As many people discovered during the COVID-19 boom in home baking, if you want a challenge, try baking with a sourdough starter. Iryna Teslia embraced this challenge, and sourdough became the basis for everything she produces in her micro-bakery, The Bread Anatomy — from traditional Ukrainian holiday breads like paska and kolach to all-American chocolate
More
In February 2019, a group of nine creative engineers, researchers, artists, and designers who had been working and playing together for years founded the Philadelphia Packaging Company. United around attributing value to objects of all shapes, sizes, and traditional economic worths, the collective began telling the stories of businesses that engage in packaging or selling
More
Hard times have been felt throughout the Reading Terminal Market. “The bar does 5 to 10% of what it normally does, and produce is down 50%,” says Jimmy Iovine, co-owner of Iovine Brothers Produce and Molly Malloy’s Pub. Tootsie Iovine, owner of Tootsie’s Hot and Cold Buffet had to shut down her operation entirely. “I
More
As Philadelphia enters its second lockdown due to increased cases of COVID-19, local business owners are buckling down for hard times under the expectation that most Philadelphians will remain inside unless on essential trips until Jan. 1. Rebecca Aronow, founder of the event company House Cat, is worried about the impacts of the second shutdown
More
When covid-19 hit, Soy Cafe owner Alice Leung was forced to close. It was a stressful time for everyone, especially for small-business owners. However, Leung kept her cool and brainstormed how to support her staff. “We’re still going through it, and it’s such a sad and hard thing to cope with,” says Leung, “But somehow,
More
Callowhill’s new outdoor dining space Gather was designed to sit opposite of current food hall trends. “They’ve become expensive and hip, with well-established vendors,” explains Meegan Denenberg, co-founder of Little Giant Creative, a Philadelphia-based boutique branding and events agency. “At the end of the day, food halls used to be about low barriers of entry,
More
Lynn Washington has spent most of her life encouraging people to read. As a graphic designer, she worked for the Free Library of Philadelphia, creating graphics and exhibits that would attract new audiences. As a mother, she read books to her children to excite in them a passion for learning. And now, as the owner
More
A whole week dedicated to vegan food? Count us in. This Sunday, October 18, marks the start of Philadelphia Vegan Restaurant Week — seven whole days of jam-packed vegan platters and desserts. Founded by Nicole Koedyker, PVRW began as an idea to promote more vegan experimentation in local restaurants. Koedyker and several of her now-colleagues
More
While the craft beer renaissance has generated an uptick in breweries throughout Philadelphia (with as many as 16 new breweries opening in 2019 alone), Rich and Mengistu Koilor are on a mission to add to the city’s thriving beer scene by opening its first Black-owned brewery. The West Philadelphia brothers behind Two Locals Brewing Company
More
When Barefoot Botanicals farmer-owner Linda Shanahan launched her Medicine Maker program a few years ago, she brought students onto her herb farm in Doylestown for monthly lessons on growing, foraging, processing, and using herbs to support everyday health and minor ailments. While interest in herbal medicine is stronger than ever, the COVID-19 pandemic has put
More
Elizabette Andrade grew up in the kitchen. In her household, you weren’t given a cookbook—you were expected to watch and listen. As her matriarchs poured their hearts and souls into homemade dishes, Andrade catalogued every little detail. She took note of the unmeasured spices thrown into pots and marinades, her nose remembered savory scents and
More