June is almost over, but in the City of Brotherly Love there are still a few ways to celebrate Pride Month right up until the last day — two Philly establishments have made sure of that.
Stina BYO Chef Bobby Saritsoglou has joined forces with Chef Ari Miller of Musi for an event this Tuesday that will directly benefit The Attic Youth Center — as part of Philly Gay Pride Month and Stina’s Two Year Anniversary. For one night only, diners can head to South Philly’s Stina to check out four courses that were curated by both eateries for this specific cause.
“I first heard about Ari Miller with the Food Underground and I thought who is this guy,” Saritsoglou said in a statement. “He was doing more interesting things in the kitchen than was happening at the time and his work made me want to know more. I read his story, learned about his passion for food, and researched his ideas. It reminded me of when I started cooking, back when I was working in small kitchens and creating food with pure feeling. When I finally got to eat his food it was a revelation. Not only do we have a mutual admiration for each other’s food and cooking, but we care deeply about our community. It only made sense for us to ask him to join us in raising funds and awareness for Stina’s June beneficiary, The Attic Youth Center.”
For Stina’s special collaboration dinner with Musi, the two celebrated chefs have designed a special menu that is four courses for $85 each, which will begin being offered at 4 p.m. Those who head to this meal will be able to sink their teeth into marinated feta and charred lettuces, a fish kebab roasted in fig leaf, dry-aged duck with mint and cherry zhoug, and finally black lime malabi.
“I’m excited for this Musi X Stina collaboration because of my long-held respect and admiration of Chef Bobby,” Miller said in a statement. “My first real taste of a chef’s kitchen in Philly was back at Santucci’s in 2013 and I had just moved to Philadelphia from Tel Aviv. A buddy tipped me off that the food at this place was so much better than it needed to be, and I couldn’t believe how true that turned out to be at the hands of Bobby. Years later, now with both of us at our own neighborhood spots, we share a similar space in our commitments to delicious food and community. Both our restaurants help to positively define what it means to make food in Philly in 2021.”
The collaboration from both chefs is not the only exciting part of this Tuesday evening at Stina BYO. According to the release, on top of the collaboration dinner, Stina will also host Stickman Brews for the evening for a beer pop-up — including beer pairings with each course for $10 for four 8 ounce pours. A la carte Stickman brews will also be available for $5 for a 16-ounce pour. Stickman’s menu for the evening includes Fat Guy in Suspenders Black Lager, 4.8% abv; Wishbone Saison, 6.0% abv; Hometown Hero Pilsner (collab with Two Locals), 5.1% abv; and Super Secret Project, 2017 vintage barrel-aged wild ale, 6.8% abv.
Tuesday’s event is part of Stina’s year-round mission to give back to the community. Once a month Stina hosts a special night and donates 20% to an area non-profit that is specially selected by Stina owners Saritsoglou and his wife Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou. Already known as a revered culinary establishment with a social mission and community outreach program, Stina Pizzeria opened in 2019 and to date they’ve been able to donate more than $10,000 to 14 local organizations.
In addition to the 20% they are giving on June 29, throughout Philly Pride month, Stina has donated 1% of sales to The Attic Youth Center. As the release states, The Attic Youth Center in Philadelphia is the area’s only organization exclusively dedicated to LGBTQ youth and has served over 20,000 individuals in nearly 30 years of existence. Their mission is to create opportunities for youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe, supportive community and to promote the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society. The Attic provides a wide range of life-saving programs and services designed to provide youth with the support and skills needed to transition into independent adulthood.
“We created Stina to express love for food, our culture, our community and each other…celebrate with us!” continued Saritsoglou in his statement. “We are so happy to be able to do what we love, give back and help make our community a better place. We can’t express how grateful we are!”
Since opening their doors, Stina has donated to the following organizations: SEAMAAC, Juntos, Women In Transition, Stephen Girard Elementary, Puentes De Salud, Philadelphia Bail Fund, West Passyunk Neighbors Association, Project Home, Books Through Bars, Unity In the Community, Punks With Lunch, Homies Helping Homies, Lil Filmmakers and Empowering Cuts.
To find out more information on Stina Pizzeria BYO (1705 Snyder Ave.), visit stinapizzeria.com
