Popular Delco Restaurant Closing One Year After Gordon Ramsay Came to “Help”

A sign at Wilson’s Secret Sauce barbecue restaurant in Upper Darby, which appeared on the Fox series Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service. / Wilson’s Secret Sauce photograph, provided; Gordon Ramsay photograph via Getty

This time last year, Delco was all a-twitter after a resident spotted celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay walking down the street in Upper Darby. It turned out he was here to “save” popular Best of Philly-winning barbecue joint Wilson’s Secret Sauce via a new Fox show, Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which was all about “America’s filthiest restaurants.” (Wilson’s turned out to be not the least bit filthy.)

One year later, after Ramsay exited the premises, Wilson’s Secret Sauce is closing its sit-down restaurant – just like Philly restaurants Zocalo and the Hot Potato Cafe closed not long after getting the Gordon Ramsay treatment years ago — and selling their building. Here, husband-and-wife team Steve and Kelly Wilson talk about their experience living through a restaurant “reality” show and what’s next for them.

For those who don’t know your backstory, tell us what you were doing before you opened Wilson’s Secret Sauce in Upper Darby in 2018.

Steve Wilson: I was a mechanic for many years and started smoking ribs and brisket on the side as a hobby. Garry Maddox used to have a big barbecue competition down at the ballpark, and we entered and took first in chicken and second in ribs a couple of times. This evolved into doing a bit of catering, which grew quickly to the point where we couldn’t do it out of our house.

The location you chose on Township Line Road has always seemed like a doomed address to me. Before you, nothing really took off there.

SW: Yes, it was an Indian place, it was a crab cake place, it was something else — I think a pizza place? This guy I bowled with owned the building, and he convinced me to sign a lease. Then COVID hit, and banks were like, “You really want to buy real estate right now? Sure, here’s a mortgage.” So we bought the building.

Do you regret buying it?

SW: Not at all. We’re going to set up a ghost kitchen in Delco – we have a friend who wants to open a bakery but doesn’t want to commit to her own space yet — so we can share that and just concentrate on the catering.

Why sell the sit-down spot in the first place, though?

SW: Our son is 13. He’s wrestling and playing football, and if we keep the restaurant, we’re going to miss out on so many things. Plus, it’s hard to keep staff there. It’s hard to bring in tables if I don’t have waitresses, and it’s hard to bring in waitresses without tables. And our dynamic is really about catering and events. We’re also selling it for more than we bought it for.

That’s always a good thing. So … Gordon Ramsay.

Kelly Wilson [joining the call as she’s getting her kids off to school]: Hi, Victor. It’s Kelly. Do you want my opinion or Steve’s?

Steve and Kelly Wilson inside Wilson’s Secret Sauce in Upper Darby the week before the Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service about them aired / Photograph by Kae Lani Palmisano

Go for it, Kelly!

SW: Just remember … It’s going down on paper!

KW: I mean, it’s not that I don’t appreciate some of the advice that he gave us. I’m sure it helped with some things. But business actually slowed down a bit since he came in.

Wow. I didn’t expect you to say that. I know the dining room isn’t often crowded when I come in, but you seem to do a heck of a lot of catering and takeout.

SW: When I look back at it and look at, “Are you still climbing, are you staying the same, or are you going backwards?” I have to say that last year was the first year that we went down year-to-year.

KW: Gordon Ramsay changed the menu. I didn’t feel like his menu … We had a lot of customers coming in from day one of the new menu begging us to bring the old menu back. We were getting lost with his menu, and our menu really worked a lot better.

SW: We had a lot of things on our menu, yes, and that drove Gordon crazy. But the thing is, our menu was just a combination of things we had in-house. We weren’t bringing in one thing to create some new dish. We are looking at a case of chickens and figuring out what new and different thing we could do with those chickens. But I think that overall, working with Gordon Ramsay was a great reality check, more than anything else. Some of the show was a little humiliating and I could have used more of a hand in the back office and less in the kitchen, but …

One of the things that came out in the show was that you are in debt for more than $600,000.

SW: Yeah, that sounds like a lot. But really, almost all of that is just two mortgages: one on our house in Havertown, and one on the restaurant. And the house and the restaurant are both worth the same amount of money or more than what we paid for them, and now we are getting out from under the restaurant. So it’s okay.

Gordon Ramsay with Wilson’s Secret Sauce owner and chef Steve Wilson in Upper Darby during the shooting of Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service / Photograph via Fox

You mentioned being humiliated on the show.

SW: So, they basically kick you out of your restaurant. They showed up on a Friday and we had to hand over our keys and leave, and then they go in with Gordon and their cameras. So they show brisket in our walk-in, and they say, “Oh my God, they are going to reheat that brisket.” But that brisket was actually from that day and it was supposed to go to Barnaby’s in Havertown and the Greeks in Narberth. I wholesale my brisket out to them and they turn it into cheesesteak specials or quesadillas or tacos. And then, if you watch the episode, they’re watching us cook and saying, “Oh my God, he’s going to throw those burnt ends into the fryer.” They weren’t burnt ends at all. They were chicken wings.

My impression is that, at first, you didn’t realize any of this had anything to do with Gordon Ramsay.

SW: We weren’t approached by Gordon Ramsay or his people. We were approached by a network that said, “Hey, you want a makeover?”

Right, I saw that a restaurant in Rhode Island had complained that they were sold on this idea of getting a fresh new look for their restaurant, and nothing about Gordon Ramsay going undercover with infrared cameras in the middle of the night.

KW: No, they kind of tricked you about that!

SW: Well, they didn’t tell you exactly what the premise was. I wouldn’t say we were “tricked.”

But then the trailer comes out for the new series and they say it’s all about “America’s filthiest restaurants.” I can’t imagine how nervous that must have made you.

KW: I got really upset because, first of all, I take pride in keeping this restaurant clean and immaculate. I don’t want people to be skeeved touching things, to be grossed out because things are dirty and sticky. So it’s actually extremely clean.

SW: I think the production team was actually shocked they were here for the show, based on how clean the restaurant was.

KW: They really didn’t do much. The show was originally supposed to be a makeover show. They put some fresh paint up and changed the curtains and put plastic tablecloths down. We didn’t get a whole lot of new stuff like the restaurants in the other episodes.

Steve, you and I recently had a conversation about the cost of goods, where you were complaining that the price of a case of corn just went from $18 to $58. And I get that. But I also feel like there are some restaurants out there charging COVID pricing just because people are used to paying for it. I’m not going to name the spot, but I recently got a barely mediocre cheese pizza from a place in Delco, and it was more than $30 for a large pepperoni. So you’ve got some flour, some water, some low-quality cheese, and some low-quality pepperoni.

SW: Well, but you also have to keep in mind that a lot of places are paying people a much better hourly wage, because people won’t work for minimum wage anymore, in many cases. So, sure, that pizza might only cost them however much to make — but what about payroll and other overhead like rising utility costs, what about insurance that goes up and up every year? The cost of those pizza boxes went up.

KW: Well, hold on now. I do feel like there are businesses out there definitely taking advantage, like they just know people are going to pay, so they might as well just keep it that way. But Steve and I, we adjust our menu regularly. Our rib costs go up and down, so they go up and down on the menu. We were at $32 a rack, and now we’re at $28.

So you’ve opened a restaurant and now you are closing one. What advice do you have to people out there who say they want to open their own restaurant?

SW: I tell people all the time, if you are going to own your own business, whether it’s a restaurant or not, you have to own the real estate. If you don’t own, you’re just paying rent with nothing to show for it. If you buy and have a mortgage, you have that property to fall back on. You don’t want a landlord. You’re at the mercy of whatever the rent’s gonna be. Sure, you might have the benefit of more foot traffic in a mall or at a strip mall, but you’re going to get clobbered in every other way.

Kelly?

KW: [pauses] I would definitely find a mentor. Follow somebody around. Really look into it because there’s a lot more involved than you would think. Steve and I literally had to learn everything along the way. Be prepared to, if you have kids, you’re not going to see them a lot. It’s hard. [pauses]

SW: Hon, don’t cry,

KW: You miss a lot along the way. You miss weddings. And funerals. You miss your kids’ games. You miss your kids’ concerts.

I wish you a lot of luck.

SW and KW: Thank you.

Ask Dr. Mike: Why Is It So Hard to Get Men to Go to the Doctor?

Mike Cirigliano, aka Penn’s Dr. Mike, explains why men are so reluctant to go to the doctor.

Meet internal medicine physician Michael Cirigliano, affectionately known as “Dr. Mike” to not only his 2,000 patients, who love his unfussy brilliance, tenacity, humor, and warmth (he’s a hugger!), but also to viewers of FOX 29’s Good Day Philadelphia, where he’s been a long-time contributor. For 32 years, he’s been on the faculty at Penn, where he trained. And he’s been named a Philadelphia magazine Top Doc every year since 2008. Now, he’s our in-house doc for the questions you’ve been itching (perhaps literally) to ask a medical expert who’ll answer in words you actually understand. Got a doozy for him? Ask Dr. Mike at lbrzyski@phillymag.com.

When I saw the topic for this week’s Ask Dr. Mike, I knew I had to be the one to do the interview. You’ve been my primary care doc for the better part of two decades, so you know just how reluctant I am to come in for my annual. As a man, I’m not unusual in that sense, right?
Not at all. Women see a doctor about two times more than men do, and this is especially the case with younger men. You know – they feel healthy. They’re invincible! They’re tough! They can handle it! Plus, there’s historically been so much cultural stuff that men absorb from society like — well, you’re a guy, you know it — “There’s no crying in baseball. Suck it up.”

Why else might men avoid the doctor?
Sometimes, they feel uncomfortable with an opposite-sex physician. Like, “Boy, do I really need to tell her that my junk is not working?” Plus, people are busy, they’re working hard, so they’re like, “I have no time to see a doctor.”

If I psychoanalyze myself, I’d have to say I avoid doctor visits because I don’t want to hear bad news. This makes no sense, of course, because it’s better to find something bad today than two years from now.
Early is better! But, yes, a lot of studies show that guys are very, very afraid of the unknown. They’re afraid of what they might hear and just don’t want to hear it. That’s a problem, especially when it comes to something like colon cancer, which is now impacting more younger people than ever. The phenomenon is frightening. We now recommend that colon-cancer screening beginning at age 45 (it used to be 50). So you’ve got to get to the doctor for regular checkups, and you also have to tell us immediately if you’re having blood in the stools, for instance.

I would hope that somebody finding blood in their poop would call their doctor right away.
Well, you might think it’s just hemorrhoids — you know, that it’s nothing.

Many men are averse to the idea of a colonoscopy, as am I. For me, though, it’s not so much about “don’t touch my butt” as it is about the fear of being put under. So your office sent me a little kit where I could collect a stool sample at home and mail it to the lab. But is this test just as good as a colonoscopy?
It’s a very effective test. But it’s not for people at high risk for colon cancer — say, someone who has had adenomatous polyps, or a strong family history of the disease, or a genetic condition known as Lynch syndrome. This is not the test for them — they need a colonoscopy, which is the gold standard. And, to be honest with you, a little touch of propofol now and then will give you a nice sleep. [Laughs].

While on the subject of the butt, do a lot of men refuse the digital rectal exam?
Oh, yeah, absolutely. While there’s now some debate about whether it’s necessary, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s important. I do the exam for two reasons: to look for blood in the stool and, to feel for masses on the prostate.

And to all the guys out there, I can personally tell you that Dr. Mike uses more lube than anybody in the contiguous United States of America.
Surveys show I use more K.Y. than four out of five doctors.

I know we’re mainly talking to the guys here, but any words for their partners?
Nag your men — nagging is very important! (There’s a reason why, if you’re in a long-term relationship, you live longer — the nagging can save your life.). So tell him, “You’re snoring, and I can’t stand it! You might have sleep apnea!” Nag him until he goes to the doctor. Me, I try to take care of myself. I don’t want my wife spending my money with some young buck named Rico Suave. What, I keel over and they’re toasting me in Acapulco ? That pisses me the fuck off!

From Fairmount to the Today Show: The Journey of Sheinelle Jones

Today show personality Sheinelle Jones, who is from Philadelphia / Photograph by Kyle Kielinski

Sheinelle Jones, 47, was born in Fairmount but spent much of her childhood in Kansas. She came home in 2005 when she landed a big gig: co-hosting Good Day Philadelphia with Mike Jerrick. In 2014, she departed once again, this time to New York to join the Today show. She started there as a reporter, rose through the ranks, and in mid-January became co-host of a fourth hour of the show. Her partner on camera? Jenna Bush Hager, as in the daughter of George W. Here, Jones talks about grieving her late husband, her mission to help her national audience feel good in spite of what’s happening in the world, and how she and Jerrick were “a match made in heaven.”

Hi, Sheinelle. Before we go any further, I need to ask you about the i in the middle of your name, which doesn’t seem to be reflected in how people pronounce it. It kind of doesn’t make any sense.
[Laughs] My name sounds like “Chanel.” My mom’s name is Sheila and my father is Darnell, so my dad’s sister had the genius idea, when I was born, to put the two names together and spell it Sheinelle. It’s counterintuitive. I once had a manager ask me to change the spelling to “Shenelle” to make life easier for viewers. But I said, Nah, Sheinelle is my name.

And now that name is written out next to “Jenna” in big letters at the big desk you sit at every morning to co-host Jenna & Sheinelle.
It’s funny. Fast-forward all those years from that conversation I had with the manager about changing my name, and I then walked out and saw it on the desk and had a little moment.

“Our goal is to uplift you and have a good time,” says Jones, here with co-host Jenna Bush Hager on the first day of Jenna & Sheinelle.  / Photograph by Marc J. Franklin/NBC/Today

Yes, I was watching that first episode, and it all seemed to bring a tear to your eye.
It really did. I felt like I was in A Christmas Carol, where I come out of my body and watch my life. And then they were playing all these clips from my early days in TV. It was like a This Is Your Life thing. In that moment, perhaps for the first time, I really gave myself credit for the hard work I put into this.

I know you were born in Philadelphia, a city that you’d return to decades later for Good Day Philadelphia, but I read that you spent much of your childhood in Wichita. Tell us about that?
My mom and dad were college sweethearts, and they moved to Philly right after graduation. I was born here, but then they divorced. My mom was from Wichita originally, so I moved there with her and spent summers with my dad in Philly. I have so many photos from Beechwood Street in Fairmount and from Wildwood. My parents both remarried when I was little, so I have a blended family. I always joke that we are the Black Brady Bunch.

Was journalism something you aspired to from a young age?
I remember telling my grandmother, Josephine, that I wanted to be a hairstylist, and she said, “Okay, you can be like Miss Lillian,” who used to do her hair. And then I was like, “Grandma, I want to be a fashion coordinator,” and she said, “Okay, absolutely.” And then my mom would let me take clothes out of her closet and I would say, “You should wear this shirt with these pants.” Whatever I came up with, my mom and grandmother never said I couldn’t or shouldn’t. But I do distinctly remember telling my grandmother that I wanted to be a news reporter. I’d seen a woman reporter on TV and admired her, and said, “I want to be her!” My grandmother’s eyes lit up in a way I hadn’t seen before. By the time I got to Northwestern for college, I had already done some internships in media. I had all this experience. And then at Northwestern, I had another internship, and then another, and then another — climbing the ladder one step at a time. When it came time to graduate, I think I sent out 44 VHS tapes of myself to news stations all over the place and just waited for a callback. Thank God it all worked out.

You popped around media markets in the Midwest and South before landing the Good Day Philadelphia job in 2005, where you co-hosted with Mike Jerrick, who is a real character. Now be honest: What was it like working with that guy every day?
Mike is one of my best friends — I just talked to him earlier today! When we first met, we started talking about our lives. And I was like, “Wait, you’re from Wichita? So am I!” And he’s like, “I grew up on Terrace.” I grew up on Terrace! Not only did we grow up on the same street, decades apart, but our moms went to the same high school. You can’t make sense of it, but I’ve always felt it was divine. The good Lord brought me back to Philly, to live and work and be in the city that was so much a part of the fabric of my life. I started as a morning reporter, then moved to the desk one day, and the rest is history. Mike and I were a match made in heaven.

Sheinelle Jones with Good Day Philadelphia’s Mike Jerrick in 2013 / Photograph by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

You’re in New York now. But do you get back to Philly much?
All the time. My brother and dad are there; my friends are there. I’ll go to see Mike, or someone is having a party, and it’s only an hour-and-15-minute train ride on Acela. Once or twice every few weeks, I’m in town.

I feel the need to interject some fun trivia here. Your dad, C. Darnell Jones, is a federal judge in Philadelphia. And who nominated him to the bench? None other than your new co-host’s dad, aka George W. Bush, back when he was president.
[Laughs] You’ve done your homework! Isn’t that crazy?! You know, when I got the job on Good Day, they didn’t know that my father was a judge. And I remember telling them, and they asked me why I hadn’t mentioned that in the interview. I just wanted the job on my own.

I put in this interview request several weeks ago, right after I heard that you’d be launching the new show with Jenna. Had no idea we’d wind up talking just two days after the launch, or that just this morning, People magazine would unveil their new cover with you on it. And now I’m hearing that you have a book coming out next month. Exciting times!
They are beyond. And when the head of our publicity department told me that this interview was for Philly Mag, can I tell you something? I always loved flipping through the pages of the magazine. My goal for so long was just to be invited to a Philly Mag party. So this is surreal for me. This is not lost on me. I am honored to talk with you. Philadelphia has really carried me. When people in Philadelphia love you, they love you hard. It’s where I was born; it’s where my three children were born; it’s where I was married. Philadelphia will always be such a special part of me. And so the fact that I’m talking to you during such a momentous week in my life just makes sense.

Sheinelle Jones gracing the cover of People / Photograph by Brian Doben

I’ll pass along your interest to our events department. I’m sure you’ll get a party invite right quick.
[Laughs]

When I think of the Today show, I think of the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. portion, where you started as a reporter, and vividly remember watching Matt Lauer and Katie Couric narrate the terrible events of September 11th. Then there’s the 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. portion, which you used to co-host. And then there’s the fourth hour that you’re now permanently co-hosting, following Hoda Kotb’s departure. But I’ve also heard that you’ll still be involved with other portions. Can you explain?
I’ll be on from 7 to 9 doing reports and filling in anchoring — I’m not going anywhere from that. News is embedded in me. It’s part of my DNA. If something happens in Venezuela, I’m talking about it. Then as we get closer to 9 o’clock, you start seeing celebrity guests; we might be talking about new movies or whatever the hot show is. And then from 9 to 10, it’s like if news and a talk show had a baby. And for Jenna & Sheinelle in the fourth hour, it’s “Let’s sit down and talk a little bit and make you feel good.” We already know what’s happening in our world. We know what’s happening in our country. Our goal is to uplift you and have a good time. That’s what the last hour is all about. All morning long, I get to use both sides of the brain, the whole skill set that I’ve gained over the years. This is my dream. It’s amazing.

I’ve watched Jenna & Sheinelle and, you know, it’s very light and smiley. There’s a lot of laughs. So I have to ask you, in the context of the loss of your husband, Uche, in May — and my condolences on his passing — if people see you in this lighthearted role and assume you’re quote-unquote “all better” and done grieving, because you’re capable of having a hoot with Jenna.
I’m so happy you asked me that question. What I hope I can show for people who may not understand is that you’re able to still find joy. You’re still able to laugh in a moment or find something funny. But that doesn’t mean there’s not pain inside, right? For me, grief is like swimming through mud every day. And so if you see me on the set and we’re having a good time, it’s not because I’m “all better” or “cured” or I’m not grieving. It’s because I’m able to hold two things at the same time. For me, that is the only way to go, even if I don’t want to. I owe it to myself, I owe it to Uche, I owe it to our kids to try. There are some days where I just don’t have it in me, and that’s okay, too — I’ve learned to forgive myself if I don’t have it in me. But for the most part, you know, you push through. It’s what you have to do. It’s what I do.

Sheinelle Jones with husband Uche Ojeh in 2019 / Photograph by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

What’s it like for your kids having a mom on TV?
It’s all they’ve ever known. I remember being in the grocery store in Philly with my son Kayin, who was maybe three at the time, and people would just come up to me. Sometimes, he would be eating a cheese stick and just smile. Other times, he’s like, “Why are you talking to my mom?” Everybody feels like they’re my friend, so they talk to me and they talk to my kids. Doesn’t mean the kids love it all the time, but they’re used to it.

You’ve been on TV for a quarter of a century. What’s the future of the industry?
I was just talking to one of my professors at Northwestern about the state of journalism, and I was telling her the one thing I think that remains true: Even though the business is changing in terms of how we consume news, there will always be a need for storytelling. Good storytelling. People will always have a desire to hear other people tell stories and to make it all make sense, right? I don’t think that will ever go away.

Speaking of telling stories, your book, Through Mom’s Eyes: Simple Wisdom From Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans, comes out on April 14th, in plenty of time for Mother’s Day. Can you give me a preview?
When I started at Today, we’d obviously have so many celebrities coming through, and I had this idea to interview their moms. It became a digital series for Today. I wanted to know what they did right, what they did wrong, what they would do differently. Keep in mind I had three young kids on my hands and was juggling a lot, so this was of direct interest to me. First was Steph Curry’s mom, then Shaq’s, then Kevin Durant’s, then Lady Gaga’s, then Venus and Serena’s, then Lin-Manuel Miranda’s. They were just so delightful and had really beautiful stories to share. I would spend more than an hour with them but the final product might be only five minutes of video, and I realized I had so many more stories to share from them and from myself. So the book is what I have learned from these women and what I have learned as a mom along the way. I cannot wait for everybody to read it.

My daughter, a college freshman, sent me a question to ask you, and it actually connects with something that surprised me about the very first episode, which started with a video of you and Jenna both getting out of your beds that morning — no makeup on, your hair not done. This was a striking thing to see, in an industry that puts so much emphasis on appearance, particularly for women. And so my daughter’s question is this: How do you deal with sexism and scrutiny as a woman on national television?
It never crossed my mind for one nanosecond that morning that I didn’t have on makeup, and Jenna didn’t think about it either. Listen, I love fun clothes, I love glam, I love hair and makeup, I love “lights, camera, action.” I’m not going to report the news at 7 a.m. without foundation on, and when I go to the Met Gala, I will find the best dress and have the best hair and makeup. But there also needs to be a place for being real and authentic. If I’m talking to the camera right when I get out of bed, or if I’m doing a story about fitness while I’m in the middle of exercising and the camera is on me, no, I’m not going to put on mascara for that. Tell your daughter that the older you get, you learn that your real superpower is being yourself. Once you can step into that and wear it, you’re not going back.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Published as “Morning Glory” in the March 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

The Best Things You Can Possibly Do in Philly This Week

Singer Joyce DiDonato and a work by Alloyius Mcilwaine

I’m no meteorologist. Nor am I a groundhog. But I’m just going to go ahead and say that winter is over, my friends. We should hit the 70s weekend, and there’s plenty to get out and do. Whether you’re looking for a soaring soprano, lots of funky art, selfie opportunities with farm animals, or two good reasons to go to an actual movie theater (remember them?), it’s all right here in our compilation of the best things to do in Philadelphia this week, as carefully curated by Philly Mag’s arts and entertainment editor.

CONCERTS

Moe

The reliable jam band has managed to sell out all four nights, but you can join the waitlist. (I’m told that there’s a good chance you can still get in.)
March 4th through 7th at Ardmore Music Hall

Michael Shannon

If you’re thinking to yourself, isn’t there an actor named Michael Shannon?, the answer is yes, and this is the same guy. It turns out he’s also a musician and huge R.E.M. fan, and last year, he toured with singer-songwriter Jason Narducy to perform the entirety of R.E.M.’s Fables of the Reconstruction in honor of that album’s 40th anniversary. (Feeling old yet?) It was a huge success. This year, they’re back for the 40th anniversary of Lifes Rich Pageant. If my math is correct, you’ll have to wait five more years if you want to hear mega-hit “Losing My Religion.”
March 4th at Union Transfer

“Best of Gershwin”

Superstar Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino takes to the stage with George Gershwin’s classic “Rhapsody in Blue.” Also on the program: An American in Paris and selections from Porgy & Bess, as in “Summertime”.
March 5th at the Kimmel Center

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Featuring Yannick, the symphony, soprano extraordinaire Ying Fang, mezzo-soprano extraordinaire Joyce DiDonato, and the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, all team up for Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.
March 6th through 8th at the Kimmel Center

Photograph courtesy of Robert Glasper

Robert Glasper

One night with the Grammy-winning pianist, songwriter and producer, who has worked with everyone from the guy they used to call Kanye West to Mos Def to Jill Scott to Jennifer Hudson.
March 6th at Union Transfer

Cat Power

Performing her soulful The Greatest in its entirety to celebrate the critically-acclaimed album’s 20th anniversary.
March 8th at Union Transfer

COMEDY

Jo Koy

Definitely a better stage name than his given one: Joseph Glenn Herbert. For a taste of what he dishes out, here’s his Netflix special. Definitely has some strongly funny moments.
March 6th at Xfinity Mobile Arena

David Spade

Let’s not hold his performance in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star against the six-season SNL’er.
March 7th at Ocean Casino Resort

“It’s Always Punny in Philadelphia”

A competition featuring comedians and wannabe comedians who think they are really (sorry) punny. I groan at 90 percent of all puns, but to each their own.
March 7th at Helium Comedy Club

THEATER

Eddie Izzard in Hamlet / Photograph courtesy of Ensemble Arts Philly

Hamlet

But this time, performed solo by the incomparable Eddie Izzard. Dame Judi Dench called a performance of it in London “spectacular,” and if you can’t trust Dame Judi, who can you trust, really?
March 4th through 8th at Suzanne Roberts Theater

Romeo & Juliet

Barrymore-winning director Amina Robinson puts her own spin on Shakespeare’s tale of romance and violence.
March 5th through April 8th at the Arden

Twelfth Night

The Bard’s tale, set at an ultra-exclusive resort for the wealthiest of the wealthy.
Through March 29th at People’s Light

Blues for an Alabama Sky

Lantern Theater Company presents a tale from the Harlem Renaissance. Look for local talents Cookie Diorio and Kash Goins to shine.
Through March 15th at St. Stephen’s Theater

Good Bones

The latest play from South Philly Pulitzer winner James Ijames. It’s about a sports stadium controversially being built in the middle of a neighborhood. Sound familiar?
Through March 22nd at the Arden

Rare Accidents: The Escapades of Prince Hal & Falstaff

Mount Airy-based Quintessence Theatre Group presents an abridgment of parts one and two of the Bard’s Henry IV.
Through March 15th at the Sedgwick Theater

EXHIBITS

This work by international artist Alloyius Mcilwaine is one of the highlights of First Friday in Philadelphia

First Friday

When was the last time you headed out on that monthly art gallery tradition in Old City? It might hit 60 degrees that day, so just sayin’, this might be a good time to revisit.
March 6th in various locations

“Sebastian Errazuriz: Double Take”

Wild creations from the mind of the Chilean-born, New York-based designer.
Through August 16th at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

“Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition”

For a complete rundown on this brand-new exhibit that’s really more about STEM than it is about Jaws and Jurassic Park, check out this review by my colleague Laura Swartz.
Through September 7th at the Franklin Institute

MOVIES

Thelma & Louise

A modern classic, seen the way that director Ridley Scott wanted you to see it: on the big screen.
March 4th at the Philadelphia Film Society Center

A promotional image for Sinners

Sinners

I’m fine with streaming 95 percent of the time and have even adapted to watching most things on my phone, if I am watching them alone. But this Oscar fave is one you really want to see in a theater. Fortunately, you’re getting another chance.
March 6th through 12th at the Colonial Theatre

OUTDOORS

Bird Walk

This free event is exactly what it sounds like it is. You “wike” around with some seasoned birders and try to see as many species as you can. This place is home to more than 300!
March 7th at Heinz Wildlife Refuge

Maple Sugar Day

Learn all about the process of maple sugaring and buy local maple syrup while you’re taking selfies with adorable farm animals.
March 7th at Fox Chase Farm

SPORTS

76ers vs. Spurs

In which we take on one of the best teams in the NBA. You can get in for around $40.
March 3rd at Xfinity Mobile Arena

MISCELLANY

The Philadelphia Flower Show

It’s baaaack! For a fun data-driven look at this year’s show and the shows of years past (including, yes, the abomination known as the $15 “grilled vegetable hoagie”), go here. And to see what my colleague Laura Swartz had to say after attending the media preview on Friday, check this out.
Through March 8th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center

Photograph courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Women’s History Month

There’s so much going on that we’re excited about, such as the fantastic Sisterly Love Sunday Supper benefit (for which Philly Mag is a media sponsor) at Four Seasons and the Badass Women History Walking Tour. For more celebratory and educational events, check out this comprehensive guide.
March 1st through 31st in various locations

LOOKING AHEAD

1. The Philadelphia Citizen’s third annual Citizen of the Year celebration and dinner is coming up in April at the Fitler Club. (In case you don’t know, Philly Mag and the Philadelphia Citizen are now sister publications.) You can see all the swell honorees here. Get tickets while you can!
2. You may have seen the movie Airplane, but almost certainly not like this. For this special screening at the Miller Theater in May, co-stars Julie Hagerty (flight attendant Elaine Dickinson) and Robert Hays (pilot Ted Striker) will be on hand to answer all your burning questions and tell behind-the-scene stories.
3. Nosebleeds to see the Foo Fighters at the Linc in August start at around $130. Never seen them live. Might go.
4. I really don’t think that Meatloaf needed a jukebox musical, but if you disagree, they recently announced that Bat Out of Hell: The Musical will be at the Miller for one night only.

That’s it for now, Philly. See you next week!

The Philadelphia Flower Show, By the Numbers

Philadelphia Flower Show rendition courtesy of Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s annual event — the longest-running and largest of its kind in the country — runs February 28th through March 8th at the Convention Center. Here, we break down the data.

2,157

Perennials, annuals, and grasses that make up the Forest Floor, the entrance garden at this year’s show that also includes 38 live trees and shrubs, 10,020 individual bulbs, 465 cubic yards of mulch and soil, 65 tons of natural stone and boulders, and 3,400 gallons of water.

83%

Portion of attendees who identify as women. Overall, 48 percent are baby boomers; 8 percent are Gen Z. No word on what portion of the Z’ers are dragged along by their parents.

53

Number of men (yes, all men) who came together in 1827 to show off their prized plants and quickly realized that a big flower show might be a good idea. Their first one came two years later.

$252

Cost for two adults and two kids to attend the show with a “flex pass” that allows you to pick your day and time on the fly. If you choose your day and time in advance, the cost drops to $170.

$15

Price a food vendor at the 2021 show was charging for a “grilled veggie hoagie,” which turned out to be a bunch of microwaved frozen vegetables on a limp roll. News of the culinary insult quickly went viral, earning well-deserved ridicule and a Worst of Philly award.

2,700

Size of the volunteer battalion needed to produce the show.

$4,000

The vendor fee for a 10-foot-by-10-foot booth. Not just anyone can be a vendor. (You have to apply. The acceptance rate is around 40 percent, similar to that of Purdue University.)

$0

Prize money offered to the 6,500-ish contestants in the various plant and flower competitions. A win is not about money. It’s about bragging rights. And fancy medals.

2016

Year the first marijuana-themed exhibit was expected, but leadership wound up nixing it after it became clear that the exhibitor intended to push weed legalization, as opposed to educating the public about the plant. Politics are strictly forbidden at the Flower Show.

19

Guests you can bring to this year’s VIP preview party if you signed on as a $30,000 sponsor. Vintage cocktail attire preferred — break out the spats!

$1.2 million

What the 2013 Flower Show was said to have lost due to overhyped snowstorm forecasts from Cecily Tynan, Kathy Orr, and the like. After all, who has time to gaze at geraniums when you’re panic-shopping at the Ack-a-me?

0

Knowledge of poinsettias that Americans had prior to the first show in Philadelphia, where controversial United States diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett introduced the native Mexican plant.

Published as “The Flower Show by the Numbers” in the March 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

Maiken Scott Is From Germany But Has Horrible Taste in Beer

Maiken Scott, host of The Pulse on WHYY / Photograph by Stevie Chris

The host of WHYY’s science show, The Pulse, which airs on 132 NPR stations, talks regrowing teeth, headbanging to Motörhead, and her Tilt-A-Whirl fears.

My first name is pronounced … “Miken.” A lot of people see my first name and pronounce it “Makin” like “I am makin’ eggs for breakfast.” But I’m German, so that “ai” doesn’t work the way some people expect it to.

I was born in … Karlsruhe, Germany, a planned city that has a castle — and the main streets sort of go towards the castle in a fan. It is said that Washington, D.C., is modeled after it, because Jefferson visited Karlsruhe and liked the design.

I came to Philadelphia … in 1996 because I got married very young and he was from outside of Philadelphia. It was a short-lived thing, and we divorced. I went to Temple for journalism and remarried when I was 35.

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be … an actress. But in Germany, where school is free, you have to try out to get into acting school. I tried three or four times but didn’t get in. I was heartbroken! And I just can’t handle rejection.

These days, I live in … Ridley Park. I lived in the city for a long time. When I was at Temple, I lived around the corner from McGlinchey’s (RIP), which was the place to be. The waitresses were mean. But it was so cheap. And we were all broke! Plus, you could smoke. I used to smoke a lot.

I wish that scientists would figure out a way to … regrow teeth.

One of my favorite episodes we did of late … was about the crazy behind-the-scenes race to decode the human genome.

The first concert I went to in life was … Motörhead, in Frankfurt, when I was a teenager. I partially lost my hearing for a week after that. Nobody wore ear protection back then. You would have been laughed out of the arena.

(photo courtesy Maiken Scott)

I would describe the state of the world as … interesting. Very interesting.

One thing most people would be surprised to know about me is … that for 10 years, I owned the popular Port Richmond rehearsal space Surreal Sound Studios. We had so many bands come through there.

I am deathly afraid of … amusement park rides. All of them. I don’t like heights. I don’t like spinning. And I don’t like sudden movements. We took our kids to Hersheypark and I literally didn’t get on one thing.

One non-WHYY podcast everyone should listen to is … Blink. It’s the story of Jake Haendel, who was diagnosed with a terminal brain disease and seemed to slip into a coma for more than a year. But he wasn’t actually in a coma. He was aware of what was going on around him.

I am positively obsessed with … Eurovision.

My kids are always telling me to … relax. They are 15 and 17.

If I could have dinner with one scientist from history … it would have to be Darwin. I’d love to know what he thinks about how evolution has actually played out, and where he was right and where he was wrong.

One of the most frequently misunderstood things about science is that … it is a process and changes all the time, and, sometimes, it can be wrong.

Something about me that embarrasses my friends … is that my beer of choice is Miller Lite. I mean, I’m from Germany! But it’s true.

My secret talent is … lifting weights. My best event is deadlift: 155 pounds.

One unhealthy food I can’t get enough of is … nachos. Loaded. Put everything on them. Oh, and tater tots!

My voice is … something I don’t love listening to. I was teased relentlessly for it when I was a kid. Sometimes when I listen to my show in the car, I realize that my face hurts after a while because I’ve been cringing the whole time.

Published as “One of Us: Maiken Scott” in the March 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

Philadelphia Bar Bans Conservative Columnist Over Offensive Comments

Left: Fergie’s Pub owner Fergus “Fergie” Carey (photo by Steve Chris) | Right: Conservative columnist Thom Nickels, who posted “all lives splatter” among other memes on the Fergie’s Pub Facebook page, earning him a ban from the bar (image via LaSalle TV video)

Listen to the audio edition here:

Late in January, in response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents in Minneapolis, protesters called for a general strike scheduled for January 30th. Business owners around the country were confronted with questions from their workers about whether they would participate, as was the case at Fergie’s Pub, the popular Irish bar in Philadelphia.

Owner Fergus “Fergie” Carey considered the matter and decided to open that day, posting the following on social media:

We remain open today. However, we are in support of the strike and want to make it clear that we believe that America is a diverse, beautiful patchwork and we are stronger together. Between Fergie’s and The Jim, we have donated thousands of dollars over various events to @vamos_juntos_ and will continue to support them – they are an excellent community resource and are doing amazing work. Please check out their page and support their efforts as well, if you like. #iceout

Facebook being Facebook and 2026 being 2026, comments (many of which no longer appear) were swift to follow, some standing in solidarity with Fergie’s and the ICE protesters and some not so much. Falling decidedly into the latter category was longtime Philadelphia columnist Thom Nickels, who these days writes for the conservative Philadelphia outlet Broad & Liberty.

“I think that’s taken out of context,” Nickels says of the reaction to the post. “All lives splatter when you put yourself in the face of ICE… The two people who were tragically killed, which was a, you know, horrible thing, um, they still interfered with ICE… It seems to me that if you interfere with ICE, if you go into the road and try to get in their face, you’re asking for the worst.”

Nickels also wondered if Fergie’s was going to start interrogating customers when they show ID: Do you support ICE? Do you support Trump? But Carey insists that all sorts of people come into Fergie’s and that he doesn’t disrespect customers because they believe differently than he does. Posting offensive memes about dead people on his social media page, though, is different, he argues.

“If Donald Trump posted that image of the Obamas as apes on my Facebook page, I would call him and tell him to fuck off too,” Carey says. “I’m sick of all this.”

All the Philly People and Places in The Simpsons’ 800th Episode

The Simpsons come to Philly for their 800th episode. (Click image above for the full map!) / Illustration by Eric Keyes. The Simpsons™ and © 2025 20th Television

This Sunday, Marge and Homer Simpson — America’s most enduring (and most chinless) animated stars — will visit Philadelphia for the first time in The Simpsons’ 36-year run, showering love on our city for the show’s milestone 800th episode.

For this you can thank Simpsons co-executive producer Christine Nangle, the Penn grad and Oxford Circle native who conceived of and wrote the installment. She’s been with the show — the longest-running scripted prime-time series ever — since 2019, prior to which she was, among other things, a writer for Saturday Night Live. These days, Nangle makes her home in Los Angeles, but “I’m 100 percent still a Philadelphian,” she says. “I wear it with pride on my sleeve.”

That’s abundantly apparent in her Simpsons plot, which — mild spoiler alert — begins when Marge and Homer journey to the city so their dog, Santa’s Little Helper, can participate in a (fictional) Philadelphia dog show. Once here, some local conspiracy theorists known as the H.O.A.G.I.E. Men (Historians of America’s Great Inventors and Enlightened Men) convince them that the dog is actually a direct descendant of Ben Franklin’s mutt, and that he holds secret abilities to find gold supposedly stashed by Franklin. (A penny saved?!) The two find themselves on a National Treasure–style adventure in search of that fortune, running into a host of icons along the way.

Not surprisingly, the Philadelphia gags come fast and furious — so here, ahead of the February 15th air date on Fox, Nangle offers up a preview of the people, places, and oh-so-Philly plot points you’re going to want to watch for.

Michael Vick Reparation Park

Fictitious … and “the best dog park in the world,” says Nangle.

Quinta Brunson

The Abbott Elementary creator/star voices a trainer charged with getting Santa’s Little Helper in shape. Alas, she meets an untimely end, falling down a hole — d’oh! — but does manage a resounding “Go Birds!” on the way down.

Hall & Oates

The dog show takes place at the Convention Hall, which is adjacent to the Oates Parking Lot. (Poor John, always the smaller spotlight.)

Whiz Wit

Cheesesteaks get a cameo, obviously, with appearances by Pat’s, Geno’s, and Dalessandro’s — the last of which Nangle says was a rec from Questlove while she was writing the episode.

Kevin Bacon

For Bacon’s first Simpsons role, he plays a clerk at the fictional Hotel Philadelphia. (“He nails the Philly accent,” Nangle says.) Marge opts for the Fresh Prince Suite over the Silver Linings Playbook Suite.

Boathouse Row

The conspiracy theorists row Homer down the Schuylkill while he slurps a water ice. (Cherry, obviously.)

Gotta Have a Wawa

One of the conspiracy theorists tries to sell Homer on the Ben Franklin theory while Homer is in — where else? — a Wawa bathroom.

Segway Tours

The family joins a Segway tour near the Philadelphia Art Museum, with a tour guide voiced by Questlove. (They eventually happen upon the Mummers Parade.)

The Rocky Statue

But not only Rocky … this version of Philly also features a statue honoring the hanging side of beef from the meat locker. There’s one for Apollo Creed. And Mr. T. And more.

The Betsy Ross House

Santa’s Little Helper relieves himself on an antique fire hydrant, releasing an enzyme that unlocks a clue to the gold that leads the Simpsons to Betsy’s house and a secret chamber holding the key from Ben Franklin’s lightning experiment.

Check out the whole map here.

Published as “Where’s Homer?” in the February 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

Hey City Hall — When Are You Going to Clear the Bike Lanes?

A bicyclist and an impassable bike lane at 11th and Washington, more than two weeks after a major storm brought mounds of snow and ice to Philadelphia / Photograph by Bradford Pearson

Listen to the audio version here:

Lo and behold, Philadelphia: The polar vortex is gone. The Arctic blast is no more. Two-and-a-half weeks after a major storm brought a bounty of snow and ice to Philadelphia, we are finally basking in the melty glow of highs that don’t start with the numeral one or two. We’ve heard no shortage of complaints over the last two weeks from car owners frustrated — nay, downright angry — with the condition of the roads, and it remains to be seen if voters will seek vengeance come the mayoral primary in May 2027. But if you think that car drivers had it bad, what about all those Philly bicyclists?

“For the first two weeks after the storm, I felt completely unsafe riding my bike,” says Newbold’s Zach Strassburger, who relies on their e-cargo bike to get to and from work in Center City and to transport their four-year-old and 10-year-old to school and Hebrew school. And because Strassburger relies on that bike, it means they also rely on the many miles of bike lanes in Philadelphia to keep them and their kids safe.

The problem? There have essentially been no bike lanes, because they’ve been covered with caked-in ice. After hearing a complaint on Tuesday morning from South Philly about the bike lane problem, I decided to pilot my 2004 Kia Optima from 23rd and Race to South Philadelphia to West Philadelphia to Fairmount Park and then through Wynnefield and home to my saved spot in Overbrook, and, sure enough, I saw very few useful bike lanes. What I did see were numerous delivery people on e-bikes swerving in and out of traffic because they couldn’t use the bike lanes.

“There’s nothing we can do,” says one such driver, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who asked to be identified only as Chas. I stopped Chas outside of a restaurant in West Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon to ask what his experience had been like. “I came out the Tuesday after it snowed and have been out every day since. It’s very unsafe but if I don’t work, I don’t make any money … I can’t ‘work from home.'”

Realizing that the bike lanes weren’t an option in the two weeks after the storm, Strassburger did their best to use unreliable and overcrowded SEPTA, but SEPTA doesn’t go everywhere, including that Hebrew school. They also had to ask their ex to step in at times for rides, which was far from ideal. The chaos and confusion of the storm’s aftermath and the logistical nightmares it wrought resulted in Strassburger’s 10-year-old walking home after dark from a school band practice and getting lost. “He ended up walking to the wrong house,” recounts Strassburger. “I didn’t have any idea where he was, and that was really scary.”

This week, Strassburger decided enough was enough. It was time to break out the bike.

“I almost crashed,” Strassburger says of their Monday ride. Then, they wound up on a street that didn’t have a cleared bike lane, so Strassburger had no option but to ride in the single lane of traffic, which, of course “the cars don’t like.” On Tuesday, Strassburger had to take their 10-year-old to middle school and read online that the bike lanes on 11th Street were bad, so they thought they would try the ones on 13th Street. “Those were utterly inaccessible,” Strassburger says.

South Philadelphia resident James Bold, a nurse at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, has biked almost daily for the last 30 years. But given the state of the city after the storm, he made the less convenient switch to SEPTA. “I actually did ride to work one morning after waiting for the 45 bus that never came,” says Bold. “I scrambled back home and grabbed the bike and made it in. But not ideal.”

Bold says that while the frigid temperatures and uncleared lanes did affect his decision to steer clear of the bike for a couple of weeks, the main reason he stayed off the bike was all those angry car drivers.

“For the life of me, I will never understand the hostility toward bicycles,” Bold laments. “More than the snow and ice and cold, I think what kept me off my bike since the storm is knowing how aggressive everybody is driving and parking. And if they were to encounter a bicyclist on the already compromised tight roads, it’s just something I didn’t want to have to deal with.”

Lana Harshaw, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, echoes Bold’s observations, saying that while obstructed bike lanes — whether those obstructions are cars parking in them or ice covering them — are a problem, the real problem is the people behind the wheel of their cars.

“The cyclists have to merge in with high-speed traffic, and a lot of the drivers are aggressive or just folks who aren’t used to sharing the road with cyclists,” Harshaw says. “I would just ask all the drivers out there to be considerate of bike riders and pay attention so everyone can be safe.”