Food, Fun, Shopping And Music – And Where To Get A Bryn Mawrtini!

Bryn Mawr Night is Sept. 22

by Carole Felton Shore, guest contributor

Photo by Launchmetrics Spotlight

Bryn Mawr is about to throw itself a party. The annual Bryn Mawr Night is Sept. 22 and the schedule of events is packed with food, fun, shopping, music and theater. The goal of the evening is to spotlight the small businesses and arts groups that make Bryn Mawr such a special place to live, work and play.

In 2019, I launched the first Bryn Mawr Night with just 23 participants (including myself and the board president) and some restaurants. One or two bars promised a Bryn Mawrtini, the symbol of the newly branded event, to highlight Bryn Mawr’s renaissance and great destination, where class meets cool.

Five years later, in 2023, I am so proud that Bryn Mawr Night is a party that includes every store, restaurant, business, health, wellness and beauty services, all medical and dental practices, and local nonprofits under the Bryn Mawr Night branded umbrella. I welcome seeing many new faces at Bryn Mawr Night, 2023, and always look forward to seeing familiar faces – our Bryn Mawrvelous friends.

Ready to get the party started? Here’s the schedule of events!

Jazz at Dusk

5 p.m.

WSFS Parking Lot at Bryn Mawr and Lancaster Avenues

Kicking off Bryn Mawr Night 2023 at 5 p.m. is Jazz at Dusk featuring dazzling talent, both local and national, with our own Wolf Performing Arts Center performers. The evening’s reception area is at the corner of Bryn Mawr and Lancaster Avenues, across from Bryn Mawr Film Institute in the WSFS lot.

Nationally renowned jazz artist Phyllis Chapell and her stellar ensemble will play a unique mix of standards, contemporary, original and world music expressed through the language of jazz. Chapell was named one of the top 500 jazz vocalists of all time by Jazz Times/AllMusic Guide. Notably, one of her songs will be showcased on an NPR documentary film called “Code Name: Ayalon” airing nationally beginning on 10/5.

Every member of her ensemble has a long and impressive resume of performances on an international scale. The ensemble features Aaron Graves on keys, Chico Huff on bass, Ken Ulansey on woodwinds, and Paul Jost on drums and vocals. Paul is an eclectic artist who is a drummer, composer, arranger and standout vocalist. 

Broadway in Bryn Mawr is Back!

5:20 p.m. and 6 p.m.

WSFS Parking Lot at Bryn Mawr and Lancaster Avenues

“Broadway in Bryn Mawr,” starring incredibly talented young performers from Wolf Performing Arts Center, will bring the Broadway stage to our reception area stage with their amazing renditions of Broadway tunes.

Bryn Mawr Night’s Wine Expert

5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  

WSFS Parking Lot at Bryn Mawr and Lancaster Avenues

Serena Zelezny, the always-approachable Bryn Mawr-based wine educator, is the founder of What Am I Drinking?! wine education and a wine professor at Drexel University. Looking for hot tips on wine selection? Here’s a sampling of Serena’s Bryn Mawr Night topics.

• The latest and greatest BYOB best choices.
• Five Wine Varieties That Are Ready For Fall
• Sommelier Tips for Choosing the Right Wine for Dinner Out
•  Decoding Wine Lingo: Tannins? Terroir? Acid? What does that mean anyway? Worry not. 

Serena will be at her table in the reception area from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  and is looking forward to clarifying some of these often misunderstood terms and pairing wine with favorite meals for optimum enjoyment.

Where To Get Bryn Mawrtinis!

What is a Bryn Mawrtini? The Bryn Mawrtini is exclusive to Bryn Mawr. Selected restaurants and bars have their own signature drink based on their interpretation of Bryn Mawr’s unique vibe blending tradition with nuance, style and artistry. Get your Bryn Mawrtini at The Grog, Gullifty’s and Fiore Rosso!

Bryn Mawr Dining

Fiore Rosso, the popular Italian steakhouse at 915 Lancaster Ave. in Bryn Mawr Village, has a Bryn Mawr Night special: casoncelli. A delicious pasta dish,  casoncelli is made with pancetta, sage, balsamic raisons. Pair that with Fiore Rosso’s Aviation Bryn Mawrtini, consisting of gin, lemon, lavender butterfly pea, and maraschino liqueur.

Bryn Mawr has become a major food destination on the Main Line with over 25 restaurants within blocks (a few a little further East on Lancaster Avenue),  with at least 16 variations of signature cultural food. Recently, Ukrainian owned and operated The Choice restaurant at 845 Lancaster Ave. was honored by Open Table with the Diner’s Choice Award.

A few  blocks away from The Choice is a new restaurant at 1000 W. Lancaster in the space that Tin Lizard Brewing Company occupied. Dua Mediterranean Kitchen (BYOB) serves unique Mediterranean flavors. Chef and owner Bledar Istrefi executes flavorful dishes in this restaurant as well as Trattoria Moma in Philadelphia.

Across the street from Dua is White House Tajine, at 1047 W. Lancaster Ave. As a patron, you are nestled in Moroccan atmosphere that owner Mohammed says “puts guests immediately into the mood to enjoy their Moroccan and Greek style of cooking.”

Of course, if you are in the mood for a crisp salad, there’s another new place on Bryn Mawr’s restaurant scene. At Chopt, guests create their own salads, bowls or wraps from a large array of ingredients. Chopt is located at 925 Lancaster Avenue, adjacent to La Colombe.

Retail Fuel to Start Your Party

Welcoming people back to Bryn Mawr Night, and meeting new guests to our party in Bryn Mawr, is always sweeter with the highly requested, complimentary foods from The Bakery House, La Colombe, WSFS ice cream truck, Up Rys Bagel and Café, plus Philly Pretzels.

Explore fall fashion trends, get personalized beauty and wellness tips, exclusive discounts and inspiration for your home, wardrobe, lifestyle, fitness and hobbies to give Fall 2023  a great start !

Explore the Stores! Enjoy Bryn Mawr’s shops restaurants, health, beauty and wellness services. There are many resources available throughout Bryn Mawr including medical, dental practices and local nonprofits. Start strolling along Bryn Mawr’s streets, nooks and crannies. 

Right next to our reception area is Grove 1.2.1., a boutique that truly harkens back to the 70’s with personalized styling. Sandy Goldstein Edelstein and her elves work tirelessly, humorously and lovingly! 

Sandy enjoys the challenge of mixing fun, edgy trends with something more classic. “The juxtaposition of edgy, military inspired bottoms with a soft top is how to make a trend your own.” Look for lots of surprises at Grove 1.2.1. on Bryn Mawr Night!

Near to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, meet one of Bryn Mawr’s beauty advisors: Deneen Marcel. Deneen Marcel Lashes specializes in providing meticulous lash and brow enhancements in her  studio. Deneen will be giving guests digital gift cards for brow tinting , as well as offering beauty advice.

Deneen will be introducing her new collaborating partner, Nicole Smith, at Bryn Mawr Night. Nicole gained career prominence as a dancer in  Disney’s “The Lion King.” Her work on Broadway and national touring led to an NAACP Theater Image Award. More recently Nicole is busy as an entrepreneur. Her Pilates business, “Core Love Culture,” is based in Philly and will now be in Bryn Mawr by appointment. Nicole will be on hand from 5 pm to 8 pm focusing on Pilates fitness and its many core benefits, while also “inspiring others to embrace their passions and tread their path to success with grace.” 

For more on Bryn Mawr Night, click here and follow us on Instagram!

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Want more information about Bryn Mawr? Read The Insiders Guide To Bryn Mawr.

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