Village Pizza is under new ownership, and these guys are looking to make a strong impact on the local food scene. The same people who brought Jimmy John’s sandwich shop to University City have purchased the longtime pizza shop located on the 3200 block of Powelton Avenue in order to bring the students of Drexel University Pizza.Wings.Steaks., or as they call it, “P-Dubbz”.

Pizza.Wings.Steaks, already donning the clever nickname “P-Dubbz” has taken the place of Village Pizza. It will offer delicious foods that its name promises, with fresh ingredients at an affordable price.

This new eatery, along with next-door-neighbor California Pizza, makes this area a pizza hot spot on Drexel’s campus. PWS has a simple, straightforward menu, positioning it to compete with similar local restaurants. New owner Alex Moser spoke about what makes his restaurant different.

“It’s all about the ingredients. Everything on the menu is fresh, from the rib-eye used to make the cheesesteak to the hand-cut fries and the homemade, hand-battered mozzarella sticks,” Moser said. “You have to try our original Buffalo Chicken Pizza, which has chunks of freshly breaded chicken as well as a delicious buffalo base.”

The fries are truly delectable — they taste and look natural and are cooked to order. The portion was more than generous, perfect for sharing.  I just wish they were salted properly.

“P-Dubbz” also sells individual pizza slices, a crowd favorite for the line of students who visited the restaurant late last Saturday night. The restaurant could very well become the next late-night spot for students, as it’s open until 3 a.m. daily.

Unfortunately, the pizza was an underperformer. The bland sauce coupled with the grease factor kept me from enjoying each slice. Pricewise, though, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Of course if you’re stupid enough to order a full pie, you’ll be waiting quite a while among a drunken mob of students. Not ideal. Go for the pre-cooked slices — get in, get fed and get out.

It seems PWS has become a little overwhelmed by their new clientele. Upon searching for a menu online, the first search entry that popped up was a Craigslist ad soliciting employees to cook and bike their orders. Understaffed and overpopulated isn’t a great business model, but hopefully they’ll figure it out.

I did not try the cheesesteak, but naturally marketing this Philadelphia staple will be good for business.

I’d say the life expectancy for Pizza.Wings.Steaks. could be quite long, given their emphasis on simplicity and low cost. Plus, it’s hard to taste when you’re drunk off your ass.

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Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery at Kimmel Center

The Philadelphia Orchestra celebrates Vivaldi, Venice and violins in this compelling mystery set in the early 1700s about an orphan girl, Katarina, who is in search of her roots. A central clue to the story is a missing Stradivarius violin that the Duke of Cremona has brought to Vivaldi’s school of the Pieta in the hope of finding his long-lost grandchild. Watch as the drama unfolds, accompanied by music from Vivaldi’s most popular and important works.

The Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.
Saturday, April 20
Cost: starting at $15
www.kimmelcenter.org

Shiny Toy Guns

This weekend, come rock out with The Dirty Heads and Shiny Toy Guns as Radio 104.5 and Five Seven Music present the Tour Odyssey. Supporting acts include Midi Matilda and Oh No Fiasco. For every attendee who purchases a ticket to the show will receive a Five Seven music sampler. So, grab a couple of your college buddies, and head down to the TLA!

The Theatre of Living Arts
Sunday, April 14
Cost: $20

Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre hosts two Bard classics

This year the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre’s plays “Othello” and “Much Ado About Nothing” examine the microcosm of marriage, and in particular, trust. It is here in our lifelong partnerships that we finally understand ourselves — what we value and what we are about as opposed to what we say we are about. It is the place where our most personal selves are illuminated, where all our strengths and weaknesses, our many contradictions are borne out. By exploring the issues closest to our hearts — trust, betrayal, fidelity, deception and love — Shakespeare is able to show us a reflection of our larger world: our family, community, the entire society and global forces. It is the issue of trust that is front and center in these two plays.

Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St.
“Othello” plays until May 18. “Much Ado About Nothing” plays until May 19.
Cost: varies
www.phillyshakespeare.org

The Beer Garden At The Porch offers beer and music

Experience the outdoor Beer Garden at The Porch at 30th Street Station. Bridgewater’s Pub will offer German and craft beers. Enjoy the fresh air and live music, all while taking in the sights and sounds of the third-busiest train station in America. The beer selection at the April 18-19 beer garden at The Porch will be Konig Ludwig Hefeweizen, Hofbrau Doppelbock, Great Divide Titan IPA and Warsteiner Dunkel Lager.

30th Street Station, 2955 Market St.
April 18-19, 3-8 p.m.
Cost: pay as you go
universitycity.org

Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” playing at the Academy of Music

In creating a new production of “The Magic Flute” — one of the most beloved of all Mozart operas — the creative team has focused on what makes the story so engagingly theatrical for audiences of every generation. We have sought to explore the layers of comedy, fairy tale and myth that come together in live performance. The entire opera has been reimagined as a play-within-the-play — a performance being created before our eyes by the members of a household and their guests in celebration of the name day of the opera’s heroine, Pamina. It is something out of the world of Shakespearean comedy, where the concepts of the theater and the stage are presented for what they can reveal to us about our own real-world natures.

Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.
April 19-28
Cost: starts at $10
www.operaphila.org

First-ever South Street Spring Festival

The Street Festival will be filled with music, dancing and entertainment sure to appeal to all tastes. The main stage at 5th and South streets will feature eight popular local acts. The sounds of rock, blues and other great combinations programmed by the Legendary Dobbs and Twisted Tail music venues will be sure to keep the crowd moving and grooving. The young local talents of the School of Rock Band and the Tune Up Philly youth orchestra will also be featured throughout the day. Other musical performances will fill the air at five additional street locations as well as at participating bars and restaurants.

South Street between 2nd and 8th streets
May 4, noon to 8 p.m.
Cost: free
www.southstreet.com

Philadelphia Antiques Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center

Founded in 1962, The Philadelphia Antiques Show is one of the longest-running antique shows in the country. It premiered under the direction of its founder, Ali Brown, as the “University Hospital Antiques Show at the 33rd Street Armory in West Philadelphia.” The Show is now recognized as the finest and most prestigious show in the United States, offering diverse furnishings and decorative arts for both the period and modern American home. Since the beginning, the Show’s committee (now comprised of more than 200 dedicated volunteers) has worked tirelessly to organize, develop and produce one of the best — and largest — American antique shows in the world.

Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St.
April 13-15
Cost: $20 for admission, $25 for guided tour
www.thephiladelphiaantiquesshow.org

Philadelphia Book Festival reaches 54 different locations

This year the Philadelphia Book Festival will expand to include every library location in the city — 54 sites in all — and will feature author events in the Parkway Central Library’s Montgomery Auditorium every evening as well as special author appearances in every neighborhood library throughout the week. The beloved Book Festival now stretches into every Philadelphia community, ensuring that bookworms and literacy lovers from across the city can get in on the fun. Headlining authors who will appear throughout the week at Parkway Central include Rachel Maddow, Ken Kalfus, Baratunde Thurston and Cheryl Strayed. Direct, focused service is just one hallmark of the 21st century Free Library, and festivalgoers will see this firsthand at the seventh annual Philadelphia Book Festival, taking place during National Library Week.

Multiple Locations
April 14-20
Cost: author events free
www.freelibrary.org

Noodle Bar opens in Washington Square West

Cheu Noodle Bar was conceptualized by longtime friends Ben Puchowitz and

Shawn Darragh. Puchowitz has been manning the stoves at Matyson Restaurant for

over four years, and Darragh has extensive food and retail marketing experience.

The combination of their respective backgrounds, along with their obsession for

everything noodle, generated the idea behind their new venture. The menu will feature inventive spins on classic noodle dishes like pho, ramen and soba, enhanced by local ingredients.

Cheu Noodle Bar, 255 S. 10th St.

www.cheunoodlebar.com

PIFA Street Fair on Broad Street

The Street Fair is the culminating event of the spectacular 31-day Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. The Kimmel Center will close Broad Street April 27 for an all-out extravaganza, capturing the magic and mystery of this year’s PIFA theme, “If You Had a Time Machine.” Food vendors, artisans and exhibitors will fill the street while Philadelphians are captivated and entertained by a wide variety of unique street performers, musicians and family-friendly programming as the gates of time open up onto Broad Street. Highlights include street fair rides such as Ferris wheel and galleon, grassy gardens, dinosaur petting zoo, and Urban Koncept jungle gyms.

Broad Street from Chestnut to South streets

Saturday, April 27

Cost: Free

www.pifa.org

Dining Out for Life benefits AIDS research

Well over 150 restaurants across the Delaware Valley will donate 33 percent of the night’s proceeds to benefit men, women and children with HIV/AIDS. Dining Out for Life was founded in Philadelphia by ActionAIDS, an organization that works with people living with HIV/AIDS to enhance their quality of life. This year, Dining Out for Life is celebrating its 23rd anniversary. Participating restaurants donate one-third of the cost of your meal to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Making a difference is as easy as going out to eat! Support Dining Out for Life by dining out at your favorite restaurant. Search for participating restaurants by location, cuisine type, meal served, or even for restaurants taking part in our special 20 percent off Tuesday promotion. Make your reservations soon, and remember to support these amazing restaurants throughout the year. They truly make a difference in your community! You can also volunteer as a Dining Out for Life Ambassador. Volunteers are key to the success of this event. Visit the Dining Out for Life website for more information. Thank you again for helping us make sure that no one faces AIDS alone. You are our hero.

Participating restaurants
Thursday, April 25
Cost: varies
www.diningoutforlife.com

“Art of Golf” exhibit at Philadelphia Museum of Art

“The Golfers” (1847), an iconic work by Scottish painter Charles Lees (1800-1880), is the centerpiece of “The Art of Golf,” an exhibition celebrating what has been called “a game of considerable passion” on the occasion of the U.S. Open Championships, which will be played in June at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. This installation explores the creation of Lees’ complex and ambitious masterpiece, bringing together related works, including sketches, a photograph and an engraving, alongside golf equipment and clothing that illuminate the sport.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
March 16 through July 7
Cost: Free with museum admission
www.philamuseum.org

Stargazing at The Franklin Institute

Please join chief astronomer Derrick Pitts for a very special Night Skies in the Observatory. The first-ever Franklin Institute-produced full-dome planetarium show makes its world premiere Monday, March 18. Attendees of the March 14 Night Skies in the Observatory were among the very first to see the visually stunning film, produced by the Franklin Institute together with SkySkan.
Narrated by James May of the TV show “Top Gear,” this brand-new technologically advanced planetarium show explores the way each of us has been changed by the discoveries made by the international space program. From the devices we use every day to the tools that are breaking new ground in medicine and engineering, we can all thank space exploration for making our modern lives possible.

The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.
Second Thursday of each month, 6-9 p.m.
Cost: Free for members, $5 for nonmembers
www2.fi.edu

“Under The Whaleback” playing at Wilma Theater

The year is 1965. Aboard the Kingston Jet docked in Hull, England, a new teenage sailor, Daz, receives shocking information about his lineage from a legendary deckhand. Flash forward to 1972. A violent storm off the Icelandic coast thrashes the James Joyce and its crew of merchant fishermen, including Daz, with fatal consequences. Flash forward again to 2002. Daz is now 54, a father and the curator of the Arctic Kestrel museum ship. A mysterious stranger unexpectedly enters after hours, making furious accusations and playing a dangerous game. Connecting three riveting snapshots of time with stunning twists, “Under the Whaleback” depicts one of the most dangerous occupations in the world with maritime theatricality, larger-than-life heroics and unrestrained dark comedy.

Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St.
Now through April 7
Cost: $23-46
www.wilmatheater.org

“Sister Act” comes to the Academy of Music

“Sister Act” is Broadway’s feel-amazing musical comedy smash! The New York Post calls it “ridiculously fun,” and audiences are jumping to their feet in total agreement! Featuring original music by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Little Shop of Horrors”), “Sister Act” tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wannabe diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her in the last place anyone would think to look — a convent! Under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own. A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, “Sister Act” is reason to rejoice!

The Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.
April 2-7
Cost: $25-45
www.kimmelcenter.org

MANNA’s Shut Up & Dance Fundraiser turns 21

Shut Up & Dance is turning 21 and all grown up! Come out for a night on the town as Dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet put on a one-night-only performance for the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance. Under the direction of Pennsylvania Ballet principal dancer Ian Hussey, the dancers will choreograph and perform original pieces that create a night of honor, excitement and creativity. Acclaimed WXPN morning show host Michaela Majoun will host this special evening for the 17th time with her witty remarks and vibrant energy. It will be a night you will not want to miss!

Forrest Theater, 1114 Walnut St.
Saturday, March 23, 8 p.m.
Cost: Tickets start at $25
www.mannapa.org

“The Addams Family” comes to The Academy of Music

“The Addams Family” is a smash-hit musical comedy that brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley, and of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life. “A visually satisfying, rib-tackling, lunatic musical that will entertain you to death!” according to Toronto Post City, this magnificently macabre new musical comedy is created by “Jersey Boys” authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Drama Desk-winning composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa (“The Wild Party”), choreographer Sergio Trujillo (“Jersey Boys”), and Olivier Award-winning director-designers Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch (“Shockheaded Peter”), with creative consultation by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks.

The Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.
March 19-24
Cost: $20-100
www.kimmelcenter.org

“Tugboats: The Art of Dave Boone” at Independence Seaport Museum

This exhibit not only showcases the artist’s beautifully detailed artwork but also portrays the life and progression of his passion for tugboats. Boone has honed his self-taught skills to produce vivid, well-detailed watercolor paintings of contemporary and historical ships and tugboats. He continues to paint commissions for the maritime community, and his extensive knowledge and artistic ability combines to make his maritime subjects come alive.

Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Now through Aug 4.
Cost: free with museum admission
www.phillyseaport.org

New stores open at Reading Terminal Market

We are pleased to announce that the following stores are now open: The Tubby Olive, selling olive oils and vinegars on-tap; The Head Nut, selling spices, candy, coffee, tea and nuts; Wursthaus Schmitz, our German Delikatessen selling homemade sausages, sandwiches, main dishes, meats and more; Valley Shepherd Creamery, our new cheese maker; Keven Parker’s Soul Food Cafe, our new soul food restaurant; and Nanee’s Kitchen, serving Indian and Pakistani offerings to include grocery products and additional cooked foods. We hope you’ll stop by and explore all that they have to offer! Next up: Border Springs Lamb Farm, an all-lamb deli selling their own humanely raised lamb cuts and lamb dishes such as stew, shepherd’s pie and meatballs.

Reading Terminal Market, 51 N. 12th St.
Hours: vary by day of the week
www.readingterminalmarket.org

Philly Fringe and Philadelphia Live Arts Festival receive new home

The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe have been supporting local artists and bringing the world’s newest and most cutting-edge cultural experiences to our city for the past 16 years. About 1,500 local, national and international artists of all disciplines participate in the annual Festival — 16 days of nonstop wild creativity and daring performances enjoyed by an audience of over 30,000 last year. A permanent home and year-round facility will allow Live Arts to be the region’s premier presenter of contemporary performance and developer of new work. Live Arts is primed to support more artists, reach more audiences, and bring more art to Philadelphia from around the world. Our new center’s groundbreaking design creates a welcoming social environment by embedding arts and culture in a fun, vibrant atmosphere. The center will animate the Philadelphia waterfront and provide Live Arts with new revenue streams to help maintain expanded programs.

Corner of Race Street and Columbus Boulevard
www.fringearts.com

Theatre Confetti introduces “Edith Can Shoot Things And Hit Them”

Theatre Confetti invites you to explore growing up, staying young, and falling in love on an isolated farm in Middle America. You’ll walk down the dirt path, along the fenced road and through the barn, into the house where you’ll meet 16 year-old Kenny and his little sister, Edith. Abandoned by their father, Kenny cares for Edith and falls in love with his best friend, Benji. But when the outside world threatens to disrupt their lives, Edith takes it upon herself to protect the family unit that these three adolescents have built. The show is directed by Aaron Cromie
and stars Justin Jain, Bi Jean Ngo and Steve Pacek.

The Power Plant Basement, 223 N. Bread St.
March 8-24
Cost: $15-30
www.theatreconfetti.com

­­Philadelphia Museum of Art offers “Pay-What-You-Wish” program

The Museum’s main building will be open until 8:45 p.m. every Wednesday. Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesday Nights are casual, exciting and illuminating. Come on your own or with family or friends! Explore the Museum and its remarkable collections in inventive, interactive and dynamic new ways. Gallery conversations take unexpected forms such as “triple play,” when we invite visitors to talk about three works united by a common theme. Mini-film festivals will be screened, showcasing international independent films and artist’s films as well as old favorites. Regional artists will offer in-gallery experiences or performance pieces. Once a month, visitors can play games inspired by the collection. “Pop-up” programs will include sketching in the galleries and storytelling. Every week, music will bring evocative aural sensations to the Great Stair Hall, and once a month, musicians will perform live in the galleries.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Wednesdays starting at 5 p.m.
Cost: pay what you wish
www.philamuseum.org

Three-course pork dinner at Amada

Pig Out at Amada! Whether in Atlantic City or Philadelphia, enjoy a three-course experience featuring endless Cochinillo Asado, our whole-roasted suckling pig, carved by our chefs tableside. Slow-cooked for 48 hours, the juicy pork is served with assorted tapas like chorizo a la plancha, herb-roasted fingerling potatoes and rosemary white beans. Stay refreshed with our unlimited sangria, offered in both red and white. First Course: Ensalada Verde, Tortilla Espanola (AC), Padron Peppers (Philadelphia), Chorizo a la plancha. Second Course: Cochinillo Asado, Garbanzos a La Catalana, Herb-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Rosemary White Beans. Dessert: Spanish Flan.

Amada, 217 Chestnut St.
Sunday, March 10, 4:30-9 p.m.
Cost: $55 per person for unlimited food, $75 per person for unlimited food and sangria
www.garcesgroup.com

Presidents Day weekend at the Constitution Center

During Presidents Day weekend, visitors to the Center will learn about the role of the president and what it takes to be commander in chief. At craft activity tables, children can create campaign buttons, design their own presidential seals, and more. Guests also are invited to join in a special “Presidential Tour” of the Center’s main exhibition. During Presidential Trivia, participants will race against the clock to answer questions about presidential elections, inaugurations and even pets! Re-enactors will join the Center throughout the weekend to mingle with guests, pose for photos, sign autographs, and discuss their lives and presidencies.

National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.
Feb. 16-Feb. 18
Cost: free with admission
www.constitutioncenter.org

My Brother Marvin playing at Merriam Theater The musical genius of Marvin Gaye is undisputedly documented in the annals of music history with his continual string of No. 1 and top-10 hits, unforgettable duets and larger-than-life persona. No doubt, from his auspicious introduction to music at an early age until his premature and untimely death at the age of 45, one fact remained undeniably true — Marvin was the voice of his generation. But what about the man? What about the influences and people who shaped Marvin, those forces that destroyed Marvin, those who loved Marvin and the family that now carries on his legacy? What about that story, the real story, the true story of the marvelous Marvin Gaye! The world knows his music, but they don’t know the man behind the music. In this shocking and spellbinding new version of “My Brother Marvin,” audiences will experience the most candid and revealing story of life with this musical icon, a story that has never been told. Based on the firsthand accounts of Marvin’s sister Zeola, “My Brother Marvin” pushes the envelope by revealing Marvin’s internal battles, greatest fears and most salacious family secrets.

The Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.
Feb. 19-24
Cost: $33.50-$37.50
www.kimmelcenter.org

Mosaic exhibition at Penn Museum

More than 300 square feet and nearly 2,000 years old, this ancient Roman floor mosaic is one of the world’s largest and best preserved. Discovered in 1996 in Lod, Israel (near Tel Aviv), the “Lod Mosaic” is often characterized as an archaeological gem. Learn about the mosaic’s discovery, history and conservation in this limited-time exhibition. See this unique masterpiece in its final United States venue before it travels to the Louvre in Paris and eventually becomes the permanent focus of the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center in Israel.

Penn Museum, 3260 South St.
Now through May 19
Cost: $12
www.penn.museum