Philly Pretzel Factory CEO Dan Dizio will be on "Undercover Boss" tonight. Press photo/CBS

Dan Dizio has been selling pretzels since he was 11 years old, but it’s been a long time since he’s been behind the counter.

The co-founder and CEO of the Philly Pretzel Factory will be twisting dough again tonight when he appears on “Undercover Boss,” the CBS reality show that secretly puts executives to work with their unsuspecting employees. continue reading »

Mike "Scoats" Scotese, owner of the Grey Lodge Pub and Hop Angel Brauhaus, kicks off 2011 Philly Beer Week with the Hammer of Glory. Photo/Gina Benigno

Well-known in the Northeast, well-explored by Philadelphia’s beer drinkers, and  once recognized by Esquire as one of the best places to drink in the country, the Grey Lodge Pub has made it onto another national list.

Draft Magazine tallied up the 100 best beer bars in the country, broken down by geographic region. Philadelphia has six of the Northeast U.S. bars worth visiting, and one happens to be Mayfair’s own Grey Lodge. Owner Mike “Scoats” Scotese is a Mayfair Business Association member and also owns Fox Chase’s Hop Angel Brauhaus. continue reading »

Laura Rubenstein and her fourth-grade classmates at Anne Frank School use Skype to chat with Astronaut Tim and learn about space. Lindsay Lazarski/NewsWorks

At first, Astronaut Tim is little more than a floating head appearing on a computer monitor.

“So, I’m here, in the International Space Station,” he says.

A class of fourth-graders at Anne Frank Elementary School in Bustleton were talking with Astronaut Tim via Skype. When he backs away from his webcam, he appears to be floating in midair, kicking his legs beneath him.

Every time, it’s a “wow” moment.

Astronaut Tim, aka Tim Belknap, is not really an astronaut, and he’s not really in space. He’s in the Tyler School of Art gallery at Temple University. The artist, who specializes in kinetic sculpture, built a mock space pod without a fourth wall. A steel armature suspends his 240-pound frame, held aloft by cables hooked into a customized harness he wears under a jumpsuit. continue reading »

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, which means it’s time for a NEast Philly tradition: our 12 Days of NEastmas holiday song.

This song, which first ran on Nov. 27, 2009, after we felt the Northeast really needed its own carol, has become a tradition.

You can click below for an instrumental version of the song, with our original NEast-y lyrics.  continue reading »

Glenn Segal writes about Oxford Circle and Castor Gardens when he's not working in a real estate office.

Glenn Segal is a man who talks fast. Earnestly and fervently dispensing his opinion and gesticulating animatedly while he discusses his novel series, Devine Intervention, he somehow manages to cover everything from the Grateful Dead to religious fanaticism to gang patrols from his youth in the Northeast in the space of an interview.

He’s obviously very bright, energetic and passionate about his work; he has very evidently poured his heart and soul into his books. Currently working two jobs – as an optician in Huntingdon Valley and at a local Prudential real estate office on Frankford Avenue – he writes constantly in his spare time as he finishes up the third installment of the series, titled Revelations, which

is due out at the end of this year.

Segal was born and raised in the Northeast, using it as a major source of inspiration for his series. continue reading »

Michael Susten, far right, and dancers from Xhale Dance Company warmed up before practice.

The annual Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe brings thousands of performing artists from around the world to the city to showcase their acts and talents. For some, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and for others, it is a yearly affair. Many of the artists are from Philadelphia and two, in particular, are from the Northeast.

Michael Susten, a director and dance instructor at Xhale Dance Company, is from Rhawnhurst. His middle-class upbringing meant he did not have the means to participate in other activities.

“I went to a local dance studio…and dance was our whole life,” Susten said. continue reading »

Some of the tools Dr. Roger Barth uses to make beer

Dr. Roger Barth of West Chester is not your ordinary chemistry professor. The name of his West Chester University class is called The Chemistry of Beer.

That brewed alcoholic drink — the one many enjoy on weekends, after a hard day’s work, at a family barbecue and during Philly’s very own Beer Week — yes, that drink, is broken down to a science. continue reading »

Mike "Scoats" Scotese, owner of the Grey Lodge Pub and Hop Angel Brauhaus, kicks off Philly Beer Week with the Hammer of Glory.

The Hammer of Glory, what many Philadelphians refer to as the “HOG,” left Fox Chase’s Hop Angel Brauhaus early Friday morning to kick off Philly Beer Week 2011.

Philly Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of what is arguably considered “America’s Best Beer Drinking City.”  Mike “Scoats” Scotese is one of the masterminds behind this celebration.  Scoats helped start Beer Week four years ago and calls himself one of the “founding fathers” of the Hammer of Glory tour.

Now in its third year, the giant hammer made its way to 21 establishments throughout Philadelphia in what Scoats described as the “most unconventional ways possible.” At the end of its journey, the hammer was used to tap the first keg, signaling the official start of Philly Beer Week 2011. continue reading »

Matt Morgan 12, plays at Reale's on Frankford Avenue once a month.

Check out the video below of some talented Northeast musicians who spend their weekends playing in local bars and get publicity from the entertainment magazine Out on the Town. continue reading »

It’s back! NEast Philly’s holiday song, the 12 Days of NEastmas, is back for a second year. In honor of the holiday season, we’re reviving the song — a spin on the classic 12 Days of Christmas. Enjoy the song, sing along and suggest any changes or additions you think we should make. Happy holidays! continue reading »