Upland Cleaners
This place got an entire trayful of curried chicken out of a wedding suit. It’s curried chicken, we whispered in terror. No worries! the cheerful proprietress told us. We have many Indian customers! She was as good as her word. 324 Upland Square Drive, Pottstown, PA 19464, .
Pig Daddy's BBQ
We promise that under the house-smoked brisket, the trio of cheeses and the BBQ sauce, there are actually fries in your order of brisket fries. You'll need both hands to carry this one. 693 Burmont Road, Upper Darby, PA 19026, pigdaddysbarbecue.com.
Federal Donuts
Why stop at perfectly fried chicken? The super-freaked-up versions spiced with Thai chili, za'atar, toasted nori and honey-ginger glaze are genius if only for taking junk food to a whole other level. Multiple locations, federaldonuts.com.
Jeantrix
Philly design duo Deric “Nyce” Crawley and Muhammad “Homm” Abdul-Basit’s wearable works of art were featured in Beyoncé’s Black Is King visual album. 160 North Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, jeantrix.com.
Sammi Kwon at Ma Belle
If your nails are 10 tiny canvases, Ma Belle owner Sammi Kwon is Picasso. Bring in a picture of what you want, and she’ll match it. Or, better yet, give her a general idea — marble! Mosaics! Watercolor flowers! — and let her do her painterly thing. 40 South Main Street, Yardley, PA 19067, .
Spoty’s Chicken & Waffles
You can get the salty, crispy, gently Cajun-spiced fried chicken on a Belgian waffle (good) or as a sandwich, inside a soft, fluffy honey butter biscuit (even better). 550 Kimberton Road, Suite 11, Phoenixville, PA 19460, spotyschickenwaffles.com.
Dreams, Diaspora and Destiny
Philly DJ legend King Britt and muralist Joshua Mays collab-ed on this experimental ode to Afro-futurism. To hear and see Philly’s first augmented-reality mural, just download an app, wave your phone, and watch as the colorful display comes to life on your screen. 53rd and Media streets in West Philly. Muralarts.org.
Double Knot
Panko-breaded, beautifully tender morsels served with a smear of togarashi mayo. 120 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, doubleknotphilly.com.
Clarkville
The thighs are juicy all the way to the bone, with perfect, crackling skin, and served with a little salad and pickled onion ranch sauce. 4301 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, clarkvillephilly.com.
Poi Dog
Fried chicken junkies, if you’re looking to get your fix from different latitudes, you won’t want to miss this Big Island version, where the bird is dipped in sweet rice flour, doused in furikake seasoning, and topped with togarashi-yuzu mayo. Psst: It comes on the lunch plate with two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and pickled red cabbage. Yum. 102 South 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, poidogphilly.com.
InLiquid
No way you're doling out Dali dollars for a new addition to your gallery wall? InLiquid's warehouse and e-store should be your first stop for pieces by Philly's most talented artists, so you can own that painting before it becomes auction-worthy. Put the annual June sale, Art for the Cash Poor, in your calendar. 1400 North American Street, #314, Philadelphia, PA 19122, inliquid.org.
1 Less Chore
1 Less Chore has cornered the Main Line market (and beyond!), saving savvy suburban souls from all those tiresome weekly treks to and from the dry cleaner. You leave your bag of clothes on your door (ahem, see: a suburb-friendly service); they collect it, clean it, and return it to you in pristine shape within three days all for the same amount of cash (sometimes less!) that you'd spend at a regular drop-off cleaner. 1lesschore.com.
David Lynch at PAFA
Self-explanatory. Opens in September 2014. 118 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, pafa.org/davidlynch.
Standard Tap
There are way more bad Bloody Marys in this town than good ones, and most of the rest including all those too-whimsical takes on the classic are okay at best. A proper Mary is meant to drink almost like a meal, and the restorative, robust version at Standard Tap is the best there is, especially when the bartender whips up one garnished with house-made pickled veggies. 2nd and Poplar Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19123, standardtap.com.
Resort Nails
Ardmore’s Resort Nails lets you channel vacay vibes without ever having to book a flight. The luxe “spa-cations” feature nail treatments and foot scrubs or soaks inspired by bucket-list spots like Bali and Hawaii. You armchair travelers out there can opt for a single-service manicure or pedicure, a polish change, crystal application, or wow-worthy designs from the press-on bar, the first in the area. 46 Greenfield Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003, resortnails.com.