Step inside a small Italian villa - err, step inside Branzino restaurant. Located at 261 S. 17th St. in Center City, Branzino is a small, but cozy BYO to gather with friends for wine and good food. I especially liked the decor, which included soft green hues and murals that made it seem like one was looking out onto a countryside.

Oh, the woes of a local burger aficionado. Near Penn, choices are slim for that most quintessential of American meals: On the one hand, beefy checks and relatively long waits are the norm at the Marathon Grills or Copabananas of campus, while on the other hand - McDonalds.

Walking into the Rose Tattoo Cafe, at the corner of 19th and Callowhill, feels like entering a secret garden. This undiscovered gem nestled near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Franklin Institute boasts a romantic atmosphere and is bursting with fresh, green plants and cast-iron decor.

It's silly to cross the Schuylkill when there are great BYOs like Rx right in Penn's backyard. Rx, located at 4443 Spruce Street, is just a brisk walk from campus. It's truly a neighborhood restaurant; our waitress hugged a patron goodbye with a warm "see you next week.

The fire alarm that broke up the Zeta Beta Tau party last Saturday night may have been pulled intentionally, officials from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority affairs say. OFSA Director Scott Reikofski said he has heard "two or three" possible causes for the alarm going off but is awaiting a final report from the fire department before issuing a formal statement.

Summary of crime in the Penn area.

Saying that Thai Singha House is at the same level as its local Thai cuisine peers isn't a dig; considering the quality of Thai cuisine around campus, it's a good find like any of the others. The establishment gets high marks for service - fast, personable, and easy on large groups and small couples alike.

Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya still remains in limbo as the jury failed to reach a verdict on the fourth day of deliberations. Malinovskaya is accused of bludgeoning to death Temple University graduate student Irina Zlotnikov, the girlfriend of the accused's former boyfriend, Robert Bondar, on Dec.

They do care. Hundreds of college students, politicos and protestors donning skulls gathered last night at Drexel University to show their support for - and criticisms of - the democratic contenders for the presidency.

There are probably close to 100 restaurants in University City, and though Penn students may not appear to be starved for choice, in a way they are. Those with cravings that don't fit into popular niches (Pizza, Chinese and Indian spring to mind) would seem short on luck.

You know those guys walking around campus with yarmulkes and those girls in the absurdly long skirts? For still-confused freshmen not hailing from New York, we're called Orthodox Jews. Due to our strict adherence to Biblical and Talmudic dietary laws (known as kashrut), our eating patterns could be summed up in three words: Hillel or starve.

Physicians at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will offer complimentary screenings for vascular conditions such as peripheral artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysms today in the Bodek Lounge of Houston Hall. Peripheral artery disease, or P.

Upon entering El Vez, one of the first things to catch the eye is a glittering low-rider bicycle slowly rotating above the bar. The installation, says hostess manager Nicole Bell, epitomizes the "Mexico meets East L.A." theme prevailing in both the ambiance and cuisine of popular restaurateur Steven Starr's ninth dining venture.

Policemen from across Philadelphia are conducting a citywide manhunt for the gunman who shot a Philadelphia Police officer at a Dunkin Donuts on the 6600 block of N. Broad Street this morning. Charles Cassidy, 54, was shot when he walked into a robbery-in-progress at the Dunkin Donuts shortly after 10 a.

As amazing as Philly Diner is, there are times when you want a diner where you can eat eggs without getting sick . or shot. Little Pete's, located at 17th and Chancellor streets, provides the perfect daytime alternative to Penn's late-night favorite. Little Pete's looks like what a diner should look like.

When most Penn students think about getting a sandwich their top choices probably come down to Geno's, Pat's, or Koch's. That's a shame, because one of the best sandwiches in Philadelphia is the banh mi, or a Vietnamese hoagie offered at many small eateries.

Instead of ESPN or an intense game of Halo, the giant flat screen in the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity house living room last night featured complicated diagrams of advanced physics and descriptions of abstract string theory. Physics professor Mirjam Cvetic spoke to about 20 fraternity brothers in a presentation on the basis of string theory and her complex theoretical research on the subject.