Maddy Siegrist

Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist may not have led her team to victory in the NCAA tournament this year. But that’s just about the only honor that eluded the recent grad — and number three pick in the WNBA draft. In her storied career, she was the all-time Big Five women’s scoring leader, the fastest Wildcat to reach 1,000 points, the Big East’s all-time regular-season scorer, and a multiple Player of the Week honoree; notched records for most points in a game and most field goals made … and became ’Nova’s leading all-time scorer, male or female, breaking a 36-year-old record. Look for her this WNBA season in a Dallas Wings uni.

Cake

We aren't a town known for our greens. Which is why the meal-sized tossed salads at Cake have us going out of our way to set lunch dates at this charming Chestnut Hill bakery-slash-cafe, a former greenhouse with a French-picnic atmosphere. There are enjoyable standards like tuna Nioise, classic chopped versions, and a carbed-up sesame chicken and udon noodle salad. But what we really love are the inventive options, like the generous Greek grain salad cleverly amped up with wheat berries, barley and red wine/dill vinaigrette, or the colorful roasted beet and mango dish tossed in vanilla oil with pomegranate balsamic syrup. 8501 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118, cakeofchestnuthill.com.

Wit or Witout

It's been years even decades since someone was brave enough to enter into the Philly cheesesteak wars. But 2009 saw the opening of Wit or Witout, where Mayfair native Nicole DiZio not only tossed her name into the ring, but opened her modern red-and-gray shop in one of the key battlefields: the Northeast. And boy, did she do it right. Moist and meaty top round is sliced, grilled, slathered with melted American, Whiz or provolone, and layered on a substantial, chewy hoagie roll, creating a beefy sandwich that isn't overloaded with cheese. Watch out, boys (yeah, we're talkin' to you, Steve, Jim, Joey and Pat): There's a new girl in town. 7352 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19136, witorwitout.com.

Cape May

Thanks to a brand-new $2 million restaurant, bar and concert-venue development at the Cape May ferry terminal (where you can hop a boat to Lewes, Delaware), New Jersey’s southernmost shore has had some much-needed new life breathed in. At Ferry Park, get cocktails at Boat Drinks, brews and casual fare at Exit Zero, and steaks and seafood (and peerless views) at the Lookout. When it’s time for bed or just relaxing by the pool or sea, stay at La Mer Beachfront Resort for the most fashionable oceanfront suites in town. Before you head back home, kick it old-school at the Lobster House’s locals-heavy breakfast counter — if you can get a stool.

We Love Junk

During a home reno, this junk removal company will take everything you want gone — from drywall and unusable bricks to leftover concrete and shingles — and then recycle and donate anything salvageable. It’s all stuff the regular city dump won’t touch, and these guys whisk it away quickly and cleanly for a very reasonable fee. welovejunkphilly.com.

Kylie Kelce

From the moment Delco’s own Kylie Kelce (née McDevitt) came on screen in the Kelce documentary, describing her and Jason’s first Tinder date without an air of pretension, we knew we had a legend on our hands. Kylie’s rise has been meteoric, but the mother of three keeps it refreshingly real, with laid-back game-day outfits (black athleisure, jean shorts) and a makeup routine that can even be accomplished on the edge of a hotel bed (IYKYK). Of course, she can also glam it up at Milan Fashion Week and help sell out a vintage-style Eagles jacket (yes, the same kind Princess Di wore, naturally) — and raise $100k for the Eagles Autism Foundation in the process simply by signing and modeling it. But she doesn’t have to. And that kind of confidence never goes out of style. instagram.com/kykelce.

Philadelphia Folk Festival

After a spectacular and controversial collapse, the legendary folk fest, which started in 1962, has a new director and is back in business at Montco’s Old Pool Farm. The resuscitated festival runs August 16th to 18th, with acts including John Oates, Gangstagrass, and renowned banjoist (yes, banjoist!) Tony Trischka. We hope it will continue for many years to come. folkfest.org.

West Chester

Check into a cozy room at West Chesters hospitable new Hotel Warner (120 North High Street, 610-692-6920), where theres fresh popcorn in the lobby after 3 p.m. a well-buttered nod to the locations previous incarnation as a historic Art Deco movie theater. Spend the day lazing around bucolic Chester County; the Brandywine Battlefield is less than five miles away and provides the perfect place for a picnic. At night, enjoy one of the many restaurants within walking distance of your hotel, from oysters and seafood platters at Doc Magrogans (117 East Gay Street, 610-429-4046) to beers and bar and bistro food at the more casual Iron Hill (3 West Gay Street, 610-738-9600). Youll be glad your bed is just around the corner, though it might be hard to resist a pint of Chubby Hubby the hotels front desk offers Ben & Jerrys by the pint for $5. A nice touch. 00000, greaterwestchester.com/visit-w-c.

Omar Tate

Sometimes, a new chef will arrive in Philly and bring an unmistakable energy — a sort of hyper-focused intentionality, a sense of I’ve got big plans for this city. Omar Tate was born and raised in Philly, and he worked in some of the city’s most ambitious kitchens before leaving for NYC to hone his culinary career. As he wove his way through kitchens, following the well-trodden career path of the modern professional chef, he began to explore and amplify Black American foodways — their tragic history, their uncertain future, their cultural complexities, and their constant erasure from the culinary pantheon. Honeysuckle — his NYC pop-up restaurant-turned-takeout operation — was the physical manifestation of his particular brand of culinary activism. Meals began with a glass of “Honeysuckle Red Drink” (his take on Kool-Aid, a staple of his childhood), and the to-go bags included samples of his own poetry. The coronavirus crisis brought him (and Honeysuckle) back to Philly, and he has big plans for this city — particularly in West Philly, where he’s envisioning a community center for which food will, of course, be the anchor. Follow @honeysuckle_projects on Instagram for information on future dinners and pop-ups. instagram.com/honeysuckle_projects.

We Found a Way to Work Around the PLCB

While COVID-19 decimated the city’s restaurant scene, it also helped push Philly’s antiquated liquor laws just a bit into the 21st century. Here’s how.

The Lawsuit | The PLCB always acted as the middleman between wine dealers who sold specialty bottles (you know, the natural, biodynamic wine made by small producers) and places where you’d normally buy those bottles (restaurants and bottle shops). So when COVID-19 shut down all Pennsylvania state stores back in March, dealers in Philly were no longer able to sell their product, and independent wine retailers couldn’t restock their shelves. Two dealers, MFW Wine Co. LLC and A6 Wine Co., said “Enough!” and sued the motherfriggin’ PLCB.

While the suit is still moving slowly through the system — the PLCB appealed the ruling of the Commonwealth Court — the implications of PLCB-free wine commerce in the Philly restaurant industry are huge. Because even right now, in 2020, wine delivery is still nonexistent for retailers and restaurants. Right now, there’s still essentially no wholesale discount. Right now, retailers are paying gratuitous fees (and passing the cost on to us). And a lawsuit like this — which, mind you, has a good chance of succeeding — might very well change all of that.

To-Go Cocktails | The problems inherent in working within the PLCB’s convoluted systems were only exacerbated when coronavirus came along and shut down our nightlife scene entirely. Something had to give.

On May 21st, Governor Tom Wolf signed into law a piece of legislation that allowed restaurants and bars that had lost at least 25 percent of their average monthly sales due to the pandemic to sell cocktails to-go. Which means that for the first time since Prohibition, you can walk up to a bar in Philadelphia and order some martinis for the road, and nobody — not even a PLCB officer — can stop you from living your life. The to-go-martini kind of life.

Wine Shops! Finally! | When the PLCB temporarily closed all its stores, these shops stayed open and kept us drinking and drunk during the apocalypse. And they deserve all the attention in the world.

• Vernick Wine, 2029 Walnut Street, Rittenhouse

• Tinys Bottle Shop, 3124 Richmond Street, Port Richmond

• Di Bruno Bros., 9th Street Bottle Shop, 920 South 9th Street, Bella Vista

• Fancy Wine Club at Bloomsday, 414 South 2nd Street, Society Hill

• Le Caveau, 614 South 7th Street, Bella Vista

• Fishtown Social, 1525 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown

• Wine Dive, 1506 South Street, Grad Hospital

• Jet Wine Bar, 1525 South Street, Grad Hospital