Former Philadelphia executive editor Benjamin Wallace has just released his first book, The Billionaire’s Vinegar, which traces the international mystery surrounding a wayward bottle of wine from Thomas Jefferson’s cellars. Philly Grill caught up with Wallace just as he was returning from his honeymoon with another Philly Mag emigrée, New York magazine’s Jessica Pressler. He’ll be giving a reading and talk at 3 p.m. on Sunday as part of the Free Library’s Philadelphia Book Festival. — Kyle Winslow

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For the Flyers to resuscitate their position in the Conference Finals tonight, they need more than Umberger goals and Marty Magic. In fact, they need some help from above, in the form of upper-deck dancer Shawny Hill, a senior at Rowan University who over the past two years has seen more JumboTron time than the Flyers themselves. — Amy Strauss

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In his role as chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, Wolf Block partner and political fund-raising powerhouse Alan Kessler got to throw a swingin’ ’do in New York this morning to honor Frank Sinatra, the face of the new 42-cent postage stamp. Philly Grill caught up with Kessler right after the ceremony to ask a few questions about the Chairman of the (non-postal) Board and find out who’d look better on an envelope — Ed Rendell or Al Gore. — Ali Cahill

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It’s been a week since best-selling author (and Philly Mag contributing writer) Buzz Bissinger assured himself internet immortality by tearing into Deadspin editor and sports blog ambassador Will Leitch during a live segment on HBO’s Costas Now. The blogosphere’s reaction — and his wife’s — was instantaneous and scorching, and Bissinger has been apologizing for his meltdown ever since. Philly Grill gingerly requested an interview this morning to see whether he’s had a real change of heart. — Brian James Kirk

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Phil Donahue was Oprah before Oprah. He’s in town for the theatrical premiere of his latest venture, Body of War, an anti-war documentary telling the story of a 24-year-old soldier who was shot and paralyzed after just five days in Iraq. Philly Grill caught up with him ahead of the film’s opening today at Landmark’s Ritz at the Bourse, where you’ll have your own chance to question him tonight at the 7:35 screening. — Lauren Pipitone

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For Howard Stern fans of a certain age, yesterday’s announcement that Wack Pack member Kenneth Keith Kallenbach had died of pneumonia at 39 was both a shock and a chance to reminisce about their own, possibly misspent, youths listening to Stern before there was such a thing as satellite radio. Philly Grill caught up by e-mail with phone prankster extraordinaire and fellow original Wack Packer Captain Janks, known off the air as Tom Cipriano, to talk about his longtime friend.

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When Philly Mag’s annual report on real estate hit the stands in late February, the outlook was decidedly optimistic. Real estate pros across the board — including Steve Storti, a senior VP for Prudential Fox & Roach — pooh-poohed the idea that Philadelphians were in the throes of the same credit crisis that had been wreaking havoc in Miami and Las Vegas, and offered a reassuring, if not sunny, eventual outcome for the Philly market. Now that numbers for the first quarter of 2008 are in, Philly Grill checks back in with Storti to see where we are. — Christine Speer

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In the May issue of The Atlantic, New York-based writer Ta-Nehisi Coates examines the latest incarnation of Bill Cosby, who’s been shaking up black communities across the country with strong words about overcoming racism and rebuilding families. Philly Grill got Coates on the phone to ask about his time reporting on one of Philadelphia’s most famous sons, and to find out why a piece that examines what’s essentially a moral crusade glossed over allegations of sexual assault Cosby has faced from multiple women over the past few years. — Stephanie Twining

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Barack Obama’s overwhelming support among young Americans has been a media truism throughout the entire primary season. So we couldn’t help but let out a perplexed “Say whaa?” when we opened today’s Daily Pennsylvanian — the student newspaper at the University of Pennsylvania — and saw an official endorsement of Hillary Clinton. Philly Grill grabbed the DP’s executive editor, David Lei, for a quick chat to find out what he and his staff were thinking. — Stephanie Twining

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With Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary race approaching the white-hot stage, state Representative and Deputy Speaker of the House Josh Shapiro has emerged as the local public face of Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign. One of his biggest challenges: convincing the Jewish community that Obama isn’t a pro-Palestinian Israel-hater. Philly Grill interviewed Shapiro by e-mail this morning, following a town-hall meeting he organized for undecided Jewish voters in Huntingdon Valley last night.

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