Superior Shoe Repair
When other places tell you they don't have the right glue or that strap isn't worth fixing, Superior is always there with the right equipment, the necessary TLC and a quick turnaround. Hands down, the city's most skilled shoe surgeons. 138 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, .
M Concept Shop
This six-month-old boutique corrals Philly's fiercest fledgling design talent (Senpai + Kohai, Lobo Mau, Meri + Fete) into one boundary-pushing space, proving that the cool kids don't always hightail it to New York. 1540 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, mconceptshop.com.
Small Oven Pastry Shop
Small Oven’s two flavors of soft-serve per weekend get the same consideration as the dessert menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant. In the height of summer, pastry chef Chad Durkin makes peaches and mascarpone or watermelon and lemon-lime. In the fall, there’s cappuccino and tahini or apple pie and butterscotch. Toppings include homemade sauces and cubes of pound cake that are as thoughtful as the ice cream. 2204 Washington Avenue , Philadelphia, PA 19146, smallovenpastryshop.com.
Commerical Snow + Ice
When winter hits, these guys hit back harder, even if that means clearing trickier spots the old-fashioned way with a shovel in hand. Just ask the dozens of schools, townships and businesses that trust them to get the job done. Call or see website for consultation, 00000, philadelphiasnow.com.
Treehouse Coffee Shop
Tongue-in-cheek Treehouse claims to grow all its produce and coffee and espresso beans on its roof and milk its own cows up there! It also includes this warning on its website: "Caution, we have lost a couple cows over the edge of the building. So heads up when you park out front." The most laid-back, kid-friendly, Bible-studying, guitar-picking mom-and-pop place to nurse a cuppa joe with some homemade pastry in the entire Philly 'burbs. 120 West Merchant Street, Audubon, NJ 08106, treehousecoffee.net.
Woodrow’s Sandwich Shop
Forget those hard-breaded, limp-lettuced sandwiches that are commonplace on party platters. The options here are inspired (condiments include bacon-cranberry jam and long hot aioli), classic (there’s a roast pork hot tray) and made-to-order fresh. Just ask fans like Meek Mill and the Eagles. 630 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, woodrowsandwich.com.
Tinys Bottle Shop
When the PLCB temporarily closed all its stores, Philly wine shops stayed open and kept us drinking and drunk during the apocalypse. And they deserve all the attention in the world. 3124 Richmond Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, lunarinn.com/tinys-bottle-shop.
The Little House Shop
Go here, buy something for your host (Hamptons-inspired beach blanket? Cobalt blue goblet? Hand-hooked cow portrait pillow?), and earn yourself a permanent spot on everyone's guest list. Eagle Village Shops, 503 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19335, littlehouseshop.com.
V Marks the Shop
You don’t need to be a vegan to shop at V Marks the Shop. All you need is curiosity — about upping your plant game, yes, but also about all the delectable faux concoctions you’ll find. (Hello, coconut bacon and fig salami!) The South Philly grocer is more than a tiny wonderland of meatless products; it’s also a gateway into that more-considered life you’ve been putting off, figuring it was going to be too “inconvenient.” Check and mate. 1515 McKean Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, vmarkstheshop.com.
Blue Sole Shoes
The only things bolder than the bright orange walls of Steve Jamison’s boutique are the shoes on the shelves – washed alligator sneakers from Italian brand Dami, colorful kilim loafers by Res Ipsa, funky Jo Ghost boots, burnished blue leather Magnanni monk-straps. But don’t wait too long to make a purchase: Jamison only ever buys one size run-through of each pair, so when a shoe is gone, it’s gone. 1805 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, bluesoleshoes.com.
Machine Shop Boulangerie
Katie Lynch and Emily Riddell’s Bok Building- made croissants – which have a flaky outer crust and layers of buttery goodness inside – have set a new standard for Philly pastries. Find them at highbrow coffee shops throughout the city. 1901 S 9th St, Room 403, Philadelphia, PA 19147, machineshopphilly.com.
Little Shop of Chains
Oversize acrylic glasses chains made by Brewerytown designer Liz Barrella add flair to any kind of eyewear, whether prescription, sunglasses — maybe a monocle? Even better, Barrella has started making chains to hold your masks, a must-have accessory in this age of shifting mandates. etsy.com/shop/LittleShopofChainss.
Scrapple poutine at Shoo Fry
Poutine may have been invented by Canadians (Quebecois, really) as a way to soak up excess Molson between hockey games. But topping our northern neighbor’s single greatest culinary invention with Pennsylvania’s favorite regional meat is Philly’s goddamn genius. Multiple locations, shoofry.com.
Joe's Steaks and Soda Shop
These thick, massive shakes can cool you off on even the most humid nights. The secret? They partially freeze the milk before setting it to spin. 1 West Girard Avenue in Fishtown and 6030 Torresdale Avenue in Northeast Philly, joessteaks.com.
Workshop Underground
You'll find a handful of watches peppered throughout Ruben Luna's shop, but the real cache is his collection of 300-plus hard-to-find timepieces (a rare Jaeger-LeCoultre, perhaps?) and he's willing to part with (some of) them. After an initial consultation, Luna, a former design director for Movado, will set up a private shopping appointment at which he'll show you his finest treasures. 1544 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, workshopunderground.com.