March 21, 2024
@KamparPhilly/Facebook
Kampar, a reimagined version of Saté Kampar on East Passyunk, opens part of its new Bella Vista space Friday. Mural City Cellars also will launch its latest wine bar and bottle shop in Fishtown.
Philadelphia is witnessing a series of new beginnings after devastating setbacks. The Tyler Arboretum, for instance, is preparing to reopen miles of trails for the first time since last summer, when a destructive beetle species tore through the ash trees on the Delaware County grounds. The same cycle is also playing out on the culinary scene, as two Philly institutions mount comebacks this weekend.
Kampar, the resurrected and revamped version of Saté Kampar, will welcome its first customers to Bella Vista on Friday for a la carte dishes and drinks in its upstairs space. Further north in Fishtown, Mural City Cellars will open the doors to its new Frankford Avenue space the same day — and it's a little bigger than the trolley wine garden the vintners once operated two blocks away.
New programming also is budding at the Museum of the American Revolution, which kicks off its "spring break" events this weekend, and Eastern State Penitentiary, which will host the first of three baseball pop-ups on Saturday. And if you need a reminder to let the past go and embrace the present, "Frozen" is now playing at the Academy of Music.
Saté Kampar, the popular Malaysian restaurant on East Passyunk, exited the Philly food scene in 2020. But it's coming back in a new neighborhood (Bella Vista) and with a new name (Kampar) this weekend. Starting Friday, walk-in customers can drink and dine off an a la carte menu in the second-floor space on 611 S. Seventh St. The ground floor, which will offer a tasting menu from chef Ange Branca and other visiting chefs in residency, will open at a later date.
Mural City Cellars is also starting over at a new space in Fishtown. The urban winery, which served pours out of a trolley in Kensington until late 2023, is putting down more permanent roots with a new bar and bottle shop at 1831 Frankford Ave. It'll officially open Friday, offering charcuterie to pair with the vino and brews from Triple Bottom Brewing and Carbon Copy for those who prefer beer.
Discover the legacy of baseball within the prison system at a special pop-up at Eastern State Penitentiary. The site's educators will take visitors to the former prison's old baseball field at 11:30 a.m. Saturday for a talk on recreation and incarceration. At the end of the discussion, they'll also get a chance to hit a wiffle ball out of the park. The event, which is one of several themed sports pop-ups the museum has planned through the end of the month, will be held again Thursday, March 28 and Sunday, March 31.
Songs and snowmen have taken over the Academy of Music, which recently welcomed "Frozen" for a three-week stay. The touring Broadway musical is based on the hit Disney movie about two royal sisters, one of whom is a literal ice queen, and their reindeer, human and snowman sidekicks. It's now entering its first weekend at Kimmel, but it'll stick around for two more, ending April 7.
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