River Twice Presents The 3rd Annual Christmas in July Dinner Series with Six Chefs for Five Dinners and Christmas Decor
Owner/Operator Amanda Rucker and Chef Randy Rucker, the husband- and-wife team behind the popular East Passyunk restaurant River Twice are bringing back their highly successful Christmas in July dinner series for the third consecutive year, featuring a five-night guest chef series with some of the biggest names in Philadelphia’s culinary scene, as well as two very highly-regarded chefs who are coming in from Chicago and Washington D.C.
From July 15th through the 19th , River Twice, located at 1601 E. Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia will be decked out with Christmas and holiday decorations with Santa hats, as well some holiday music playing throughout the restaurant all week. During this the week five consecutive collaboration dinners, with the series kicking off on Monday with Zachary Engel, the Executive Chef and Owner of Galit, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood which was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2022. Engel, who was awarded the James Beard award for Rising Star Chef in 2017, spent time in the kitchen at Zahav earlier in his career.
Following Engel for Tuesday’s dinner are Justine MacNeil and Ed Crochet, the husband-and- wife Co-owners and chefs of Fiore Fine Foods, which recently moved to Fishtown. On Wednesday, Moon Rabbit chef Kevin Tien, a five-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist, as well as Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2018 winner, will bring his Vietnamese cuisine from his celebrated Washington D.C. restaurant. Ian Graye of Pietramala, which landed on Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America list earlier this year, steps into the kitchen on Thursday, while Shola Olunloyo, the brilliant mind behind Studiokitchen who has spent time cooking in kitchens all over the world after being born in Nigeria, will close out the series on Friday.
The schedule is:
-Zachary Engel of Galit in Chicago on July 15 th
-Justine MacNeil and Ed Crochet of Fiore Fine Foods on July 16 th
-Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit in Washington D.C. on July 17 th
-Ian Graye of Pietramala on July 18 th
-Shola Olunloyo of StudioKitchen on July 19th
All dinners begin at 5 p.m., with 50 seats available per night. Dinners cost $150 per person, or $175 at the seven-seat chef’s counter, and each will feature a collaborative multi-course menu with beverage pairing options, as well as by the glass. Due to the nature of the events, dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated. Reservations can be made via Resy. The restaurant, normally open on weekends, will close for service on Sunday, July 14th as well as Saturday, July 20th .
