Want to buy a book from Philly’s Latin Emeril? Want to hang with the man who just slammed a can of whoop-ass (a nicely laminated can touched by notes of chocolate and thyme) on Bobby Flay so to win Iron Chef America two weeks ago?

Just in time for National Spanish Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) comes Chef Jose Garces‘ first cookbook, Latin Evolution, with a muoy special luncheon with Garces on Saturday, September 20, at 12 noon. For $85, you can can hang with Chef Garces at his Amada (217-219 Chestnut Street, 215-625-2450), and nosh on dishes prepared by Garces and included in the book. Plus, you’ll get a copy of Latin Evolution that he’ll sign before he hits you with that gorgeous can.

You’ll need a reservation. But check what you’ll get:

*Amada’s homemade sangria

*Ceviche de Salmon, ivory king salmon with mustard cream, mint and orange 

*Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with cucumber salad and crispy yellow tomato chips

*Olive Oil Poached Halibut with chorizo croquettes and saffron emulsion

*Madre e Hijo, sous vide truffled hen breast with fried egg, rosemary fingerling potatoes and truffled chicken jus;  *Ceviche de Alcachofas, confit artichoke with smoked marcona almond powder; 

*Crema Catalana, vanilla custard with frozen strawberry gelee, sangria reduction, almond and cocoa nib praline, canella sticks and Grand Marnier whipped cream.

*the book

Do this, dummy

It’s been a bad week for both new and old friends of the Philadelphia music scene. While most of us are still in awe at having lost someone as witty, noble and good as Christopher Tucker, here comes Robert Hazard’s death to keep us in shock.

Robert was going to turn 60 the day before my birthday this month. I interviewed him two years back, so I had his home phone number and was going to call him. We hadn’t always seen eye to ear. My opinion of much of his music had been often cruel. But we made amends, and I learned to dig what Hazard was doing post-”Escalators of Life.” We even joked in 2006 about “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” the mega-hit for Cyndi Lauper that will surely see something similar with Miley Cyrus at the helm.

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So here’s JC Dobbs, South Street’s elder premier rock venue, just back after an extended go-away (like 20 years? that’s a long time between drinks, as Sinatra said to Rita Hayworth in Pal Joey), with new owners Heshey Schlachterman, Frank “Hank the Drag Queen” Henry and promoter/booking maven Marilou Regan watching over a nest of subsidiary booking kids.

The recently reopened venue just played host to a Coldplay rehearsal and several shows kicked out of Tritone due to that club’s L&I violations, as well as holding gigs with Agent Orange and glam acts like the PrimaDonnas and TV Sound.

Not bad. Until today, when I got a series of notes that find Regan — the writer of a book on the Rolling Stones and onetime president of their fan club — mostly out of the picture, and her umbrella booking crew now handling the lion’s share of Dobbs-ian responsibilities. While Candace Kilstein’s message mentions that she and Eric Walsh are now the venue’s primary contacts, Regan mentions that she’s left the day-to-day operations, but will continue to book shows there as a promoter.

Next week — who’ll re-configure the East Side Club for clubfuck consumption?

radaronline.com

Tales of stuck tampons couldn’t hurt her. Being all drunked up (set up is more like it) and cracking wise on Lizz Winstead’s Internet program, “Thinking & Drinking,” couldn’t hurt her. Philly writer (Independent, DN, etc.) Moe Tkacik will continue her reign/panty raid of Manhattan media by jumping ship from Gawker Media’s gal-centric Jezebel site to, as of yesterday’s announcement, Radar Online, where she’ll be senior writer.

Moe goes on Aug 18. Rev your engines.

Steuer

artsusa.org

We haven’t been able to find any reviews from the plays he produced at New York’s Vineyard Theatre (where Avenue Q was born). But we want to give a hearty handshake to Gary Steuer, the man who ran National Actors Theatre on Broadway, was in NYU’s M.A. program in Performing Arts Management and, more famously, was the Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts. He’s the man who won Mayor Nutter’s art heart to become Chief Cultural Officer of Philly’s newly formed Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Joe Kluger (we know him from the Arts and Business Council of Philadelphia, and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance) will head the Cultural Advisory Council.

Gentlemen, welcome.

Release after the jump.

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Photo | Scott D. Weiner

After the jump, A.D. Amorosi talks Parc with Stephen Starr and restaurant designer Shawn Hausman. Starr’s highly anticipated French bistro opens on Mon., July 14 — Bastille Day — at the corner of 18th and Locust.

All photos by Scott D. Weiner.

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myspace.com/markfarina

In the house music game, there are few music makers and DJs who loom as large as Mark Farina. Chicago-born and San Francisco-bred, Farina practically built the downtempo music sound with his own two hands (or ears), turning OM into a formidable electro-jazz label and dropping spacey, soulful classics like Air Farina.

He’s made 2008 a wild house ride thus far with records like To Do/Soundtrack to the Soul, Imperial Dub, Vol. 1 and the 40th edition of the treasured Fabric mix compilation series — and he’s sneaking in a few Philly gigs this weekend. While many of you may know that he’ll join Paperstreet’s Mojito boat dance jawn on the Moshulu July 12, Farina also just jumped aboard Vango’s Sundance Sunday outdoor-indoor party on the roof deck with DJ Brendan BringEm for July 13.

But it’s a secret. Don’t tell anybody.

Jose Garces

FINALLY got the OK to mention that Jose Garces is taking over 707 Chestnut St. with an Asian and Latin-style restaurant named Chifa. It’s gonna feature a ceviche bar with displays. “I plan to spend a good amount of time at the ceviche bar, creating unusual and fresh combinations with ingredients from China and South America,” says the chef/restaurateur. The spot will open in 2009.

But what’s Chifa? It’s the term for a convergence of Peruvian and Cantonese cuisine. Chinese immigrants from the province of Guandong helped it spread to South America. Major dishes include wonton soup, fried rice (arroz chaufa) or noodles and stir-fried stuff.

The Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation knows how to throw an event that does its job — and does it tastefully. Marc Vetri’s Osteria turned into an indoor/outdoor circus of foodie stars — white tent and all — for yesterday’s third annual Great Chefs Event benefiting the ALSF.

And while the evening found Daniel Stern of Gayle and Rae (nice braised halibut with black cherries and morel mushrooms), Vetri’s Brad Spence (colechino pigs in a blanket) and Di Bruno’s Emilio Mignucci (cool camembert brulée) at their finest, tons of admirers (Phil Roy, a few football players, the Electric Factory’s Mr. and Mrs. Larry Magid and Mr. and Mrs. Adam Spivak) were there to see chef Tom Colicchio.

Colicchio’s the chef/owner of Craft in NYC, Craftsteak in Las Vegas and ‘wichcraft, which has multiple locations across the country. He’s also a food consultant for private clubs around the world and the author of two books — Craft of Cooking and Think Like a Chef. But he’s best-known for being the head judge of Bravo’s Top Chef, which ended its fourth season last Wednesday.

Colicchio’s a funny guy who doesn’t mind a goof like me asking him about the “thuculent thavory pork” he was kosher-salting when I stopped by.

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