Montrose building at 47th and Baltimore (Photo West Philly Local)

Many people have been wondering what business is coming to the vacant storefront in the Montrose apartment building at the northeast corner of 47th Street and Baltimore Avenue. It was revealed last week (Michael Klein of Philly.com’s The Insider broke the news) that a Fishtown-based L.A.-style taco bar, Loco Pez, is branching out to West Philly and chose this location. No further details were revealed, including the timeline for the opening, and we couldn’t get more info from the restaurant folks either at this time.

One of our readers asked about vegetarian options at the restaurant, and there are quite a few at their Fishtown location, which offers brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour. What’s interesting is that they only accept cash. Check out their website for more info and the menu. And we’ll keep you posted on this new location.

And here’s a little bit of history of the old Montrose building, which has housed many businesses in its four ground-floor retail spaces over the years. The beloved Carrot Cake Man, Vernon Wilkins, used to have a store in the building for 17 years until 1996.

As promised, here’s more information about summer Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs that deliver weekly shares of produce and other goods from local farms and suppliers to West Philadelphia.

Greensgrow Farms

Schedule: Mid-May through early November

Pick-up location: 4912 Baltimore Avenue (Greensgrow West)

What’s in the share: A seasonal assortment (5-8 items) of locally grown vegetables; a selection of fruit that reflects the abundance of the season; a dairy/protein option; locally made cheese (8 times during the season); locally produced prepared food, such as beer, pasta or ice-cream. Half-share and add-on share (add cheese, coffee, ice cream or bread) options are available.

Cost: Full share: $800; Half share (pick up every other week): $475.

www.greensgrow.org/csa/summer-csa

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About 40 percent of food in the United States is never eaten, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. It’s tough to point fingers when there is no one to blame. We’ve all bought meat or produce that has gone bad before we have gotten around to preparing it. The EAT (Everyone At the Table) Café, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Center for Hunger-free Communities at Drexel University, aims to approach food resources a little differently to reduce waste and make access to healthy food more affordable with a pay-what-you-can price structure.

Donnell Jones-Craven, EAT Café’s general manager, stresses that the Café is not a soup kitchen, as there will be seating and table service. “We’re like Sabrina’s or Honey’s; we suggest that price. We believe that 80 percent of our customer base will pay the suggested amount or more; it will help the 20 percent that cannot pay the full suggested price… We just want to make sure people will do their very best, because we want to stay viable, open and serving our community as large.”  Continue Reading

Eating healthy on a budget can be a challenge, especially for lower income individuals and families. In an effort to increase the community’s accessibility to affordable healthy, local and sustainable foods, Mariposa, the cooperative grocery store located at 49th and Baltimore, has expanded Co+op Basics, an everyday low-price program.

“The Baltimore Avenue corridor has changed significantly over the past decade due to new development and construction, however, the area remains home to lower income communities with little access to fresh produce and nutritious foods,” reads a recent statement from Mariposa. “As a staple of West Philadelphia for over 45 years, our mission to provide our community with access to healthy and sustainable foods relies on the affordability of our store.”

The Co+op Basics program was first introduced in December 2015. Since then new products appeared on Mariposa’s shelves, and the store, which was always known for quality products, but wasn’t always affordable, has lowered prices on grocery staples necessary for a balanced diet. Now, shoppers can find everyday low prices on popular grocery and household items, including fresh produce, dairy, meat, bulk, grocery, and wellness products.  Continue Reading

The University City District has announced the return of their signature and super popular summer events – the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, University City Dining Days, 40th Street Summer Concert Series, and Movies in Clark Park.

Only one Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll has been scheduled for this summer – Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. As always, local businesses will present $1 bargains from 43rd to 52nd Street. And there will be some new businesses participating in the event this summer. Stay tuned for more information.

                              Photo courtesy UCD

University City Dining Days will run from Thursday, July 14 to Sunday, July 24. Now in its 12th year, Dining Days is a 3 courses, 3 prices promotion at some of University City’s most popular dining destinations, from exceptional craft beer bars to celebrity chef restaurants to cozy BYOBs. This event is also a great opportunity to explore the diverse international cuisine in the area, including Indian, Ethiopian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, and more. For more information, check out: www.ucdiningdays.com.  Continue Reading

Parklet outside of Fu-Wah Market at 47th and Baltimore.

Spring is finally here, and University City District has begun reinstalling Parklets, temporary outdoor seating platforms with tables, decorated with planters. Overall, six Parklets are being installed around Spruce Hill and Cedar Park, all of them next to popular businesses:

• 4040 Locust St. (hosted by Ramen Bar)
• 261 S. 44th St. (hosted by Honest Tom’s Tacos and Lil’ Pop Shop)
• 4239 Baltimore Ave. (hosted by Green Line Cafe)
• 801 S. 47th St. (hosted by Fu-Wah Market)
• 4903 Catharine St. (hosted by Little Baby’s Ice Cream)
• 125 S. 40th St. (hosted by Hai St. Kitchen, Jake’s Sandwich Board & Zesto Pizza)

The Parklets will stay until October or early November, depending on the weather.

Just a reminder that Parklets are public spaces open to everyone, and you don’t have to eat at the restaurant where the Parklet is located in order to use it.

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