đ„ The year Philly dined with strangers | Morning Newsletter
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Good morning. Grab an umbrella before you brave this rainy, chilly Saturday.
Today, weâre highlighting how Philly found community in sharing meals with strangers this year. Plus, thereâs news on a large capital investment in the state by Nemours Childrenâs Health, an inside look at the new Roxanne in Queen Village, and the latest on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who remains in the concussion protocol.
â Paola PĂ©rez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
Two people were killed in an ambush shooting in West Philadelphia on Thursday night, police said, when two shooters opened fire as the victims sat inside a vehicle.
The divided Pennsylvania legislature passed fewer laws and held fewer voting days over the past two years than in most sessions in recent history.
A 76-year-old woman found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a historic Bucks County farmhouse property early Friday has been identified as Dayle Haddon, who had a successful career as a model in the 1970s and â80s and later became a UNICEF ambassador. A 76-year-old man was also hospitalized after the incident.
Temple University College of Public Health will study ways to help young adults with disabilities learn how to navigate public transportation under a $7.5 million contract from a nonprofit research funding organization.
Dave Petersen, 29, a local musician who captured the attention of Philadelphians with his quasi-guerrilla marketing campaign to find a kidney donor, died in his sleep on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
President Joe Biden signed a bill this week aimed at preventing hazing on college campuses and building transparency around hazing incidents â the first federal law of its kind.
Nemours Childrenâs Health is investing $130 million in 2025 to expand services for maternal and fetal health, cancer and cardiology in Delaware.
Chef Alex Holt is famous for being a one-man operation. At the new Roxanne in Queen Village, sheâs letting a couple more ideas into the kitchen.
The Birds are set to hand the reins of their offense to the backup quarterback as Jalen Hurts was officially ruled out Friday afternoon for Sundayâs game vs. the visiting Dallas Cowboys.
đ€ Letâs pass the mic to reporter Hira Qureshi.
On an August evening, Alisha Kuriakose walked into Loco Pez in West Philadelphia to dine with two strangers she met on Facebook.
This was the University City residentâs first outing with Philly Gals and Pals Dinner, a women-only Facebook group with 57 members dedicated to dining with strangers. A transplant from New York, Kuriakose joined the group to meet new people. âWhatâs a better way to make friends than share a meal with strangers?â she thought.
âIf I make friends here and we all connect at a dinner, itâs a very easy activity to continue doing â and if I went to a dinner and I didnât really have that much fun, then it wasnât a huge commitment either,â Kuriakose said.
Throughout 2024, Philadelphians, from longtime residents to newcomers, embraced similar food-filled gatherings. Supper clubs, app-organized meetups, and casual dinners in homes, bars, and restaurants brought people together in a citywide trend of dining with strangers.
The timing isnât surprising. Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how people connect, the need for community remains strong, especially among Philadelphians, said Shelby Sturge, administrator of Philly Gals and Pals. â Hira Qureshi
Keep reading to hear how Philadelphians found new ways to connect this year â one meal at a time.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has marked one year in office. In a column, Helen Ubiñas says this milestone is shadowed by a spate of gun violence and opposition to the Sixers arena.
Ubiñas says the recent references to a rush-hour shooting on Dec. 13 at City Hallâs Dilworth Park as an âisolatedâ incident sounds naive. After a shooting of eight high school students at a SEPTA bus stop, Parker said to Philadelphians: âI need you to know that I hear you.â
âBut does she really listen? Is she really seeing us?â Ubiñas writes. Read on for Ubiñasâ perspective on why some Philadelphians donât feel seen or heard as the city addresses gun violence and pushes forward with a new arena in Center City.
â Pop quiz
What was Inquirer food critic Craig LaBanâs Dish of the Year?
A) lemongrass wings at Sophieâs Kitchen
B) dumplings at Nepali Momo Kitchen
C) pollito at Amyâs Pastelillos
D) dry-aged toro bibimbap at Royal Sushi & Izakaya
Think you know? Check your answer.
𧩠Unscramble the anagram
Hint: A historical museum in Philadelphiaâs FDR Park
MARIE SANDWICHES
Email us if you know the answer. Weâll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Belinda Cooper who correctly guessed Fridayâs answer: Mummers Parade. We have your guide to the 124th annual New Yearâs Day event, happening this Wednesday. Plus, check out these local music shows to ring in the new year, and the list of whatâs open and closed on New Yearâs Day across the region. P.S. Belinda also shared this nice message: âHappy New Year to all you puzzlers lol :)â
After closing its doors for a week, Sang Kee Peking Duck House was back open just in time for Christmas this year.
The spirit of the winter holidays was alive and well at the Chinatown stalwart, proving the adage still rings true: Philadelphians love to eat Chinese food on Christmas.
From regulars to newcomers, people like Daniel Garman, pictured above, even traveled from as far as Harrisburg to celebrate the occasion. He lamented the potential disruption of his two-year tradition when he heard the city shut down the restaurant earlier this month. âItâs my Christmas miracle,â Garman joked of its reopening.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
It was fun reading through Phillyâs top Google searches of 2024. We really love solar eclipses â and late-night food.
Over on Reddit, someone shared a cool photo of Philadelphians celebrating Christmas in 1913. That was from the cityâs first public tree lighting, hosted on Christmas Eve. The star up top was made of 56 tiny stars, a reference to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Also spotted: A very Philly Christmas tree, decorated with traffic cones. As one comment suggested, maybe the squirrels learned about savesies.
đđœ I hear a freshly brewed cafecito calling my name. Take care, and Iâll see you back here again tomorrow with the latest news.
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