Puerto Rican vocalist Taína Asili, flamenco dancer April Goltz, and guitarist Gaetano Vaccaro present an intimate and unforgettable performance of Latin American folk and flamenco tonight, at 7:30 p.m. at Crossroads Music (801 S 48th St.).

Taína Asili and April Goltz are former Philadelphians. Goltz took her first flamenco steps at the Arts League in West Philly beginning in 2002.

Tickets are still available here.

Before the main event, there will be a short children’s concert, from 6 p.m. to approximately 6:45 p.m. Tickets to this show are $5 for kids, with accompanying grownups free.

There are only six days left to help Mariposa‘s online fundraising campaign that will help it into a new home.

The popular local food co-op still needs about $5,000 to reach their goal of $10,000 collected from community members and supporters at the fundraising website Indiegogo.com. The money will go to cover the costs associated with the purchase and renovation of their new space at 4824 Baltimore Ave.

Even individual donations of $5 or $10 may help the co-op reach their goal. To donate, visit this page.

Check out the video about Mariposa’s fundraising campaign.

Mariposa Food Co-op Fundraiser from mariposa coop on Vimeo.

The Marathon Grill (200 South 40th St.) and its lounge MarBar closed their doors yesterday, May 23, after nearly seven years of operation due to declining business, according to a report today in the Penn student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The paper quotes Penn’s Executive Director of Real Estate Ed Datz:

“When they [Marathon Grill] came to this location, they brought a renewed vitality to the 40th Street corridor, improving the economy, the activity, and safety of the area in conjunction with other neighborhood development in West Philadelphia.”

The restaurant and bar opened in 2004, replacing a Burger King on the southwest corner of 40th and Walnut. The establishment’s five other locations around the city will remain open, the paper reported. A new tenant for the space, which Penn owns, has not been named.

The Rita Jones Dance Company will present A Tribute To Billie Holiday concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St.). Proceeds from the event will go to Pancreatic Cancer Research program at Jefferson Hospital. General admission tickets: $10.

If you’re “a cup of coffee and a bagel” person the Mood Cafe, which opened last week at 4618 Baltimore Ave., may not be the ideal place for you. It specializes in the lassi, a delicious yogurt and fruit drink originally from India and Pakistan, but gaining popularity worldwide. Indeed, there are 14 kinds of lassi ($2.99), ranging from a more popular mango lassi to a more traditional salted lassi, a drink flavored with South Asian spice. What’s more, you can mix and match the flavors to your taste.

The cafe is the third West Philly venture for owner Hasan Bukhari. His other two ventures, Desi Village (4527 Baltimore Ave.) and Desi Chaat House (501 S. 42nd), have gained huge popularity in the neighborhood. All three have that distinctive saffron paint job. At the Mood, event the tree boxes are painted saffron.

Speaking of chaat, Mood Cafe also offers a good variety of this traditional East Indian and Pakistani street food. Bukhari said he’s ready to teach people about this dish and would be glad to let you have a taste until you find something you love.

Freshly-squeezed juices, ice-cream, milkshakes, and shaved ice, all natural, are also on offer. As Bukhari pointed out, “the focus is on healthy stuff.”

Finally, if you still want a cup of coffee, it’s not a problem. Although it’s not on the menu, Bukhari will make one for you, be it a latte or a cappuccino. No doubt coffee will become a staple when the weather turns cold again.

Mood Cafe hours: Mon-Sun 12:00 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Danny is a beautiful 2-year-old orange tabby cat who badly needs a home. He is neutered, housebroken, vaccinated, FELV/FIV negative, and up-to-date on flea-preventive medications. Here’s how Danny would describe himself if only he could talk:

Big people, little people, bring ’em on! I’ll love on them all. I’m a lean 15 pounds, sort of a living teddy bear! Go ahead, tote me around! I LOVE to be picked up and held.
I like to play with other cats, but they have to be able to handle a big boy like
me. Some cats just don’t get that I just want to play, but I’m not a meanie, just a
frisky young cat. Got a feather wand, a few catnip mice? Any kids to play with me?
Oh, boy, we could be a match made in heaven I’m a great kid entertainer.
I don’t like those slobbery things also known as dogs. I know I should, but I just
can’t bring myself to be around them. Could we still be friends anyway? I want so
badly to have a home of my own!

Stop by the Baltimore Pet Shoppe (4532 Baltimore Ave.) to meet this super great kitty or email: projectmeowadoptions [at] gmail.com