Every day I prowl the concrete jungle of my major metropolis.  Twice a day I literally become a Subway sandwich squashed on a crowded train between a people of varying pungencies, a glob of anxiety smothered on top. I come home to my South Philly row home where I'm treated to a cacophony of sounds: screaming fights, crying kids, Eagles chants and my neighbor's sucky rock band playing God Bless Texas a billion times.  I attempt solace in my tiny backyard, my concrete slab where I try to steal moments of Zen between my neighbor's barking dog and the over-stressed, verbally abusive mom next door       

This is my big city life that I graduated into from my country bumpkin upbringing.  Before I moved to Philly five years ago, I never had even seen a subway, and over-stressed, verbally abusive moms were only heard in classroom whispers.  I grew up spending every day in the sun, and when the sun wouldn't cooperate, I'd spend the day outside in the rain, washing my hair and letting the drops rinse me clean.  I'd spend hours lying in the grass, watching the sun eventually liquefy into mixture of vibrant and mesmerizing luminosity.  As stars peeked into view, and eventually Mother Nature's one-of-a-kid sunset painting turned to darkness, I'd spend hours of night letting my complicated teenage troubles drift silently toward the stars.  

Sometimes living in the city, I feel starved--for the sun, the stars, the silence and beauty of the country life. But for all the incredible beauty that lies in the country, just as much ugliness usually follows--the ugliness of homophobia, racism and close-mindedness. So the people of color, the queers, the differently abled who are abled enough, the Goths, the weirdoes, the unique,  the interesting and the altogether different and distinctive--we all flee.  We escape the stares, the rumors, the slurs and jokes, the bigotry and the out-right hate.  We leave our homes, the places we love, our secret childhood spots and our memories; we forfeit them to the white, heterosexual, god-fearing "normal" people that take what once belonged to us and claim it, saying that they are the face of "real" America.  We squeeze together on the subway, we bump shoulders on the sidewalk and all our different feathers, spots, markings and colors blend together as we roam through the concrete jungle as a pack--and the "real" Americans come to see us and gawk and giggle at our exquisite beauty as if they've never seen anyone like us before.    

I revel in the concrete chaos sometimes and I know that I would've eventually made the journey here, at least for the experience alone.  However, I worry about the future. I can't imagine being an old and gray queer, wise in my granny dyke ways, still living in a shoe box apartment. I want to grow old with the trees and the grass and the cicadas and lightening bugs and country storms and fresh air and clean rains and beautifully breathtaking sunsets. But, because I'm queer, I don't know if it's possible--but I hope when I'm ready, it will be.

comments@QUEERtimes.net

It's the wow factor that keeps bringing back diners to Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, 1426-28 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, in the historic landmark Packard Building. Now the management has added further inducements.

General Manager Shang Skipper recently introduced a totally new lunch menu and a Business Special Lunch, just in time for the holiday season so that you can impress your clients, associates, colleagues, prospects and friends without killing your wallet.

First of all, the "Business Lunch" is a prix fixe three-course deal meal for $26.95 per person, excluding libations, beverages, tax and gratuity. Lunch clients have a choice of a cup of soup or the Del's house salad for starter course, a six ounce filet mignon or a sautéed salmon with Tchoupitoulas sauce and served with Chateau potatoes for entree course, and a choice of cheesecake or chocolate mousse for dessert course.

Then there's also a selective a la carte lunch menu that includes a prime beef cheeseburger, with all the trimmings and served with a choice of French fried potatoes or skillet chips, a broiled and sliced prime skirt steak sandwich, filet medallions with mushroom sauce and served with Chateau potatoes, a chilled Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp club sandwich, sautéed salmon, sesame seared tuna and seafood of the day; prices range from $10.95 to $25.95; salad lunch entrees of prime Asian steak salad, classic Caesar salad (or add chicken); Greek farmers salad (or add chicken) and the famous Del's chopped salad; prices range from $14.95 to $17.95.

Of course, Del Frisco's also offers starters like their celebrated crab cake, Ahi tuna tartare and fried calamari to a selection of steaks and chops at lunch time, featuring filet mignon, prime strip, prime ribeye, veal chop and prime lamb, prices range from $33.95 to $41.95.

For more information, call 215.246.0533; visit delfriscos.com

Who knew that Thursdays in West Conshohocken will become dramatically different during the month of December?  That's because Stella Blu, 101 Ford Street, and Gypsy Saloon, 128 Ford Street, are both closely nearby each other in West Conshohocken.

The two restaurants will feature this highly traditional way of observing and celebrating Italian Christmas Eve tradition.  The four-course, prix fixe price will be $50 per person, including complimentary carafes of Italian red and white wines per table, required minimum parties of four guests, reservations necessary.

Throughout the course of the evenings dinner, as is the custom, seven dishes will be served over four courses and include tuna, clams, Baccalà, smelts, oysters, mussels and shrimp.

Highlights of the menu will include: first course of  vegetarian antipasto with Italian tuna and baked oregano clams; second course of  Baccalà, tomato sauce and creamy polenta; third course of fried smelts and Panko crusted oysters' and fourth course of linguini, mussels, and an aioli sauce and  shrimp Fra Diavolo with fettuccini.

Both restaurants will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

For more information for Stella Blu, call 610.825.7060; or visit stellablurestaurant.com

For more information for Gypsy Saloon, call 610.828-8494; or visit gypsysaloon.com

Flying Fish Brewing Company, 1940 Olney Avenue, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, has been racking up the awards. For beer lovers in the region, this is great news. This year at the annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Flying Fish won the gold medal for their Exit 4 American Tripel and a bronze medal for Flying Fish's popular Hopfish for "Classic English Style Pale Ale." These awards came literally on the heels of Exit 4 "Best Belgian-Style Beer in America." by the national magazine, Men's Journal.

"At Flying Fish, we're proud to hail from the great state of New Jersey, and we're even more proud to bring recognition to our home state at the GABF and in the pages of Men's Journal," said brewery owner Gene Muller, "We've said that the Exit Series would be one-and-done beers, but if we get overwhelmed with requests for more, there's a good chance people will see Exit 4 in 6 packs early next year."

Head brewer Casey Hughes created Exit 4 American Tripel, named for the exit nearest Flying Fish Brewing Company's headquarters in Cherry Hill.  According to Hughes, this label is Belgian-inspired to represent their role as one of America's first craft breweries to embrace Belgian-style beers.

Hughes announced that "the series will continue with three or four beers a year to eventually encompass all turnpike exits; other entries have included Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat."

For more information, call 856.489.0061; or visit flyingfish.com

comments@QUEERtimes.net

New Hope Celebrates Film 2009, in conjunction with TLA Releasing, tlavideo.com and the Philadelphia Cinema Alliance, producers of Philadelphia Qfest 2010 (July 8-19), presents its second annual film festival on December 5 and 6, 2009.

The weekend event will showcase seven feature-length films, each incorporating a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) dimension, all screened in the popular Oak Room at the Raven Bar and Restaurant, 385 West Bridge Street, in the charming hamlet of New Hope, PA.

"After last year's success, in our second year, we bring you the top winning festival films from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia. New Hope Celebrates Film is pleased to present these outstanding films within an informal setting," explained explains Stephen Stahl, renowned writer and director who serves as Chairman for New Hope Celebrates Film.

"This is a great opportunity for all to view the top-picked LGBT films of 2009 while enjoying a fun-filled weekend in New Hope. The stores in town will be all dressed up for the holidays and stocked with holiday treats. Our thanks to The Raven for providing an awesome venue," added Daniel Brooks, President of New Hope Celebrates.

Stahl said that this year's lineup of films was impressive and includes:  "An Englishman in New York," (Great Britain, 2009, Director: Richard Laxton), where John Hurt once again portrays pithy gay icon Quentin Crisp in a witticism-strewn, star-studded and poignant sequel to The Naked Civil Servant; "And Then Came Lola" (USA, 2009, Directors: Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler) is wild and fast-paced lesbian romp through the streets of San Francisco as a notoriously late photographer rushes to deliver prints to her most important client-her fiery lover; and "Fruit Fly" (USA, 2009, Director: H.P. Mendoza) is a sparkling musical love letter to the city of San Francisco.

Adapted from Claudia Allen's award-winning play, "Hannah Free" (USA, 2009, Director: Wendy Jo Carlton) is the story of a passionate but thwarted lifelong love affair between two women who have shared a lifetime of friendship and love; "Make the Yule Tide Gay"  (USA, 2009, Director: Rob Williams) is wonderfully silly story of young gay love with a cheesy Wisconsin family on the side; Class struggle, gay romance and hot action collide in "Shank" (Great Britain, 2009, Director: Simon Pearce), a gritty British street drama.

And "The Big Gay Musical" (USA, 2009, Directors: Casper Andreas and Fred M. Caruso) is a musically told story of gay love, lust and heartbreak putting a new twist on Genesis with Adam and Steve-angel "hotties" in teeny briefs.

All the films premiered regionally at the Philadelphia Qfest 2009 this past July. Many of these titles are still making the queer film festival circuit while others are being released soon on DVD such as "Make the Yuletide Gay" and "Shank" by TLA Releasing and "An Englishman in New York" and "The Big Gay Musical" by Breaking Glass Pictures in 2010. 

Others are enjoying theatrical release such as "The Big Gay Musical" and "Hannah Free" by Wolfe Releasing, opening at the Quad Theaters inNew York City on December 11.

Established in 2003, New Hope Celebrates is a nonprofit LGBT tourism marketing organization comprised of volunteers from the retail, hospitality and professional community of New Hope, Pennsylvania. New Hope Celebrates serves the diverse LGBT populace through marketing opportunities, educational experiences and events culminating with an annual pride celebration.

Brooks said that proceeds from the festival return to the local queer community and designated New Hope based charities and nonprofits.

Single admission tickets are just $5; passes are $25 for all seven films.

For more information, visit newhopecelebrates.com

comments@QUEERtimes.net