Dory Ellen Fish Acupuncture
It's not clear why it works or how Fish knows exactly where to put those needles, but expect knots of stress to melt away, and an energy boost so strong that you'll toss out your half-full cup of Starbucks. The ultimate proof? We still felt loose, centered, downright Zen, while sitting in interminable traffic on 76. 1026 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, doryellenfish.com.
Vetri
People are always saying how half of all restaurants fail in their first year. That isn't exactly true, but plenty never see their third birthdays, and making it to 10 is a rarity. All of which makes it even more amazing that Vetri, at 13, is not just hanging on, but flourishing as an intimate room where the best impulses of classical and modern Italian cooking collide under the direction of namesake chef Marc Vetri. 1312 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, vetriristorante.com.
Fork
Wine not hitting you quite right? Want the full story on how chef Eli Kulp makes his alt-Peking duck? Lose an earring on the way to the restroom? All these things happened to us this year at Ellen Yins revitalized Old City institution and out came a fresh glass, a masterful description, and our recovered jewelry to boot. Yin sets the gold standard for engaged ownership, and her servers go above and beyond to make everything right. 306 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, forkrestaurant.com.
Amy Lee
Once a modern dancer in NYC and certified in Pilates since 1998, Lee has developed an individual-attention method of instruction (private or duet sessions only) that focuses first on getting students moving and then on getting them moving correctly, all the way to that Aha Moment of "So this is how that's supposed to feel!" There's a reason all the students of this under-the-radar body coach have signed up through word of mouth. 16 South 20th Street, second floor, 917-514-0896. 16 South 20th Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, .
Call2Organize
Didn't exactly get around to spring cleaning? Or summer cleaning, for that matter? Sorting through mountains of memorabilia can be daunting (okay, frightening), which is why Ccile Steinriede and Sofia Stalberg of Bala Cynwyd-based Call2Organize will not only declutter and reorganize your living space, leaving it spotless while setting aside items for sale or tax deduction; they'll also teach you how to keep it spartan, so you won't need to call them again. Contact: Ccile Steinriede, 00000, call2organize.com.
The Farm and Fisherman
Okay, we know the phrase farm-to-table has been boring you to death for five years now. But check out F&F, one of the restaurants that defined the style in Philly, and see how exciting Josh Lawlers tiny temple of head-to-tail, hedgerow-to-hedgerow, you-know-its-fresh-because-the-place-barely-has-a-refrigerator cuisine can be. Start with the bloody beet steak, but dont use that as an excuse to skip a grass-fed real one because when they have it, its the best in town. 1120 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, thefarmandfisherman.com.
Ani White at Deme
Fifteen minutes in White's chair, and you'll never let anyone else near your brows again including yourself. Her trained eye sees every little hair that needs plucking (no waxing, ever). Too sparse? She'll coach you through the grow-in stage and teach you how to fake it in the meantime. 2200 Arch Street, #102, Philadelphia, PA 19103, demeonline.com.
The Veda Den
Learn how to silence your mind and look within at this plant-laden oasis. The Veda Den runs workshops and mini retreats in various techniques — like guided meditation, yogic breathing, and primordial sound meditation, an ancient tradition that incorporates personal mantras — plus teacher trainings to help you deepen your practice. Click here for meditation tips from founder Nicoli Sinclair. 1115 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002, thevedaden.com.
Bucky Body Center
Noted plastic surgeon Louis Bucky saw how the newest, über-effective technologies — micro-suction, compression, lasers, cryo — could optimize the work he’s done on patients; assist with recovery, maintenance, and the effects of aging; and offer solutions to problems people were presenting. (Hi, excessive sweating.) So he opened this innovative center in 2020 that’s more wellness-focused than a med spa but can still do something about that stubborn tummy pooch and cellulite. 1915 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, buckybodycenter.com.
Plaza Garibaldi
All restaurant-inclined Philadelphians have an arsenal of Mexican spots they talk about with regularity. But, surprisingly, Plaza Garibaldi doesn’t come up in conversation that often. Since 2002, it’s been serving excellent cabeza and al pastor tacos in fresh corn tortillas, tomahawk steaks with grilled scallions and nopales, and house horchata. You’ll find yourself wondering how you’ve never been here before. 935 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, plazagaribalditogo.com.
Opera Philadelphia and the Bearded Ladies Cabaret
While the Philadelphia Orchestra has been futzing around with live accompaniments of Star Trek Into Darkness and Gladiator and performing with a Beatles tribute band (ugh), Opera Philadelphia is figuring out how to get a new audience interested in opera without sacrificing its credibility and self-respect. The company has teamed up with the gender-bending Bearded Ladies Cabaret on Andy: A Popera, an opera based on the life of Andy Warhol. We've been following this important work-in-progress closely (there were staged previews in May and July) and look forward to its 2015 debut. 1420 Locust Street, Suite 210, Philadelphia, PA 19102, beardedladiescabaret.com.
Palomar Travel
If you haven’t ventured far from Philly since the pandemic started, you may be out of trip-planning practice. Philly-based travel agent Alexis Rich Chami will help you pinpoint the best place to spend a long couples weekend or a winter break with extended family and plot out a personalized itinerary to make the most of each day. It’s how, on your next trip to the Yucatán Peninsula, you’ll find yourself feasting on home-cooked mole chicken and honey liqueur in a welcoming family’s front yard, far from the crowded cenotes. palomartravel.com.
Heavy Metal Sausage Co.
At this South Philly specialty deli, you can stock up on homemade pork sausages or stop by for lunch and listen to owners Patrick Alfiero and Melissa Pellegrino talk about local sourcing while you eat zungenblutwurst sausage and pickled vegetables stacked on rye. Or you can snag a ticket to the weekly family-style dinners, where you’ll be treated to pork liver pâté and veal-stuffed pasta made from local grains. No matter how you Heavy Metal, Alfiero and Pellegrino’s approach to whole-animal butchery will keep you coming back again and again. 1527 West Porter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, heavymetalsausage.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.
Garage
It's choose-your-own-adventure at Garage. Bargain pounders of 'Gansett? Sure. Twelve hoppy ounces of Ballast Point Sculpin? Absolutely. Or how about five bucks for that black IPA you've been meaning to try? In a moment when everyone else is focused on rotating drafts, Garage isn't just the cool kid with all the cans it's kicking ass on its mission of making sure there's always something for everyone, even if you just want to pick out the most colorful label from among the seven or so coolers. 1231 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, garagephilly.com.