January 12, 2006 Issue                                               

©2005 The Chestnut Hill Local

Local Life

One man’s opinion: Best restaurants of 2005
by LEN LEAR

The El Vez bar is undoubtedly one of the busiest and most eye-catching in the city.

The questions asked most frequently of restaurant writers are: “What is your favorite restaurant?” “Where do you get the most for your money?” and “What new restaurants have you gone to that are really good?” The answers to these questions and more will be contained in the following paragraphs, which encompass our favorite restaurants from the year 2005. They are listed in random order, not in order of preference:

After substituting for Garry Shandling at the 1992 fundraising banquet for the Philadelphia Jewish Federation (Shandling was delayed by a major snowstorm), the TV star thanked Mt. Airy editor/comic Al Erlick, who “killed” the crowd but made sure not to quit his day job. (Photo by Scott Weiner)

Retired Mt. Airy editor Is barely off his rocker
by AL ERLICK

Al Erlick, of West Mt. Airy, is the former editor of the Jewish Exponent.

The announcement of my retirement occasioned a question that would be repeated ad nauseum until the moment I rode off into the sunset: “So, what are you going to do now?”

This is the cover of the 13-month calendar that features eye-catching shots of Chestnut Hill locations.

New Chestnut Hill calendar
by RACHEL CARSON

An experiment in using simple, traditional tools and techniques has resulted in a striking collection of Chestnut Hill photographs, now available either as a set of single prints or in a 13-month calendar produced by Penguin Photo, Inc., 7928-30 Germantown Ave.

HILL FRIENDS MEETING CONCERT: The early music ensemble Quidditas will present Music for Christmas from Medieval and Renaissance Times on Saturday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m., at the Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, 100 East Mermaid Lane. The ensemble, which includes recorders, early reeds and brass, voices and percussion, will perform works of Dunstable, Eccard, Praetorius, Rha and others. The concert is free. A free-will offering will be accepted. For further information, call 215-728-0350.

Tragic love recounted in long-absent ‘Le villi’
By MICHAEL CARUSO

For the first time in four decades, local opera lovers will have the opportunity to hear Jules Massenet’s La Navarraise and Giacomo Puccini’s Le villi. The Academy of Vocal Arts Opera Theater will perform this double bill of one-act operas in concert version three times this month. Two performances are set for the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 19 and 20, at 7:30 p.m. There will be a final reprise on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Haverford School’s Centennial Hall.

Aromatherapy spa sniffs out new Hill location
by PAT STOKES

Barry Eichner, who was general manager when the spa was at Willow Grove and Germantown Avenues, holds the same position at the new location.

Welcome to 3000 BC Aromatherapy Spa, newly reopened and relocated at 8439 Germantown Ave., former home of the Hahn Gallery. Well! Talk about a new look! How about gold and copper on the walls and on certain shelves, accents of gleaming glass in hues inspired by the major colors of Egyptian jewels such as cobalt, carnelian and onyx?