What's new with your favorite cheesecake purveyor? Plenty. Tomorrow, Darling's Diner at the Piazza in Northern Liberties will break out its Spring/Summer 2010 menu, with complimentary wine and food tastings for all from 6-8pm.  We love spring menu changes, because there's nothing like a summer tomato or avocado on everything.  The diner has been bustling lately, especially with the outdoor seating and warmer weather.

To add to all of that, this summer, Darling's will have a full indoor/outdoor liquor bar. It will continue as a BYO until then. We see plenty of diners enjoying wine with dinner here, so it only makes sense for the savvy diner to start serving alcohol. Who knows, maybe they'll even start whipping up margarita cheesecake. Stop by and sample bites from the new seasonal menu and let 'em know what you think.

Related:

The Darling's Diner Sotry: The Cheesecake was Born

Hey, prospective sweat-breakers in Northern Liberties: The Training Station Launch Party is tonight from 6-8 P.M. You've already watched our video with Phil and had an insider's look at the unique workout space, set on top of Darling's Diner in the Piazza. Now it's time to commit to a membership and shed some winter pounds. Pop by tonight and see what Philadelphia's only Olympic-standard gym is all about.

The Training Station
The Rialto Building at the Piazza
2nd and Germantown Avenue

Looking for a home in Northern Liberties? Search our Northern Liberties listings.

Valentine's Day in Liberties Walk and the Piazza is just heating up. Keeping in mind all of the Romancing the Walk specials that we wrote about last week, now we have some new additions to the menu.

At Bar Ferdinand, check out the "Dia de Valentino" $30 prix fixe brunch or the $65 & $75 prix fixe dinner menu. The offerings are posted on their website.

Darling's Diner will be selling heart-shaped cheesecakes in personal or full sizes. Try the Belgian Chocolate Mousse variety if you really want to woo somebody. They'll also host a Lovers Brunch and Lovers Dinner.

What happens when over 100 Philadelphia artists decide to celebrate Valentine's Day? The Group Heart Show at Jinxed/Toothless Cat Gallery in the Piazza on February 13. If you're the card-buying type, there's no shame in choosing one here, because there will be custom Valentines from each artist. Check out the list at Jinxed Philadelphia.

And if you're looking for something even less common, the Louella Press folks at Pressed 55 present the Letterpress Voodoo Kit. Pick one up now at Pressed 55 in the Piazza, 1050 N. Hancock Street.

The thing that makes a local restaurant so special is their story. Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes, located at N. 2nd and Germantown Avenue, at the Piazza in Northern Liberties is a great restaurant and has a great story. Ryan and Kara in the photograph (below) are an illustration in a simple snapshot of how Darling's serves up a delicious meal and a delightful atmosphere every day. The decor is a mash-up of Silk City meets Stephen Starr. But atmosphere and good food do not create themselves. So, we decided to find out what the story was behind all of Darling's good stuff, especially the cheesecake.

Harry Arnold admits he was born to be in the restaurant business. Thinking back at all of the years he had spent in the food service industry as a busboy, a server, a bartender, and reminiscing about pushing around his fair share of dessert carts, Harry happily admitted, "I really can't imagine myself doing anything else!"  Harry is the co-owner of Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes. As we sat chatting in his diner over a piece of his insanely world-rocking chocolate mousse, Harry's confessions continued. "I had never cooked a thing in my life, but then one day I decided I wanted to try my hand at it."

The very first dish Harry ever tried to cook was cheesecake. By the fourth try, his chef friends knew he was on to something. "They really liked it!" As a waiter, in the back kitchens of Chickie and Pete's in South Philly, a restaurant that banned all desserts, he was turning his coworkers onto his secret cheesecake concoction. They loved his delicious recipes. Harry's friends and anyone who had the good fortune to taste one of his cakes wanted more. The more people tasted, the more they got hooked on his perfectly created recipes. Harry began to realize that he too was hooked. "I was addicted to the feeling I got when people said they loved my cooking." And so it was, Harry's career was born.

Breakfast at Darling's...retro grub for the modern set

Many people encouraged Harry to open a restaurant but his brother John was the man, the "pillar", who really stepped up to the plate as a business partner and investor. The two men opened a tiny 6 seat cafe with a chalkboard menu at 20th and Pine Streets in Philadelphia and within the first year of business they received the Best of Philly Award for desserts. A year later they opened a second store behind the Franklin Institute just off the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on 21st Street.

Business was cooking for a couple of years, though it was not always a sweet ride for Harry and John. Their big plans to move to a third location went sour when the stock market crashed and burned. John was devastated and Harry was in shock. But you know what they say, when one oven door closes, another opens and pretty soon they were planning the menus and hiring the staff for Darling's new location at the Piazza in Northern Liberties.

If you have not been to Darling's Diner yet, STOP what you are doing RIGHT NOW and go there! We mean it! What are you waiting for? We will see you there soon!

Darling's Diner at the Piazza is located at 1033 N. 2nd Street in Northern Liberties. For more info, visit their website at www.darlingsdiner.com

Have you met Darling's chocolate cheesecake?