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.
Rich Landau
Because he's always here -- either walking the floor at Vedge or tinkering in the kitchen at V Street -- we tend to forget just how important Landau is in this very vegetarian moment we're living through. In the national conversation, Landau's Vedge has already redefined the way that a lot of young chefs look at vegetables and meatless flavors. And now, with V Street, he's proven that his vision for a kinder, greener cuisine can be fun, too -- which is one of the many things (interesting, innovative, delicious) that vegan food never was before he came along.
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,
Northbrook MarketPlace
Even non-foodies can appreciate the love and attention the folks here put into their culinary landmark. Upstairs from the market lies the converted barn room, with wide-planked floors and a Last Supper-like table that fits 20. Thats where youll settle in for an hours-long sustainable, local, seasonal seven-course eating extravaganza, feasting on dishes like delicate asparagus soup served en crote, thin slices of beef tenderloin topped with a blue cheese sabayon, and crme frache cake with rhubarb. All with congenial service, of course. It doesnt get more worth-the-drive than this. 1805 Unionville-Wawaset Road, West Chester, PA 19382, northbrookmarketplace.com.
Mish Mish
Along with Jeff Goldblum’s filmography and the bathroom jokes in Ulysses, this apricot-adorned spot fits into the highbrow/lowbrow category that makes daily existence more enjoyable. Mish Mish doesn’t take itself too seriously — the wine list has tasting notes like “red silk pajamas” and “gabagoolian” — yet the hospitality is as finely tuned as at any upscale spot. So if you ever need to create the illusion that you’re chill and have great taste, book a table, order some grilled octopus with muhammara, then sit by the Singing Fountain and discuss your hopes and fears and the Jawn Morgan billboards on I-95. 1046 Tasker Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, mishmishphilly.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.
WatchBox by Govberg Jewelers
Anyone who knows anything about watches already has this on his home screen: Govberg’s year-old app, a global trading platform for pre-owned luxury timepieces and a virtual database for your personal collection. It’s centered in the company’s 20,000-square-foot Bala Cynwyd location, which recently got an $8.5 million reno and now functions as an appointment-only hub for buying and selling pre-owned pieces (like a $595,000 Patek Philippe or a Greubel Forsey for $695,000), complete with a Wall Street-esque trading floor. govbergwatches.com/watchbox/watchbox-by-govberg.
Cooke and Berlinger
When it's time to say "Happy birthday" or most importantly "I was a big jerk and I'm so, so sorry," sit down with Peter and Mark (respectively) at their relaxed upstairs jewelry salon in Haverford Square. This is no standard retail space; it's like shopping in your friend's living room (with proffered beverages and all). And if you don't see something you like amid their stunning inventory, they'll find it or have it made. (That includes creating a mate for that one lost earring.) There's also a beautifully curated array of gifts for home, men, women and children. 379 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041, cookeandberlinger.com.
Gateway Stables Riding Center
Given the vast amount of horse country Chester County boasts (and boasts, and boasts), its actually surprisingly difficult to find places that allow non-horse-owning amateurs to hop in a saddle and fulfill their John Wayne/Tracy Lord equestrian fantasies. Enter Gateway Stables: The Kennett Square riding center provides everything you might need for a nice leisurely ride the horse (generally quite docile), the beautiful countryside, a short pre-ride briefing, a guide, helmets, and handlers who can hand-lead small children, should you own some. You bring the boots. 949 Merrybell Lane, Kennett Square, PA 19348, gatewaystables.com.
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.
Andrew Meredith
This 38-year-old Northeast native's debut work, a memoir called The Removers, is dark and bleak and funny and utterly Philly. The down-on-his-luck narrator joins his sad dad, a disgraced former La Salle prof, in the business of making house calls to pick up corpses for local funeral homes. Between encounters with the dead and those they leave behind, he meanders in and out of love affairs, observes the dissolution of his parents' marriage, and ponders why he can't seem to gain any traction. A tour de force that should be the hands-down choice for the next One Book, One Philadelphia campaign. andrewmeredith.net.
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.
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?