Le Souk Market
From the owners behind Northeast Philly’s Bishos (the very same Bishos that won Best of Philly in 2023 for their highly refreshing lemonana) comes a new organic market stuffed to the gills with goods from across the Middle East and North Africa — many of them made in-house, such as their roasted nuts, pickles, baklawa and spice blends. Don’t miss their extravagant and utterly popular made-to-order crepes and waffles. 7952 Oxford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111, instagram.com/lesoukmarketphilly.
Dolores'
Dolores’ opened with a tight menu of classics: Italian, tuna, turkey, ham, chicken cutlets and a couple others. Then the place went absolutely nuts. The Great White Buffalo has thinly sliced Buffalo chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, Buffalo mayo, and Cool Ranch Dorito-crusted Cooper Sharp American cheese. Pretty surprising from a place that sounds like it’s named after a grandma. 1841 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, instagram.com/dolores2street.
Ela
Oysters with strawberry vinegar, gnocchi tots with black truffle dipping sauce, homemade Cheetos, bar nuts spiked with curry powder and, on top of everything else, a crazy burger topped with Cabot cheddar and shitake mushrooms on a black sesame bun? Philly has always been an eat-at-the-bar kind of town, and Ela is the best example of just how good we've gotten at it. 627 South 3rd Street, Queen Village 627 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, elaphilly.com.
South Street Philly Bagel
You'll justify waiting in the steamy, cramped, un-air-conditioned quarters for these just-baked, crunchy-crusted, doughy rounds, which put other area bagel makers to shame. Health nuts can go oat or whole wheat, and there are powder-sugar-dusted French toast and chocolate chip varieties. But true bagelphiles simply order an everything smeared with the superb whipped cream cheese and then a plain to eat on the walk home. 613 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, southstphillybagel.com.
Lux Natural Teeth Whitening
It’s time to accept that we’re all so vain (cue Carly Simon) and just want to look good. And when it comes to getting pearly whites, Lux takes the gold with its plant-and-mineral-based gel that’ll lift your teeth up to 12 shades in a single visit. No irritated gums, no worn-away enamel, no waiting forever to see results — time to throw away those lame at-home strips. 1650 Market Street, suite 3600, Philadelphia, PA 19103, lux-whitening.com.
Clover Event Co.
This seven-year-old planning and design firm handles just about every detail. Want someone to tackle your to-do list? No problem. Have a vision but don’t know where to start? The no-nonsense team will tell you what works (or doesn’t) and style a modern, approachable Big Day, from the stationery to the after-party. They’ve also worked COVID miracles: In about a month, they transformed a tractor-storage barn into a romantic venue for an elopement on NYE. 660 West Washington Street, Norristown, PA 19401, clovereventco.com.
Jalen Hurts
Listen, it’s really busy being a beloved Super Bowl–winning quarterback. The workouts, the gauntlet of adoring fans everywhere you go, the meticulous facial hair to maintain … there just aren’t enough hours in the day. So when the Eagles headed to the White House to celebrate their big win, Hurts politely bowed out, due to “scheduling conflicts.” A classic explanation. Simple. Unimpeachable. No one has skipped a presidential photo op with more poise or plausible deniability.
Fleurs du Mal Hair Salon
Named after Baudelaire’s poetry collection Flowers of Evil as a nod to “finding your own version of beauty,” this Queen Village salon guides customers in telling their one-of-a-kind stories via their hair. Along with their team, co-owners Meera Gessner and Cate Breining lean into fun, alternative styles and color — think mullets, wolf cuts, and vivid hues across the rainbow — so you can confidently look and feel your best, most radical self. 736 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, fleursdumalhair.com.
Buffalo Cauliflower at Front Street Cafe
We get it. You want to eat healthy, but the world is just full of delicious things that are so, so bad for you. Here's what you do: Lie to yourself. Go to Front Street Cafe and tell yourself the Buffalo cauliflower is good for you, because, you know, it's a vegetable, right? And completely ignore the fact that this cauliflower comes crisp and deep-fried, with a spicy Buffalo-sauce-spiked crust and a side of creamy cucumber-dill dressing. Look at you, health nut. 1253 North Front Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, frontstreetcafe.net.
Elektra Vintage
Once you’ve decided how you feel about the vintage Playboy mags on display, turn to the clothing. It ranges from the 1970s to the 2000s, with an emphasis on the styles you sported as a preteen or teen (if you’re a millennial, that is). Think low-rise jean miniskirts and Juicy Couture velour sets, plus men’s tees and jeans from the early aughts. Downstairs? Heavily discounted styles. And you won't be able to resist the retro drinkware in Technicolor hues on your way out. 53 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, elektravtg.com.
Rebel
In a post-pandemic world, cotton truly is the fabric of our lives. (Cue the maudlin ’90s jingle.) You’ll find a growing collection of finely fabricated threads from cool-girl labels like Stateside and Perfect White Tee at this store’s new Rittenhouse address. (It was previously located in Chestnut Hill.) Owner Sue Pinto still offers the same stellar sportswear brands that first put Rebel on the retail map in 2016: Splits59, PE Nation and Year of Ours. 116 South 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, shoprebelactive.com.
The Portal Debacle
The Portal is that fancy-dancy video/audio art installation that’s been traveling the world, with setups everywhere from Lithuania to Poland to NYC to Dublin — setups that let everyday citizens meet and greet and make funny faces at each other across the globe. Well, sure, any city can have a visit from the Portal — but only one city has ever had to shut the thing down and then relocate it due to persistent vandalism. And that city would be … ours, of course. No one likes us; we don’t care!
Vampa Vampire & Paranormal Museum
Photograph by Jeff Fusco We shelved this award a long time ago because, well, who could have won it other than the Mütter Museum, which has drastically changed course over the past few years due to ethical concerns regarding human remains. So we’ve opened this award up again and do hereby deem this museum dedicated to vampirism and all forms of paranormal activity worthy. The owner claims it’s the largest collection of such objects in the world, and who are we to argue with someone with such a dark and unique obsession? 3686 US-202, Doylestown, PA 18902, vampamuseum.com.
The Sporting Club at the Bellevue
Photograph by Jeff Fusco After 31 years, the Sporting Club shuttered due to the pandemic. But there was a silver lining: The Center City icon finally had time to transform, reopening this past November as a totally swagged-out health-and-fitness mecca. Its modern makeover boasts 100,000 square feet of workout, lounge and event space and is guaranteed to keep you busy, with pickleball, basketball and squash courts; a luxe pool; eight exercise studios with sleek equipment; golf simulators; a cafe and juice bar; and much, much more. 224 South Broad Street, 8th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102, sportingclubbellevue.com.
Skirt
The 22-year-old destination women’s-wear boutique debuted a new look in early 2023 that echoes owner Maureen Doron’s home — a floor-to-ceiling revamp rooted in soft hues and sleek materials sourced from a bevy of local makers. Doron also called on Stephen Wilson Studio, based in North Carolina, to create custom wall art using Skirt bags from the past two decades. Shoppers will love the oversize dressing rooms for trying on new labels Loretta Caponi and Emporio Sirenuse. 931 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, shop-skirt.com.