Short Range Missiles at Hop Sing Laundromat
High-end liquor at ridiculously low prices (starting as cheap as $3.50), served alone and unadorned at a spot famous for mixed drinks? This is basically the bar's gift to its regulars (and those comfortable with drinking shots before the sun goes down), so find yourself some nice shoes, leave the cell phone in your pocket (it's the owner's biggest rule), and go take advantage between 5 and 7 p.m. (sometimes 8 p.m.). 1029 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, hopsinglaundromat.com.
Rumor
Not every bar needs to have a bartender who can make a perfect old-fashioned, a bouncer who's the city's poet laureate, or regulars hoping to be the next Franzen. Sometimes it's about which bar is packed -- and we do mean packed -- every weekend night with the city's most tanned and tight young guys and girls on the prowl. 1500 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, rumorphilly.com.
Cafe Canela
In the heart of Little Cambodia, Rosa Navarro's homey cafe marches to a different drum than the rest of South Philly's Mexican joints, specializing in thick homemade flour tortillas whose puffy blisters push halfway toward Indian naan. Add in the eight-salsa DIY condiment station (try the chili-whispering pineapple variety), and it's a lock. 2201 South 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, .
VegPhilly
Whether you're looking to get your hands on some veggie sausage or a slice of vegan cheesecake, this website has you covered. It's a handy online map of veg-friendly spots around the city, with candid user restaurant reviews—which rate the atmosphere and food and name a favorite dish—making eating vegan easier than ever. vegphilly.com.
Talking Headz
The stylists at this edgy Cedar Park salon cut hair while it's dry, which allows them to follow your mane's natural shape, lets you check out the new 'do in real time, and gets you in and out in 30 minutes. These knockout styles also come at a remarkably affordable price: about $25 per cut. 4922 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143, talkingheadzhairsalon.com/main.html.
Zeppoli
Chef Joey Baldinos love letter to jumped-up classic Italian is a wonder on many levels. The food is brilliant (particularly the antipasti, with flavors so vivid it should come with a passport stamp). The service is smooth; the Sicilian focus is smart. But whats most amazing is that in a city so dedicated to Italian food, you occasionally have to go across the bridge to find it done this well. 618 Collings Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08107, zeppolirestaurant.com.
Robert's
In 2007, New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni declared that Roberts, a spot inside the Penthouse gentlemens club, had some of the very best steaks in New York City. Well, Roberts has now expanded to Atlantic City, and the steaks here reach that rarely achieved level known as utter perfection. And no, you dont have to go to a strip club to enjoy them. But you do have to go to the Taj. 100 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08041, robertsatlanticcity.com.
Fishtown Beer Runners
Intimidated by the pace-obsessed, -spandex-clad enthusiasts who populate some running clubs? This once-a-week group (Thursdays at 7 p.m.) is for you. The runs are short (usually three to five miles), the atmosphere is welcoming (all levels attend), and the post-workout refreshments (enjoyed at a different bar each week) are more than motivating. Starting point: 2346 East Susquehanna Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, fishtownbeerrunners.com.
Healthy Bites
So you can spend roughly $425 to drop some water weight on Gwyneth Paltrow's 21-day cleanse (mmm ... fiber powder) or you can hire Healthy Bites founder and registered dietician Katie Cavuto Boyle to remake your pantry, help plan meals, teach you new recipes, and offer small but life-altering insights into your eating habits. Hmm, tough call. Call or see website for consultation, 00000, healthybitesdelivery.com.
Whipped Bakeshop
We were so busy admiring Whipped Bakeshop's pretty little cupcakes in luscious flavors like lemon curd and banana chocolate chip peanut butter that we almost didn't notice the Fishtown bakery's younger, more modern child, the cakecup. It's confectionery genius, really, and thrifty, too: Leftover cake trimmings (mmm, burnt edges) come naked or blasted with icing, ganache or whipped cream, in a grande-size plastic cup. Retail hours on Saturdays only. 636 Belgrade Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, whippedbakeshop.com.
Telestar Wireless
So you dropped the amazing little contraption face-down on the sidewalk, did you? And you don't have insurance? And now the dude at the AT&T store is telling you a new one's going to set you back, um, $700? And you want to slit your wrists with the shards of broken glass? Go see Nan Yan, GM at this hole-in-the-wall South Philly shop, who'll slap a brand-new touchscreen on your crippled old phone for just $85. See, miracles do happen. 1635 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146, .
Bennett Compost
Okay, so not the sexiest category. But we all talk about being eco-friendly, and these folks are actually making it easy. For $15 a month, they provide you with a special receptacle, pick up all of your compostables weekly, and help make the world a better place. In the spring, theyll even return some mulch to you for your efforts. 1511 Latona Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, bennettcompost.com.
Terrence Feury, Fork
You won't find him on the Food Network or pressing the flesh in the dining room, but that doesn't mean Feury isn't a star. He just shines where it counts: on the plate. After making a splash nearly a decade ago at Striped Bass, Feury moved from project to project before landing at Old City's Fork in 2009. It's a match made in foodie heaven Feury's cooking up some of the city's best food and breathing new life into a beloved institution. Everybody wins. 306 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, forkrestaurant.com.
Metrotans
The room is decidedly lacking in the layers of scum and stick that adorn most venues of its kind, and the staff cares enough to stop and consider your natural color (did you walk in there already looking like a half-caf mocha, or like you sleep in a coffin?) before hosing you down with an even coat of color. They'll also insist that you stand flanked by gentle fans for a full five minutes they time it before sending you on your merry, sun-kissed way. 1044 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, metrotans.com.
The Little Bakery
Biscotti with just the right texture, crunch and flavor are hard to come by. Demand that they be gluten-free, and the task seemed nigh impossible—until we found the assortment here, which were so good that even the gluten lovers in the office couldn't stop eating. Our other favorite: the delicious mint-iced chocolate brownies, which are moist and rich and left us licking our lips. 921 Penllyn-Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, thelittlebakeryinbluebell.com.