2012 Philly Beer Week Cheat Sheet

Friday, June 1 is the official start of Philly Beer Week, the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States. Knowing what events, festivals, dinners, tours or tastings to attend during the ten-day celebration is a daunting task, even for the most ardent Beer Week follower.

Last year we created a cheat sheet of events you might enjoy and it became one of our most-read posts. Back by popular demand is 2012’s Philly Beer Week Cheat Sheet. We included an array of breweries, events, neighborhoods and bars to give you a glimpse of everything Beer Week has to offer.

Is this every event you should attend? Nope. But, it is a start, especially if you don’t have time to do all your own research. You can find more information on each event on the Philly Beer Week Event Page. If we missed events you recommend let us know in the comment section.

Xfinity Live! - More Than a Sports Bar?

If you haven't heard about the opening of Xfinity Live! by now, you're likely still waking up from your winter hibernation.

We'll let others go into greater detail about the food/drinks at Xfinity Live! (for reviews check out this The Daily News article) and instead provide an overview of what to expect from the vantage point of a Philly sports fan and frequent tailgater.

Three concepts sum up Xfinity Live! from this view - overdue, crowded and untapped potential.

It’s about time Ed Snider and others attempted to add more juice to the Sports Complex area even if they had to tear down the best arena ever to make it happen.

Ever since Citizens Bank Park was put in South Philly (instead of Center City), the Sports Complex has been mentioned as a possible destination beyond just game days, at least in my household. Sure, there is McFadden’s or even the bar inside the whatchamacallit-arena-currently-known-as-Wells Fargo Center. But none of these is a true destinations without a game.

Take a Tastykake Tour Thru Philadelphia

In case you haven't noticed, Tastykakes are everywhere in Philadelphia. They sponsor Flyers goals, they get flung over the Eastern State Penitentiary walls on Bastille Day, and they make appearances at Philly-themed corporate lunches all over the region. Tastykakes have also made their way onto the menus at several Philadelphia restaurants in one way or another. Here's where to find them.

Square Burger

Foodspotting and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) hosted a Foodspotting "Eat Up" recently so those among us who regularly broadcast photos of our food across the Internet could try some of these treats. It was essentially a three-course dessert for dinner, but hey that's what all the Broad Street training was for anyway, right?

We made three stops on the tour. First up, Square Burger in Franklin Square, the park sort of behind the Constitution Center that was refurbished a few years ago with a carousel, Philly-themed mini golf course, and lots of green space. Stephen Starr opened the walk-up burger n' shake spot there a few years ago. One of its signature items is the Cake Shake, made with a Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpet, vanilla ice cream, and caramel sauce drizzled on the sides. It was quite a light and delicious treat, not overly sweet or butterscotchy. It also comes with a wide, squatty straw/spoon for easy consumption by kids or adults. Regularly $4.50.