ChildCheese

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Our Favorite Mad Men Gifs from Season Six Episode One!

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[childcheese]

Peggy <33

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Today on ChildCheese, we'd like to introduce to you yet another new segment: Street Cheese, brought to you by our good friend and colleague, John Sterling aka SterlingStreetS. SterlingStreetS is a local Philadelphia photographer documenting graffiti and street art wherever he goes. Every Monday, he will curate his favorite finds from the week. This week, he focuses on the 9th Street mural which can be found just South of the Washington Ave. and the Italian Market on the East side of 9th Street. If you like his stuff, be sure to follow him on Tumblr and Instagram, and stayed tuned each week for a new batch of local finds.

Instagram: SterlingStreetS - Tumblr: Sterlingstreets.tumblr.com

9th Street Mural - 9th Street between Washington Ave. and Ellsworth St.

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Mad Men is back and here at ChildCheese we couldn't be happier! Here's a recap of episode one in hair.

[childcheese]

Well, we've finally made it. It's Sunday, April 7th, which here at ChildCheese only means one thing...Mad Men is back! So in preparation of this blessed event, we'd like to share with you one of our favorite local shops, Era Atomica. Located on Passyunk Ave., this tiny shop is consistently stocked with pieces to help you achieve the perfect mid century modern vibe for your apartment or home. No need to dream longingly about living in 60's with Don and company, because at Era Atomica, they can help make that dream a reality.

Whether you are looking for furniture, clothes, artwork or household accessories, these guys have you covered. Are you a Pyrex fiend? Well this is the place for you! Need a light up 8-track player? These guys have you covered! The prices are always legit and I would highly suggest following them on Facebook because they often post daily deals. For example, in honor of Mad Men, they have just added four boxes of barware to the floor and are having a sale on all things bar related. That means glasses, shakers, ice buckets, bar trays, coasters and anything else that will help you drink like the men and women of Sterling Cooper Draper (Price?). You think they're gonna cut that name out? Regardless, they even offers rental services of both their space and the furniture itself. I know what you're thinking, perfect for that 60's photo shoot you've been meaning to put together!

Era Atomica is by far one of the most interesting shops in town, with one of the most friendly and knowledgeable staffs to boot. Today they are open from 12-6 so stop on by and get your retro on.

Era Atomica - 1726 East Passyunk Ave. - 215.551.2345

www.era-atomica.com

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Try to look past one of Britain's greatest sex offenders and creepy Top of the Pops' host Jimmy Savile, and enjoy a little "Tobacco Road," by the Nashville Teens in preparation for tonight's premier of Mad Men!

The Nashville Teens - Tobacco Road (1965)_HQ (by nyrainbow5)

[childcheese]

Mad Men song of the day! Tenessee Ernie Ford's 1955 hit, 16 Tons. Just one more day, guys!

Tennessee Ernie Ford - 16 Tons (by LordEgan)

[childcheese]

New York is such a massive metropolis that even if you are a native who has lived there your entire life, there is never a shortage of places to go and things to do. With every establishment that closes, five more seem to pop in its place. So whenever I go up to New York, I try remain conscious of where I go, in order to try out new places each time. That being said, there are some places about town that are just too good to pass up. These places become your regulars that you find yourself fighting the temptation to return to over and over again. And for me, one of those places is Pearl Oyster Bar. 

Located on one of those fictitiously, quaint West Village Streets, the cozy, little dining room inside Pearl exists in a constant state of bustle. There is even the addition of a line filled with excited customers, that forms outside of the door before dinner service. Whenever I have gone, it has been for lunch and we've always been able to sneak in right before the kitchen closed in preparation for dinner service. If you want to avoid the crowds, I suggest doing the same as we've always been able to snag a seat and receive really friendly and attentive service from the staff.

Now on to the food. The oysters are a must, (obvi) but another dish that we can never seem to pass up is the lobster roll. Who doesn't love lobster especially when it is served with a massive side of shoestring fries!? Last time we were in, we also ordered the shrimp cocktail and were treated by a friend of ours in the kitchen to the fried oysters app. Insanely good. In order to avoid getting a carbon copy of what we had ordered during our previous visit, we reluctantly traded in our beloved fried oyster roll for the skate sandwich special, and we weren't disappointed! Always fresh, filling and most importantly delicious, you'll have a hard time convincing me to forgo my lunch at Pearl Oyster Bar whenever I'm up for a visit.

Pearl Oyster Bar - 18 Cornelia St., NY, NY. - 212.691.8211

http://www.pearloysterbar.com/

[childcheese]

Mad Men song of the day! What 60's-based tv show is complete without a little French Pop? Here is Gillian Hills performing the 1962 hit, "Zou Bisou Bisou," which you may also remember Megan performing for Don's surprise birthday party. 2 days!

Gillian Hills - Zou bisou bisou (1962) (by MrNonosse1)

[childcheese]

Today is First Friday which here in Philly translates to the opening night for many galleries about town. For our monthly gallery pick, we stopped in at the James Oliver Gallery to view the current solo show, Colossal the Small, by street artist, Nosego (Yis Goodwin). And if the above pictures look familiar to you, it's probably because you've seen his work before as it has been showing up around town more and more as of late. Whether you have seen his stickers on newspaper boxes and street signs, or his large scale murals at establishments such as Elixr Coffee, The Electric Factory and the building facade on 5th St. just North of Bainbridge, it's become difficult to walk the streets of Philadelphia without enjoying a personal open air exhibit of his work. And with the energetic figures, vibrant colors and patterns, and his mix of cartoon and realism, his pieces really add a lot of life to the city. Colossal the Small opened last Saturday, but they will be open to the public today from 1-7pm. The show runs through May 4th with a closing reception that evening from 6-9. When we stopped in by appointment earlier this week, we were shocked to see how many pieces had already been purchased. So if you're looking to buy, I suggest heading over sooner rather than later. And one last tip, the gallery sits in a lovely 4th floor studio space, however there is no elevator on site. But don't let that deter you. Skip the gym for the day and scale stair mountain! The work is definitely worth the hike!

James Oliver Gallery - 723 Chestnut St. 4th Fl. - 267.918.7432

http://www.jamesolivergallery.com/

http://www.nosego.com/

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how to come out to your wife, mad men style.

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Sal's rendition of Bye Bye Birdie. 4 days until the season 6 premier! Crossing our finger for the return of Sal!

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Today's Mad Men song of the day comes to you from Ann Margret's rendition of "Bye Bye Birdie" from the classic 1963 film of the same name. Who doesn't remember the song that haunted season three and foretold Don and Betty's (aka Birdie's) demise. After listening to the movie version, check out Sal's version in the following post. Oh Salvatore, we miss you! :(

Ann-Margret BYE BYE BIRDIE title song (by bachflat)

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Local Cheese

    Photo Cred: Reading Terminal Website

My old roommate used to work right outside of City Hall, and he began doing a lot of his shopping at the Terminal on his lunch break. After about a month of him commending their low prices and great quality food, I decided to check it out for myself. And while it was a bit out of the way from my South Philly home, my eyes had been opened and I found it to be more than worthy of the occasional monthly trip.

Photo Credit: amateureater

Now that I live much closer, I've begun stopping in at least once or twice a week. I've been sampling the vendors, learning about weekly deals and figuring out the best time to shop (aka when are there the least amount of tourists crowding up the isles with their strollers and fanny packs). And in the short time that I've become a regular, I've already seen stores close and new ones pop up in their place. And to my surprise, I've also stumbled upon a few shops that I now can't imagine living without.

So as I strolled the terminal this past week, weaving through the gawking tourists and the crowds of children on field trips I thought, what a perfect new segment for the Cheese. Starting next week, we will begin filling you in on our favorite vendors inside the Terminal. Places that we've tried, loved and now frequent on the reg. Because the terminal is a great Philadelphia institution, dating all the way back to 1892! The vendors are legit and the prices are unmatched. But the crowds and the floor plan can be overwhelming. With over 80 merchants on site, if you don't go in with a plan, you may end up confused, frustrated and leave grocery-less. But it shouldn't be just for the tourists and the food network shows and the poor schlubs on jury duty. It's a huge local market that should be, first and foremost, for Philadelphians!

Photo Cred: arcadiaboutiquephilly.blogspot.com

So if you are looking to shop local and score some good deals, stay tuned for some of our favorite Reading Terminal Picks, in our new bi-weekly segment, Cheese Goes to Market.

The Reading Terminal Market - 12th and Arch St. - 215.922.2317

http://www.readingterminalmarket.org

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If you are looking for a mid-week pick-me-up, look no further than the Wednesday night film series at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Every Wednesday this April, beginning at 6:30, the museum will be screening four classics: Rear Window, Sunset Boulevard, The Maltese Falcon and Bonnie & Clyde. For just $3.50 ($2.50 for members), it sure does beat out any happy hour deal about town.   

Philadelphia Museum of Art - 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy - 215.763.8100

http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/adults/films.html

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Mad Men in 5 days!! Get in the mood with this classic clip of Jim Reeves performing his hit, "Welcome to My World" from 1964.

Jim Reeves- Welcome To My World.flv (by borneotourescort)

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In anticipation of the Mad Men season 6 premier, we have decided to post one song each day this week! Today we have have Etta James’ 1961 revival of, “Trust in Me.”

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Having off on Monday is great. There is nothing more satisfying than logging onto Facebook from the comfort of your warm bed, and scrolling through the cascade of "I've got a case of the Monday's" posts from the people you had to serve on their sacred Friday and Saturday nights out. Only problem is, a lot of things are closed on Monday's. So when you score a free Tuesday, it can only mean one thing, museum day! This past week, we visited the Outsider Art show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It proved to be fairly underwhelming barring a few notable standouts, but by the end, we were famished. With no real place in mind, we began to stroll back home with the plan to duck into whatever establishment spoke to us. Needless to say, we ended up walking down 19th street and and were sucked right through the doors of the Famous 4th St. Deli.

The first time I ate at 4th St., was last winter. I had finished my day job early and had a few hours to kill before my second job began. In the interim, I met up with a friend to grab a quick bite. Knowing how gigantic the sandwiches were, I opted for the french toast, thinking it would be a lighter choice. Five minutes later, I looked up to see the waiter rounding the corner with what looked to be a giant pyramid of fried chicken. I was already embarrassed for whoever they were destined for, when I realized the server was headed straight towards me! Sure enough, the giant plate of fried chicken was actually, my massive plate of french toast. Shaking the stun off of my face, I began to crush. And after the first bite, I realized that I wouldn't have cared if the plate tripled in size, it was the best french toast I had ever had! And there were about 5 pieces left to take home. Needless to say, the faces of the kitchen staff at work that evening were pretty priceless when I turned down staff meal (something I NEVER do) due to the fact that I ate too much french toast.

But last Tuesday, we were not in the mood for the french toast. By this time, we had become 4th St. vets and knew to order one sandwich (the hot pastrami) and split. They also start you off with complimentary coleslaw and pickles, and bring out two chocolate chip cookies with your check so it's very easy to over-order. The pastrami was insanely good. It was actually the first time I had pastrami and if you know anything about me, you know that I have a very strict meat to bread ratio rule. I usually need substantially more bread than meat to comfortable eat a sandwich. But this pastrami somehow made me break my rule. And it didn't even need dressing or lettuce!

And if you are just looking for some rockin' baked goods, definitely stop in and scope out their selection. Their black and white cookies are bigger than my head! Also while you're there, look up. They have some of my favorite light fixtures in the city. I don't know, I'm just into that stuff.

Famous 4th St. Deli - 700 S 4th St - 215.922.3274

Second Location: 38 S. 19th St -  215.568.3271

famous4thstreetdelicatessen.com