Puyero spread.

Here are some interesting developments on the West Philly restaurant scene, from new openings to updates on existing businesses.

Puyero is bringing authentic Venezuelan cuisine to the heart of University City along the iconic Sansom Row, at 3428 Sansom Street. The restaurant serves authentic Venezuelan street food. Their “comida callejera” revolves around the arepa, a round corn flour patty that is stuffed with a variety of fillings and enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Their most popular arepas are the Reina Pepiada (chicken-avocado-salad) and the Pabellón (beef, beans, sweet plantains, and white cheese). Other must-try menu items include patacones, tequeños, and a memorable tres leches for dessert. The business was founded in 2017 by three Venezuelan immigrants: brothers Gilberto and Simón Arends, and Gil’s wife, Manuela Villasmil, who runs the kitchen. The idea behind Puyero was to share Venezuelan culture and identity, but most importantly their food with the city of Philadelphia. For more details about the restaurant, go to: www.puyeroflavor.com.

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2024 Philadelphia Marathon Course Map

The 2024 Philadelphia Marathon events will take place this weekend. The City has announced road closures ahead of the races, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23 (half marathon) and Sunday, Nov. 24 (the main event). Streets will be closed in many parts of the City during Friday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 24. The closures will be implemented on a rolling basis. Traffic delays can be expected, and motorists are advised to use alternate routes and allow for extra driving time.

The streets and roads impacted by closures in West Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 23 include:

• 31st and Spring Garden
• Eastbound I-76 @ Spring Garden Street (top of the ramp)
• Westbound I-76 @ Girard Avenue (Exit #342)
• Walnut Street, from 12th Street to 34th Street
• 33rd Street, from Walnut Street to Spring Garden Street
• 34th Street, from Walnut Street to Girard Avenue
• Spring Garden Street, from 32nd Street to 34th Street
• Girard Avenue, 33rd Street to 38th Street

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The city’s Office of Multimodal Planning and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) are hosting a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, to provide information and get feedback on the 47th Street Traffic Safety Project, which aims to improve traffic safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers from Chestnut Street to Kingsessing Avenue.

The project was first presented in 2023, along with the 48th Street Traffic Safety Project, but the redesign and repaving phases were put on hold earlier this year since more public input was needed. The initial plan included such changes as conversion of a portion of the street, between Paschall and Market, to one-way vehicle traffic.

Blocks along 47th Street from Chestnut Street to Paschall Avenue is on the City’s Vision Zero High Injury Network (HIN).

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Dinner Out Catering is bringing their delicious, family-style meals to Drexel-Aramark’s Local Restaurant Row next week. (Photo courtesy of The Enterprise Center)

Local restaurant lovers take note: Two new local pop-up culinary experiences will open next week and in early December on Local Restaurant Row located near 34th and Race on the Drexel University campus.

Dinner Out Catering, which features main course entrees such as Thai Chili Glazed Salmon and Coq au Vin and “upgraded American fare,” will be on the row Nov. 18-21 from 4-8 p.m.

Smokin’ Sone’s Fresh Grill, a “boutique catering and private chef company,” will be open Dec. 9-12 during the same hours. Smokin’ Sone’s offers an extensive menu of “upscale comfort” food and is led by Chef Sonya R. Combs.

Both Dinner Out Catering and Smokin’ Sone’s honed their skills at The Enterprise Center’s Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises (CCE), a culinary start-up culinary business incubator that includes a commercial kitchen.

Local Restaurant Row, which is located at the Northside Dining Terrace at 203 N. 34th Street St., is open to Drexel students and the public. It’s a partnership between Drexel University, Aramark, and The Enterprise Center and is aimed at giving neighborhood restaurateurs the opportunity to showcase their menus to a wider audience. 

A West Philly cyclist who regularly uses the Baltimore Avenue bike lane for commuting, was recently seriously injured when she swerved to avoid a trench near 46th and Baltimore. Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) dug the trench (see photo) during work at 4527 Baltimore Ave. about a month ago.

“The trench is so large that it makes part of the bike lane disappear and reduces it down to about 10 inches,” writes the injured cyclist, Hanna Kahler. “Because there are trolley tracks on Baltimore Ave, many bicyclists are getting forced into traffic and dangerously being forced to cross the trolley tracks with little notice.”

Hanna was injured on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 26 and had to spend the night in the ER.

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SEPTA is planning to increase fares by 29 percent from the current rates and also shut down many routes in an effort to help fund its operating expenses.

The decision was made this week after it became clear that much needed state funding may not be coming any time soon. SEPTA faces a $240 million budget deficit. SEPTA is also currently negotiating a new contract with its workers’ union, Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 234, which is demanding wage increases and safety improvements for both passengers and transit workers.

A bill funding SEPTA $161 million per year has passed the Pennsylvania State House with bipartisan support, but is being stalled in the Senate.

Starting January 1, 2025, SEPTA fares may increase to $2.90 per ride, according to a proposal announced this week. This is the second fare increase proposed by SEPTA this year. The first increase, from $2.00 to $2.50 per ride for SEPTA Key and contactless card users, was proposed in September and will likely become effective on Dec. 1.

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