Cuba Libre and Tropicana Casino and Resort have combined for a pretty sweet deal. Partake in chef Guillermo Pernot’s Tastes of Cuba tasting menu (PDF) for two at Cuba Libre’s 2nd Street location and you get a free overnight stay at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.

Dinner consists of three courses and a side for $39 per person and the free room is available Sunday through Thursday.

Complete menu after the jump.

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Hudson Beach Glass and the Garces Restaurant Group (GRG) are hosting a one-of-a-kind event on Friday, October 9th, a whiskey tasting where the star of the show is the glass.

Sean Gilvey, owner of Hudson Beach Glass has been working with Village Whiskey’s Stephen Seibert to create a whiskey glass that highlights the liquor.

Guests will have a chance to try the glass with three different whiskeys as Seibert explains the different flavors and effects of the glass.

Admission is $40 and includes one glass to take home, tastes of the different whiskeys and snacks provided by Amada.

Tickets are available online, by visiting Hudson Beach Glass or by calling 267-319-1887.

Hudson Beach Glass [Official Site]
Whiskey Tasting – It’s all in the Glass [Design Philadelphia]

Zahav deservedly received lots of praise for its Restaurant Week menu but did you know the modern Israeli restaurant offers a  similar deal on Monday nights for $36. Ta’Yim, Salatim and Hummus, choice of three plates and choice of dessert will set you back just $36.

Campo’s in Old City is holding a contest to create and name your own cheesesteak.

You come up with the ingredients and the oh-so-clever name and if you’re named the winner you get fame and the steak on the menu for a month at Campo’s. Additionally, 10% off all proceeds from the wining sandwich go to Helen’s Hope.

Campo’s [Official Site]
CamposPHL [Twitter]

It wasn’t that long ago that we were floating the idea of Amada as a great beer bar. Now Phoodie is extolling Amada’s bartenders and the results of their collective potable inspiration.

While you can never go wrong wth dinner at Amada, the next time you need a night out to tie one on, we suggest you give the bar at Amada a chance to satiate your liquor needs. They’ve got the tools. They’ve got the talent.

It Takes A Village To Design A Potable [Phoodie.info]
Amada [Official Site]

Until just this moment Foobooz has remained blissfully Arthur Kade free. But now comes word from the Sultan of Douchebagery that a new club, Recess Lounge is opening in Old City.

I have just gotten word, that there is a new “Membership/List Only” Lounge opening in Philly called Recess Lounge (Opening in Early-Mid September, and I will release the date once we get closer), that from what I am hearing is going to be the hottest ticket in town (My new term, and I think I may the be first person to formally announce it’s opening, but it’s taking over one of my favorite all time Philly locations (Lounge 125 where I have had some “Models and Bottles” great times), and I have heard that they are TOTALLY gutting the place (I have been told the design will be “Sick” and we will be able to dance on the furniture and rock it out “Kade Style” like I used to at Bungalow and Show in NYC), and making it “The Most Exclusive Members-Only Playground in Philaldelphia “, and knowing who’s involved, I think that this place is going to be “Insane” and “So Private that only the top 100-200 people in the city who are in the A-List are going to be allowed in (Which works beautifully for celebs like me because I don’t want to battle through crowds and fans all the time and just want my privacy to party with hot models and The Entourage at night).

Sorry about all that. Kade out!

For some fun, how many different iterations can you name for this spot next to Ritz Old City and under the parking garage.

Nightlife Aficionado-Recess Lounge Opening [ArthurKade.com]

Long rumored for a re-conceptualization, Stephen Starr’s Tangerine closed after dinner service on Saturday.

Tangerine calls it quits [Meal Ticket]

The votes have been talleyed for the Khyber’s Hops versus Malts beer battle from last night.

1. Le Trou du Diable St-Andre Claymore Cerise (Scotch Ale)
2. Green Flash West Coast IPA (Hops)
3. Voodoo Got Gas (4 Seasons IPA on Nitro, Hops)
4. (tie) Bear Republic Racer X (Hops), Avery Maharaja (Hops)

And the Khyber has beer left so even if you missed the event last night you can still visit the Old City dive and judge for yourself.

The Khyber [Official Site]

The Old City Cheese Shop gets a couple of worthy mentions. First, Meal Ticket checks out the Friday night barbecue.

The stonework of neighboring buildings rises, chimney-like, around you, while lush ferns and the canopy of an overhanging tree creates an embowered feeling. Candlelight complements lights strung overhead. It’s hard to find a better escape for a casual Friday night summer dinner than the hidden outdoor patio at the Cheese Shop (160 N. Third St., 215-238-1716) – especially since this once-a-week tradition, which features all manner of BBQ-ed meats and combos, won’t run you more than $18.95.

Phillyist visits during daylight hours and is similarly entranced.

What’s more amazing than the behind-the-counter lunch deal is that if you ask, the staff at OCC will meet you out back in their hidden courtyard (you have to exit the shop and enter another door, then walk down a narrow brick hallway) with your food and an old-fashioned bottle filled with ice water. There are only a few tables available outside, but I’ve never seen the courtyard crowded-perhaps a sign that I wasn’t the only person who didn’t know that it existed. 

Foodsday Tuesday: Old City’s Hidden Gem [Phillyist]
Friday night BYO barbecue at Old City Cheese Shop [Meal Ticket]
Old City Cheese Shop [Facebook]

David Snyder praises chef Chris D’Ambro’s Mediterranean tapas at Bocca in Old City.

 Take the timeless beef tartare. D’Ambro updates this standard by using hanger steak instead of filet or sirloin, granting the dish rich, gamey flavor. Tiny decorative spheres of balsamic caviar, which D’Ambro makes with agar-agar, a natural structural ingredient commonly found in Chinese food, add delicate flashes of sweetness and acidity. An emulsion (or “air”) of capers adds a subtle puff of brininess. None of these nouveau elements upset the dish’s balance – each bite remains accessible and fun.

Smart Mouth [City Paper]
Bocca [Official Site]