PRIME PHILADELPHIA

Starry, Starry Nights... "Van Gogh Up Close"

"And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you"
... Don McLean

One of the world's great artists had some serious issues. Van Gogh attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest, which ultimately led to his death two days later.

A quick study of his life clearly indicates his mental problems (such as severing a part of his ear and sending it to a prostitute). This exhibition focuses on the
tumultuous years that began when van Gogh left Antwerp for Paris in 1886 and continued until his death in Auvers in 1890.

It's very difficult to understand his art, and its relationship to his life. Having said that, his work speaks for itself, and "Van Gogh Up Close" represents yet another reason that the Philadelphia Museum of Art is so critically important to the City of Philadelphia.

From February 1st to May 6th, the people will come from literally everywhere to experience this event. It's great for the hotels and the restaurants, and proof positive what the Arts mean to a community.

The connections are interesting. Georges Perrier recently suggested that closing his venerable Le Bec-Fin would be like closing the Museum of Art. For some three months, a ton of people will do their share in keeping Chef Perrier extremely happy as there are soon to be many Starry, Starry nights.

Two Celebrity Chefs in Philadelphia...

Is it possible that our unending infatuation with celebrity chefs has gone too far?
There I sat with a sold-out audience in the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. The tickets were priced in excess of $200, and we had the unique privilege of watching and listening to two celebrity chefs talk to each other.

The chefs in question were Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. Chef Bourdain might be the most interesting chef in America, and Chef Ripert might be one of the nicest chefs known to mankind. It promised to be a very interesting evening.

My worst prediction materialized when the audience(myself included) had little or no idea what the the great French chef was saying. It just didn't work. We did hear the F-bombs and almost everything else from Chef Bourdain, so all was not lost.

Maybe it was the sound system in the theater to blame, but the experience was somewhat of a disaster. The theater experiment just didn't get it done, and maybe the celebrity chefs should stick to what works the best. Trust me when I tell you that it's not two chefs talking to each other in the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia.

Reservations at KFC

John Travolta has done pretty well for himself, and one would think the man could grab a reservation in the busiest of restaurants (celebrities have a way of making impossible reservations possible).

The actor was in London for a Scientology meeting, and why else would one go to London? The man loves great food so it was hardly a surprise that he chose one of London's very best - and that would be KFC (believe it or not). The actor wanted a reservation, and an employee of the London Kentucky Fried Chicken basically suggested that he stand in line like everyone else.

A spokesperson for KFC headquarters responded upon hearing of the incident, their regret over their employee’s decision. "In hindsight, of course, we would have reserved a table for him," explained the spokesperson. "It's not every day you get a Hollywood star eating in your restaurant."

The employee stands by the original decision to deny the actor, "To me, customers are customers, no matter who they are. It doesn't make a difference if someone is famous."

In my mind,that employee is absolutely correct, and in terms of the actor, I could care less. The man is in London for a Scientology meeting. What else do you want to know?

I remember when an owner in Philadelphia (Neil Stein of the prestigious Striped Bass) refused the reservation on a Saturday night for President and Ms. Clinton and their entourage because the Secret Service insisted that he had to close his restaurant to the public.

He did exactly what the KFC employee did, and it was the right thing. The publicity would have been unbelievable, but Neil Stein did it for his loyal customers. I can remember the basic quote..."I have people who get engaged on a Saturday night in my restaurant. I'm not going to ruin that moment for anybody - including the President of the United States".

I would suggest a pink slip for the KFC spokesman, and his or her replacement would be the employee who said no to Mr. Travolta.

It's Prime Time!

We are about to launch a dramatic presentation designed to reach an audience of local residents and visitors. The two print publications are Prime Philadelphia and the new Travelhost. We have developed a marketing program for our launch which will begin on October 31st.

The One-Time Promotional Cost to participate is $395.00. The benefits are as follows:

Full Page in the Prime Philadelphia Digital Magazine with a circulation of 25,000 (sent by email to a local audience in Philadelphia and South Jersey).

A One-Third 4/color page in the Prime Philadelphia Printed Edition –
Circulation – 20,000

A One-Third page in the TravelHost Edition –
Circulation - 20,000

A display ad with a link to your site on www.primephiladelphia.com

The total circulation (including Social Media) is in the range of a minimum of 65,000. All for $395.00!

"The safety of our guests is our paramount concern."

Dennis Gomes is the new owner (Chief Executive Officer) of Resorts, and you have to love this guy. He is a former police officer and a Las Vegas mob investigator, so one should not be totally surprised that he holds a black belt in karate and trains in other martial arts. He is a mere 67 years old, but recently chased and captured a burglar who attempted to steal a package from an unsuspecting lady at an event in a Resorts restaurant. He happened to be dining with his wife when he noticed the burglar grabbing the package.

"When I realized what was happening, I jumped over my wife and took off after him," said Gomes, The chase then went through the casino's gaming floor and Gomes eventually caught-up to and captured the burgler with the help of a Resort's security officer.

A message to would-be criminals ... Avoid Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. The owner will chase you down and make your life more miserable than it already is.

Again, you have to love Mr. Gomes.

Some Good News - Thomas Capano is Dead!

The man died in prison of apparently natural causes. I'm only sorry it took so long. In 1996 he murdered a beautiful young lady named Anne Marie Fahey and the rest is history that will never go away.

The following is from the Philadelphia Inquirer...

"On June 27, 1996, Capano took Fahey to dinner at Panorama, a Philadelphia restaurant, trying to persuade her to resume an affair she had ended the previous fall. A month earlier, Fahey wrote in her diary that she had brought "closure" to her relationship with Capano, describing him as a "controlling, manipulative, insecure, jealous maniac."

Later that night, prosecutors said, Capano shot Fahey to death in a large house he had rented after separating from his wife of 23 years. He then dumped Fahey's body 70 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, in a shark-infested area known as "mako alley."

It is a terrible tragedy, but I have one question which is somewhat insignificant, but it bothers me. Why does the media keep reminding us about their dinner at Panorama? I see Panorama as quietly one of Philadelphia's all-time great restaurants. It doesn't deserve to be remembered as the place where this couple dined before this monster murdered this beautiful young lady.