Milano di Rouge
The badass casual-but-high-end looks by designer Milan Harris (unisex logo-emblazoned sweatshirt/shorts sets; women’s crushed-velvet neon jumpsuits) have become the go-to for those in the know, including Meek Mill and songstress Monica. 1509 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, milanodirouge.com.
Creste di Gallo at Andiario
The Italian “creste di gallo” translates to “rooster’s crest.” Maybe you’ve had them before (they often look like elbow macaroni with curly mohawks), but we promise, pasta god Anthony Andiario’s are different — handmade, stuffed with all things local and seasonal, both wild and elegant. 106 West Gay Street, West Chester, PA 19380, andiario.com.
DB Cleaning Services
Just admit to yourself that you’re never going to get around to cleaning everything — and hire this team, you cheapskate. They’ll scour your home, from the cabinet tops to the baseboards, and leave you wondering what took you so long. mydbcleaning.com.
Focaccia di Recco at Palladino's
Luke Palladino experimented with this unleavened Genovese flatbread for seven years before he finally found the oven that could cook it to his satisfaction. Stuffed with tangy stracchino cheese that melts into pliant dough riddled with wood-smoky blisters, this dish is an object lesson in practice paying off. 1934 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148, lukepalladino.com/Palladinos/home.html.
Du Soleil Photographie
Vietnamese-born Minh Cao didn’t learn professional photography until after she’d started her business as a side hustle in 2015. “My parents never deemed photography fit for a profession, so studying it never crossed my mind,” says the Ridley Park resident. She self-trained online, took some in-person classes, and today is known for snapping weddings through a dreamy, tender — almost wistful — lens that makes you never want to leave that moment. dusoleilphoto.com.
Brickbat Books
Sometimes all you need is a cozy spot in which to sit with a book. Brickbat provides both those things — plus records! — in excess at its low-key haunt. Its walls envelop you in new and used reads, many with eye-catching covers. Of note: The shop only accepts secondhand titles in the best condition from genres like poetry, nonfiction and genre fiction, so rather than a dog-eared James Patterson paperback, you might find a collection of journalist Martha Gellhorn’s novellas, or works by big names in lit fic like Don DeLillo. 709 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, brickbatbooks.blogspot.com.
DaVinci Art Alliance
A white-box gallery nestled in a newly renovated rowhome, this 88-year-old nonprofit exhibits and sells fantastic original paintings, sculpture and photography by local artists — many of which are under $500 apiece. 704 Catharine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, davinciartalliance.org.
Spa Terme di Aroma
A chair massage at this Old City spa is quite possibly the best $15 you'll ever spend: Expert hands melt away tension while you zone out for 15 minutes. Call ahead and you can usually score an appointment just a few minutes in advance. 32 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, termediaroma.com.
DiCostanzas Italian Sandwiches
It's probably not on your beaten path, this sandwich shop with a Boothwyn address (GPS tip: actually not in Boothwyn more like Upper Chichester), but you won't regret the detour. Salty prosciutto, capicola, ham and salami add up to an Italian hoagie so gratifying that the owners have made a business actually shipping them to fans around the country. 1930 Market Street, Boothwyn, PA 19061, .
Le Lift Parisienne at Rescue Spa
The 90-minute plumping session starts with a massage to release tension, uses micro-crystalline algae and silk extracts to firm skin, and ends with microcurrents to perk up facial muscles. You’ll leave looking naturally contoured and defined, just like those perfect-skinned Parisiennes. 1601 Walnut Street, Floor 3, Philadelphia, PA 19102, rescuespa.net/spa-services/biologique-recherche-treatments/le-lift-parisienne.
Kheli French at Le Pink Champu
When a Vera Wang model needs an updo, a Victoria's Secret catwalker requires blowing-out, or Lil' Kim, Anita Baker, Selita Ebanks or Lauryn Hill needs natural-looking extensions, a splash of color or an amazing cut, they come to Kheli (or Kheli comes to them). No wonder: From her salon's two-year-old Manayunk location, she modestly works magic on any kind of hair that walks through the door. That is, when she's back from Fashion Week. 4205 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127, styleseat.com/lepinkchampusalon.
Casa del Gatto Door Knockers
Nothing says “Welcome to my idiosyncratic house of delights” like a bronze door knocker shaped like a cat or mouse. Casa del Gatto’s additions to the genre of quirky door decor will lend your entryway the personality you didn’t know it was missing. etsy.com/shop/casadelgatto.
Tour City Hall
Though most of the time we're frustrated with the traffic crawling around it, the truth is that 1901-built City Hall is one impressive building: regal and palatial on its exterior, the world's largest masonry building, and the largest municipal building in the country. Ninety-minute $10 tours are offered once a day at 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting in room 121. Don't miss the tight ride in the four-person elevator to the top of the tower, for an eagle's-eye view of the city that few Philadelphians ever experience. Broad Street and Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19107, phila.gov/virtualch/body_pages/visitorinfo.html.
JG Domestic
There are bad locations, and then theres JG Domestics location on the first floor of the Cira Centre, directly across the street from the train station cab stand. The place has virtually no visibility from more than 10 feet away. Its hard to find, and difficult to get to. And yet, the facts that 1) people who know good food still go there, and 2) some of us go out of our way to go there a lot, really speak to the amazing things the kitchen at JG Domestic is capable of. 2929 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, jgdomestic.com.
AnaOno Intimates
After a breast cancer diagnosis at 27, Queen Village-based Dana Donofree started designing bras for women who've undergone major breast surgeries like mastectomies. Her new line of lacy underpinnings doesn't have painful underwires, is smartly sized for post-surgery fit issues, and is just as gorgeous as anything you'd find in traditional stores. Plus, five percent of all sales go to breast cancer foundations. anaono.com.