Inqlings: Adoption a nonstarter for now
Much has been made of the adoption plans of Phillies ace Cole Hamels, 25, and his wife, Heidi, 30, who started the process in Ethiopia.
Much has been made of the adoption plans of Phillies ace Cole Hamels, 25, and his wife, Heidi, 30, who started the process in Ethiopia.
Everything is on hold, says the former Heidi Strobel, because they're expecting in October.
She told me they didn't know the baby's sex. The two will turn up at 10 p.m. July 8, with several other baseball couples, on Baseball Wives: The E! True Hollywood Story.
Cameras followed the couple from spring training to Philly, and toured their apartment in Two Liberty Place in Center City.
Lawyering up
The central characters in TLC's Jon & Kate Plus Eight, opting for the relative privacy of Montgomery County's justice system to sort out their split, have retained high-powered counsel. County records of the divorce of Jon and Kate Gosselin show that she has hired Cheryl L. Young of Hangley, Aronchick, Segal & Pudlin, whose client list includes builder David Cutler in his divorce from 6ABC anchor Monica Malpass, while he chose Charles J. Meyer of Elliott, Greenleaf & Siedzikowski, who's done work for sports stars Andre Iguodala and Aaron McKie.
Restaurant report
Back to Two Liberty Place: Chef Daniel Stern and crew are now saying November for the opening of his next restaurant, on the building's 37th floor. Stern shut down his restaurant Rae in the Cira Centre early this year and said he was relocating it to 2LP. The new restaurant, which would become the highest public eatery in the city, has a new name: R2L. Stern also owns the bistro Gayle in Queen Village.
Center City's 15th Street south of Walnut has new dining action. Miga, an upscale Japanese-Korean restaurant, soft-opened last week at 211 S. 15th St., where ¡Pasión! used to be. Miga eventually will offer tabletop barbecue. Directly across the street, opening Wednesday in a former video store, will be an outpost of the international chain Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man. Its lively atmosphere - including vats of milk and white chocolate - is straight out of Willy Wonka.
Briefly noted
West Chester's Katie Cavuto - competing on The Next Food Network Star (fourth episode is 9 p.m. today) - will lead a cooking class at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday based on local, sustainable ingredients at Philly Kitchen Share (1514 South St., phillykitchenshare.com). Cavuto, the series' resident "green cuisine" proponent ("but I'm not preachy," she told me), owns Healthy Bites, a personal chef/nutrition business.
There's a powerful tie between the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Police Department. Today, Commissioner Charles Ramsey will be honored with the Keys & Sword Award luncheon at the Sheraton City Center Hotel, preceded by Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul next door.
Tomorrow marks the expansion of Eyewitness News' morning report, which will start 5 to 7 a.m. on CBS3 and segue to CW57 from 7 to 9 a.m. The show will evolve into more of an entertainment and feature approach, says Ukee Washington, who anchors with Liz Keptner, joined by meteorologist Maria LaRosa and traffic reporter Bob Kelly. Natasha Brown, who anchored the former CW Wake Up News, will report, and CW traffic reporter Sean Murphy will become a feature reporter.
Brenda Jorett, whom WHYY-FM (90.9) let go in January from its morning news, has started a public-relations firm, What's Next Productions, and will teach business communications in the fall at Rutgers-Camden.
Sports sorts
Hockey player Ben Eager, who spent a few seasons with the Phantoms and Flyers before heading to Chicago, is selling his 1,600-square-foot Old City loft at Front and Church Streets. Realtor Nancy Alperin of Maxwell Realty is asking $675,000 or will rent it for $2,995 furnished.
On Comcast SportsNet's SportsNite tonight (10 p.m.), Comcast-Spectacor chief Ed Snider reflects on the Spectrum. He shows his Superbox seat and tours not only the Flyers' locker room but the visitors' locker room. It was the scene of one of Snider's toughest negotiations. In January 1976, the Soviet Red Army team stalked off during an exhibition against the Flyers because of the Flyers' rough play. Snider told the Soviets that they wouldn't be paid if they didn't return. The Soviets acquiesced and the Flyers won, 4-1.
While the Sixers were picking in the NBA draft Thursday, a couple of "old" first- and second-round draft picks dined al fresco at Smith & Wollensky on Rittenhouse Square: Maurice Cheeks and backcourt partner Andrew Toney, along with Billy Cunningham and former Sixers aide Dave Coskey, now with the Borgata. They kept popping inside to check the TV in the bar.
Four wheels and flies
A 2009 Ford Mustang parked outside Tony Luke's sandwich shop on Oregon Avenue in South Philly is anything but abandoned. As of yesterday, four people had been living in the car all last week for the chance to win the car. In the contest, sponsored by WYSP-FM (94.1), they get a 15-minute break every three hours and may not have entertainment (iPods, cell phones, laptops). To ensure that the car becomes especially fragrant, there's no trash pickup. Any discarded items, including food, must remain inside. Dashboard-camera video is being streamed at wysp.com.