Icepack

Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.

by A.D. Amorosi

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Published: Feb 9, 2010

Mind if I nuzzle your neck and steal a line from Shakespeare when I whisper, "If music be the food of love, play on"? Valentine's Day approaches. You get the usual complement of sweet stuff like Le Bec-Fin chefs (and soon-to-be James Beard House-cookers, come Feb. 24) Georges Perrier and Nicholas Elmi doing their chocolate lovers/sparkling wine din-din Feb. 11. Roasted breast of squab with chocolate foie gras dulce de leche? Mofo, I'm in. There's weird choco-stuff like Dock Street regaling boozers with its Belgian imperial stout Sexual Chocolate Feb. 11. But I want y'all to savor the sensuousness of the heart-shaped season and hold on for Arden Theatre Co.'sRomeo and Juliet (directed by Matt Pfeiffer), starting Feb. 25. You know the sad story of the ruined romance, but you haven't lived till you've seen the boys you know (Scott Greer, Frank X, Anthony Lawton) in tights. I said that.

► So I'm hearing that Laura Wilson is leaving her spot as talent buyer at World Café Live to head to Los Angeles and do something major with Lady Gaga's touring finances. It's mostly dry-cleaning expenses, I hear. When asked about the rumor, Wilson said she couldn't comment yet, even though Neil Sulkes (WCL's VP/GM) has been sending out notes saying he'd be doing the talent buying again until the Café finds somebody else.

► Is Jose Garces soft-opening his Garces Trading Co. LCB-sanctioned winery-fooderie at the Western Union building on Feb. 16? Are his deep-dish pizzas set to give Chicago-style pies a run for their money? Stay tuned.

► Mike Sorrentino, "The Situation" of Jersey Shore, will spend Feb. 12 at Buckhead Saloon. The 15-minute clock just popped its springs.

► Sticking with the Italian horn, after getting the blessing of Jerry Blavat, Paesano's at Ninth and Christian is open. Plus the spot that was once the famed Shank's on S. 10th (also known as my neighbor) just gave way to that thing I previewed months ago, Carluccio's at 932. That's right. They got tripe, too. See you at the sandwich counter, oh owner Carlo Nigro.

► I may have given Philly's Grammy-winning Scot Sax a hard time during his tenure on the pop planet. A lot of hard time. But between working with North Wales' soulful Sharon Little and now Philly's glam-dramatic songstress, the always-feathered Janet Panic Bressler with whom he's producing tracks, I may have to rethink the Sax-y one and his motives.

► Washington Square's got chops. No, really. The meathaus Chops opens at Oceanaire's ex-spot this weekend. And by April a saloon named Cooperage from some of the peeps from NoLibs' Cescaphe Ballroom pops. 

You know, when we saw TMZ.com through the haze of dentist gas last week, we thought nah, not our David Grasso. But there it was — he's the Philly investor/real estate guy who Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith got beef with after a film he put money into ($5 million) that she wrote (Human Contract) went straight to the DVD racks rather than hit theaters. That's bad. In L.A. Superior Court, Grasso (and his Tycoon production company) said he was fraudulently induced to invest in the movie. Don't badmouth the Fresh Prince or his missus. He'll get you in court.

► You see that Icepack bit above where I ask if World Café Live's booker/talent buyer Laura Wilson is leaving her position to return to Los Angeles? She wouldn't comment on the move then (discussed with her bosses who were working on finding a replacement). Well, between late Monday night and Tuesday afternoon things changed, because Wilson wrote me back to say, "I'm not going to leave." Did WCL's head honcho Hal Real offer Wilson more money than Lady Gaga? (She's the rumored new employer for whom Wilson would've worked in tour finances, so the whispers went.) Probably not "Poker Face" money, no; so what happened? "I like my job," she exclaimed via e-mail. Hmm. We hear there might be a more loving reason but I'll leave it at that for now and welcome the never-did-leave Wilson home.

► Now that you got the news that 941 Theater on North Front won't be reopening for any more screenings or concerts, Doug Sakmann, of Backseat Conceptions Productions and Philadelphia Friends of the Projected Arts, is doing film showings at 2424 Studios in Fishtown. First one: Feb. 11's Panic at Needle Park. Nothing says Happy Valentine's Day like Al Pacino shooting up.

► Flashpoint Theatre Co. just got South Philly lighting designer Thom Weaver to be its artistic director for their seventh season. He knows what he's doing, having worked at The Wilma, the Arden, People's Light & Theatre Co. and Theatre Exile.

► We love Parx Casino in Bensalem. If you have to go to Bensalem, that's about the only entertainment that friggin' town has. A double enticement to hit Parx is if you want to spend Valentine's weekend with people you neither know nor can stand — a sexy singles Feb. 13 night with local (using this word lightly) celebs Gwen Gioia (a contestant on The Bacheloryears ago), Lauren Harris (an ex-Miss FHM), the dreaded Arthur Kade and more. Please just gamble. PLEASE JUST GAMBLE.

► WHOWHATWHERE: Pam Grier and the Food Network's Ted Allen taped a promo for the 20th anniversary of Dining Out for Life/benefit for Action AIDS with Jose Garces at Chifa last week. The actual event is April 29. Porn star Mary Carey ate at both Tattooed Mom and Sugar Mom's while in town last week. Does she have mother issues?

► Muralist Raphael Tiberino (citypaper.net/articles/2007/07/12/the-west-philly-wyeths) called to tell me that he and his comic-sketching pal Pete Stathis (citypaper.net/articles/2008/06/26) are hosting a group exhibition of comic artists at Green Line Café's 43rd and Baltimore spot called "Tell & Show." It starts Feb 9, runs to April 11 and also features work from Aaron Beatty, Jesse Moynihan and Jamar Nicholas. Sketchy.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

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