Juniper Muay Thai
Whether you’re an experienced fighter or putting on gloves for the first time, you’ll learn the ins and outs of muay Thai — and be taken seriously every step, punch and kick of the way — by co-owners Joe Logan and George Pitsakis. Bonus: There are classes solely for women and for kids. 2019 South Juniper Street, second floor, Philadelphia, PA 19148, junipermuaythai.com.
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).
Black Moth Tattoo & Gallery
Think tattoo shop and art gallery is an unusual pairing? It’s not for owner/tattooist Steve Martin, who has a BFA in painting and graphic design. Wander in and you’ll be blown away by the amazing fine-art shows he curates, which range from classic oil landscapes to pop-culture commentary collages to printmaking abstracts — often done by local talent. All art is available for purchase online, too. 18 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003, blackmothtattooandgallery.com.
Belovely
Co-owner Lauren Weintraub instructs on how to make a beautiful, professional-quality handwritten board (for a wedding, a birthday, a shower ... ), and she lets you drink (BYO) while you learn. 1005 Farm Lane, Ambler, PA 19002, blvly.com.
Fabric Workshop and Museum
Exhibitions here please even the most casual of art lovers, and include pretty much every visual-arts medium you can think of: painting, ceramics, architecture, video, sculpture and installations. 1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, fabricworkshopandmuseum.org.
Queen Mama Jewelry
These jewelry statement pieces made of colorful clay are crafted by hand in chunky shapes, and every pair of earrings is special enough to display at the PMA (or at least on your bedside table). Go for pink clay bheka earrings or a multi-textured pendant necklace to add a little more life to any outfit, any day. shopqueenmama.com.
Athleta
They take the whole return any time, any reason thing pretty seriously here. Example: We swapped out our too-big yoga pants, in which wed done many a down-dog, for a better fitting pair, no questions asked. This is why we keep going back. Multiple locations, 00000, athleta.gap.com.
The Barnes Foundation
Philly’s Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and modernist art museum has created a comprehensive digital experience. An active social media feed includes live performances and conversations with artists. A YouTube series features Barnes curators and educators meditating on their favorite pieces. Online classes provide instruction to art lovers of all ages. And the digital collection is searchable by light, color and space, in addition to culture, year, artist, and even gallery room. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130, barnesfoundation.org/whats-on/explore-the-barnes-online.
Caviar
Look, we know that now you can get pretty much anything delivered. What makes Caviar special is that it has allied itself with some of Philly's best restaurants, so you're not just getting any pizza/grilled cheese/shumai dumplings delivered; you're getting the best iterations thereof. And they'll bring it to you fresher and faster than any other service in town. trycaviar.com.
John Wind
From scouring flea markets to frequenting auctions, this South Philly jewelry designer and artist has always been inspired by found objects. His commissioned portraits celebrate such treasures by turning personal keepsakes into works of art. Favorite books, faded ticket stubs, old perfume bottles, and other sentimental curiosities are all artfully arranged as wall reliefs or within other, larger objects — Wind used a leather suitcase for a recent work. johnywind.com.
The Center on Central
The curricula are vast and eclectic-everything from Spanish tutoring to fashion design to theater arts to wheel pottery to fitness to cartooning to glass bead-making-at this kid-cademy founded by bubbly owner Katie Opher and her husband Ron. The lively instructors also oversee summer camps and "date nights" at which parents can drop off their offspring. There are classes for special-needs kids, too, including art and music therapy and social-skill building. 24 West Central Avenue, Paoli, PA 19301, thecenteroncentral.com.
Hearthside
When the floor-to-ceiling windows are pushed all the way open, and the hearth is roaring in the kitchen, and the roasted chicken that’s dropped in front of you smells like a campfire, you could close your eyes and be at any of the best restaurants in any of the greatest cities. So all the better that you’re in the sweet little town of Collings-wood. 801 Haddon Ave , Collingswood , NJ 08108, hearthsidebyob.com.
9th Street Bottle Shop
Buying wine (or any alcohol, really) in Pennsylvania is generally a pain in the butt. The Di Bruno Bros. Bottle Shop in the center of the Italian Market sweetens the deal with a curated selection at a range of price points, all of which can be opened and glugged across the street in DBB’s sunny piazza. Bring takeout from any of the surrounding restaurants, or grab some chips and tinned fish from Di Bruno’s shelves. 920 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, dibruno.com/9th-street-bottle-shop.
University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Since its founding more than 120 years ago, the Penn Museum, as it's (thankfully) nicknamed, has showcased the results of many of the 400 expeditions by the university's archaeologists and anthropologists. Highlights include the Chinese art housed in one of the country's largest unsupported masonry domes the Egyptian art gallery, and the African artifacts, as well as the temporary exhibits throughout the year. 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, penn.museum.
Jess Conda
See Brat Porductions' newly appointed artistic director, the always-daring Jess Conda, in Pig Iron Theatre Company's Pay Up at this year's FringeArts Festival and in Brat's own Eternal Glamnation, also part of FringeArts. Philadanco alum Jesse Sani is a rising star on the Philadelphia dance scene: Look for him to shine at the Wilma in the upcoming season's offerings from BalletX, which he joined in 2011. And find dancer-choreographer extraordinaire Megan Bridge performing and producing modern dance all season long at her Kensington-based warehouse performance venue, The Fidget Space. Well-rounded actor/director James Ijames is also keeping busy this season, starring in Maukingbird's adaption of the Importance of Being Earnest and InterAct's We Are Proud to Present. Plus, he's directing shows for Simpatico and Theatre Horizon. 00000, bratproductions.org/about/brats/jess-conda.