Photo from Herban Quality Eats’ Facebook page.

Herban Quality Eats, a West Philly healthy food startup, which has been operating for a little over a year out of the shared kitchen space at the Culinary Center at 48th and Spruce, is opening a fast-casual restaurant this Tuesday at 3601 Market Street. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the recently completed University City Science Center’s high-rise apartment building.

The restaurant will open at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 15 and to celebrate the opening, the first 101 guests will be treated to a free lunch.

At Herban (a mashup of “herb” and “urban”), diners can build their platter starting with a base such as Himalayan red rice, seasoned kale, or chilled whole wheat peanut noodles, then adding a protein: you can choose from grilled chicken, backyard steak, pesto salmon, or “the vegan jawn”, a mix of lentils, quinoa, and sweet potatoes baked into protein-packed balls. Next, you can pick a sauce to accompany your combo, from herbed tomato, walnut coriander, and Herban hot sauce. And to finish off your plate you can choose two sides, like roasted Brussels sprouts and quinoa ‘n cheese.

Salads are also on Herban’s menu: the Montego with organic baby spinach, avocado,  plantain chips, fresh pineapple, and jalapeno-lime vinaigrette and the Spruce with organic kale, feta cheese, pear, pecans, dried cranberries, and balsamic-ginger vinaigrette.

Throughout December, Herban Quality Eats will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. In 2016 they will extend their hours. For more information, visit www.herbanqualityeats.com.

A new PA CareerLink West Philadelphia Center began operations today at 5070 Parkside Avenue (5th floor), providing all job readiness services to area residents. This interim location will serve all West Philadelphia job seekers until the permanent facility for the PA CareerLink West Philadelphia Center at 3901 Market Street is open in the spring of 2016.

PA CareerLink offers Philadelphia job openings and training resources to help job seekers prepare for and find work regardless of their background, skill level and educational level. The new center serves both traditional PA CareerLink clients as well as those receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits, who previously reported to a separate Employment Advancement and Retention Network (EARN) center for job readiness and placement services. The West Philadelphia Center will be operated by a consortium of workforce partners that include SER Metro; Educational Data Systems, Incorporated; PA Department of Labor & Industry (L&I); PA Department of Human Services and the L&I Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.

More information about the new center can be found here: http://www.philaworks.org/career-link/pa-careerlink-centers.

U.S. Marshals have arrested a man wanted for the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Maurice McDonald inside a Mantua convenience store last month.

Kayree Reid, 28, was tracked down and arrested in Orange Park, Florida on Tuesday evening after a car chase, according to a report by CBS Philly.

Reid had been at large since the November 10 shooting, which happened inside J and R Perez Grocery at 38th and Aspen shortly before 8:30 a.m. McDonald was shot multiple times and died at the hospital the same day.

McDonald’s mother Tiffany Phelps spoke to ABC Action News in November and said that her son had just enrolled in community college and “was rebuilding his life” when he was targeted and shot inside the store.

   Photo courtesy of Lil’ Pop Shop.

After over three years of operation at 44th and Spruce and gaining popularity throughout the area, Lil’ Pop Shop is ready to expand.

The new location, at 4608 Woodland Ave., will serve as a main production hub for the business and will include more offerings. “We’re outgrowing the kitchen on 44th,” says owner Jeanne Chang. “We will have a lot more equipment [at the new location].”

The new space is equipped with an oven for baked goods, including cakes and pies, confections, marshmallows, and different types of cookies. “This will greatly impact the products we can make; it will better serve the neighborhood,” Chang said.

Lil’ Pop Shop II will emulate the same model as the first, as it will be mainly for takeout with limited seating.

Chang relocated to Philadelphia in 2012, after her husband began working at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a West Philadelphia nonprofit that researches smell and taste. She decided to open the business on 44th and Locust in May 2012 and has been serving up original popsicle recipes ever since. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she uses her culinary background to craft flavors such as Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Early Grey with Black Pepper and Green Tea with Mochi for her customers.  Continue Reading

We just received information on this from police: A 68-year-old man was shot and critically wounded inside his residence on the 5100 block of Cedar Avenue on the morning of Dec. 2. The shooting was reported by a concerned neighbor who lives on the same block as the victim.

Police say that the man was in his row home on the morning of December 2 when someone knocked on the front door. The victim opened the inner door and began having a conversation with an unknown male who was on the other side of the security door. The victim was unable to open the security door because it was locked and his girlfriend had the key, according to police. Then the man fired two gunshots from outside through the security door. The victim was struck once in the groin, according to police.  Continue Reading

Here’s a short update on Independence Charter School West (ICS-West), a new elementary school opening in September 2016. The school’s location will be at 56th and Chester, according to a recent announcement. The school also has a new website: www.icswest.org.

The school will initially be a K-3, mainly serving families from Southwest, West, and Overbrook areas. Applications will be accepted until February 1. More information sessions have been added this week for those families who are interested in applying:

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Lucien E. Blackwell/West Philadelphia Regional Library
125 S. 52nd Street

Thursday, Dec. 10, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Woodland Academy Child Development Center
5401 Grays Avenue

Friday, Dec. 11, 10-11 a.m.
Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek library branch
5800 Cobbs Creek Parkway (59th/Baltimore Ave.)  Continue Reading