Lux Natural Teeth Whitening
It’s time to accept that we’re all so vain (cue Carly Simon) and just want to look good. And when it comes to getting pearly whites, Lux takes the gold with its plant-and-mineral-based gel that’ll lift your teeth up to 12 shades in a single visit. No irritated gums, no worn-away enamel, no waiting forever to see results — time to throw away those lame at-home strips. 1650 Market Street, suite 3600, Philadelphia, PA 19103, lux-whitening.com.
Stargazy
London native Sam Jacobson has packed his tiny South Philly pie shop with nothing more than a sprinkling of tables, some mismatched spoons, free tea, and, oh yeah, two bakery cases brimming with flaky sausage rolls, an ever-changing roster of pastries and meat pies, and traditional beef pies with mash and parsley liquor, fresh from the bakers working in the back. It's the best thing to come from Britain since Kate Middleton's hair. 1838 East Passyunk Avenue, East Passyunk, Philadelphia, PA 19148, facebook.com/StargazyPhilly.
Pure Barre
There's a reason all your mommy friends are obsessed with Pure Barre: The workout, done on the ballet barre and mat, entails a series of tiny, almost imperceptible movements that pack a serious total-body-toning punch. Since the power and stability come from your core (it's why you're told to "tuck" here), the 55-minute classes are especially good for getting postpartum bodies back up and running in no time. Multiple locations | , purebarre.com.
SU20
Finding great sushi in a strip mall in Blue Bell is like finding a good plate of spaghetti and clams in Indianapolis — unlikely. But then there’s SU20, a sushi bar and Japanese bakery behind an acre of parking lots. It’s all smooth jazz on the radio and matcha mille crepe cakes until the fish starts coming to your table, and suddenly you’re kicked awake by some of the most stunning sashimi and hand rolls in the suburbs — or in the city, for that matter. 736 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, su20bluebell.com.
Carmen Miskel
Some of us spent the pandemic honing our talents; others spent it learning the best times to access the state liquor-store website to place booze orders. (Hey, it’s a skill, too!) Miskel falls into the former category. After the New York Times announced an art contest — theme: “Coming of Age in 2021” — the teen from Bryn Mawr submitted a striking cartoon panel about loneliness during COVID that was one of just 25 winners selected from more than 4,000 submissions.
Ready-to-Drink Cocktails
Lansdale’s Boardroom Spirits founder Marat Mamedov says he noticed the rise of malt-based seltzers, knew canned cocktails would be the next big trend, and started canning a Moscow Mule. Made with the distillery’s Brazilian-ginger-root-infused vodka, the effervescent drink is not too sweet and totally refreshing — a tough balance to strike in a can.
“When you have a clean canvas to work with, which the vodka offers, you can let the other flavors shine through in a bigger manner without off-putting notes,” says Mamedov.
ALCO, one arm of Kensington-based New Liberty Distillery, canned classics like vodka soda and gin and tonic with the brand’s own spirits plus fresh ingredients — tonic from century-old soft-drink company Natrona Bottling Company and real lemon and lime juices.
Others in Philly didn’t go so far as to can their concoctions, but they found creative ways to get them into eager drinkers’ hands this past year (well, while to-go cocktails were still legal), including Paul MacDonald at Friday Saturday Sunday and Eddie Adams, head bartender at Bar Hygge. Drawing on the ingenuity that makes them stand-out drink-makers even when we’re not in the midst of a global pandemic, both bartenders figured out how to keep the cocktails coming.
Adams made a steady stream of seasonal punch, which he offered in single-serving pouches or large-format glass bottles. Those came with a bottle of club soda plus a special mix of raw sugar, salt, lavender and coriander so you could rim your glass at home — a fancy touch in not-so-fancy times.
At FSS, MacDonald didn’t limit himself to any specific cocktail but instead bottled (or poured into a single-serving plastic cup) pretty much everything on the menu, except, he says, for the swizzles, which rely on packed-down pellet ice, and the egg-white drinks, which depend on that freshly shaken texture. “Fulfilling off-menu or bartender’s-pick requests has always been a big part of our cocktail program, so I did my best to keep that up when possible,” MacDonald says.
A grateful, slightly tipsy city salutes these libation innovations (and hopes the politicians in Harrisburg get their heads out of the cooler long enough to sign a permanent to-go-cocktail bill).
Paesano's Philly Style
We've been waiting for someone to come along and give all the best parts of a sandwich good bread, melty cheese, that bitter/spicy/meaty contrast a face-lift. Which is why Paesano's stole our hearts (and stomachs). There's the Arista, for which a whole suckling pig is house-roasted, pulled, and served on Liscio's bread with broccoli rabe; the Gustaio, in which house-made lamb sausage is slathered with a sweet-cherry mostarda, gorgonzola and roasted fennel before being wrapped up in a buttery pita; and the namesake Paesano: slow-roasted beef layered on a substantial hoagie roll with gorgonzola, roasted tomatoes, pepperoncinis and house-made cole slaw. 1017 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, paesanosphillystyle.com.
Watching Planes Fly Into PHL From Fort Mifflin
You’ve exhausted the playgrounds. It’s too nice to spend the day in a museum. Your kids are driving you up the wall. Head to Fort Mifflin and look skyward. The grounds of Philadelphia’s only Revolutionary War-era fort are a perfect spot to let your tykes blow off some steam while yelling “Here comes another one!” as plane after plane — seriously, every three to five minutes — lands nearby. Keep an eye out for the fort’s annual Airplane Day, held every May, which attracts professional pilots and amateur plane-spotters. 6400 Hog Island Road, Philadelphia, PA 19153, fortmifflin.us.
KingsHaven
This delightfully colorful showroom boasts custom lighting and handcrafted furnishings, but it’s the smattering of home accessories, like shapely black-and-white baskets woven in Panama, textured throw pillows, and oils done by local artists, that will take you by surprise. 10 West Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, PA 19301, kingshaven.com.
Philadelphia Community Corps
Instead of filling a dumpster with all your demo refuse, hire this nonprofit org to help you “deconstruct.” They’ll identify any building materials that can be reused by others — and help you get a tax break while they’re at it. philadelphiacommunitycorps.org.
Lostine
Lostine takes mundane tools — brooms, dust pans — and makes them deserving of prominent display. But it's the East Falls company's kitchen accessories that are the most eye-catching: sleek wood rolling pins, pepper mills, cutting boards, leather-handled trays and marble prep tables. lostine.com.
Felt + Fat
Port Richmond's Felt + Fat is turning out ceramic plates, bowls, trays, cups and mugs that are pretty enough to be art, fancy enough to earn nods from Vogue, and cool enough to catch the eye of top chefs who use them at their restaurants. (See them at Fork, Laurel and High Street on Market.) Philadelphia, PA feltandfat.com.
Ever After Pets
Most funeral homes deal with, you know, humans. But Delco’s Lombardo Funeral Home will take good care of your furry loved one via its Ever After Pets subsidiary. It offers a convenient and highly respectful pickup service from your home or vet and will then return your pet’s ashes in a customizable urn a few days later, along with a plaster casting of its paw print. (Unlike most funeral homes, Lombardo’s boasts an on-site crematory.) Prices start at $275 for a private cremation in which only your pet will be present in the cremation chamber. 33 Baltimore Pike, Clifton Heights, PA 19018, lombardofuneralhomes.com.
Steph Trowbridge
First we loved the South Jersey ceramist and woodworker’s hand-shaped wine stoppers. Then it was her deviled-eggs platter. Now it’s her line of four ceramic vessels covered in alpaca fibers (those bowls!) sourced from the fleece of animals on local interior designer Barette Widell’s farm. Trowbridge has a way of adding whimsy to all the things we need at home — and those we don’t. stephtrowbridgeshop.com.
Lostine
Since 2011, East Falls-based Lostine has risen up the ranks thanks to pieces like their newly released Elsa lighting system, which lets you choose from metal frameworks (an organic cluster, or something linear?) and pendants (we’re drawn to the leather-wrapped ones) for a room-crowning configuration. lostine.com.