PHOTOS: Chef Jen Carroll Rings in the New Year

Plus: How other Philly food scene celebs celebrated, and pretty fireworks pics!

 

Happy 2013 everyone! Are we back to normal yet? Not me; I took my first vacation in about four years, and it definitely relaxed me too much. I think I only know one speed and that’s forward, not idle. After about 10 days of not shooting anything, I headed out to a few parties celebrating the new year and caught the fireworks at Penn’s Landing.

Below: I stopped at the Waterfront Square Condos to attend Chef Jen Carroll’s New Year’s Eve party. Her family always has her back: cousin Jerry Lynch Jr., sister Jessica Carroll, cousins Amy Reilly, Kristin Lynch, Brigid Lynch, and sister Sunny Carroll. Check out the cookbooks lining Jen’s cabinets. They include a set of vintage Betty Crocker given to her by her mom when she was younger.

Below: Steve DeLorean, chef at 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton, and Madison Alpern. The view of the fireworks was magnificent from Jen’s condo facing the bridge.

Below: Tom Conway, Matt Malloy, Jill Shoenfeld, Natalie Cerulli, Martin Kane and Chef Brian Duffy from Bar Rescue. Brian tells me that Bar Rescue starts season three on February 10th, and he has several other projects in the works that will make 2013 very special indeed. Over the weekend Jill, Brian and I ate at Christopher Lee’s pop-up restaurant Sophia’s at the former Salt & Pepper. It was only a weekend thing, and the restaurant space will now be renovated and the menu tweaked before Sophia’s officially opens in a few weeks.

Below: I ran into Josh Burchell, Blackfish chef, and his girlfriend, Sarah Varga, exiting the Kimmel Center. The Kimmel was having family day with face painting and concert performances featuring Broadway shows coming to the venue in 2013, as well as music that will be featured in this year’s PIFA, which runs March 28th through April 27th.