Pssst. Do you like Indian food? The no-nonsense, $5 kind served as a Bollywood film plays nearby. If so, read on.

Philly.com includes a profile today of the backroom bistro at Rice & Spice, the unassuming international grocery store at 4205 Chestnut St. Mosey past the stacked bags of rice and spices to the rear of the store and you will find one of those hidden West Philly gems (And, believe me, I understand that writing this helps “unhide” it. Blame philly.com.)

Writer James Osborne talked to a number of customers for his story, many of them students who craved familiar food.

“It’s close to how you get food at home,” said Sachin Sachdeva, 27. “That’s the selling point. That, and it’s relatively cheap.”

Read the full article here.

If you missed the summer’s first Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll or want to enjoy it again don’t miss the event tomorrow, July 7, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Last month’s Stroll was a huge success. It brought enormous crowds of neighbors and visitors who strolled to over 15 Baltimore Avenue locations for deals and treats of all varieties, each for only a buck. Participants included Green Line Cafe, Baltimore Pet Shoppe, Dahlak, Desi Village, Milk & Honey, the Gold Standard, and even the Curio Theatre.

Tomorrow’s Stroll will probably be as crowded as the previous one, so come early in order to avoid at least some of those lines.

Here’s a nice video from last month’s Stroll put together by the UCD:

Community members are invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony and reception to mark the start of renovation and construction of Mariposa Food Co-op‘s new location today at 3 p.m. at 4824 Baltimore Avenue.

The co-op has raised over $2.37 million and is ready to start the construction in the first week of July. If all goes well, the new store is scheduled to open in October.

Mayor Michael Nutter is expected to attend the event, along with representatives of the project’s major supporters, and other honored guests. Food and refreshments will be served.

“Local” is all the rage these days. Local food, local beer, shopping local. A celebration of the local begins Saturday in West Philly as the University City District puts on the first “Sustainable Saturday.”

This Saturday’s theme is “Grow it Yourself” and features a self-guided tour of community gardens in West Philly and a “farm-to-table” trolley tour includes stops at Walnut Hill Community Farm, Milk & Honey Market, and Farm 51, chats with local growers and sellers and a dinner made with local ingredients.

The day kicks off, of course, with the Clark Park Farmers ‘ Market, which will be back to normal now that the “A” section of the park is open again.

Here are some details on the rest of the day:

Noon – 1 p.m. • Foraging for Edible Plants

USciences Lower Mill Creek Garden (43rd and Chester). A few folks from Wild Foodies from Philly will talk about foraging for edible and medicinal plants.

Noon to 1 p.m. • Creating an Urban Homestead

Farm 51 (51st and Chester). Learn about what you can and can’t do in your backyard as well as the basics of keeping vegetables and animals in the city.

Noon to 1 p.m. • Irrigating With Stormwater

Walnut Hill Community Farm (Ludlow Street between 46th and Farragut – near the 46th Street El stop). The farm has an innovative solar-powered stormwater irrigation system. Come hear how you can rig up a stormwater system in your yard.

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. • Sustainable Landscaping

Chester Avenue Community Garden (on Chester between 47th and 48th). A workshop on edible landscaping with Phil Forsyth of Forsyth Gardens and the Philadelphia Orchard Project.

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. • Ice Cream Tour and Tasting at Bartram’s Garden

Bartram’s Garden (54th and Lindbergh). This one is a no-brainer. You get to forage around Bartram’s Garden for a little while and then make ice cream with what you have found. This also includes a tour. Tickets are $10 for adults/$8 for students and seniors/Free with a Bartram Pass. You pay when you get there. But you still need to RSVP here.

3 p.m. to 7 p.m. • Philly Homegrown West Philadelphia Farm to Trolley Tour

Paul Steinke of the Reading Terminal Market will host the tour. Participants will get a chance to see urban farming and beekeeping in action and sample locally grown foods. The tour concludes at the MidAtlantic Tap Room and Restaurant (3711 Market St.) for a dinner made with locally grown ingredients. Tickets are $45. RSVP here.

Other Sustainable Saturdays will be held July 16, August 20 and September 17.

Thursday is the food festival Night Market Philadelphia, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the corner of 39th and Market streets. This night market, a celebration of local food vendors and ethnic and gourmet restaurants, will have a Philly Beer Week twist.

The previous edition of the festival in South Philly drew enormous crowds and caused a few pretty big lines, which called for necessity for more vendors for future night markets. So this time, event organizer The Food Trust is bringing over 30 street food carts and restaurants, including Guapos Tacos, Nomad Pizza, with its traveling wood fired oven, and Little Baby’s Ice Cream. The event will also feature music by local bands, street performers, and crafts.

Finally, the event is part of Philly Beer Week and the West Philly pub The Blockley will set up a beer garden at 39th and Market with a fine selection of craft brews from Victory, Yards, Troegs, Rogue and Brooklyn.

The Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative’s Youth Development Program is hosting its annual “Eats and Beats” event this Saturday beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Woodland Presbyterian Church (401 S. 42nd).

The event helps support the youth-led Rooted in Community Conference and some of this year’s proceeds go toward the expansion of the Mariposa Food Co-op. Rooted in Community, a national organization dedicated to empowering youth to take the lead in their communities to address food justice issues, is holding their conference in Philadelphia on July 27-31.

Tickets are available on a sliding scale for $15-$50 and are available online here.