-Courtesy of Punch Media
photo of Puttshack by Gab Bonghi
Dinner and drinks is great, but Philly also offers an abundance of unique experiences to take advantage of – from five-course blind tasting menus and ‘erotic’ cookie decorating (yes, really), to exclusive wine classes and live music. Check out some exciting programming below from locales including Cake Life Bake Shop, Jansen, My Local Brew Works, Oloroso, Panorama, Puttshack, The Twisted Tail, and 48 Record Bar.
Cake Life Bake Shop
Date night doesn’t get more “experiential” than Cake Life Bake Shop’s Dessert After Dark, a night of intimate, after-hours erotic dessert decorating held on Thursday, June 27. With seatings at 6 pm and at 8:30 pm, Co-Owner and Head Baker Lily Fischer will guide guests through decorating cookies to create the kinky, body-positive desserts of their dreams. Snacks and treats will be provided, courtesy of Cake Life, with beverages courtesy of Philadelphia Brewing Company’s new Phizzie Hard Seltzer and a featured mocktail crafted using The Pathfinder Hemp and Root. Tickets are $85/pp and are available for purchase here.
Additionally, Cake Life’s regular late-night hours provide a unique location for a romantic evening spent with a significant other. Open until 9pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, couples can enjoy a wide array of treats including Cake Life’s fan-favorite Petal-Pistachio Cookies, Triple Chocolate Midnight Brownies, Herby Goat Cheese Biscuits, and more. Cake Life’s menu also offers libations perfect for summer sipping, including Bananas Foster Iced Latte, the Salted Caramel Iced Chai, or the Peachy Pink Palmer, as well as the Summer Garden Cooler, in addition to classics like hot or iced coffee, lattes, teas and more.
Jansen
Jansen, Mt. Airy’s contemporary and award-winning New American restaurant by Chef David Jansen, features a one-of-a-kind date night experience for true foodies only with their Dinner Lab. This five-course blind tasting dinner features dishes crafted by all of the restaurant’s chefs, with guests voting on their favorite dish to ultimately be added to Jansen’s regular dinner menu. Each course offered on the menu is meant to be a complete surprise prior to presentation, allowing chefs complete creative freedom in their creations.
The Dinner Lab is hosted in one of the restaurant’s art-filled private dining rooms, served at a communal table that seats 14 guests only. Each dish will be introduced by the chef who created it, providing some insight on how and why the ingredients were picked and manipulated for each dish. Jansen’s beverage team will also craft an optional cocktail and wine pairing to enhance each dish.
Jansen’s Dinner Lab is priced at $100 per person and is hosted on the last Thursday of each month with the next two installments slated for July 25 and August 29. Dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated, but can be considered during any à la carte services. Reservations are available via Resy.
My Local Brew Works (MLBW)
The world’s first custom craft brewery. MLBW focuses on special events and contract brewing, offers a unique opportunity for beer-loving couples with their Custom Craft Brewing package. The pair will join Tim Montague and Wayne Humphrey, two award-winning local home brewers and founders of My Local Brew Works, as well as George Hummel, brewing mentor and grain master, in the brewery (situated in the industrial-chic Globe Dye Works building), for a day filled with beer tastings, food, and more.
With guidance by the My Local Brew Works team, couples are involved throughout the entire process – from choosing the grain to designing the name and label – and have the liberty of choosing the hops, malt, yeast, and every other aspect of their custom brew. Folks will also be treated to food from a nearby restaurant on behalf of the My Local Brew Works team, and will be offered a guided tour of the brewery facility, adding to the overall brewing experience.
Pricing for a Custom Brew Day varies based on a number of factors including volume of beer brewed, fermentation time, and ingredients, but starts at $120 per person. Custom brews range from $90 – $140 per case, depending on labels, ingredients, styles, and other variables. Those interested in learning more about the custom brewing process and to reserve a brew day with My Local Brew Works may do so by emailing beer@mylocalbrewworks.com.
Oloroso
Philadelphia’s premier Spanish tapas restaurant and sherry bar smack in the heart of Center City, offers guests the opportunity to level-up their dinner date excursion with their widely-acclaimed Chef’s Counter experience. By reserving two seats at the counter, folks will earn a full view of the kitchen and wood-fire grill as Chef Jason Peabody prepares and serves a meticulously-crafted tasting menu, curated to the individual preferences (and diet restrictions) of each guest. Each Chef’s Counter menu features seasonal dishes, research and development items, and first-look creations – consisting of anywhere from 18 – 22 tapas of appetizers, entrées, and desserts. Folks can also opt for a personalized wine pairing to accompany Chef Peabody’s dishes.
The Chef’s Counter experience is available Tuesday through Sunday, and is priced at $125 per person. Reservations can be made via Resy.
Panorama
Philadelphia’s premier wine bar in the Penn’s View Hotel holds a Guinness World Record custom-built wine keeper offering over 120 wines on tap and boasts a monthly wine club perfect for wine lovers or those interested in learning more about wine. On the last Sunday of each month, starting at 2pm, wine club members can mingle at the bar and enjoy exclusive complimentary wine tastings as well as half-priced sommelier-selected wine flights and wine by the glass. Then, from 3-4pm, guests can enjoy a more formal Wine Class led by experts in the industry. Every Wine Class explores a different facet of the rich world of winemaking, delving into the history, technique, and flavor profiles of featured wines. The wine class is open to non-wine club members. Single class tickets are available for $50 per person and would make for a fun and informative Sunday day date. Membership and individual class tickets can be purchased here.
Make it a monthly date night by becoming a Wine Club member for only $75/person a year and receive several perks including complimentary tastings, free admission to wine courses and events, discounted sommelier-curated flights and more.
Puttshack
Puttshack, the world’s first and only tech-infused mini golf experience, is the place to be for a fully interactive and highly entertaining date night. Featuring four 9-hole tech-driven, highly competitive mini golf courses, couples will find themselves in friendly competition while competing as they strive to win each round. Guests can also enjoy a variety of dynamic food and beverage options, live entertainment, and a massive full service bar, ensuring a well-rounded experience of fun and games.
Puttshack has also recently introduced their new summer initiative dubbed Summer Vibes to the Max – offering exclusive limited-time-only deals and a special drink menu in collaboration with Gin & Juice, the new premium spirits company by Dre and Snoop. The includes a ready-to-drink signature cocktail from Gin & Juice, The Lowrider, along with a wide selection of the brand’s canned drinks available for purchase throughout the courses. Puttshack also currently offers BOGO mini golf on Mondays, throwback music on Wednesdays, and more – allowing guests plenty of opportunities to escape the average night out. Reservations are highly encouraged and can be made HERE.
The Twisted Tail
Located in Headhouse Square, this restaurant, bar and live music venue sets the perfect stage for a memorable date night with live blues music and entertainment six nights a week. Music lovers and foodies alike can enjoy southern-inspired food and cocktails while listening to live tunes Tuesday-Thursday 6-10pm downstairs, 12-3pm during brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, 8pm-12 am Friday and Saturday nights in the second-floor juke joint, and an open blues jam from 5-9pm every Sunday night.
48 Record Bar
The high-tech listening room and cocktail bar perched above Old City’s legendary Sassafras is an ideal destination for music-loving couples who truly appreciate the art of an innovative cocktail. While their sumptuous second-floor space, stellar beverage program, and ultra-high fidelity audiophile vinyl sound system are enough to set the mood, 48 Record Bar also boasts a diverse array of small-room programming including special guest selectors, album/cocktail pairings, record release parties, live performances, live podcast tapings, and more – catering to a wide range of tastes and providing ample opportunities for a unique date night experience. More information on upcoming events at 48 Record Bar can be found via Instagram.
Brenda on Broad 
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