Anniversaries abound

Happy anniversary to owner Joseph Varalli of Sotto Varalli and Upstares at Varalli, 231 S. Broad St., first and second floors, for 18 years of offering gourmet Italian cuisine and fresh seafood in his two thriving restaurants.

Pioneers on the Avenue of the Arts, the restaurants are also known for their appreciation of the arts, from their commissioned stained-glass window borders to live jazz trios performing on the weekends. During August, the restaurants are closed but will reopen after the Labor Day weekend.

For information, call (215) 546-6800 or visit www.varalliusa.com.

Happy anniversary, too, to owner Giampaolo Duva, of Pizzicato, 500 Route 73, in Marlton, N.J., for five years at the elegant Promenade. To mark the occasion, Duva has introduced chef’s tasting menu dinners on Wednesdays, with selections masterminded by corporate executive chef Vince Tancredi. (Tancredi has been dazzling diners in Old City at Pizzicato, 248 Market St., for several years.)

Now foodies in South Jersey will be able to indulge in the culinary genius that has garnered critical acclaim for the chef-to-watch Tancredi. These summer dinners are a way to taste the rare and exotic dishes created by the chefs at an affordable price of $35 per person.

Menu highlights include wild king salmon, seared bronzino, grilled barbecue squab, hand-cut fettuccine and stracci pasta (a truly original and amazing dish).

For information, call (856) 936-0880 or visit www.pizzicatoristorante.com.

And happy first anniversary to owner Michael Karloutsos, of The Water Works Restaurant and Lounge, 640 Water Works Drive, on the banks of the Schuylkill River at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Water Works’ neoclassical exterior, built in 1812, remains the most photographed and painted landmark building in Philadelphia.

Karloutsos is bursting with pride these days with accolades from Savuer Magazine, who included the restaurant in its “Top 100” (February 2007), and recent features in Gourmet Magazine and Elle Décor.

“Our greatest accomplishment was opening a restaurant in a historic space when no one thought it was possible,” said Karloutsos. “Breathing new life into a building that had been written off for so long was a real feat. The restaurant now employs 95 people, giving each the financial means to support their families,” he said. “But most importantly, it has served over 150,000 customers since it opened.”

For information, call (215) 236-9000 or visit www.thewaterworksrestaurant.com.

Thom’s Table in the suburbs

Popularity demands it! Area foodies unite! Thom Cardwell will be dining with you next month! Thom’s Table, a series of monthly food events, is being relaunched on Aug. 7, 6-9 p.m., at Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen, 555 Lancaster Ave., Radnor.

North America’s foremost Asian chef/owner Foo will be hosting a special four-course prix-fixe dinner for $55 all-inclusive, including tax, gratuity and parking.

Co-hosted by Foo and yours truly in cooperation with publicist Sarah Doheny of YUBpr and fueled by BUCKMonkey, there will be several suburban food events incorporated into the informative and entertaining Thom’s Table. “Thom’s Table was growing into a huge success among area foodies throughout the region,” said Doheny. “As the suburban dining scene continues to develop and grow, it seemed like the perfect fit and ideal time to begin introducing this monthly series to diners everywhere.”

Doheny said that Thom’s Table “Dining in the Burbs” will now expand its geographic reach, which may not have included suburban diners at previous food events. Chef Foo will create a spectacular menu chosen exclusively for Thom’s Table and will feature her signature cocktail, the Firecracker.

Recipes and cooking techniques for each dish and course will be explained by Foo herself.

Doheny said that Foo’s cookbooks will also be available for sale and signing.

For reservations, call 610-688-8808 and mention Thom’s Table Dining in the Burbs. For general information and directions, visit www.susannafoo.com.

For information about Thom’s Table Dining in the Burbs, visit www.thomstablediningtheburbs.com.

Summer events at 333

The popular 333 Belrose Bar and Grill, 333 Belrose Lane, Radnor, is celebrating summer with lots of summer specials.

The restaurant’s colorful character bartender, Mike “Bud” Shea, has become famous enough among suburban diners and will now be offering his own lunch deal for summer afternoons that includes a cup of soup, one-half sandwich and a side salad for just $7, Monday to Friday.

Or, if you’re more of a bar menu eater and devotee of “cheap eats,” there’s the special half-price bar menu three nights a week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Bar menu highlights include spicy Buffalo chicken wings, barbeque glazed chicken wings, crispy salt and pepper calamari, Pinot Grigio-steamed Atlantic mussels, bacon and blue cheese sliders, caramelized onion and Vermont cheddar sliders, grilled flank steak and blue cheese quesadillas, Sydney’s crunchy chicken fingers with honey mustard or Buffalo wing sauce, petite java pork, mashed yams, mango salsa and maple jus, chicken and vegetable spring rolls with sweet chili sauce and the 333 Belrose burger with cheddar cheese and garlic fries.

Diners can really splurge for bottles of wine: all bottles under $100 are available at half price when purchased with dinner in the dining room on Tuesday nights this summer.

For information, call (610) 293-1000 or visit www.333belrose.com.