Icepack

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

by A.D. Amorosi

Published: December 29, 2010

My three New Year's resolutions? To start smoking again. To vote "yes" rather than CasiNO when asked because, man, I really hate that my South Philly ain't getting a Foxwoods. And to kill animals — a bag of sweet kittens, perhaps — then say I'm sorry and get a great job without worrying about remorse or consequence. Worked in 2010.

I'll call this a rumor because it ain't yet fact: It looks as if Four Corners maestro Avram Hornik is thisclose to signing a deal to turn Spaghetti Warehouse on 10th and Spring Garden (closed as of 14 days ago) into a live music venue/bar with food. Hornik fans'll remember that he tried buying the boarded-up Global Thrift on Front and Girard (once the legendary Jumbo Theater) in 2008 but was thwarted by KensFishington associations because they didn't want noise (the El is pretty quiet!) and hated that Hornik dissed Old City for being too loud (as he was part of making it so) during town meetings. So now it'll be a pasta ballroom blitz sandwiched between Polaris and Electric Factory. Oompah. Hornik's Drinker's at 19th and Chestnut also has an orange sticker on its upstairs window — is he looking to expand?

Excited to hear the 11 new tracks the reunited Dead Milkmen recorded at South Street Sounds Studio (with newest member Dandrew, supposedly called that since no one knows his name); doubly excited to hear SSSStudio owner/Milkmen producer Jeffrey W.'s new reggae/oddball jazz ensemble South Street Sounds. So to the Troc's Balcony I'll head Jan. 5 to catch up with that, Josh Winer 's equally reggae-riffic Cultureal and saxophonist David Fishkin 's post- West Philadelphia Orchestra ensemble.

While I was standing in line at DiBruno's and finding out about its new Ardmore cheeserie, I heard that Peter McAndrews will relocate Paesano's to the South Ninth location that once was Bebe's Barbecue and open his new Sicilian spot, Monsù, at the current Paesano's corner of Ninth and Christian, all around the second/third week of Jan'ry. That's about the same time Pat Cancelliere 's long-awaited Italian-Argentine 943 will open on that Italian Market block. Atza nize.

Regis Philbin will be on break Jan. 24-28, and Live with Regis and Kelly will utilize radio hosts to co-host with Kelly Ripa. Some Philly finalists you can vote in include WYSP's Danny Bonaduce, WMMR's Preston Elliot, Q102's Elvis Duran or the douche who still goes out with Alycia Lane, ex-Q guy Chris Booker, now in L.A.

Remember last week Ice mentioned the rush to get Speck, the solo restaurant from chef Shola Olunloyo, open in the Piazza at Schmidts by December's end? Not gonna happen for at least several weeks.

More ice at Critical Mass.

(amorosi@citypaper.net)