired Hands Fermentaria Tap Room

With a recently rebranded original location and expansions to West Chester or Newtown Square under consideration, Tired Hands Brewing Co. is proving its formula works. Pairing house-made beers with pub fare makes for a beloved brewpub; the taproom offers a variety of canned and draft beers, and a menu that includes ribs, burgers and tacos, plus seasonal house-made gelatos and sorbets. A general store next door sells beer to go.

📍35 Cricket Terrace, Ardmore, Pa., 19003, 📞 484-413-2983, 🌐 tiredhands.com

Will’s + Bill’s Brewery and Restaurant

This 200-seat brewery, located in the former McKenzie Brew House space, features an updated interior reminiscent of an upscale ski lodge or country club. The space is decked out with fireplaces, chandeliers, and portraits of other famous Wills and Bills — including Billie Holiday and William Shakespeare — giving it a playful yet polished atmosphere.

But it’s not just about looks. There’s a long list of house brews, bourbons, ryes, whiskeys, and single malts. Food options include beer-and-cheese fondue, clams on the half shell, fried calamari, and harissa lamb meatballs. Live piano performances are held on weekends.

📍324 Swedesford Rd., Berwyn, Pa., 19312, 📞 484-318-8538 🌐 wills-bills.com

Bald Birds Brewing Company

Since opening its doors in 2018, owners Joe and Abby Feerar have been dedicated to serving Audubon with well-crafted beers and house-made pints. The couple’s flagship storefront offers everything from West Coast IPAs to Czech-style lagers and New Zealand pilsners on draft, as well as wines and Pennsylvania-made spirits. They also have a location in the Lycoming County borough of Jersey Shore.

📍970 Rittenhouse Rd., Ste #400, Audubon, Pa., 19403, 📞 484-392-7068, 🌐 baldbirdsbrewing.com

Animated Brewing Company

At Coatesville’s Animated Brewing, patrons can bring their dogs and bask in the sun while enjoying their beer. The rotating tap list includes Robot Factory Session IPAs, Focused Eye Kolsch, and other brew options. Check the hours before visiting — the kitchen has limited service. Expect a lively atmosphere with game nights, open mics, and food vendors.

📍255 Mount Airy Rd., Coatesville, Pa., 19320, 🌐 animatedbrewing.com

La Cabra Brewing

Along with its Bryn Mawr smokehouse, the La Cabra Brewing team’s Berwyn location offers a relaxed environment, a rotating list of craft brews, and delicious entrées like smoked brisket and pulled pork. With its communal atmosphere and events like the upcoming Alzheimer’s Golf Outing at the Philmont Country Club, the La Cabra team leans hard on its motto of “Gran Vecino” — Spanish for “great neighbor.”

📍642 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn, Pa., 19312, 📞 610-240-7908, 🌐 lacabrabrewing.com

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

Immigrant advocates encourage Norristown residents to ‘raise their voices’ amid increased ICE arrests.

Dozens of Norristown residents stood on the corner of West Marshall and George Streets on Saturday, enduring the rain in support of their immigrant neighbors.

Following weeks of intense ICE presence in the Montgomery County seat, organizer Denise Agurto, 47, asked all undocumented neighbors to go home for their safety.

“This is the time for your allies to be here supporting you,” Agurto, executive director of Unides Para Servir Norristown, told the crowd. “No matter where you are from, we are glad you are our neighbor.”

In the last two weeks, more than 20 people have been taken into custody by ICE in Norristown, Agurto said, including a 34-year-old man arrested hours before the rally.

“Today, they broke our heart because they took one of us,” Agurto said. “He is a good guy, a family person who goes from work to home, and is always willing to help the community. He didn’t even have a deportation order.”

Anxious about her immigration status, a bakery owner watched the rally from inside her establishment.

“Norristown used to be a place full of happiness, people used to walk freely,” said the 55-year-old who requested anonymity out of fear of reprisal. “Now Norristown is desolate, people are terrified, and the business is not doing well.”

The Mexican national has spent more than half her life living in the borough — where about a third of the people identify as “Hispanic or Latino, according to Census figures — and has never seen people experience this level of panic.

Confused, she struggles to make sense of the fleeing sense of safety. “Me and my business give back to this country,” she said. “I pay taxes; I am not a burden to the state; I came here with nothing and work day and night to provide for my children. It’s incredibly heartbreaking to see Trump destroying all sense of community for so many of us.”

The arrests in Norristown come as President Donald Trump added Montgomery County to a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, from which he has threatened to cut federal funding.

Several Norristown Municipal Council members have also spoken out against ICE actions and criticized the arrests as cruel and destructive.

ICE has not responded to requests for comment.

Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition and other advocacy groups have issued an “ICE Alert,” warning of the agency’s growing presence throughout the state.

The groups have advised undocumented people, “If you can stay home, please stay home. If you are not able to stay home, please limit your travel.” They also encouraged people to review their rights under the law.

Saying they had no power to act, the county commissioners turned down a request this week to adopt a “welcoming-county” policy that would limit cooperation with ICE.

Legally, no local policy or ordinance can prevent ICE from conducting federal immigration enforcement.

Sanctuary jurisdictions simply choose not to help ICE do its work. But Trump has urged uncooperative cities, counties, and states to enforce federal law.

After shaking up the top leadership of ICE for the second time since February, the agency recorded its highest number of arrests in a single day on Tuesday.

Lydia Villalba, 27, who teaches high-schoolers in the Norristown school district, has witnessed firsthand how the current political situation has taken a toll on the classroom.

“They don’t want to make summer plans because they are afraid to leave their house. They are afraid ICE will be raiding at the parks,” Villalba said. “This is not how they should be living, they are children forced to grow up faster when they should be focusing on sports and being with friends, not about their families being separated.“

While Lorna Cassano, 61, doesn’t personally know anyone who has been taken into custody by ICE, as a healthcare worker, she has a feeling that could soon change.

“What this administration is doing is reminiscent of the Nazi Germany,” Cassano said. “These are my neighbors, my coworkers, my patients, these are fellow human beings.”

Milton Hernandez, 75, can’t help but feel a sense of helplessness after seeing fellow Latinos being taken away.

Norristown has changed, he said. “Now all you see is heads peeking out of doors, neighbors asking each other if it’s safe to go outside,” Hernandez said.

As Agurto continued welcoming supporters to the rally, she urged them to use their voices to inspire other allies to lend a helping hand.

“The allies are the people who can help us stop this, who see how their neighbors are being treated,” Agurto said as cars beeped in support. “They can see the empty streets, the struggling businesses, so they need to raise their voice as citizens.”

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

(Michelle Myers and Jeff Gammage also contributed to this story)

World Cafe Live protests continue as staffers are fired and threatened with legal action

The conflict between the new leadership team of West Philadelphia music venue World Cafe Live and employees escalated on Thursday to include firings.

Employees continued to picket on the day after Wednesday night’s walkout when, during a Suzanne Vega concert, they protested “an unacceptable level of hostility and mismanagement” by the new leadership.

On Thursday evening, the management team headed by new CEO Joseph Callahan responded by firing some employees involved in the protest and announcing plans to file a formal complaint to federal authorities and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

In a statement titled “World Cafe Live Responds to Employee Walkout and Reaffirms Commitment to Community and Transformation,” the leadership said Wednesday’s action was “not only disruptive to our guests, but also resulted in significant reputational and operational damage to the organization.”

“The individuals involved in this walkout have been terminated with cause, and are permanently banned from the premises,” it said.

On Wednesday, Sophia Mattes, the night box office manager, read a statement in solidarity with her coworkers that demanded “on-time and accurate pay” and said “the work environment has become hostile to the point of staff safety being questioned.”

Mattes confirmed that she and four other staffers had been served with termination papers outside the venue on Thursday evening. In addition, another source said, two other staffers not involved in the walkout were also sent termination letters.

Those firings follow the resignations of WCL’s longtime COO and general manager Kerri Park, as well as programming director Helen Smith and ticketing and guest services manager Hayley Simmons, all of whom had their last days this week.

On Thursday night, shows went on with Philly’s interstellar musical travelers Sun Ra Arkestra and its 101-year-old leader Marshall Allen downstairs in the Music Hall, and for Sudanese American musician Sinkane upstairs in the Lounge.

When Sinkane and his band members, who blend African pop with electronica and funk, were told of the labor strife, he said he planned to speak out in support of the workers from the stage.

With reduced staff, the box office was closed, and there was no food service available.

“The management is more concerned with the protesters than solving the issues,” one protesting employee said.

The WCL statement said the organization has “retained counsel to file a formal complaint to federal authorities and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office,” citing:

• Conspiracy to interfere with commerce under the Hobbs Act

• Theft and destruction of proprietary and contractual records

• Intentional infliction of financial harm on a 501(c)(3) entity

• Trespassing and unlawful disruption of business operations

Callahan took over as CEO and head of the World Cafe board this spring, succeeding Hal Real, who founded the venue in 2004 and converted it to a nonprofit in 2019.

According to the WCL statement, as of January 2025, the venue “was carrying over $6 million in accumulated debt” and suffered from “a culture of complacency and entitlement” that created “a dynamic that stifled innovation and smothered the growth potential of an organization with such extraordinary purpose and potential.”

The statement concluded: “World Cafe Live is not just a venue. It’s a home for music, community, education, and equity. … And to those who have sought to undermine this vital cultural institution: you will be held accountable.”

“We are rebuilding stronger, more transparent, and more community-driven than ever before.”

Outside the venue on Thursday afternoon, the protesting bartenders, guest service workers, and box office staff who gathered on Walnut Street shared a sharply contrasting perspective from that offered by WCL management.

Roughly 15 protesters assembled with signs that read, “Callahan Has Got No Plan,” “Keep Philly Independent,” and “No AI. NoMetaverse.” The staffers also launched a SaveWorldCafeLive page on Instagram.

Mattes said the past month has made her physically sick. “My anxiety and my mental health were not well,” she said. “I was scared, and a lot of us were scared, to walk out on [Wednesday], but I do feel relieved. I feel like something good will come of this, one way or another.”

Novalee Wilcher, who works in guest services, said Callahan’s presence has been a “crushing” blow to the venue’s operation, and she’s unsure how the place will survive going forward.

“Those who have been fired,” she said, “have been texted by coworkers, not management. So, there’s no communication about how to deal with these demands that we brought up to them, which shows a total disregard for the artists that are supposed to be playing, or how it affects the guests that are coming in, who have paid for their nights.”

Following Wednesday’s walkout, Wilcher said Callahan has threatened to call the police on her and other staffers as a form of intimidation. He even suggested their strike was “unlawful.”

She said she was locked in a room on Wednesday over a piece of personal mail that one of Callahan’s representatives “confiscated” and “withheld” from her.

Refuting Callahan’s claim of a $6 million debt, Mattes said former staff have verified that debt to be around $2.7 million.

“The fact is, we do need funding,” Mattes said. “But a big part of the problem with this new team is that we don’t believe that VR and hologram concert experiences, and taking the people out of this building, will be what draws people in more.”

Referring to Callahan’s plans to introduce automated servers, bartender Emilia Reynolds said, “I’m nervous about losing my job to a machine that can’t safely serve somebody, have them enjoy their night, and get them home safely. That’s my job.”

“Not even to mention, people woke up yesterday without a paycheck. That was the last straw,” they said.

Mattes and her coworkers, they said, are prioritizing funding efforts to “save” WCL but added that the leadership refuses “to listen to anyone who disagrees with them.”

Despite their indifference, Wilcher said she and others were willing to negotiate with Callahan. The crucial step, she said, was getting management on the “right path,” but, the staffers claim, it appears the tech entrepreneur isn’t looking to change course.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer

(Dan DeLuca also contributed to this story)