Where is Philly’s Michelin Guide? | Morning Newsletter
And another statue struggle brewed.
The Morning Newsletter
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It’s Tuesday, folks. Don’t forget to grab your umbrella — heavy rains today will leave Philly at risk for flooding for days, with winds likely to take down trees and power lines. Here’s what’s driving all the rain.
Philly is a star on the dining stage, and civic boosters are clamoring for a local edition of the Michelin Red Guide. Our lead story unpacks why the city is still waiting on the worldwide restaurant arbiter to rate its food scene.
— Erin Reynolds (@morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Michelin published its first American edition in 2006 for New York City and has since featured the likes of Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia is notably absent. Our dining scene is a longtime success story (it was the first city outside of New York to warrant its own edition of the Zagat Survey), but we’re still waiting on the Michelin mark of approval.
Why? It could boil down to money. While Michelin inspectors work anonymously and independently to choose and review restaurants, the company often relies on tourism boards to fund marketing and promotions.
Robin Bloom, director of content for the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, said that if Michelin reaches out with interest and a price, “we’ll rally our partners to make it happen.” She’s not sure, though, how much it would cost to cinch a buy-in.
Keep reading to learn what local restauranteurs and chefs say a few Michelin stars would mean for Philly’s culinary landscape.
The National Park Service wants to renovate Old City’s Welcome Park. That included, briefly, a plan to remove the centerpiece statue of William Penn, and redesign the space to highlight Native American history. But, in a sudden reversal, the National Park Service said the statue will stay.
The park, located on Second Street between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, was built on the site of Penn’s home, and is named for the ship that transported him from England.
It’s since fallen into disrepair, and the National Park Service wants to rehab the park in time for the 250th birthday celebration of America in 2026.
Plans for the statue’s removal were met with pushback — mainly from Pennsylvania’s Republican leadership. House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler called it an “absurd and revisionist view of our state’s history” and intended to introduce a resolution “encouraging” the National Park Service to halt the plan.
Well, it did. The National Park Service said Monday evening that there will be no changes to the William Penn statue, but that plans to rehabilitate the park will continue.
This is not the first time in recent years Philadelphia has seen a struggle over statues. We dig in here.
What you should know today
With COVID and flu cases on the rise again, Jefferson Health, Penn Medicine, and Temple Health are bringing back masking requirements for patients, staff, and visitors.
Center City is losing a Rite Aid in another downsizing measure taken by the pharmacy chain amid its Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Sugary beverage sales went down as prices went up across five cities with soda taxes. Philadelphia saw the biggest changes.
Shigella is an increasingly hard to treat bacterial infection. It’s on the rise in Philadelphia, especially among people who are experiencing homelessness.
A Penn study has found that patients with long-term eating disorders want to be more involved in their own care. Participants said they felt they made more progress when they worked with doctors to develop their treatment plan, instead of having one imposed on them.
This program helps Black developers get land from the Philadelphia Land Bank. The goal? To diversify the real estate industry and build housing wealth. It has industry professionals from other cities intrigued.
The Eagles went to MetLife Stadium hoping to halt their free fall, but things only worsened. Here’s what we learned from the ugly loss.
It’s been three years since Philadelphians could spend a Saturday at Parkway Central Library. That’s changing next week.
🧠 Trivia time
This Philly native just won their first Golden Globe.
A) Colman Domingo
B) Da’Vine Joy
C) Quinta Brunson
D) Sheryl Lee Ralph
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
🏈 Anticipating: Inquirer columnist David Murphy is hosting a Reddit AMA today at 12 p.m. If you have questions about the struggling Eagles as they enter the postseason, he has answers. Join in here.
🧈 Admiring: The Pa. Farm Show’s 1,000-pound butter sculpture. According to Inquirer reporter Kristen A. Graham, it did not disappoint.
🏠 Touring: An early 1900s Victorian in Francisville gets a modern touch.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Victory Brewing’s new collaboration partner on a thoroughly Philly ale
KAYAK TEST
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Mike Vaupel who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Tower Theater.
Photo of the day
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