Entertainment

Dirty Frank’s: The Bar, The Myth, The Legend

November 15, 2019 Entertainment, Food & Drink, History 55:51
There are few bars in Philadelphia that are as universally beloved as Dirty Frank’s. Located on the corner of 13th and Pine since 1933, it is a veritable Philadelphia institution. No-one understands that better than current co-owner Jody Sweitzer, who has worked at Frank’s since 1992 and owned it for the eight years. We talked to Jody about how she landed in Philadelphia, how the bar got its name, and why her bartenders are all women. We also had a chance to talk to some Dirty Franks regulars like Cheetah, one of the fastest bike messengers in town, Eric who first came to Dirty Frank’s while on acid, and Three Finger Bill, who has worked the door for over 20 years. It’s a great look at a historic bar renowned for its characters, and some of the characters themselves. 
 
Sweitzer and her business partner Brad Pierce took it over in 2011, joining a storied lineage. They are only the 5th owners the spot has ever had, made more remarkable when you consider that it opened over 85 years ago. According to legend, it opened the month BEFORE Prohibition ended. That outlaw spirit lives on today. As Philly scribe Drew Lazor described so perfectly in a 2018 Vice article:

Even when Dirty Frank’s changes, Dirty Frank’s doesn’t. Stuck in its ways in the most reverential sense of the phrase, it’s a seam in time, providing safe passage to an older, odder Philadelphia. A gleaming oasis of weird in a town beset by 21st-century slickening, it’s always made people its primary business, no matter who those people are.

 

In truth, Frank’s has always had a “type,” but the profile was not built using banal criteria like sex, race, religion, education or income. It instead takes a shine to individuals who can’t be neatly filed into the natural order, and don’t wish to be—a “crossroads for errant individualists,” as the Philadelphia Inquirer put it in 1982. Curious conversationalists tend to do well.

Hope you’ll give it a listen. It’s an important part of Philly history, and Jody’s passion for the place is palpable. She is not someone who takes her job lightly. If you enjoy it, do us a major solid and give it 5 stars on itunes. If you want us to be in your debt forever, leave a positive review. Cheers! 
 
LINKS:
Dirty Frank’s: Facebook/Instagram
Dirty Frank's owner, Jody, doing post-show shot with Greg and Johnny
Dirty Frank's regulars and podcast guests Eric (left) and Cheetah (right)

George Anastasia Tells All About the Philly Mob

October 22, 2019 Crime, Entertainment, Writers 41:05

This episode is tailor-made for any fan of true crime. George Anastasia probably knows more about the Philly Mafia than any other civilian. He covered the Philly Mob and local organized crime for over thirty years for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is currently doing video updates with Dave Schratwieser for PhillyVoice.com.

George discussed how a guy from Dartmouth with a degree in French and no journalism education ended up at the Philly Inquirer and how covering the Atlantic City beat led him to a career covering organized crime.

George sheds light on the history of the Philly Mob as well as what he knows about power struggles and specific incidents. We discuss the future of the Italian mafia and competition from other organized crime groups like the Russian mob and what their differences are.

We recorded this one at the Kitchen Consigliere in Collingswood, New Jersey. Kitchen Consigliere is owned by chef Angelo Lutz, who is George’s friend and ended up doing some time for incidents of his past life.

LINKS:

George Anastasia: Philly Voice

Kitchen Consigliere: www/facebook

Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz: Culture and Coolness with the Strings Diva

September 11, 2019 Artist, Business, Entertainment 40:59

This episode we bring you a little culture and coolness. Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz was a bit of a child prodigy on the violin. She landed at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester where she eventually earned a Masters degree. A drunk driver almost ended her career. Ironically, it was a grandchild of the founder of the Eastman School of music that struck her. Doctors told her she’d never play professionally again and to find a new career. They were wrong.

Alexandra went on to a successful violin career playing with the likes of Brandford Marsalis, Elvis Costello, Jill Scott, Peter Gabriel, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Harry Connick Jr., Rod Stewart, Julie Andrews, Styx, The Who, and more.

She currently holds a tenured position in the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and she is also Founder and CEO of Philly Music Labs, which specializes in connecting high-quality, genre-crossing musicians to new audiences and other like-minded musicians and artists.

We discuss her musical inspirations and how to make Classical Music and the Orchestra more accessible to a larger audience. She also educates us on the values of classical musical instruments, which we had no idea could reach upwards of $250,000.

We recorded this episode at Front Street Cafe in Fishtown. Front Street is a favorite of Alexandra’s because of the food and their support of the local arts scene.

LINKS:
Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz
Philly Music Lab
Front Street Cafe

Elijah Milligan – Cooking for Culture

July 29, 2019 Entertainment 37:47

Elijah Milligan is a chef on a mission. While running his restaurant Stove and Tap in Lansdale, PA, he’s also seeking to shine a light on the skills and accomplishments of African-American chefs in town. He runs a pop-up cooking event called Cooking for Culture, that features local African-American chefs showcasing their skills in various cuisines—just not Soul Food. He’s also hoping that the press and exposure from Cooking for Culture will be an inspiration for young African-Americans throughout the city to consider careers in the culinary world.

In this episode, we sat down with Elijah at Jose Pistola’s on 15th street in Center City. We discussed working with Georges Perrier, running his own kitchen, and life as an African-American in the kitchen of some of the most acclaimed restaurants in Philadelphia.

Elijah has grown up in kitchens. He started out working for his parents’ restaurant as a young boy. He used those skills to work his way into the kitchen at Le Bec Fin. From there, he’s cooked at Stateside, Laurel, and Vernick among others.

He’s looking to expand Stove and Tap into a second location in the near future.

LINKS:
Elijah Milligan: Instagram/Facebook

Stove & Tap

Jose Pistola’s: Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/www

Chris Schwartz: Co-Founder of Philly’s Legendary Ruffhouse Records

July 15, 2019 Entertainment, Music 00:34:46

He paved the way for rappers to tour Europe while managing Schoolly D and made Cypress Hill, Kris Kross, The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, and Lauryn Hill household names. He is Chris Schwartz, Co-Founder of Ruffhouse Records, which sold over one hundred million records worldwide throughout the 1990’s.

Chris has a new book out called, Ruffhouse: From the Streets of Philly to the Top of the ’90s Hip Hop Charts, and he sat down with us at The New Wave Cafe in Queen Village to discuss his early days of working with Schoolly D, the mind-boggling success of Ruffhouse Records, and some ups and downs in his personal life, as well as his new book.

Chris didn’t know it at the time, but he and Schoolly D set the blueprint for Gangsta Rap with the release of P.S.K. and paved the way for hip-hop artists to tour throughout Europe. Schoolly was the first U.S. rap act to tour Europe.

He also walks us through the uniqueness of Cypress Hill’s sound and the movie that jump-started their ascension into rap history. Chris talks about not liking Kris Kross’ mega-hit Jump at first and how Rosie Perez actually introduced Kris Kross to the world through a television appearance.

Chris reminisces about first seeing The Fugees and, ironically, not really noticing Lauryn Hill when he first saw the band perform.

This interview also covers the inspiration for the Ruffhouse name, how German music served as the foundation for many hip-hop classics, substance abuse, the end of the Ruffhouse label, and what Chris is up to these days.

This is an interview that any Philadelphian or music fan has to hear.

LINKS:

Chris Schwartz: Twitter/Instagram/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

New Wave Cafe: www/Facebook/Instagram/Twittey

John Bolaris: Part 1: Storm of the Century, South Beach, and Survival

July 1, 2019 Entertainment, TV/Radio 31:22

John Bolaris was a rock star in Philadelphia from 1990 through the early 2000’s. He wasn’t actually a rock star, but a meteorologist with rock star status. He ran in circles with professional athletes and dated models and playmates, all while being the 3rd highest paid meteorologist in the United States. John is currently a luxury realtor in the Philly and New Jersey markets.

Turmoil and scandals, however, seemed to follow Bolaris at every turn during his time as a meteorologist. His wife informed him that she wanted a divorce on the day he made his debut in Philadelphia. Colleagues in Philly did not welcome John with open arms, in fact, someone threw dog feces on his car.

While at WCAU in Philadelphia, John was regularly disciplined by the station for a variety of behaviors that were said to harm his credibility such as wearing a turtleneck, having bangs, or getting a tattoo on his derriere.

In Part 1 of this two-part interview we discuss how a weather-obsessed child from Long Island, who drew up his own weather forecasts, ended up on television in the Philadelphia market. John discusses how his wife informed him of her desire for a divorce on the day of his Philadelphia debut.

We also cover, in detail, the days leading up for the infamous Philadelphia “Storm of the Century” that never came. John walks us through the decisions and interactions leading up to this alleged storm and claims that the “Storm of the Century” was never his idea or in his forecasts and that he even hit the airwaves on the Sunday night before the alleged storms arrival and said it wasn’t happening.

In Part 2, we get in-depth into the infamous Miami South Beach scandal that found John drugged and scammed out of over $40,000 by the Russian Mob through the use of seductive and attractive women.

John talks about the impact coming forward and pressing charges had on his career, ultimately leading to its end. Bolaris walks us through the darkest days of his life following the end of his meteorology TV career and about his daughter being his saving light.  

We also put John through the Philly Blunt round.

This is Bolaris like you’ve never heard him. 

LINKS:

JOHN BOLARIS: twitter

Bolaris’ Black Label Realty: www

The Post Bar: www/Facebook

John Bolaris: Part 2: Storm of the Century, South Beach, and Survival.

July 1, 2019 Entertainment, TV/Radio 0:40:15

John Bolaris was a rock star in Philadelphia from 1990 through the early 2000’s. He wasn’t actually a rock star, but a meteorologist with rock star status. He ran in circles with professional athletes and dated models and playmates, all while being the 3rd highest paid meteorologist in the United States. John is currently a luxury realtor in the Philly and New Jersey markets.

Turmoil and scandals, however, seemed to follow Bolaris at every turn during his time as a meteorologist. His wife informed him that she wanted a divorce on the day he made his debut in Philadelphia. Colleagues in Philly did not welcome John with open arms, in fact, someone threw dog feces on his car.

While at WCAU in Philadelphia, John was regularly disciplined by the station for a variety of behaviors that were said to harm his credibility such as wearing a turtleneck, having bangs, or getting a tattoo on his derriere.

In Part 1 of this two-part interview we discuss how a weather-obsessed child from Long Island, who drew up his own weather forecasts, ended up on television in the Philadelphia market. John discusses how his wife informed him of her desire for a divorce on the day of his Philadelphia debut.

We also cover, in detail, the days leading up for the infamous Philadelphia “Storm of the Century” that never came. John walks us through the decisions and interactions leading up to this alleged storm and claims that the “Storm of the Century” was never his idea or in his forecasts and that he even hit the airwaves on the Sunday night before the alleged storms arrival and said it wasn’t happening.

In Part 2, we get in-depth into the infamous Miami South Beach scandal that found John drugged and scammed out of over $40,000 by the Russian Mob through the use of seductive and attractive women.

John talks about the impact coming forward and pressing charges had on his career, ultimately leading to its end. Bolaris walks us through the darkest days of his life following the end of his meteorology TV career and about his daughter being his saving light.  

We also put John through the Philly Blunt round.

This is Bolaris like you’ve never heard him. 

LINKS:

JOHN BOLARIS: twitter

Bolaris’ Black Label Realty: www

The Post Bar: www/Facebook

Jennifer Weiner: Philly’s NY Times #1 Bestselling Author: Part 2

June 4, 2019 Authors, Entertainment 32:22

She’s sold over 13 MILLION BOOKS. She’s had a book turned into a movie starring Cameron Diaz. She has championed for women authors to receive the same attention as their male counterparts, and she’s stood for her beliefs, almost to the detriment of her young career. She is the New York Times #1 Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner.

Jen came to Philly via a stop in central Pennsylvania, where she worked as a local journalist before getting a job at the Philadelphia Inquirer. She’s never left Philly since arriving and has no plans of doing so.

We sat with Jen at Queen Village’s Hungry Pigeon restaurant. In our time with her, she provided fabulous insight into her life, her thoughts about the world around her, the world of publishing, as well as her loves and struggles with social media. She shares a story of hating a cover of one her books because it looks like a “douche ad,” but because buyers at a retail outlet loved the cover they stuck with it. It went on to become her first #1 Bestseller.

Jen’s new book, Mrs. Everything, come out on June 11th. The book chronicles the lives of two sisters over the span of seventy years. She discussed the inspiration for the ambitious project and the historical research that went into the project.

In The Philly Blunt round, we learn Jen’s musical aspirations, her spitting pet peeve, and her favorite Hooters song, among other interesting tidbits.

Jen is a woman who is comfortable in her own skin and not afraid to speak her mind. That’s what makes this such a good interview. It’s so good we had to break it up into two parts.

With Reef still on tour in Europe, Danya Henninger sat in with us as a guest host. 

We hope you enjoy Part 2.

LINKS:
Jennifer Weiner: FB/Twitter/Instagram

Hungry Pigeon: FB/Twitter/Instagram

Ursula Rucker: Philly’s Reigning Queen of Poetry

April 29, 2019 Artist, Entertainment, Music 40:19

She’s performed with The Roots. She has recorded five albums. She’s a 2018 Pew Fellowship Award-winner. She’s Philly’s Queen of Poetry and don’t dare call her a “Spoken Word Artist”. She is Ursula Rucker.

Ursula Rucker was born and raised in Philly by parents she referred to as “Nicetown Gangster meets South Philly girl” in the 1950’s. She has lived in Germantown, Mt. Airy, Northern Liberties, West Philly and possesses a deep love for Philly and is not ashamed to show it.

Ursula was a pivotal player in the early 1990’s Philly music scene. Silk City was the hub for this burgeoning scene that included Rich Medina, King Britt, and The Roots. Her career-changing moment came when The Roots asked Ursula for a last-minute poem called The Unlocking, about a woman coming out on the other side of a gang-bang victoriously. She shares the impact this poem had on her poetry and the freedom she found from censoring herself going forward.

Ursula shared the struggles her parents faced being a mixed-race couple in 1950’s Philadelphia, her writing process, the beauty of Germantown, her fears of offending her family through her work, and her fear of crowd-surfing. She also speaks passionately about the work she is doing in Kensington to help people heal through art and open mic nights.

She also gave us one of the ultimate Philly Blunt segments where she slams a quote by Robert Frost after Johnny asked her what he admitted was an “impossible question to answer.”

We recorded this episode at Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books in Germantown, which is owned by Marc Lamont Hill. Uncle Bobbie’s also serves as a community hub designed for sharing, building, learning, laughing, debating, and eating. 

Links:

Ursula Rucker: www/FB/Twitter/Instagram

Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books: www/FB/Twitter/Instagram

Craig LaBan: Philly’s Food Authority & Inquirer Restaurant Critic

April 15, 2019 Entertainment 00:47:54

In this episode of The Philly Blunt, we sit down with the elusive Philadelphia Inquirer Food critic, Craig LaBan. Craig is probably the most powerful person in the Philly food scene as his reviews can often make or break a restaurant.  

Craig is a true Philly man of mystery. His identity remain unknown, although restaurants around town claim to have photos of him in the kitchen so they notice him when he walks in. Few folks have had the opportunity to sit face-to-face with Craig for an interview. Why he agreed to meet with us, we have no idea, but we are grateful nonetheless. As far as we know, this is the first in-person podcast he’s ever done with complete strangers.

After intense negotiations over a few weeks, he agreed to meet with us in person, at a secret Chinatown location that opened the doors only for us (links below), and only if the use of phones was prohibited.

Born in Detroit, tells us a little about his background and life as a food critic in a city with a world-class food scene. His schedule and the amount of food he eats in a year is unbelievable. You have to hear it to believe it.

Craig offers insight into who he is as person, what he’s looking for in a restaurant, his process for reviews, his take on the current Philly food scene, his uses of disguises, as well as dropping nugget after nugget of valuable information for dining around Philly. This is a must listen for anyone who enjoys dining out in the city or those who work in the food industry around town.

And…he survived a round of The Philly Blunt…barely.

We didn’t get a photo of Craig, but below is a photo of us immediately after and one of the few instances where peopls had their photo taken in Hop Sing and did not end up on the banned list. Don’t not attempt this on your own or you will be banned.

Don’t forget to review, rate, and subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you consume your podcasts. Also, follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all as The Philly Blunt.

Links:
Craig LaBan: column/twitter/Instagram
Hop Sing Laundromat: url/twitter/Facebook