Night out on the town of Philly with the Phillies

Victor Cafe

The pharmacist and his wife took Charlie and me to another Phillies game and out to dinner.  Dinner was so cool.  Al (pharmacist) is Italian.  His grandfather opened a store on Broad Street in Philly in the 1800's.  His father was born above the store.  Needless to say, Al knows Philadelphia.  He took us to one of his favorite restaurants for dinner.  This is a place you have to know is there or you would miss it.  It is in an old brownstone tucked in a neighborhood just off Broad Street.  In 1913, John DiStefano came to Philly from Italy and opened a gramophone shop.  People would come and have coffee and listen to the newest recorded arias, symphonies and popular music of the day.  After prohibition and the bad economy of 1933, he got a liquor license and turned his shop into the Victor Cafe. (For Victrola.) And the rest is history.  There are signed photos all over the walls of many of the artists who recorded across the river in Camden, NJ who would visit John and bring him their newest recording.  There is a collection of over 1000 78 rpm records in the cafe.  Al had to show us the pictures of Mario Lanza (Hollywood movie star and opera singer) because Mario is Al's cousin.  For real!!  Their mothers are sisters.  He told us the real reason Mario Lanza died so early was not a heart attack but that he was killed by a gangster in Rome because Mario refused to perform for him.  Google away.

Anyway, it became the custom after 1933 for opera to be performed in the cafe.  

Every 20 minutes, one of the wait staff would ring a bell and then they sing an aria or other song.  Our waitress was a soprano and sang "Summertime".  Totally different and so gorgeous.

We asked her how she got the job.  She said you audition, and if you can sing, they teach you how to wait tables.  I am sure they get paid pretty well.  The food was good but sooooo expensive.
We were a little late for the game (3rd inning) but we made it.

I just loved this little boy in front of us with his Philly Phanatic hat and doll.

Phillies won.  Played the Marlins.

Just a word about my foot.....OUCH.

My doctor says ligament damage so wants an MRI.  Insurance doctor (The guy on the other end of the phone at the insurance place who has never even seen me.) says no to the MRI until my doctor has treated me for a month.  My doctor tells insurance doctor that the injury happened more than a month ago and he would like to see the ligament damage so he knows how to treat the injury.  Insurance doctor says, too bad.  You have to treat her for at least a month before the MRI unless she is dying. (Okay, not dying, but unable to walk.)  So....I get to hobble around a little longer before I get an MRI.  And when I finally get that MRI and there is serious damage and they have to operate I will sue my insurance doctor for all the pain and suffering and the subsequent injury to my back that was caused by all the hobbling around.  Just love those insurance companies!!