Nakashima Woodworkers
George Nakashima was one of the best woodworkers and furniture designers of the 20th century. He was born in 1905 in Spokane, where he began his career, and in the ’40s relocated to New Hope, where he set up shop and produced some of his finest creations. Nakashima died in 1990, but his daughter keeps his legacy alive at his workshop, where the craft continues to this day. Tours of it and the grounds are available by appointment only. 1847 Aquetong Road, New Hope, PA 18938, nakashimawoodworkers.com.
Brewery ARS’s Todas Las Limas
In Spanish, the name of this brew means “all the limes.” When you taste the citrusy, mojito-esque American pale ale, you’ll get it. 1927-29 West Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145, breweryars.com.
Kamihira
Those in the know can snag one-of-a-kind (yet modestly priced) art objects made by the community of artists and makers in the broad Kamihira universe. The gallery, which exists online after closing its Kensington location during the pandemic, has a constantly changing array of artists making everything from colorful quilted pillows to embroidered tote bags to sweatshirts with hand-drawn artwork. 1206 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, kamihira.us.
The Frank Gehry Renovation
There was lots of handwringing in the local art community (and the museum and architecture worlds as a whole) over what controversial architect Frank Gehry might do to our beloved world-class art museum — just google “Guggenheim Bilbao” to understand the cause for concern. But when his $233 million renovation was unveiled in May, we were pleasantly surprised — shocked, really — to find pure elegance at every turn. 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130, philamuseum.org.
Crunchik'n
Father-daughter duo John and Jen Choi make everything at their Midtown Village restaurant from scratch, including sauces like Korean BBQ, honey soy, and super-spicy sweet chili — all of which can be doused over wings, popcorn nuggets, or whole, perfectly crispy Korean fried chicken. 212 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, crunchikn.com.
Trace Shop
Come for the cool wares — like cement-and-geode planters or Lord Jones CBD — but stay for the pillar of Marny Baxt’s business: the art. The former talent management exec dreamed up Trace after the passing of both of her parents, when she was faced with sorting through their personal art collection. Baxt wants to connect the community with creatives and make it easy to obtain and custom-frame one-of-a-kind works. 80 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore, PA 19003, thetraceshop.com.
Jace Florescio
The stay-at-home order issued in March was a shock to the system for many Philadelphians, and children responded through art, posting homemade rainbows in their front windows. Inspired by this show of solidarity and expression of optimism, Florescio — whose couture balloon installations deliver excitement and wonder to intimate gatherings and corporate fetes alike — used her talents to craft a rainbow garland on her home’s front stoop and those of others in her Fairmount neighborhood. For everyone feeling unsteady or alone, Florescio’s doing her part to make sure hopefulness stays afloat. thatballoongirl.com.
Spogue Kitchens & Bath
Yes, it’ll be hard to walk past the marble countertops and custom Shaker cabinets, but keep your eye on the real prize: the collection of 20th-century drawings and paintings procured directly from renowned art markets in France and waiting for your walls. 302 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, spogue.com.
Gallery Carré d’Artistes Philadelphia
Where else can you flick through hundreds of original artworks like you’re pawing through record albums? 104 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, carredartistesphilly.com.
Wishbone
They're done in a buttermilk batter and a delicious pretzel crust and served with dipping sauces like chipotle lime mayo, honey mustard and parmesan pesto. Try the wings, too. (Locations in Midtown Village and University City.) 210 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, wishbonephilly.com.
<em>Symbiosis</em>
New York artist Roxy Paine's jarring sculpture, on loan to the city for a year, looks like two stainless steel trees stuck in stasis, one collapsing onto the other. It's so sleek that the birds haven't discovered how to do their business on it. Yet. associationforpublicart.org/symbiosis.
Cafe Soho
Forget everything you think you know about this American classic. Caf Soho's bon chon, or Korean fried chicken, is twice-fried (meaning more crunch, less grease) and served with a mysterious spicy/sweet soy dipping sauce (they swear it's just soy sauce and red chilies) and a side of pickled radish (way better than mayo-drenched coleslaw). It's our new comfort food. 468 West Cheltenham Avenue, Cheltenham, PA 19126, mycafesoho.com.
Master Tailor and Cleaners
They'll shake their heads disapprovingly. They'll hem and haw and make no guarantees. And then you'll come back one week later and pick up your totally red wine/oil/makeup-free silk blouse or cashmere cardigan or white linen pants. 1620 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, facebook.com/pages/Master-Tailor-Cleaners/191404560944818.
Katie Dubree Designs
Take one look at the portfolio of this Philly-based artist, and you’ll see why she’s the go-to pro for some of the area’s top interior designers. Dubree specializes in decorative finishes, meaning she’ll take your empty interior walls and transform them with her arsenal of artistry: real (or faux) Venetian plaster and Roman clay applications, pearlized strié, all-over stencils, faux finishes like copper or antique brass, and sweeping hand-painted murals. Who says wall art needs to fit in a frame? katiedubreedesigns.com.
Fabiola Lara’s Instagram "I Voted" stickers
We think it’s okay to admit that a small part of the appeal of voting is getting that sticker upon exiting the polling place and parading it around for the rest of the day. Illustrator Fabiola Lara gets that. So when Instagram reached out to her in March of last year for a series of digital election-season-themed stickers, she delivered. The colorful set of four, available in English and Spanish, has been shared by everyone from Joe Biden and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Selena Gomez and Kerry Washington.