This week on FYI Philly, we visit a new spot for Italian and Spanish flavors, visit two besties at their bottle shop, meet a couple roasting beans while brewing big ideas and take a look at the upcoming Broadway Philadelphia season.
New Jersey native Chef Lee Sanchez has relocated his restaurant, Rhythm and Spirits, from Atlantic City to the street level of Suburban Station.
The restaurant serves Italian-American cuisine, which, as Chef Lee likes to say, is without the rules. There are Hispanic flavors mixed in the menu as a homage to Sanchez’s Italian and Spanish roots.
The meatballs are his signature dish, passed down from his grandmother. There’s a Southern-fried chicken parm, pizza, and pasta like the spicy rigatoni.
Rhythm and Spirits opened in 2019 in Atlantic City, and after six summers down, they closed their doors and reopened in Philadelphia in October of 2025.
The restaurant has an intimate vibe, with photos of Lee’s family and friends, along with some of New Jersey’s icons, on the walls.
Chef Lee hopes Rhythm & Spirits is a place where people can come to enjoy special moments in life or just escape day-to-day reality.
Rhythm & Spirits | Instagram | Facebook
1617 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103
The Bottle Shop is a neighborhood spot owned by Gena Montebello and Michele Ganas.
The store is a combination bar and carryout shop with an extensive selection of beer and wine, including organic and non-alcoholic options.
There’s a rotating menu of beers and wines on tap, and the variety of breweries and winemakers is unmatched.
They also have a wine club that offers curated selections, and they hold educational tastings every month.
The Bottle Shop | Instagram
1616 E. Passyunk Avenue Philadelphia, Pa. 19148
Coffee lovers in the Poconos are getting a taste of bold flavors from Hrysek Farms, a small-batch coffee roastery founded by Adam Hrywnak and Brian Polnasek.
PAID SPONSOR PARTNERSHIP: Pocono Television Network
The pair met in the Pocono hospitality industry and decided to start roasting their own beans after a crosscountry road trip inspired them to bring the coffee culture they saw out west back home.
They converted a garage on their Reeders property into a roastery, sourcing beans from countries including Guatemala, Ethiopia, Colombia, and Brazil, and roasting everything to order in compostable packaging.
While the roastery is not yet open to the public, Hrysek Farms coffee is served at select locations, sold at community events, and the partners hope to eventually open a bakerycafe connected to nearby outdoor trails.
Stenton, one of Philadelphia’s oldest and best-preserved historic houses, offers a window into 18th century life and the complex legacy of its owner, James Logan.
Logan, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland, served as William Penn’s colonial secretary and became one of the most powerful figures in early Pennsylvania.
He built Stenton in 1730 as a summer home. The estate once spanned 511 acres; it is now 3.
As Logan’s influence grew, Stenton became a hub for social and intellectual exchange. Much of the house remains intact, including original furnishings and family objects.
A voracious reader, Logan assembled what is considered one of the greatest private libraries in the colonies, with thousands of books in multiple languages.
The site also confronts the injustices tied to Logan’s power.
He helped draft the Walking Purchase, an agreement that allowed colonists to take land from the Lenni Lenape through deception.
Despite his Quaker background, Logan enslaved people, and the home’s architecture reflects that reality through hidden passageways and service spaces.
One of the most powerful stories told at Stenton is that of Dinah, a woman formerly enslaved on the property.
She asked for, and was granted her freedom in 1776. She stayed on at Stenton as a paid servant and, legend holds, she saved the house from being burned by British soldiers after the Battle of Germantown in 1777.
Today, Stenton operates as a museum and community space, offering tours, programs, and events like Dinah Day, from noon-4pm on April 18th.
Stenton | Facebook | Instagram
4601 N. 18th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19140
As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the National Constitution Center is opening new galleries and programs highlighting the story of American democracy.
The new America’s Founding gallery explores the Revolution, the drafting of the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, featuring a rare original printing of the Constitution.
A Separation of Powers gallery opens in May, adding interactive experiences for visitors.
The Center’s 19th Amendment exhibit traces the long fight for women’s rights, from Seneca Falls to the stillunpassed Equal Rights Amendment.
The Center will be a key part of Philadelphia’s 250th celebrations in July and will continue the commemoration with a 52 Weeks of Firsts festival on September 5.
National Constitution Center |Facebook | Instagram
525 Arch St, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106
Ensemble Arts Philly has an award-winning lineup that brings the best of Broadway to Philadelphia, with shows that have earned 39 Tony Awards, 9 Drama Desk Awards, 24 Olivier Awards and 5 Grammys.
Fourteen of Broadway’s finest shows are coming to 3 historic venues in Philadelphia. The Academy of Music, Forrest Theatre and Miller Theater are hosting more than 150 performances for the 2026-27 Broadway Philadelphia season.
There are blockbusters like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Great Gatsby and the latest iteration of The Phantom of the Opera.
Philadelphia premiers include 6-time Tony winner Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat and the Alicia Keys inspired Hell’s Kitchen.
Enjoy a laugh with comedies like Oh, Mary!, Book of Mormon and BOOP! The Musical.
Returning favorites include MAMMA MIA!, Waitress, STOMP and the new generation Irish dance hit Riverdance.
Ensemble Arts Philly offers subscription packages for the season with customizable options.
Ensemble Arts Philly Broadway 2026-27 | Facebook | Instagram
The full chronological season lineup includes:
MAMMA MIA! (September 29-October 4, 2026, Academy of Music)
The Great Gatsby (October 20-November 1, 2026, Academy of Music)
BOOP! The Musical (November 17-29, 2026, Academy of Music)
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical (December 15-20, 2026, The Shubert Organization’s Forrest Theatre)
STOMP (December 28, 2026-January 3, 2027, Miller Theater)
Hell’s Kitchen (January 5-17, 2027, Academy of Music)
The Book of Mormon (January 26-31, 2027, The Shubert Organization’s Forrest Theatre)
Waitress (February 9-14, 2027, Academy of Music)
Riverdance 30 – The New Generation (March 4-7, 2027, Miller Theater)
Oh, Mary! (March 9-14, 2027, Miller Theater)
Maybe Happy Ending (March 23-April 4, 2027, Academy of Music)
The Who’s Tommy (April 13-18, 2027, The Shubert Organization’s Forrest Theatre)
The Phantom of the Opera (June 9-27, 2027, Academy of Music)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (July 28-August 8, 2027, Academy of Music)
At Brandywine Workshop and Archives, you can literally see an artist’s vision reveal itself.
“The mission of Brandywine Workshop and Archives is to promote the art of printmaking, which is an ancient technology, but we are modernizing it through fine art prints,” says Rebecca Morrison, Executive Director of Brandywine Workshop and Archives.
And now, those prints are on view in a new public space.
Works on view are from both local and international artists who’ve made prints there, including El Anatsui.
The gallery’s name is a nod to the building’s history as a former fire station.
There is work from artists Syd Carpenter, E.J. Montgomery and John Dowell, just to name a few.
Artist and school teacher, Allan Edmunds, started the original Brandywine Workshop in 1972 in the Spring Garden neighborhood of North Philadelphia to help underrepresented artists in print.
Today, the nonprofit hosts artists-in-residence from around the world who work with their in-house master printers.
The prints they create are limited edition and available for purchase on site.
Admission to Brandywine Workshop and Archives is free, but by appointment only.
Brandywine Workshop and Archives | To Schedule Your Visit
730 S. Broad Street Philadelphia, Pa. 19146