This could be a win-win situation for both the students and the Keystone State.
Everyone who knows me recognizes how much I love Howard, which is my alma mater. To call the four years I spent on the campus in Washington, D.C., life-changing would be an understatement. It was the former leader of HU’s journalism department, Lawrence Kaggwa, who set me on my career path, informing me that I was going to work in the newspaper industry.
The first-time college students — some in tears — responded by posting videos on social media about their plight. They were hard to watch. Some went viral and even made the national news.
School officials defended what happened, saying payment notices had been going out since March about deadlines and enrollment requirements. Some students said they didn’t get them, or else received a notification on the same day their bill was due.
Nikiyah Clark told ABC News, “I was so scared because Howard University is my dream school, like, my grandma went there.” She hopped on a bus from Fairport Harbor, Ohio, to D.C. to advocate for herself in person. It paid off, because she has been reinstated into Howard’s first-year class.
But now Clark faces perhaps an even bigger hurdle: paying for tuition. Tuition plus room and board is $66,000, according to Howard’s website.
HU’s interim president, Wayne A.I. Frederick, called for an internal investigation into what went wrong, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to heal the damage to the school’s reputation.
“If another school in the city said that things had to be paid at a certain point, I think people would do that,” he told the Washington Post. “Nobody would make a fuss about the fact that somebody was suggesting a bill be paid on time.”
Howard University interim president Wayne A. I. Frederick sits for an interview July 29.Allison Robbert
And the fact is, HU needs the money. Trump administration officials ended a series of annual payments meant to support the construction of the university’s new hospital. That move resulted in a cut to the historically Black college or university’s (HBCU) annual federal appropriation for the current fiscal year of about $64 million, or more than 20%. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on Thursday that HU has offered buyouts to 600 employees.
Still, that’s no excuse for how the first-time college students were treated. We expect more of institutions like Howard, which was founded in 1867 to educate newly emancipated Black Americans.
“HBCUs are known for being nurturing and family environments,” said Marybeth Gasman, who runs the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions. “That’s why this comes off as being kind of shocking to parents and students and some alumni, and some people in the HBCU community and beyond.”
As I pointed out earlier, expediting admissions here could be a real win-win both for the students unenrolled from Howard and Pennsylvania’s state colleges and universities. Incoming freshmen could further their educations, and state institutions — which have struggled with diversifying their student bodies and declining enrollments — can take a step toward changing those narratives.
No matter what President Donald Trump would have you believe, diversity matters.
“In higher education, we do a better job as teachers and as researchers when we work in a diverse environment,” David Oppenheimer, a leading scholar on issues of discrimination and equality, told InsideHigherEd.com earlier this year.
Oppenheimer, who is the author of The Diversity Principle, added: “Students learn more. In a science lab, scientists make more significant discoveries when the scientists working in the lab are diverse. It’s a real thing. It’s not just a psychological argument.”
Following all of the public outcry, Howard has readmitted more than 200 of the freshmen who had been dropped, but it’s unclear what all of the other students will do.
Shapiro should recognize that there’s a real opportunity here — and that Pennsylvania should take advantage of it.
On a warm summer evening in June, Wayne native Annabelle Dinda was gearing up to take the stage. It was her first time opening for folk sensation Noah Kahan on his “The Great Divide” tour, and it was in Citizens Bank Park, the home of her beloved Phillies.
The last time she had performed on home turf was a month earlier at the Lounge at World Stage for around 200 people. This time, she was about to sing in front of a sold-out crowd of around 45,000.
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter was very excited, as she recalled.
Annabelle Dinda performs an opening set during the Philadelphia stop of Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide Tour” at Citizens Bank Park on June 26.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
“I’m not a huge sports girl, but I do love baseball. I was [like a kid]in the park out there,” said Dinda, 25, on looking around Citizens Bank Park during rehearsals.“[My band and I] walked through the dugouts, I stood on home base, I cried. It was so cool. I could’ve just done that and been done.”
That performance coincided with the first anniversary of her starting to post her music on TikTok. In October of last year, just four months after starting an account, Dinda posted a video of her playing her then unreleased song “The Hand.” It currently sits at 16.7 million views and 2.2 million likes, with praise from popular indie artists like FINNEAS and Gigi Perez.
The song, about the oppressive societal perceptions of women, is now part of her latest album Some Things Never Leave, and is her most popular song by far, with over 55 million streams on Spotify.
this song is called ‘the hand.’ Yes I’m putting it on streaming. this is a run through of the whole thing and it proves that I have to practice like 80 times before I find the breath control and this is only my third run thru ok peace n luv bye
“There were periods of time where I didn’t talk to people, not in an ignoring sense, but because I couldn’t even begin to describe the fabric change of my life,” said Dinda over Zoom from a hotel room in Raleigh, N.C., last month, having been on tour with Kahan for a month at the time of being interviewed.
“It was a huge shift. I was a nanny and I had to quit. The idea of making money from doing music was so alien to me. I’m very grateful for it, but I think I’m maybe about 40% done processing it.”
Springsteen, Sinatra, Demi Lovato
Dinda’s folk rock, Cranberries-esque style of singing captivated TikTok viewers — but she didn’t always have or even want that sound. When she was growing up, her parents would play her Sinatra and Springsteen, while Dinda had a burning desire to sing like the stars she listened to on Disney radio.
“I was absolutely despondent that I couldn’t sing like Demi Lovato. It was one of the worst things that I ever had to come to terms with,” joked Dinda. “I would never sing if I couldn’t belt something, because I thought that’s what good singing was.”
But at a certain point, she said, “you realize your own limits, and then a style comes from singing within those limits.”
Annabelle Dinda performs an opening set during the Philadelphia stop of Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide Tour” at Citizens Bank Park on June 26.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Citing influences like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, whom she heard while hanging out with her older cousins, Dinda was inspired to start writing music. She was 10. Her fans love her in-depth, poetic lyrics, but she always starts a song with a melody.
“I always approach songwriting melody first … I didn’t give a s— about what the lyrics sounded like or what they meant, and that went on for years. Eventually, I thought it might actually matter what I say.”
After graduating from Radnor High School, Dinda made her way to New York City to attend NYU. She took two music classes and quickly “despised it.”
A headshot of Annabelle Dinda as part of the photoshoot for her latest album “Some Things Never Leave.”Lia Whitman
“I’ve met many friends now who did these kinds of music classes, but when I was 18 and meaner and more insecure, I thought those people sucked.”
So she pivoted to crafting her own major in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, studying poetry and philosophy for the rest of college.
“My final concentration was basically the power of poetic language, the philosophy behind it, and how it can reach this ineffable part of being alive that music, too, can play into.”
It was at this time that she started releasing her music independently. Starting out on SoundCloud, Dinda put out six singles in 2019, followed by her first album Nostalgion in 2020. She would go on to release eight singles, three EPs, and two albums before Some Things Never Leave dropped last January.
Her already extensive catalog tends to be unified by two themes: time and grief.
“I think there’s a natural thematic pairing of time and grief, because time runs out and then that’s grief,” said Dinda. “When I was making the first three [albums] from ages 17 to 22, I had so much anxiety. I was going through so much self-transformation and I did a lot of insular work. In general, but even more so then, I mourned many versions of myself.”
In 2024, she released her third album, Sixth Sense, which dealt with a more acute sense of grief after her brother John passed away earlier that year unexpectedly.
“I think all the songs in that, maybe besides two, I wrote in a three-month period after he passed,” said Dinda. “It was interesting because the muscles that I had built talking about the idea of grief and the idea of time for many years, it became that this theme was all I think about now. It became very tangible.”
Forever rooted in Philly
Dinda is based in New York; the album cover for Some Things Never Leave was shot in Prospect Park. But she hasn’t forgotten about her hometown.
“London Plane Trees Grow in Philly,” the six-minute album closer on Some Things Never Leave, delivers a nostalgic, bittersweet love note to her life and family, with lyrics dedicated to her mom and other brother, Henry.
The cover for Annabelle Dinda’s newest album “Some Things Never Leave” shot in Prospect Park in Brooklyn.Lia Whitman
“Henry studied horticulture and he is a landscaper now. I remember being a teenager and loving [London Plane trees], asking him what that tree was, and him explaining that tree to me,” said Dinda. “I’m really happy with the metaphor of an old-rooted thing being in both [New York and Philly]. They’re city trees, too, so they’re everywhere. There’s something kind of bland about them. The most common things can be the most inspiring because they’re so overlooked and utilitarian.”
In May, Dinda played a “Free at Noon” concert at WXPN before embarking on the tour with Kahan. Her family was in the crowd loudly cheering her on throughout the show.
She was selected as the radio station’s “Artist to Watch” for the month of May by WXPN music director Dan Reed, who was introduced to her songs by his son.
“If you’re gonna write these confessional deep lyrics, that’s great, but they’re not going to have a whole lot of staying power if they don’t have a great song behind them,” said Reed. “She’s able to put those two things together, which is really rare.”
Coming off the melancholic, nostalgic themes of Some Things Never Leave, Dinda released her upbeat single “Whatever You Wanna” in June. This song feels more like holding your hands outside the window of a car on a road trip, with lyrics telling the romantic, but possibly naive tale of Dinda feeling compelled to do whatever crazy thing her lover wants her to do.
Does this more high-spirited track reflect the tone of Dinda’s next album? She says it’ll be more of a “mixture.”
“I’m always wary of people getting too solid an idea of me,” said Dinda, who has been performing unreleased songs “Fill the Gap” and “Learn Something, Baby!” at smaller shows in between Kahan tour dates.
“This last album we recorded so quickly that there were some elements that were left raw that I’m going to try to thicken and expand. I will always want to experiment more than I am currently. I think if you don’t do that, then what the hell are you doing?”
Annabelle Dinda performs an opening set during the Philadelphia stop of Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide Tour” at Citizens Bank Park on June 26.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Dinda will continue to perform with Kahan through August.
After that? She wants to seek more growth, but also a sense of normalcy.
“I’m really interested in, and this is the grandma in me, a slow and steady growth and seeing how that feels,” she said. She wants to record her next album, release it, and tour again next year, and then compare next year with this year to see what she can do differently.
“I was so deeply overwhelmed this year that I was focused on releasing and getting my face and literal body on stages out in the world. I’ll be happy to have a little more time to do music videos and pay real attention to pictures we take,” said Dinda, who wants to focus more on the creative aspects behind the next album’s rollout. “Incrementally growing I’m really excited about, because I don’t want to feel insane, is my goal.”
For more than a year, Giuseppe Tosco tried to get Dave Portnoy’s attention with a giant roadside sign outside his Montgomery County pizzeria that read, “We Want Dave Portnoy.”
Two months ago, Tosco finally took it down to replace it with a sign advertising the new patio at Italian Delite in Trappe.
On Tuesday, Portnoy walked in anyway. “The first thing he asked was, ‘Where’s the sign?’” Tosco said. “I told him we’d taken it down. He said, ‘Oh my God, it’s been that long?’”
The surprise visit was one of at least five stops Portnoy made across Philadelphia and its suburbs Tuesday as the Barstool Sports founder filmed new installments of his influential “One Bite Pizza Reviews,” whose scores can transform the fortunes of a neighborhood pizzeria.
In each review, Portnoy samples a plain cheese slice — often taking much more than one bite — and assigns it a score on a 10-point scale. His ratings have become one of the pizza world’s most sought-after endorsements, often drawing long lines and national attention for top-scoring shops.
Three of Tuesday’s scores became known almost immediately, as onlookers shared them. Johnny’s received an 8.3, Liguria an 8.2, and Marina’s a 7.9. The owners of Pizza Di Vita and Italian Delite said they never heard their scores before Portnoy moved on; they are waiting for the videos to be released.
Lisa and John Paxia of Lillo’s Tomato Pies in Hainesport with Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy (left) in November 2022.Courtesy of Lillo Paxia
If Tosco spent more than a year trying to lure Portnoy to the Collegeville suburbs, John Bisceglie initially refused to believe the reviewer was coming to Johnny’s Pizzeria (which has a spot on The Inquirer’s 76 list).
“Somebody texted me, ‘Dave’s in Philly. Heads up,’” Bisceglie said. “I just laughed it off. I’ve heard that before.”
Still, he was working at his shop in Wayne when he sent a photo of Portnoy to his employees at Johnny’s Bryn Mawr, just in case.
Then, manager Jaison Velásquez called.
“He said, ‘I just got an order for Barstool,’” Bisceglie recalled. “I said, ‘Oh my God. It’s happening.’”
Bisceglie stayed on the phone coaching his staff. “I told them, ‘Wait about 10 minutes so the pizza comes right out of the oven. Make it crispy. Well done.’”
He credited Velásquez and manager Dan Bisceglie, his cousin, with staying calm. “He kept telling me, ‘I got this. Relax. I got this,’” Bisceglie said of Velásquez.
When Portnoy awarded the pie an 8.3 on camera, Bisceglie knew it was significant.
“Those pizza guys don’t hand out scores like that very often,” he said. “An 8.3 is a big deal.”
For Tosco, at Italian Delite in Trappe, the visit was memorable before the review even began.
Tosco said he had tagged Portnoy incessantly on social media. “I told him, ‘If you came, you came. If you didn’t, you didn’t. I just didn’t want to keep bothering you,’” Tosco said.
The day became even stranger when Portnoy reviewed the wrong pizza.
Tosco had been away at a catering meeting when his cousin called to say Portnoy had arrived after placing an order under the name “Austin.” By coincidence, the restaurant’s social media team was filming, and Tosco’s cousin had made workers prepare a practice pizza for the camera. That pie came out of the oven before Portnoy’s order.
“My cousin said, ‘That’s not your pie,’” Tosco recalled. “Dave said, ‘I don’t care. I want that one.’”
As Tosco pulled into the parking lot, Portnoy was already recording the review.
Afterward, Tosco asked Portnoy to hang for five minutes. “I told him, ‘I just want to make you a Philly cheesesteak,’” Tosco said. “He said, ‘You seem like a good dude. I’ll come back in for you.’”
Tosco still doesn’t know what score Portnoy awarded his pizza. “I ended up getting a cheesesteak review, too, which was really cool,” Tosco said.
Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. has announced a flurry of Philadelphia School District shifts in recent weeks, from promotions and principal changes to additional responsibilities for some of his senior officials.
Changes are common at this point in the school calendar, but this year is particularly busy. The district’s 113,000 students return to school August 24.
Baldwin is the former longtime human resources executive in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where she was credited with lowering teacher vacancies and recruiting a more diverse educator workforce.
Watlington, in a release, said Baldwin was “battle-tested” and collaborative.
“Dr. Baldwin brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the district, as well as a demonstrated track record of effectively staffing schools with high-qualified teachers, increasing the number of Black and Latine educators, and working with union leaders,” Watlington said.
Baldwin officially in her new role on July 27, and will be paid $235,000.
Changes in assistant superintendents, salaries announced
Also announced last week was a new role for Kahlia Johnson, who had worked as deputy chief of talent management and recruitment selection. Johnson, the former principal of Overbrook High, is moving to become interim assistant superintendent for a network of district high schools. Johnson will be paid $197,302.
Johnson replaces Noah Tennant, who was previously announced as associate superintendent for secondary schools. Tomás Hanna, who was associate superintendent for secondary schools, moved over to become associate superintendent for student life and school operations. Hanna will be paid $221,658 per year, and Tennant’s salary will be $215,202.
In other recent changes that the district identified in recent weeks, Brenda Elliott was named deputy superintendent of academic services. Her salary is $285,488.
Michael Farrell, chief academic officer, is paid $221,658. Nathalie Nérée, chief of special education, diverse learners and wellness, has a salary of $221,658. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson, senior adviser for strategic initiatives and innovation, is paid $208,627.
Jamina Clay, assistant superintendent of school management and organization, makes $197,302. Kelly Espinosa, assistant superintendent for Learning Network 4, makes $197,302.
Interim assistant superintendents Wilfredo Ortiz and Lucy Feria, who will run Learning Networks 8 and 9, respectively,will also be paid $197,302 annually.
Additional responsibilities for Watlington deputies
Two of Watlington’s top deputies are also taking on additional responsibilities.
Alexandra Coppadge Wright is now supervising theoperations, externaland community affairs departments. Coppadge Wright, the chief of communications and customer service, was already supervising the Office of Communications, Office of Customer Service, and the Family and Community Engagement Office.
Sarah Galbally, Watlington’s chief of staff, will add the School Transitions Office to her portfolio. Galbally also handles Board Relations, Government Relations, Grants Development, Strategic Partnerships, and Strategic Planning.
Both Coppadge Wright and Galbally are paid $225,096 annually.
Naima DeBrest, a spokesperson for the district, said in a statement that the changes were necessary as the district remains “focused on balancing the budget while recruiting and appointing talented individuals who have a demonstrated track record of improving student outcomes, as we continue to drive towards becoming the fastest-improving, large urban school district in the nation.”
Principal changes
A number of district schools have new principals. They are:
Adaire Elementary, Amanda Strain. Strain had been principal of Waring Elementary.
Bridesburg Elementary, Louis Depa. Depa had been assistant principal at Pennell Elementary.
Clemente Middle School, Regina Barr. Barr had been assistant principal at Bluford Elementary.
Edison High, Albert Sniezevage. Sniezevagehad been assistant principal at the school.
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Ryan Sullivan. Sullivan had been assistant principal at Penrose Elementary.
Heston Elementary, Kamia Smith. Smith had been assistant principal at Heston.
Lawton Elementary, Michelle Todd-Coleman. Todd-Coleman had been assistant principal at Forrest Elementary.
Memphis Street Academy, Wayne Diggs. Diggs had been assistant principal at Mastbaum; Memphis Street Academy is reverting back to district control after being a charter school for years.
Northeast High, Andrew Lukov. Lukov had been principal of Southwark Elementary, he also has experience as a Northeast assistant principal.
Southwark Elementary, Mason Luksch Wilson. Luksch Wilson had been assistant principal at Elkin Elementary.
Bayard Taylor Elementary, Claire Charles. Charles had been assistant principal at the school.
Tilden Middle School, Jessica Culp. Culp had been assistant principal at Comegys Elementary.
Waring Elementary School, Cathryn Anderson. Anderson had been assistant principal at Bache-Martin Elementary.
Philadelphia principals are typically paid between $153,296 and $172,636 annually, with salaries set by union contract. Principals are represented by the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators, Teamsters Local 502.
Gluten-free pizzas are generally less than exciting, as Craig LaBan notes, with textures ranging between pressboard and Styrofoam. At Barclay Pies, it’s not like that at all. Even the mozz sticks and their conventional pizzas are well worth a stop.
Wild Yeast Bakehouse, Wayne’s new sourdough bakery, has a living room vibe, writes Jenn Ladd. That makes sense, because the founder started baking out of his living room.
Saif Manna started baking during the pandemic in his Temple dorm room. He’s opening a brick-and-mortar home for his Levantine and Palestinian pastries, and tomorrow is the first day.
Ba Le Bakery in South Philly is practically synonymous with the city’s bánh mì scene. Now, writes Kiki Aranita, a third generation is expanding the business dramatically.
Two Sweet Boutique has had an interesting problem in its new location in Washington Township, writes Sarah Nicell. It’s selling out. Want that banana pudding? Get there early.
After four decades, The Frog Commissary Cookbook remains a Philadelphia icon — “our book,” says one acolyte. Contributor Devra Ferst takes a stroll down memory lane and winds up at the Commissary’s original location, where the current restaurant occupant bakes its carrot cake.
Oroshi, a new omakase restaurant at Broad and Lombard Streets, is part of a minitrend of faster, less expensive omakase experiences. The lights are bright and the decor is spare, but Kiki Aranita walked away happy after 90 minutes.
Here’s a twist: Local food brands such as Philly Pretzel Factory are working to accommodate consumers who are eating less and “protein-maxxing,” Olivia Prusky writes.
Craig visited an old fave — Porcini in Rittenhouse — and found the pastas have not lost a beat even after three decades. And yes, it’s still a BYOB.
Scoops
Chef Nic Macri and restaurant-ops specialist Suzanne O’Brien are proving you’re never too old experienced to open your first restaurant. They’re partnering with Stephen Simons on a spot just off 13th and Sansom in Washington Square West, and Macri describes the menu as “Philadelphia cooking with an Italian accent.”
Anh Em, a Vietnamese bar-restaurant and bar from husband-and-wife team Victor Nguyen and Anna Huynh, is aiming for an Aug. 8 grand opening at 1252 S. 21st St. in Point Breeze, the former Madira. Nguyen, a longtime Philadelphia hospitality veteran who bartended at Mad Mex in the late 1990s, co-owned a Chinatown bubble tea shop in the early 2000s and later spent 15 years managing Tango, is realizing a longtime goal of opening his own place. The roughly 45-seater will pair Vietnamese comfort food (pho and bánh xèo alongside home-style dishes) with a 20-seat bar pouring 24 local drafts and a small cocktail list.
Andorra Kitchen & Tap will join Andorra Shopping Center’s $32 million glow-up by Federal Realty, possibly in the fourth quarter. Spanning 6,900 square feet in the former Applebee’s, the restaurant is positioning as an all-day neighborhood gathering place serving breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner, with a full bar and dedicated coffee area for the morning. Owner Emmanouil Lagoudakis says he was drawn to Andorra-Roxborough for its “wonderful energy.”
Restaurant report
333 Belrose, one of the Main Line’s old-guard restaurants, has reopened after a dramatic renovation that flipped the bar with a dining room, opening up the layout. The menu is still “nothing too cerebral, nothing too crazy,” as chef Ross Essner told me, adding that there’s one dish he will never take off the menu.
Toll Man Joe’s, whose South Philly run was abbreviated by the pandemic, will resurface at the former Mixto on Pine Street near 12th. The owners hope to get the sports bar open in just a few weeks.
Pomelo Rooftop Terrace, atop the new Brandywine hotel in Radnor and counterpoint to Merrick’s Tavern off the lobby, will grand-open Aug. 8. It’ll be open year-round with indoor-outdoor seating. Weekend brunch begins Aug. 22.
The region’s last Brio Italian Grille, in Cherry Hill’s Towne Place at Garden State Park, closed abruptly Monday, two months after its Marlton location shuttered. The site 42Freeway joined the Facebook account A View From Evesham in first reporting that steakhouse Fogo de Chao will occupy the Cherry Hill location, citing township permits. A rep from Fogo declined my request for comment.
Briefly noted
Flash back to 2023, when chef Dionicio Jiménez and Mariangeli Alicea Saez of Cantina la Martina, La Baja, and the Cantina on the Go locations went to Mexico with Inquirer critic Craig LaBan and photographer Jessica Griffin for articles that won a James Beard Award in 2024. The restaurateurs are using part of that trip as inspiration for a five-day excursion to Oaxaca they’re planning for Oct. 30–Nov. 4. (LaBan and Griffin, who also met with Tequilas’ David Suro for a lesson in mezcal and tequila production during that 2023 trip, will sit this one out.) Limited to eight guests, the experience will feature family celebrations, cultural traditions, home-cooked meals, a private mezcal tasting, artisan visits, and special dinners, including one from Jiménez himself. It’s $2,000pp plus airfare. Details via cantina@cantinaonthego.com.
Nine Philadelphia bartenders will throw down Patrón Tequila-based cocktails in the Dirty Rocks Cocktail Competition from 3-7:30 p.m. Sunday at Fringe Bar (140 N. Columbus Blvd.). Attendees will determine the winner among Matt Welch (R&D), Kari Rosenfeld (Bourbon & Branch), Kevin Castro (Soufiane at the Morris), Roland Bui (Com.Unity Consulting), Damian Langarcia (Drams by Damian), Chris Harrop (Known Associates), Tony Jimenez (Static), Jackie Miller (Fringe Bar), and defending champion Jessica Stark (Trestle Inn). Also: a DJ, pizza truck, food and drink specials. Admission ($20) includes three tasting votes; VIP tickets are $45 and include a welcome cocktail, gift bag, and 10 votes. Cocktails: $5-$12. Tickets via DirtyRocks.com.
2nd Street Festival returns to Northern Liberties from noon-10 p.m. Sunday, transforming the stretch from Spring Garden to Girard Avenue into a festival with more than more than 50 restaurants and food trucks, 10 beer and cocktail gardens, two live music stages, and family activities.
❓Pop quiz
Name the brand that Wawa has partnered with on a hot-selling tote bag.
Owner Rayyan Kayyali sounded discouraged but not defeated when we caught up yesterday, more than two months after a gas explosion destroyed his Overbrook Park bagel bakery on the very morning of its reopening following another blast in March. He said he is waiting for a new burner pipe for the oven, and “so far, I haven’t seen a dime” from the insurance company. Meanwhile, lords Jeffrey Gladstone and Andy Rubin of Herbert Yentis & Co. say they have not charged him rent since the first explosion. Kayyali vows to rebuild and reopen.
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In early 2025, John Goncher knew it was time to get out of his living room.
That’s where the ex-CFO and Rosemont resident was singlehandedly baking some 700 loaves a week for his sourdough startup, Wild Yeast Bakehouse. Between mixing and proofing dough, packing all his product, working weekend markets, and dropping bread at a couple hundred subscribers’ doorsteps, Goncher was running on fumes. Even his smartwatch knew it.
“My little watch told me, ‘You’re averaging more sleep this year.’ I went from three hours and 10 minutes to three hours and 20 minutes over the year,” Goncher said over a recent interview at Wild Yeast’s newly opened brick-and-mortar bakery in Wayne’s Eagle Village shopping center.
Owner John Goncher, chatting with D’Arcy Lyness and her husband, Larry Richard, of Wayne, Pa., who discovered the Wild Yeast Bakehouse yesterday and came in to buy some bread on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Sandwiched between two well-established Main Line restaurants (Autograph Brasserie and The Silverspoon), Wild Yeast officially opened July 18. It joins Wayne’s burgeoning food scene: Notable newcomers include the splashy Maison Lotus, Main Line darling Johnny’s Pizza, and boutique wine bar Nature’s Vin.
The bakery is open Wednesday through Sunday, selling a variety of sourdough loaves, from kid-friendly cinnamon-raisin and sandwich bread to olive herb and oat porridge boules. You can also score Gryphon coffee, whole-grain Castle Valley Mill flour, and Wild Yeast’s own sourdough focaccia, cookies, and scones for now. (More discard-fueled pastry projects are in development.)
With crown molding picture boxes, a cozy-chic sofa, and a sunny window seat, the bakery has a living room vibe — perhaps not surprising given Goncher once dreamed of baking out of his living room forever.
The inside of Wild Yeast Bakehouse in Wayne, Pa., on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
It was in early 2025 that Goncher first started looking at spaces to move his cottage business, which he started in 2021 after leaving a career in finance. Thanks to a combination of farmers market traffic and media attention, his business had ballooned. He was baking bread for half a dozen wholesale clients and nearly 250 monthly subscribers, plus a sell-out crowd at the Media farmers market.
Keeping up with that demand meant maintaining a brutal schedule seven days a week. Goncher would roll into his living room shortly after 2 a.m. and bake until 6 a.m. The meat of the day consisted of readying and making deliveries (or working the market), followed by afternoon and evening dough prep. Most nights, he went to bed at 11 p.m. Meanwhile, he was turning away new business.
“I said to my wife, ‘It either has to contract or it has to really grow,’” Goncher remembered. “We have to move out and do something with it.”
D’Arcy Lyness and her husband, Larry Richard, of Wayne, Pa., picking out some bread at Wild Yeast Bakehouse on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Goncher initially considered spaces in Bryn Mawr — “I was looking close to home, because [I had a] 10-second commute, I figured under 10 minutes would be ideal” — but shifted his sights elsewhere when he learned Malvern’s Buttery would be opening a new location there. He looked at leases in Ardmore as well before landing on the bustling Eagle Village complex, which numbers home and clothing boutiques, a florist, a barre studio, and Main Line Mahjong among its varied tenants.
“This place [gets] constant traffic,” Goncher said.
Goncher inked the lease on the stone-faced storefront at 503 Lancaster Ave. last November. He spent six months renovating it, working with the same architect and builders who renovated his own home. The 1,500-square-foot space features a retail counter and small seating area, and is subdivided by large picture windows that overlook a roomy, well-lit kitchen destined to be used for evening baking classes.
The outside of Wild Yeast Bakehouse in Wayne, Pa., on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Offering classes is one aspect of growth the brick-and-mortar space allows for, Goncher said. But it will also enable him to take on more subscribers and wholesale accounts in the near future, expand Wild Yeast’s offerings, get more involved in the Main Line community — and, hopefully, reclaim a whiff of work-life balance.
Wild Yeast now has six employees, including an operations manager, a delivery driver, and three other bakers besides Goncher.
Fresh oat porridge at Wild Yeast Bakehouse in Wayne, Pa., on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The additional hands have already helped Goncher get a little more sleep — “my goal is [to work] 5 [a.m.] to 6 [p.m.], I’m 3 to 9:30 as of yesterday” — not to mention most of his living room back. He’s looking forward to what a new chapter holds for Wild Yeast.
“I was ready to have this stop being about me,” Goncher said. “I want it to to be something that starts to have a life of its own.”
Wild Yeast Bakehouse. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; 503 W. Lancaster Ave., Suite 1105, Wayne; 610-672-6884; wildyeastbakehouse.com
Philly music this week features Connor Barwin’s Make the World Better Concert Weekend at the Dell, four nights with Jill Scott at the Met, Tim McGraw in Camden, Shakira in Atlantic City, the Disco Biscuits in King of Prussia, and Shinedown in South Philly. And more.
Thursday, July 23
Man Man
Philly-born and Los Angeles-based experimental rock band Man Man — fronted by Ryan Kattner, who performs as Honus Honus — is playing a hometown show. Man Man’s most recent album, Carrot on Strings, came out in 2024, but the band has a new single, “So It Goes,” that found its audience through the video game Cyberpunk 2077. Also, Kattner — who has two children with Crazy Rich Asians actress Constance Wu — plays an undead bass player in the AMC series The Vampire Chronicles. Death Valley Girls opens. 8:30 p.m., Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., undergroundarts.org
Tim McGraw is playing the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden on Thursday.Courtesy of the Artist
Tim McGraw
Did Tim McGraw perform at Taylor Swift’s wedding? And if he did, did he sing “Tim McGraw”? We don’t know because, remarkably, the omertà code of silence remains intact about what happened during the Swift-Travis Kelce nuptials. We do know, however, that the country star will be singing in Camden, and along with including his recent singles “Pawn Shop Guitar” and “Song for America,” he will probably wear a Phillies jersey in honor of his famous father, Tug. 8 p.m., Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, 1 Harbour Place, Camden, freedommortgagepavilion.com.
Brent Smith and Zach Meyers of Shinedown perform during the Pierre Robert Show of Life concert on Dec. 17, 2025, at the Fillmore. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/CAIN IMAGES for WMMR)William Thomas Cain/CAIN IMAGES for WMMR
Shinedown
Shinedown singer Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers performed as a duo in December at the Fillmore memorial concert for Pierre Robert. So now that they’re coming back with their bandmates Barry Kerch and Eric Bass on tour for their new album, Eight, expect a tribute to the beloved Philly DJ. Coheed and Cambria, From Ashes to New, and DJ Rock Feed open. 8 p.m., Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St., xfinitymobilearena.com
Anthony Hamilton
Before the Make the World Better Concert Weekend rolls in to the Dell, one of the highlights of the Strawberry Mansion venue’s R&B series arrives. Rough-and-ready North Carolina vocalist Anthony Hamilton was raised in the Black church and has brought spiritual ardor to his secular music over a 30-year career. Joe and Jon B open. 7 p.m., Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive, dellmusiccenter.com
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Under the direction of Philly-connected sousaphonist Ben Jaffe, New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band brings the bon temps while always respecting Crescent City tradition. Expect this show to be a lively tribute to Ronell Johnson, the band’s trombonist who died in June at age 49. Meters bassist George Porter & the Runnin’ Pardners and John Papa Gros opening. 6 p.m., Concerts Under the Stars, 175 W. Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com
Hannah Cohen plays Free at Noon on Friday at World Stage and 118 North in Wayne that evening.Courtesy of the Aritist
Friday, July 24
Corey Hanson
The singer of the Los Angeles psychedelic rock band Wand has moved away from garage rock to a piano and strings sound on his not-entirely-tongue-in-cheek titled fourth solo album, I Love People. Microgoblet opens. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., JohnnyBrendas.com
Hannah Cohen
Earthstar Mountain, Hannah Cohen’s 2025 album, is a dreamy, pastoral collection that conjures 1970s Fleetwood Mac dreams with a touch of Brazilian bossa nova, and Sufjan Stevens and Clairo as guests. Emily Moales, the pianist and songwriter who records as Star Moles and is part of the South Philly-based Historic New Jersey collective, is the opening act. 118 North, 118 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, 118NorthWayne.com.
Philly alt-rock star Kurt Vile outside Silk City Diner on May 24, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25
Connor Barwin’s Make the World Better Concert Weekend
The former All-Pro Eagle’s fundraising concerts for the MTWB foundation, which rebuilds Philly parks and rec centers, are back at the Dell after one year in FDR Park. Slanted and Enchanted Stephen Malkmus-led indie avatars Pavement — the subject of Bryn Mawr native Alex Ross Perry’s 2024 meta movie Pavements — headlines Friday, with Ratboys opening. Local heroes Kurt Vile & the Violators top the bill Saturday, with They Are Gutting a Body of Water and Twisted Teens. 7:30 p.m., Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive, dellmusiccenter.com
Friday, July 24; Saturday, July 25; Monday, July 27; and Wednesday, July 29
Jill Scott takes to the stage for One Philly: Unity Concert for America on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on July 4, 2026. The first of her four shows at the Met Philly is Friday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Jill Scott
Jill Scott performed her entire set at the July 4 One Philly: Unity Concert for America on the Ben Franklin Parkway before the skies opened and caused a four-hour delay. For her festival-length set, she was in fine form and her band sounded fantastic. Now it’s time for four full-length shows at the Met in support of her new album, To Whom This May Concern. 7:30 p.m., Met Philly, 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com
Saturday, July 25
Shakira
Shakira and New Jersey: Perfect together. Last weekend, the Colombian superstar performed her global hit “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy at the FIFA World Cup final at Met Life Stadium. On Saturday, she’ll be in Atlantic City in a room that’s smaller than the vast venues she’s accustomed to playing around the world. 8:30 p.m., Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, boardwalkhall.com
Dave P. at the Making Waves festival on the Atlantic City beach in August 2025.Dan DeLuca
Making Waves
The big Making Time ∞ blowout happens at Fort Mifflin in September, but the prelude will be staged this weekend in Atlantic City. Now in its second year, electronic music impresario David Pianka’s Making Waves day at the beach runs from 2 to 11 p.m. on the Atlantic Ocean side on the boardwalk at New York Avenue with DJ sets by VTSS, Detroit in Effect, Baalti, DJ Python, Fundido, and Universal Cave, then moves inside for an Anchor Rock Club after-party, with Curses, ADAAB, Jewelsea, and Dave. P himself. 2 p.m., Anchor Rock Club, 247 S. New York Ave., Atlantic City, makingtimeisrad.com/making-waves
Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26
Disco Biscuits
University of Pennsylvania-born electronic jam band Disco Biscuits is doing two nights in King of Prussia. Longtime drummer Allen Aucoin and the band parted ways last fall after more than 20 years, and these shows will be with new drummer Marlon B. Lewis. DJ Marb Menthols of Goose opens both shows, with Eggy playing the first night and Lespecial the second. Note the early start. 4:30 p.m., Heuser Park, 694 West Beidler Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com
Sunday, July 26
Toto, Christopher Cross & the Romantics
1980s nostalgia in full effect. Toto guitarist Steve Lukather has been a regular visitor to Philly stages in recent years, singing his band’s hits “Africa” and “Hold the Line” on dates with Ringo Starr’s All Star Band. Now he gets to do it with his own band. Christopher Cross is iconic in Yacht Rock circles for his hit “Sailing,” which came out in 1979. He’s also a great storyteller, as evident on a recent episode of The Questlove Show podcast. The Romantics have at least two songs you know in “What I Like About You” and “Talking in Your Sleep.” 6:45 p.m., TD Pavilion at the Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., highmarkmann.org
Bruce Hornsby performs during the Bourbon and Beyond music festival in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 20, 2024. He plays Ocean City Music Pier on Monday. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)Amy Harris
Monday, July 27
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
Fun facts about piano-playing “The Way It Is” hitmaker Bruce Hornsby: He’s toured with the Grateful Dead, I once saw him play accordion and sing Christmas songs with Bruce Springsteen, and the 6-foot-4 Virginian once beat his friend Allen Iverson in a game of one-on-one. He also has a freewheeling new album called Indigo Park that features guest appearances from Bonnie Raitt, Ezra Koenig, and the late Bob Weir. 7 p.m., Ocean City Music Pier, 825 Boardwalk, Ocean City, N.J., ocnj.us.
There’s a 1920s house for sale in Abington whose previous residents may have included a shoe heir.
The 4,328-square-foot-home has five bedrooms, three full bathrooms and two half bathrooms on just under an acre across from Abington Senior High School. One of the bedrooms sits separately above the three-car garage as a suite with a half-bath and a kitchenette. The asking price is $1.2 million.
The Canterbury Road house sits beside a wooded area owned by a property management company, according to county records, which describe the house as a Tudor.
But the house also has Norman Revival features, said Brian Whetstone, a historian at the University of Pennsylvania, including a rounded tower and stucco elevations: “This building is certainly taking a grab bag of references from Tudor and Norman influences in the final product.”
A 1920s Tudor home is for sale on Canterbury Road across from Abington Senior High School.Donkin Media Group
The two-story house is nicknamed “Tall Trees” for the woodsy feel it used to have, but anyone who’s ever paid an arborist can rest easy — the current owners have removed many of the trees.
An added bonus is how much sunlight now enters the house, said Tim Owen of Compass Real Estate.
The main floor of the 1920s Tudor for sale in Abington Township.Donkin Media Group
“Often with Tudors, the houses feel really dark with the wood and all,” Owen said, but several potential buyers have mentioned how bright it feels inside, even on a gloomy day.
The home is filled with original amenities, including wood-burning stone fireplaces, hardwood floors, carved woodwork, and sconces that may date back to the late 1920s. The house was built by Tudor-loving real estate mogul Wayne Herkness.
An interior view of a 1920s Tudor for sale in Abington.Donkin Media Group
Herkness “studied a great deal from books about English architecture,” reads the description of survey plans held in the Penn State University Libraries collection. “He developed the houses in his favorite styles, English Tudor and stone colonial, with grand center halls and on large lots.”
A 1920s real estate survey by Albright & Mebus for the former Harte property in Abington includes Canterbury Road, where a Tudor home is on the market.W&M Herkness
The current owners have restored original features and made several updates, Owen said, adding high-velocity central air-conditioning and a heated, in-ground, saltwater pool, replacing the windows, and re-staining the wood moldings.
“They’ve definitely been very busy in the 13 years they’ve been there,” Owen said. “It truly is a move-in ready home.”
The current owners of the Tudor home for sale on Canterbury Road in Abington added an in-ground, saltwater pool to the property.Donkin Media Group
The previous owners who sold the house in 2013 passed on a framed print from the early days of Laird & Schober Shoes, a Philadelphia company that rose to international prominence in the early 20th century, Owen said.
The company won an award from the Franklin Institute in 1900 for shoe manufacturing, and collaborated with famed Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli.
The kitchen of the home for sale on Canterbury Road in Abington.Donkin Media Group
The print may be a nod to one of the home’s first owners, George S. Laird. The name matches the son of the shoe company’s founder who also worked for the family business, according to a 1920 passport application.
“It’s a cool house and has a cool story as well,” Owen said.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Five Below has been opening hundreds of new stores in recent years, and this month, the Philly-based retailer is set to add its 2,000th location.
The new store is expected to open in LaGrange, Ga., on Friday, July 17, the company announced this week.
“Reaching 2,000 stores is an incredible milestone for our brand whose mission is to be the destination for the kid and the kid in all of us,” CEO Winnie Park said in a statement. “We know our unique retail concept has a lot of runway ahead with thousands of new stores across the U.S.”
The company’s expansion puts its store counton par with Home Depot and Target. As of the beginning of 2026, Home Depot operated 2,359 stores in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and Target had 1,995 U.S. stores.
Company leaders said in a recent annual report that they see opportunity to grow Five Below’s store count to 3,500 eventually.
Five Below launched its first store in 2002 in Wayne, and most items the business sells cost between $1 and $5. Its offering of toys, gadgets, games, and other itemsincludes slinky toys, crayons, sandcastle buckets, basketballs, and wireless gaming headsets.
“Many of the products we sell can also be found in mall specialty stores, department stores, mass merchandisers and drug stores,” the company’s most recent annual statement notes, but what sets the business apart is their prices, and their “exciting and easy to shop retail environment.”
The Five Below storefront at the company’s headquarters in Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Three years ago, Five Below had 1,350 stores in over 40 states. Then-CEO Joel Anderson, said the company had a plan to triple its store count by 2030. In the last three fiscal years, the company has added between 150 and 227 net stores annually, according to its recent annual report.
Five Below recently eliminated the section of its stores dedicated to items over $5. The company still sells the pricier items but now displays them among other items in the store.
As of January, the company reported having 7,800 full-time employees and 16,800 part-time workers, 24,600 total. The majority work at stores across 46 states.
In building the concept for his newest restaurant, Sam Li flew halfway across the world for a culinary research journey. He traveled across China, Japan, and Korea to study, and sample, the three countries’ ways of doing barbecue. It was at a Japanese yakiniku — or grilled meat — restaurant that he knew he had found his next project.
Li is the owner of OGYU Japanese BBQ & Bar, an upscale, grill-it-yourself Japanese barbecue restaurant that opened in Ardmore last month. The restaurant offers a tiered, fixed-price menu with a focus on “higher quality premium Wagyu beef.” OGYU is located in the former Iron Hill Brewery at 60 Greenfield Ave., which closed in 2024 before Iron Hill filed for bankruptcy last year.
Though OGYU has found a home in what was onceIron Hill, Li and his team have transformed the former brewery’s space into a sleek, club-like atmosphere, with black and gold detailing, marble-paneled walls, and an opulent, fully stocked bar.
OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant is shown on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore. The new restaurant by Sam Li offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
He now sits at the helm of seven restaurants in the Philly suburbs, including sushi restaurant Osushi, with locations in Marlton, Ardmore, and Wayne; upscale Japanese restaurant Hiramasa in Newtown Square; and fast-casual chain bb.q Chicken, with two locations inSouth Jersey.
While Li has built his brand largely around sushi, he said he saw an opportunity in the market when it came to Japanese barbecue. There aren’t many yakiniku restaurants in the region, he said, and it’s a relatively new concept to many of his diners. People tend to be familiar with Korean barbecue, which leans more into marinades and flavors than its Japanese counterpart, which more often lets the meat speak for itself, Li said.
“We felt that it could be a new concept that we could bring into the U.S, and it’s something new to Ardmore,” Li said.
Restaurant owner Sam Li is photographed at OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore. His new restaurant offers a modern Japanese steakhouse experience with tabletop cooking.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Bringing a new concept to customers has meant lots of education, both for OGYU’s staff and its customers, who need to learn how to operate the tabletop grills and cook pieces of Wagyu to perfection. OGYU is an interactive experience, in addition to a meal, with flashy dry ice presentations and the challenge — and excitement — of grilling your own dinner in the middle of the table.
The main difference in the tiers is the quality of the meat, Li said. The introductory tier is best for diners who “just want to experience and explore what yakiniku is about.” The Diamond tier will be “the ultimate experience.”
OGYU Japanese BBQ restaurant is shown on Tuesday, July, 7, 2026 in Ardmore.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Beyond what goes on the grill, OGYU offers a menu of à la carte dishes, including spicy kani salad ($9.95), Wagyu truffle fried rice ($21.95), wasabi lobster tempura ($19.95), butter cheese corn ($9.95), and various hand rolls and sashimi. Li describes the à la carte menu as inspired by Japanese street food.
OGYU is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
