Category: Happenings

Philly Food and Drink History Round

  1. What was the first restaurant Stephen Starr opened, in 1995?
  2. What legendary nightclub and restaurant was located at 824 Catharine until it burned down in a fire in 1994 (above)?
  3. What’s the oldest continuously running bar in Philadelphia, having opened in 1860.
  4. What Philadelphia restaurant gets its name from the French term for the Fine Palate?
  5. What’s the last name of brothers Pat and Harry who invented the cheesesteak?
  6. The portion of this street between Broad and 20th, has traditionally been known as restaurant row.
  7. This legendary hot dog stand stood at 6th between South and Lombard for over 100 years.
  8. The first ever automat was unveiled at 818 Chestnut Street in 1902. These food and drink vending machines were operated by what legendary food services company?
  9. The only tavern remaining from colonial Philly is located on 125 Spruce, though it’s no longer open to the public. What’s it called?
  10. The word hoagie probably comes from Hog Island, where shipbuilders during WWI put deli meats on Italian rolls. What covers most of Hog Island today?
  11. In what year did Reading Terminal Market open in its current location (credit if you’re within 2 years)?

Continue reading “Philly Food and Drink History Round” →

Philly Quiz This Sunday

We’ve got a very fun plan for Sunday. The big time Philly Quiz is going down at the Trestle Inn (11th and Callowhill) at 6:30 p.m. Let’s see exactly how much you know about your home city: there will be questions on everything from Aramingo to Zahav, questions on everyone from Frank Furness to Frank Rizzo. Sports, history, food, you name it, I’m going to try to cover as much ground as possible. This is going to be a celebration of the city. I sense that this could very well be a 5-rounder.

Furthermore, more great drink specials this time as well. $3 local canned beers (Sly Fox Pikeland Pils, Lancaster Rumspringa, and Yuengling) and $4 for their excellent Whiskey Sour. $5 gets you a shot of whiskey and a can of PBR. Gonna be a lot of fun. Oh, and double points for the JGTSpI.

And to get you in the mood, I’ll be posting Philly trivia questions all week on twitter.

UPDATE: Start time has been moved back to 6:30 sharp. I mean, let’s face it, when I say 6 I pretty much mean 6:30 anyway, but we just wanted to make sure we gave people time to get down there after watching the Flyers game. So start time is 6:30 sharp.

Right Now in Sports

We’re down to the Finals of Philly’s Most Infuriating, and remarkably, they both come from WIP. It’s Eskin vs. Cataldi to see who is most infuriating. You decide! Vote, and please spread the word!

We’ve been working on a project of Philly’s Most Underrated Athletes, and the new one should cause some controversy. The much maligned Bobby Abreu checks in at #6.

Cliff Lee pitched brilliantly on Wednesday and came away with a ND. The last Phillie to throw 10-shutout innings? Lefty, of course. And the Phils lost that one 1-0 as well.

The latest podcast for Comcast where we talk NFL schedule, the Bobby Valentine disaster in Boston, and Lee takes the Robots quiz.

In case you missed it last week, I wrote a pretty interesting piece on the history of Negro League baseball in Philadelphia for Hidden City Philly.

Here’s my latest for Philly Mag: 10 Things You Don’t Know About the Current Phillies.

Interview With Interact App Founder Anthony Coombs

Anthony is not only an occasional quizzo player, he is also a computer geek (imagine that, a computer geek who enjoys quizzo!) For the past couple of years he has been working on a new app called Interact, which encourages people to become friends with other people they share things in common with, and he just released it last week.

Interact finds things you enjoy on facebook and then matches them with other people in your immediate area who are on facebook. For example, just today I found a guy I know from doing my podcast at Comcast on Interact. I see him around when I go into Comcast, but never got his last name and despite occasional small talk, never knew we had so much in common. Now, after friending him on facebook thanks to interact, when I go into work next time, we’ll discuss our mutual love for Tribe Called Quest. So it’s a very cool, and very useful app. I interview Anthony about what got him interested in it, what it does, and what he hopes it will do. In the meantime, download his app. It’s free, and it’s very cool.

JGT: What is your background in computers and apps?

Anthony: I’ve always been into technology. I’ve loved computers since playing Oregon Trail on the Apple IIe in school. I used to tinker in building them but I was always more interested in the software side. I was a Sociology major at Penn. So building a location based social network is completely down my alley.

JGT: When did you decide to put this app together, and what was the inspiration for it?

Anthony: Well, the idea had been brewing since late 2010 when I began to see where location based services were going. We had Gowalla, Foursquare, and Facebook Places around then using GPS to connect you to friends. Well, the next logical step would be to connecting you with people you don’t know but should. And I was right. 2011 saw the release on Banjo and Sonar, people discovery apps built on top of Foursquare and Twitter that show you people around you. But it wasn’t until 2012 that we saw the explosion of these apps all seemingly at once with SXSW. We had originally intended to be there but wanted to make sure the product was ready before even releasing into Open Beta.

JGT: So what exactly does this app do?

Anthony: Interact visualizes your connections within a given proximity. A few other apps do the same, but what we do differently is that we give people reasons to connect. We also have a completely open network which is completely customizable by the user so if you aren’t comfortable with sharing some information you can keep that info from showing up to other people. As far as giving people reasons to connect you can select whether you are using interact to meet someone professionally, socially, or even for dating purposes.

We did this by mimicking how people interact in the real world. Having had a background in how people interact I find it fascinating to see real world communication, especially with people who don’t know one another. For example, I was sitting in Rittenhouse Square one day and after observing maybe 500 people walk past each other without even someone saying hello, two strangers struck up a conversation. What was it about? They both owned the same type of dog. People need reasons to meet. We don’t just meet in a vacuum, but if we knew what those reasons and intentions were beforehand it would serve as an icebreaker to meeting some very cool people.

JGT: What is the ultimate goal for this app?

Anthony: We want people to use the app, reach out, say hello to someone new. Once you see the layout it’s very easy to recognize who you would most likely want to meet. If we can create something that is the go to app when people are sitting around at a coffee shop, in an airport, at a bar, wherever then we’ve done something very cool.

Searching for The Enemy

I did not like that cat, and he sure as hell didn’t care for me. There’s no getting around that fact. He had been the man of the house for 3 years before I came into his life, and he sure as hell didn’t appreciate getting demoted when my wife moved into my house with him and his brother, Mingus. His revenge was a constant stream of urine on just about everything I owned. Sportscoats, rugs, jeans…anything that fell beside my side of the bed had a pretty damn good chance of smelling like cat pee within 24 hours (I joked that my wife had trained this behavior so I’d pick up my stuff off the floor). He never sprayed anything that belonged to my wife.

He had a look in his eye too. I had tried to get on sportingly with him early in the relationship. but the look in his eye let me know that I needn’t bother. He was always going to hate me, and didn’t really care that I spent $1300 to get him surgery when he had bladder problems. That stopped him from peeing on the couch, but not on my clothes.

And so our relationship was one of mutual disrespect, just him peeing and me screaming, and occasionally passing each other in the hallways silently. He loved my wife, though. Man, how he adored her. He would wake her up early in the mornings, screaming on her side of the bed (He never, ever stepped foot on my side of the bed. Never.) They would walk downstairs together to start their day, while I stayed asleep in bed.  Once she left for work, he took on a vow of silence. He wouldn’t make a noise all day, then as soon as she’d walk in the door he’d start meowing incessantly, no doubt trying to explain to her how awful I had been that day, trying to tell her that they should move back to the old place.

He liked to be let out in the mornings, and loved being out in yard. It got to the point where he was essentially an outdoor cat, hanging out in the yard all day, coming in only when it was time for dinner. So when I went to let him in Friday morning and he wasn’t there, I wasn’t particularly alarmed. I went about my day and didn’t think twice about it. But when it got to be mealtime, and he still wasn’t back, I began to get concerned. He was as thick as a brick, and not one to miss a meal.

To be honest, my feelings ran closer to ambivalence than they did to full blown concern. I had always kind of secretly rooted for him to run away, and anytime my office took on that distinct hue of cat pee, that feeling intensified. I know that sounds callous and cold, but you have to understand: I love animals. I used to be an animal trainer. I’ve always had pets. I still remember searching for my lost dog when I was 8 for weeks. It was just this particular animal that I didn’t care for.

I checked the alleyway behind our house, calling his name, posted on Lost and Found on Craigslist, then texted my wife to let her know. When she got home, she was a little bit upset, but not terribly so. We still thought he’d be back. I decided to start touring the neighborhood with the dog.

Continue reading “Searching for The Enemy” →

JGTSI Scores After 3 Weeks

Here they are. Things are getting interesting, especially now that we’ve added bonus points according to quizzo scores (1 point for a 90 or higher, 2 points for 100 or higher). One more week of all points coming from quizzo and then we’ll start offering up some physical challenges. Still plenty of time to get in on this if you haven’t scored already. But I would definitely play soon (Specific Jawns, I’m looking at you.) Guest host week is next week. Koob and Kristy on Monday-Tuesday, and Mike Minion on Wednesday-Thursday. I’m off to New Orleans for a week. Woo-hoo! I’ll be updating some of my adventures online (much to my wife’s dismay) but I’m gonna stay offline as much as possible. The schedule is on the right side of the screen. Have fun this week.

Phillies Facts, Baseballs Dipped in Horsecrap, and a Great Trivia Question

A lot going on in sports right now that I think you guys are gonna dig.

  • Great trivia question: Who is the only person to play for both the Phillies and the Eagles? Find out here.
  • I went on WIP on Tuesday night to talk some baseball and ended up telling a quick story about bringing Kobe Bryant into the water with dolphins. Click here and then click on the “1 a.m. hour” part of the podcast to give it a listen.

Week 2 Springvitational Scores Are Now Posted


Here are the scores through Week 2. This includes the Mad Men quiz but not Monday night’s results. Teams in yellow are in line for a bonus prize, teams in blue are looking good, and teams in green need to get crackin’. Keep in mind, the best way to score bonus points is to record a high score. Scores of 100 or higher get 2 bonus points, while scores of 90 of higher get one. See ya this week!

The Great Bagel Meltdown of ’12

The following is all fiction and not based on any people, places or events. Even the dog is just a figment of my imagination.

One Spring morning, a couple walks their dog past The Montreal Bagel Hut, a new bagel place that has opened in their neighborhood.

HUSBAND: Hey look honey, Montreal style bagels.

WIFE: What does that mean?

HUSBAND: I don’t know. I guess they make them like they make them in Montreal.

WIFE: No shit, honey. But how do they make them in Montreal?

HUSBAND: No idea. Maybe we should find out.

Wife looks at menu in the window.

WIFE: Wow, these bagels are kind of expensive.

HUSBAND: Of course they are, dear. They’re made Montreal style. Hey look, a wood oven! They make them in there! No wonder they’re so expensive.

Husband takes out a ten spot and hands it to wife. He takes an outdoor table with the dog.

HUSBAND: Can you get me a coffee too?

Wife goes inside to grab a coffee and order a couple of bagels. Husband takes a seat outside, getting excited about trying a new style of bagel. Wife returns to the table with the coffees in hand.

HUSBAND: I’ve never been to Montreal, but my ex went to college there.

WIFE: I know. You’ve told me that 100 times. Do you remember where I went to college?

HUSBAND: Missouri?

WIFE: No, San Diego State.

HUSBAND: Well, I knew it was one of those schools that got upset in the first round of the tournament. Did you know that Montreal’s underground city is based on blueprints made by Da Vinci?

WIFE: Yes, you told me that already. Like 100 times. Whenever Montreal comes up, you have two things to offer. One that your ex went to school there and two that it’s underground city was based on DaVinci drawings. You should probably learn some new Montreal facts.

HUSBAND: Their football team is called the Alouettes. I do know that. Vince Ferragamo used to be their quarterback.

WIFE: Nobody cares.

Server comes out with two baskets with bagels in them and places them on the table. Both bagels are topped with cream cheese.

WIFE: I got one sesame and one everything.

HUSBAND: Good call. Oh boy, here we go. Our first Montreal style bagel.

Husband takes a bite. His brow furrows. A frown crosses his face.

HUSBAND: Why is this bagel raw?

WIFE: Raw? What are you talking about?

HUSBAND: This is a raw bagel. They didn’t toast it. Did you say you wanted it untoasted?

WIFE: No, they didn’t ask if I wanted it toasted. I assumed they were going to toast it.

HUSBAND: Of course you did. They have a GIANT F***ING WOOD OVEN IN THERE. Perfect for toasting things!

WIFE: Keep your voice down.

HUSBAND: No, I will not keep my voice down! Who eats raw bagels? Crazy people and birds. That’s it!

WIFE: I think crazy people call them “raw”.

HUSBAND: When I go to a pizza place with a wood oven, do I need to tell them that I want the pizza heated up in their oven? No, because they assume I’m not crazy. These bagel people assume I’m either crazy or a giant pigeon.

Couple at next table turns around to look at husband, whose voice is a little too loud. To compensate, he leans forward and whispers his next line.

HUSBAND: How much did these Montreal style bagels cost us?

WIFE: $3 each.

Whisper voice gets louder.

HUSBAND: $3 each? $3 each? For a piece of cold bread, served Montreal style? Oh I’m gonna Yelp the shit out of these jerks.

WIFE: Honey, I should have said toasted. It’s not their fault.

Husband is by now incredulous. His eyes open wide. His voice rises. Not quite a yell, but certainly noticed by nearby tables and passers by.

HUSBAND: Not their fault? NOT THEIR FAULT? Not their fault that they own a giant god damn oven with a fire inside of it and they assume we want a cold bagel? How is that not their fault?

WIFE: The giant stove is to cook them the first time. Then they take them out and if say you want them toasted, I bet they put them in a toaster, not back in the oven.

HUSBAND: Oh, well look who’s an expert on Montreal style bagels all of a sudden.

WIFE: Can we just go home?

HUSBAND: Yes, but not before I feed the rest of this bagel to some pigeons right in front of their window, so they can see me do it.

WIFE: You’re insane.  We’re out of here.

Wife stands up to leave. Husband stands up in a huff. As they walk away, he stares angrily at busy employees inside shop, who don’t return his stare.

HUSBAND: Let’s go to Dunkin Donuts. I know they put their doughnuts in the oven. I’ve seen it on the commercials.

Mad Men Quizzo Coming Soon. At a 60s Bar. It’s Gonna Be Awesome

We’ve done a quiz for The Wire. We’ve done a quiz for Twin Peaks. It’s time to do another one of the greatest shows in TV history. Mad Men. I am a huge fan of the show, and have been wanting to do this for a while. So it’s going down a few hours before the season 5 premiere. On Sunday, March 25th at the Trestle Inn (11th and Callowhill), we’re going to find out how much you know about Don Draper, Roger Sterling, Peggy Olsen and Madison Avenue in the 1960s. This is going to be an insanely fun quiz, and we’re doing it at a bar that specializes in 60s cocktails. I specifically wanted to host it there so we could catch that 60s vibe, and the Trestle Inn is perfect.

In addition to quizzo prizes, we’re also going to give a prize for best Mad Men outfit. Action starts at 5:30 p.m., so we’ll be done and drunk off martinis before heading home to see the season premiere at 9 p.m. Please click “Like” below to help spread the word. I don’t want any fans of Mad Men to miss this. I thought The Wire quiz was insanely good. I have almost as much respect for this show as I do for The Wire, so I plan on writing an equally awesome quiz. Don’t miss it.