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đŸ„˜ The year Philly dined with strangers | Morning Newsletter

And today’s top stories

Chef Miled Finianos hosts Habibi Supper Club one to two nights a month.
Chef Miled Finianos hosts Habibi Supper Club one to two nights a month.Read moreDevon Roberts Photography

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Good morning. Grab an umbrella before you brave this rainy, chilly Saturday.

Today, we’re highlighting how Philly found community in sharing meals with strangers this year. Plus, there’s news on a large capital investment in the state by Nemours Children’s 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.

— Paola PĂ©rez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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What you should know today

  1. 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.

  2. The divided Pennsylvania legislature passed fewer laws and held fewer voting days over the past two years than in most sessions in recent history.

  3. 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 ‘80s and later became a UNICEF ambassador. A 76-year-old man was also hospitalized after the incident.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. President Joe Biden signed a bill this week aimed at preventing hazing on college campuses and building transparency around hazing incidents — the first federal law of its kind.

  7. Nemours Children’s Health is investing $130 million in 2025 to expand services for maternal and fetal health, cancer and cardiology in Delaware.

  8. Chef Alex Holt is famous for being a one-man operation. At the new Roxanne in Queen Village, she’s letting a couple more ideas into the kitchen.

  9. 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 Sunday’s game vs. the visiting Dallas Cowboys.

đŸŽ€ Let’s 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 resident’s 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. “What’s a better way to make friends than share a meal with strangers?” she thought.

“If I make friends here and we all connect at a dinner, it’s a very easy activity to continue doing — and if I went to a dinner and I didn’t really have that much fun, then it wasn’t a huge commitment either,” 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 isn’t 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. — Hira Qureshi

Keep reading to hear how Philadelphians found new ways to connect this year — 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 Hall’s Dilworth Park as an “isolated” incident sounds naive. After a shooting of eight high school students at a SEPTA bus stop, Parker said to Philadelphians: “I need you to know that I hear you.”

“But does she really listen? Is she really seeing us?” Ubiñas writes. Read on for Ubiñas’ perspective on why some Philadelphians don’t feel seen or heard as the city addresses gun violence and pushes forward with a new arena in Center City.

❓ Pop quiz

What was Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan’s Dish of the Year?

A) lemongrass wings at Sophie’s Kitchen

B) dumplings at Nepali Momo Kitchen

C) pollito at Amy’s Pastelillos

D) dry-aged toro bibimbap at Royal Sushi & Izakaya

Think you know? Check your answer.

đŸ§© Unscramble the anagram

Hint: A historical museum in Philadelphia’s FDR Park

MARIE SANDWICHES

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Belinda Cooper who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Mummers Parade. We have your guide to the 124th annual New Year’s Day event, happening this Wednesday. Plus, check out these local music shows to ring in the new year, and the list of what’s open and closed on New Year’s Day across the region. P.S. Belinda also shared this nice message: “Happy New Year to all you puzzlers lol :)”

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. “It’s my Christmas miracle,” Garman joked of its reopening.

Somewhere on the internet in Philly

It was fun reading through Philly’s top Google searches of 2024. We really love solar eclipses — and late-night food.

Over on Reddit, someone shared a cool photo of Philadelphians celebrating Christmas in 1913. That was from the city’s 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.

đŸ‘‹đŸœ I hear a freshly brewed cafecito calling my name. Take care, and I’ll see you back here again tomorrow with the latest news.

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