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On the 37th floor of the R2L, 500 feet above the city of brotherly love, some 50 food writers got together one Saturday afternoon in October. There was food, there were drinks, there were cameras everywhere and it was phenomenal.
The Meet Up was organized by Wendy a.k.a.@LaPhemme Phoodie, with the generous sponsorship of Philly Homegrown and R2L Restaurant.
I traveled from New Jersey to Philly, 70 miles, each way, to meet old and new friends. It was well worth the long drive. I met up with Chef Dennis of A Culinary Journey, Casey of Tastestopping , MikeyIl of Geekadelphia, and of course the event organizer Wendy aka La Phemme Phoodie. And it was so wonderful. We were all food bloggers there,some were new friends and others old friends. On a daily basis I chat, tweet, stumble, like, share with most of them like old friends do. And I really felt like I was meeting up with friends I had not seen in a while.
As soon as we stepped off the elevator, we were warmly welcomed by the R2L staff. The restaurant was elegant,modern,spacious and inviting. The Passed Hors D’Oeurves were everywhere we looked….
Steak tartare, potato chip and beef butter
Lobster mac and cheese
Truffled Flatbread
Smoked Salmon, mustard cream cheese, pretzel chips
Crisp risotto, truffle soy
Tuna skewers, au poivre
The beverages offered were just as amazing ….
R2L-EVATION which had gin, parfait amour, luxardo, fresh lemon, cherry
SIDECAR / hennessy vs, pallini limoncello, cointreau, fresh lemon
We were led further to the function room area for the photo workshop. I couldn’t help but notice the unique room divider, the spacious area, and the breathtaking view of the city. Windows wrapped around the room and so from any angle, you could see the spectacular cityscape.
It was my first time to meet Wendy aka La Pheme Phoodie and I thanked her for giving me the chance to join the Philly group of food writers. Wendy had this terrific idea for organizing the Meet Up. In her wrap-up of the event on her own blog, Wendy said “ Several months ago, I approached the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) with an idea. I wanted to bring together local food and drink writers with the folks at Philly Homegrown in an effort to continue to build our foodie community.”
R2L Restaurant graciously hosted the event.Chef Daniel Stern warmly welcomed our group. Chef Stern is well known for taking traditional American flavors in food and brings them up to date with a modern twist. And this creativity was evident in the dishes that were on display for the photo session.
The afternoon session was a workshop discussion by Philadelphia based photographer Eric Mencher. Eric enthralled us with his stories and adventures spanning his 35 years as a photojournalist. He started his discussion by telling us the 2 BASIC INGREDIENTS FOR GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY : Your EYES and your CAMERA.
And using our EYES and our CAMERAS, we clicked away on a vast array of dishes and desserts on display. Here’s what happens when you put together lots of good food, bloggers and fantastic lighting in one room, on a glorious autumn day in Philadelphia.
For more on the Philly Area Food & Drink Writer Meet-Up event and a round up of other bloggers photos and stories, check out Wendy on her wonderful site La Phemme Phoodie.com.
Many thanks again for the generosity and kind spirits of sponsors and friends who made this event possible :
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) and their initiative Philly Homegrown
R2L Restaurant on Two Liberty Place
great job with your images Betty Ann! and I do see me peaking out of one of your pics! I’m usually fairly anonymous at functions1
Nice to have met you in person, Chef Dennis! Thanks for the kind comments, but I think YOUR photos were even more terrific.
It was so wonderful to meet you!! These images are beautiful!! It was such a wonderful time, wasn’t it?!
Hi Emily, it was wonderful to meet you, too ! Glad you stopped by. Look forward to connecting lots with you on the blogosphere!
Betty Ann I love your recap. You really set the tone for the event with your description of what transpired. It was great to meet you. Thank you for joining us!
Thanks, Wendy! It was wonderful to meet you, too. Thanks for the kind comments. Till the next meet
There was a Philippine food blog event and I wasn’t invited? Oh, it was Phil-*adelphia*! In that case – looks like it was a fun event! But I still wish I’d been there, too!
Wishing the same here, Tracey! Would have been nice if you could have joined us, too! Nice of you to stop by.
Yay! Great post and photos
Thanks, Mikey! It was great seeing you and meeting the rest of the Philly bloggers!
Sounds like an awesome time…wish I could have attended…however I was hosting a fundraiser – next time!!
Hi Colleen, I wish you could have joined us. Sat with Casey in the same table. It would have been a mini-reunion. Next time, come join us! I’ll let you know.