Saté Kampar
This cool, new and very popular addition to the East Passyunk restaurant scene offers excellent Malaysian food and a killer coffee service. The one thing it doesn't have? A bar. So the pro move here is to bring a bottle of vodka, ask for a tall glass of ice and a shot of Ribena (a black-currant cordial that, when drunk straight, tastes like the decorative soaps in your grandmother's bathroom), and then just thank us later. Because nothing goes better with a plate of goat satay and some coconut-sweet chicken kurma than this DIY cocktail. 1837 East Passyunk Avenue, East Passyunk, Philadelphia, PA 19148, facebook.com/SateKampar.
Glasbern Country Inn
Though this Lehigh County property bills itself as a country inn, Glasbern is far more luxurious and refined than any you've probably been to. Opt for the two-level, $200-per-night-and-up Garden Cottage Suite, which offers all the comforts and amenities you could possibly want plus cathedral ceilings, two wood-burning fireplaces, and a private deck with pastoral views. It doesn't hurt that the on-site restaurant is producing some of the most sought-after food in the Lehigh Valley. (Score: breakfast is complimentary.) 2141 Pack House Road, Fogelsville, PA 18051, glasbern.com.
Pro-Team Collision
You don’t go to a body shop because you want to go to a body shop. You go because some dingus let a shopping cart go and it slammed into the side of your brand-new car, or you got rear-ended on the Blue Route. So it’s always nice to meet a crew like those at Pro-Team Collision, who handle your work with care and a sense of urgency. Need to (sigh) work with your insurance company? Pro-Team will do that work for you, to save you a bit of hassle. 378 Crooked Lane, King of Prussia, PA 19406, proteamcollision.com.
Mawn
This self-described noodle house with “no rules” twists and merges Southeast Asian classics — banh chow chopped up and bathing in fish sauce, khao soi silky with Neighborhood Ramen’s homemade noodles, galangal-marinated rib-eye skewers marked by chef Phila Lorn’s own Cambodian roots. Mawn knows exactly who and what it is without anything to prove. The sour-sweet-savory dishes will zap you out of your bullshit day and into the moment, psychedelic Cambodian rock will make the small space come alive, and you won’t be able to remember what 9th Street was like without this BYOB. 764 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, mawnphilly.com.
Wawa's Schwarberfest
Wawa does a lot of things. (Some would say too many things.) But here’s one we can’t argue with: They helped the Phillies reach the World Series. The chain’s annual Hoagiefest promotion coincided with a torrid June for left fielder Kyle Schwarber. In the post-season, Schwarber’s longball prowess waned, so on October 18th, Wawa reinstated its hoagie deal — this time under the banner “Schwarberfest.” The results: Schwarber, previously homerless in the post-season, launched six bombs in 11 games. Coincidence? Who cares?
Eli Collins, A.Kitchen
In a restaurant world roaring with egos (excuse us, personalities), Collins quietly lets his food speak for itself. Since 2017, A.Kitchen’s executive chef has been flexing his talent and imagination sub rosa, evolving new recipes and techniques for his ever-changing menu at this Rittenhouse cafe. You can see it in the smallest details: the dab of made-from-scratch date mustard that comes with the chicken liver terrine, the delicate tortellini hand-filled with chevre from a local farm, the mussels with broth built from ramps and pickled long hots. What’s missing from the menu is any shred of ego. Instead, every dish gets to be the star. 135 South 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, akitchenandbar.com.
Redcap's Corner
Trendy places like Thirsty Dice and Queen & Rook are where you go when you want to hang out with your friends, have a beer or latte, and casually play some board games for an hour or two. Well, Redcap’s isn’t trendy. There’s no cafe. The store just recently upgraded from folding chairs. But what it does have is a hard-core dedication to providing an inclusive environment for serious tabletop gamers, whether your jam is Magic: The Gathering (tournaments every Friday!) or far more complex endeavors that make lesser players’ heads hurt by page two of the brick-thick manual. 3850 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, redcapscorner.com.
Dejanaya Spicer
What began as swirly stress relief has become a creative career for this West Philly artist. Her emotional pieces have simple silhouettes drawn in colored lines and squiggles that never touch yet all come together cohesively. Her preferred drawing instrument? The Sharpie. “You can see those perfect details, the shape of the body, the curve of the hair,” says Spicer, who’s also a full-time photographer. Her first exhibit is via Fitler Club’s artist-in-residence program; those of us who aren’t members can browse her work online. lovesickartgallery.com.
The Railroad Street Bar and Grill
There's a reason why when you cross the border into certain distant exurbs, every other car on the road is sporting a trunk magnet with the double-R logo of Railroad Street. This place has everything you want in a great beer bar -- a dozen-odd rotating taps, a huge bottle list packed with weird stuff, a staff that actually knows about all that weird stuff, some salty things on a menu that's better than it needs to be, and a back room filled with vintage pinball machines to play when you're drunk. 36 Railroad Street, Linfield, PA 19468, railroadstreet.com.
Fishtown
Where else to go but Fishtown? Start with the $2 tacos and tasty $4 margaritas at Loco Pezs lively happy hour (5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 to 3 p.m. on weekends; 2401 East Norris Street, 267-886-8061) before challenging your date to a few rounds of Asteroids and Donkey Kong (and beers, of course) at Barcade (1114 Frankford Avenue, 215-634-4400). If things are going well, proceed to nearby Kung Fu Necktie (1250 North Front Street, 215-291-4191) for some affordable live music many shows are just $10. 00000,
Inn at Bowmans Hill
There are plenty of B&Bs in Bucks County, but this is the only one that's earned four AAA diamonds. On the outskirts of New Hope, the inn's five verdant acres, heated outdoor pool, moonlit deck, attentive staff, and impeccable accommodations (from $295) exceed expectations. Breakfast is courtesy of the hens out back. For dinner and drinks, pay a visit to the iconic Boathouse Bar and Hamilton's Grill Room (8 Coryell Street, Lambertville, 609-397-4343). But also be sure not to miss new Middle Eastern gem Marhaba, which is BYO (77 South Union Street, Lambertville, 609-397-7777). 518 Lurgan Road, New Hope, PA 18938, theinnatbowmanshill.com.
Smith & Diction
If the new look of a local brand has recently caught your eye, chances are it was designed by Smith & Diction. The Bok-based design studio led by husband-and-wife duo Mike and Chara Smith is behind some of the city’s freshest aesthetics, including logos for the Rail Park and block-cleaning service Glitter, packaging for Elixr and Càphê Roasters, and a shiny new suite of graphics for the Philadelphia Visitor Center. They approach each project with a sharp creative eye and a meticulous 10-step process — and deliver a logo design or an entire brand identity. 1901 South 9th Street, number 510, Philadelphia, PA 19148, smith-diction.com.
<i>A Philly Special Christmas</i>
A Christmas album by members of the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t need to be anywhere near good to make a splash. But A Philly Special Christmas — the passion project of O-linemen Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, pressed on festive green vinyl and adorned with Peanuts-inspired illos of the lugs — was way better than good; it was transcendent. Guided by vocal coach Eliza Hardy Jones, the center and two tackles sang like angels. Multiple pressings of their burly warblings sold out in minutes, frustrating some Philly audiophiles but raising more than a quarter mil for the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center. phillyspecialchristmas.com.
Eastern Airlines
If you were traveling abroad when the coronavirus landed in the U.S., there was good reason to panic. Fear of spreading the virus brought international travel to a sudden halt, making returns to North America nearly impossible. Just when things couldn’t look more bleak or uncertain, there came the tiniest glimmer of hope from the least-expected source. Eastern Airlines, a small Wayne-based carrier (think 10 planes and a staff of about 200), came to the literal rescue. Through careful coordination with the State Department and local officials, Eastern organized rescue flights, and to date, they’ve flown nearly 24,000 once-stranded American citizens from Central and South America back to the States. goeasternair.com.
Quinta Brunson
It could have been a colossal failure: a workplace comedy (as if we haven’t had enough of those) set in an under-funded Philly public school (not an apparent great source of laughs) and broadcast on network TV (something people have been watching less and less of). “Oh my God, I really hope people like it,” Abbott Elementary creator and star Brunson told us just after the show’s debut on ABC in December. Well, they liked it. They liked it a lot. Thanks to the comic genius and marketing savvy of Brunson, who was raised right here by a mom who taught in those under-funded schools, the show proved a runaway success, earning well-deserved comparisons to The Office and killing it in the ratings — and making her an icon in the process. The show’s now been renewed for a second season; look for it on September 21st.