HughE Dillon: The Best of Philly Party

Winners! Glamour! Philly Celebs! All at the Constitution Center

Growing up in the Delaware Valley you couldn’t help but notice the hoopla surrounding this magazine’s August Best of Philly issue. On Wednesday night, Philly Mag celebrated the 2010 Best of Philly winners at the Constitution Center. The turnout was big and included many of the city’s movers and shakers as well as the folks from the venues of distinction.


ABOVE: Elaine Grabar and Julianne Glatz were among some of the glamorous girls there. Julianne moved to Chicago with her husband last year, but flew in for the month of July to attend a few of the city’s big soirees and the Philly Mag shindig was high on her list.


ABOVE: The Hooters David Uosikkinen with The Latest Dish’s Dallyn Pavey; they were pretty tight most of the evening.


ABOVE: Amy Buckman and son Jason Buckman. Also spotted: Scott Stein, Peter Breslow doing a TMZ-style video of the entire party, Kristin Foote, Nicole Cashman, Gabby Warshawer (whose Brownstoner Philadelphia won Best Blog), Howard Gensler, Tigre Hill, Dan Gross, Violet Mendoza, David and Dina Rankin, Karina Restrepo and Justin Mitchell of Tierra Mia Organic Nail Spa, Paul Levy, Ray Evers, Gillian Kocher and Tanya Little.


ABOVE: Ursula Augustine from Ursula’s About PHace and 2009 Best of Philly winner for Specialty Facial Elina Safin. This year About PHace won Completely Over-The-Top Specialty Beauty Treatment for their mink eyelash extensions. Philly Mag knew something InStyle magazine just figured out, as Ursula has been nominated by them as one of the best make-up artists nationally. Look for her in the October issue of InStyle.


ABOVE: Gwen Gioia, Michelle Ranieri, Nicole Bradon, Cherokee McFadden, Jill Rizen, Elaine Grabar, and Vinita Ghana, who all enjoyed a girls’ night out. Look for Gwen Gioia on the upcoming ABC show Bachelor Pad premiering August 9th.


I need a personal assistant, and when the money starts rolling in, I will consider Teresa Watkins, of Time Sweet Time, who won Best Personal Assistant. With her is Aubrey Watkins III.


ABOVE: Builder John Westrum, Margie Green, Councilman Bill Green, and attorney Justin Wineburgh.


Philly Mag’s Best New Boutique was SA VA at 17th & Sansom. ABOVE: Clothing designer Katya Roelse, SA VA owner Sarah van Aken, Lynne Templeton, and Katya Roelse.


ABOVE: Jerry Blavat, Herb Lipson and Sal D’Angelo. A second before I shot this, Jerry performed a soft-shoe for the duo. Classic moment.


ABOVE: PR girl Alicia Crawford-Zeleniak with husband James Zeleniak, and from Best of Philly New Restaurant (City) FISH, chef/owner Mike Stollenwerk, with wife Marilyn D’Angelo Stollenwerk.



ABOVE: From Best of Philly Massage (City), the Spa at Four Seasons’ Verna Wormly, with Four Seasons marketing director Farra D’Orazio. They got a kick out of my story about Aretha Franklin entering the hotel’s side door after her concert the other night wearing her pink PJs, pink slippers and pink bathrobe.


My Hottest Couple of the Night Award goes to: Friends Jonathan Makar, owner of Rittenhouse Square’s Flowers & Co., with designer Jennifer Longo. Jonathan bought the cute shop, which is a stone’s throw from his restaurant Snackbar, on Mother’s Day.


ABOVE: Peeps from 6ABC: Renee Washington, Jocelyn and Rick Williams (I have never seen him not behind the 6ABC anchor desk, have you?), Portia Grant, and new 6ABC anchor Shirleen Alicott.


ABOVE: Samantha Simonsen, with Jolly’s Piano Bar business partners Evan Prochniak and Jolly Weldon. Jolly’s on Chestnut Street was among the winners for Best Girls’ Night Out. Jolly tells me that in the fall, the piano will be heating up the room beginning at 6 p.m. every night. Also look for a new Jolly’s restaurant concept to pop up at 15th & Oregon streets in South Philly, as the ink was literally drying when he told me about it.


ABOVE: Philly Mag’s Michael Callahan, Chris Ledford, Nell Hoving, of Nell Hoving Photography, and also from the magazine—Jenna Bergen, Carrie Denny, and Michael McCormick.

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New Horizons: Karen Gross, editor of Where Magazine (and former Philadelphia Magazine contributing writer), is leaving the magazine on August 16th to pursue other opportunities, and focus on her singing career. Good luck Karen!