I love this blog and love you all for reading it. That said, it’s getting harder and harder to cover all the events/openings going on as the Philly scene blows up like never before. It’s a big city and I’m just one girl, doing this on my own for your enjoyment … until now, that is! I’m pleased to introduce my newly enlisted Manayunk correspondent, Erica Boland. Erica is a recent graduate of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and, as some of you may know, my super stylish cousin – she had the best of influences, after all. 
She’ll be sharing my bloggy duties and keeping us up-to-date on many happenings in Mayanyunk and beyond. I’m sure you’ll love her fun, fresh writing style, which you’ll get a taste of in the following paragraphs, with much more to come!
Like any other young art student from Philadelphia, sometimes I just have to get my hipster fix. Barcade in Northern Liberties was just the thing to save me from the monotony that has become the Friday night bar scene. Established in New York in 2004, Barcade opened a Philadelphia location in 2010 on Frankford Ave and offers a wide variety of craft brews and more importantly, vintage arcade games.
Image courtesy of Barcade.
It was my guy’s idea to try out Barcade, and I have to admit, he did a good job choosing a unique date spot. I did a little research before we went and saw where it was and that it was a little dive-y and decided to dress the part and do a little rockabilly thing with my ensemble (not to mention I botched dyeing my hair earlier so the Rosie the Riveter-esque bandana was kind of a must). We got there around 9:30 and finding a parking spot was actually easy – no small feat in Philly! We made a bee-line for the change machine and got a couple bucks in quarters and were delighted to find that each game was only 25 cents, so we were set for the night. I kicked my guy’s butt in Dig Dug, Magic Sword, Punch out, and (much to his dismay) Wrestlefest. And that’s not even scratching the surface of the games they offer.
After winning so many games I was famished, so we hit the bar for some refreshments. I got a delicious Pear Cider draft while the boy got a Founders’ Centennial that he enjoyed as well. Barcade offers a menu describing their craft brews so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into as well as a limited menu of bar-fare that included pork tacos, deviled eggs, hummus and a good selection of sandwiches. We decided on pork tacos and grilled cheese with tomato jam and everyone’s favorite food group: bacon. We were very happy with our choices, which included a side of pretzels to soak up those high ABV beers. Our bill with snacks and two drinks a piece came out to an astonishingly low $35. This is somewhere I’ll definitely visit again, and maybe I’ll let my guy win a few next time!
Erica Boland, AOT (Art on the Town)