PHL airport

They’re celebrating Cheesesteak at PHL Airport

In anticipation of National Cheesesteak Day – March 24 – Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is hosting PHL Cheesesteak Week with samplings and events now through Friday, March 22.

Check the PHLfoodandshops.com/CheesesteakTour map for ind 19 PHL food locations offering cheesesteaks or cheesesteak-related items.

The list includes Chickie’s & Pete’s, which offers Poppin’ Shrimp Cheesesteak, Pizza Cheesesteak from Tony Luke’s, Win Kitchen’s Cheesesteak Eggrolls, Noobar’s Cheesesteak Dumplings, and Classic Cheesesteaks from Geno’s, Jim’s South Street Steaks and Independence Prime,

That’s a lot of cheeseteak…

Finale Celebration — Cheesesteak and Pepsi Zero Sampling

On Friday, March 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Free samples of classic cheesesteaks, Pepsi Zero and related menu items with a twist will take center stage at a sampling spectacular on the connector between Terminals B and C.

Here are the restaurants that will be represented:

  • Bar Symon (Terminal B), sampling Mini Chicken Cheesesteak
  • Chickie’s & Pete’s (Terminals A, C, E and D/E Connector), sampling Cheesesteak Eggrolls
  • Passyunk Steaks (Terminal B), sampling All The Way Cheesesteak and Chicken Cheesesteak
  • Philly Pretzel Factory (Terminal F), sampling Cheesesteak Rivets and Pretzel Rivets

Hungry now? Through March 22, 20225 use the promo code CHZSTK to get $5 off a cheesesteak or cheesesteak-inspired menu item from a participating location on OrderAtPHL.com.

Cool collections on display at PHL Airport

Do you collect anything? (Or a lot of things?)

Here at the Seattle headquarters of Stuck at the Airport, we share space with Space Needle souvenirs, cowgirl memorabilia, and other collections. (Not counting that pile of unread New Yorker magazines).

So we’re delighted to see the Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) exhibition program kicking off the new year with a fun show titled “Private Collections: Personal Obsessions.”

On view in Terminal D, the exhibition is a festival of collections on loan from Philadelphia-area residents, including a few people who work at PHL.

The cases include a sampling of collections dedicated to architectural salvage, brooches, cable cars, beer bottles, hearts, masks, magnets, mail art, wind-up toys, and lots more.

“Most [of the collections] have been gathered primarily as a hobby for the collector’s own enjoyment or handed down from one family member to another,” says Leah Douglas, PHL Director of Guest Experience and Chief Curator.

“While the activity of collecting is a universal experience, each collection is personal and unique as each object often represents a specific remembrance or story,” she adds.

The beer bottles on display are courtesy of David Rosenblum, PHL’s photographer/videographer, whose late father collected more than 4000 bottles. “His most prized bottles were always the older bottles from Philadelphia-area brewers,” says Rosenblum.

The refrigerator magnets in the exhibit are on loan from the collection of PHL’s public affairs manager, Heather Redfern.

“[M]agnets are inexpensive trinkets that tell the story of where I have traveled, favorite trips, and great experiences I have had along the way,” says Redfern. “I am reminded of where I have been and where I would still like to go every time I walk past the refrigerator.”

Do you have a collection you have put together from your travels? We’d love to hear about it and see some snaps.

All photos courtesy of PHL Airport and David Rosenblum.

At the Airport: Summer camp at PHL Airport

It may seem as if Philadelphia International Airport has a summer camp.

The Just Plane Fun program at PHL is the airport’s summer-long entertainment program that includes live performances, beauty care demonstrations, educational and informational displays, artist demonstrations, interactive arts and crafts activities for kids and adult, historical impersonators, caricaturists, food sampling and more.

Here’s some of what’s on the menu this week:

Today, July 23, there will be free tastings at Legal Sea Foods in the B/C connector from 11 am to noon.

Tomorow, July 24, you can pick up a free food samples at Noobar in Concourse B from noon to 2 p.m.

On July 25, there will be a story-time and coloring at the airport library in the D/E Connector from noon to 1 p.m. The library is also home to a fun, free short dispenser as well.

PHL short story dispenser
Courtesy PHL Airport

Later that afternoon, from 1 to 3 p.m. there will be complimentary summer drink samples at Chickie’s & Pete’s on Concourse E and Gatorade Zero sampling at the B/C connector stage from 4 to 6 p.m.

Not heading through PHL this week? Don’t worry. There are fresh ‘summer camp’ activities popping up each week. Many are listed ahead of time in the “Happenings” section of the PHL SHOP DINE page but many activities just pop up.

Philadelphia International Airport celebrates shiny new Terminal B.

Philadelphia International Airport held a celebration this week for its shiny new Terminal B.

With American Airlines and the hospitality group OTG, PHL invested $30 million to makeover Terminal B with new restaurants, shops, and more than 2,000 power and USB ports built into redesigned seating.

Much of that seating comes with OTG’s familiar tablets, which not only let passengers order foods and goods from nearby venues to be delivered to them at their seats, but gives them access to Wi-Fi, flight tracking and games.

New to Terminal B are: the French‐inspired bakery Boule Café, Mediterranean mezze concept Baba Bar, Italian eatery CIBO Bistro & Wine Bar, beer & brat restaurant Germantown Biergarten, steak & chop house Independence Prime, fresh sushi at Noobar, Philly comfort food at the LOVE Grille and Neapolitan Pizza at Mezzogiorno.

In addition to the improvements by OTG to the gate areas, the airport did a “Touch Every Surface” program that includes new ceiling tiles, new heating and air conditioning, new ceramic tiles and refinished terrazzo floors.

Nice!

Fresh art at PHL Airport

With more than 20 temporary and permanent exhibitions scattered throughout the terminals, Philadelphia International Airport has an art program worth your layover.

Here are some pictures of just a few of the newest exhibits:

phl-olah-cloud

In Terminal A (post-security) look for a quirky exhibition of an inflatable cloud by Philadelphia artist Janell Olah, who is known for creating artwork that captures circulated air to inflate and activate her sculptural installations.

phl-urban-expressionism

Urban Expressionism, between Terminals C/D, is by local artist Leroy Johnson, who uses clay, paint, charcoal, photographs, found objects and other materials to create paintings and small dioramas that depict the local landscape.

https://twitter.com/leahdouglas1/status/775771346483773440

phl-chad-acros

And in Terminal D there are images and 3-D objects made by students of CHAD – the Charter High School for Architecture + Design.

Enjoy!

(Photos courtesy of Philadelphia International Airport)