Mish Mish
Along with Jeff Goldblum’s filmography and the bathroom jokes in Ulysses, this apricot-adorned spot fits into the highbrow/lowbrow category that makes daily existence more enjoyable. Mish Mish doesn’t take itself too seriously — the wine list has tasting notes like “red silk pajamas” and “gabagoolian” — yet the hospitality is as finely tuned as at any upscale spot. So if you ever need to create the illusion that you’re chill and have great taste, book a table, order some grilled octopus with muhammara, then sit by the Singing Fountain and discuss your hopes and fears and the Jawn Morgan billboards on I-95. 1046 Tasker Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, mishmishphilly.com.
Victoria Roggio Beauty
It’s the makeover straight out of a ’90s rom-com montage: Get a facial, a massage and a body wrap, plus have your hair, makeup, brows and nails done, all in one Old City spa. 219 Cuthbert Street, 6th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, victoriaroggiobeauty.com.
Run The Day
After you check Bewellphilly.com (ahem), your daily Internet procrastination routine should include a stop at this terrific local race site, which features the who, what, where, when and why for upcoming races in our area, along with neat tools like a pace calculator and articles from local wellness experts. 00000, runtheday.com.
Aunt Tot
Tierra Whack wearing Aunt Tot. Photograph by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images Tatyanna Nance of Germantown’s Aunt Tot morphs colorful materials into funky two-piece (matching crop top and flared pants) and three-piece (matching socks and bags) ensembles that Whack and her DJ regularly don onstage. Instagram.com/aunt.tot. booktatyannanance.acuityscheduling.com.
Sarah Sanford
We've been a fan of the 34-year-old Swarthmore grad since her debut with Pig Iron Theatre Company in 2001. She dazzled us in Pig Iron's Shut Eye (as the distressed sister of a man in a coma), The Lucia Joyce Cabaret (as a drum-playing mental patient) and the Obie-winning Hell Meets Henry Halfway (as the ice-queen protagonist). But the obviously versatile Sanford proved her independence from the charmed group last spring with her successful directorial debut, dance-theater piece Appetite, and we look forward to seeing more of her own work as well as her appearance next month in Pig Iron's Welcome to Yuba City at the Live Arts/Fringe Festival. 00000,
McGlinchey's
I remember the first time I went to McGlinchey's, the notoriously divey (and smokey) dive bar on 15th Street. It was just after my 21st birthday (I'm 39 now, egad!), and I heard that the beers were some of the cheapest in the city, which is all I needed to know. Given that these were the days before Philadelphia was Beer Town U.S.A., I ordered a Rolling Rock. Within minutes, I managed to get screamed at by the prickly bartender and have a beer spilled on me. On a later visit, a blonde bartender pegged me in the eye with an ice cube, and a girl puked on my shoes. Little has changed. Unlike most dive bars in Philadelphia, which go through waves of cliques and trends (Bob & Barbara's is a good case in point), McGlinchey's is still the same old school McGlinchey's it was back in the good old days when every bar in the city allowed you to light up. And the cast of regulars that bellies up to the bar each night hell, each lunchtime, at this place is a study in colorful characters, so much so that Philadelphia photographer (and former McGlinchey's bartender) Sarah Stolfa won a New York Times photography contest for The Regulars, her series of pics of some of McGlinchey's most dedicated drinkers. You can have your gastropubs and trendy dive bars that have to actually try to be dive bars. Gritty, no-frills McGlinchey's is the real deal. Oh you can find all sorts of fancy beers here now, that's true... but don't worry; they still have the $3 Rolling Rock 20 oz. draft. And the jukebox is now one of those irritating play-anything models. But the bathrooms are still filthy and graffiti-covered, with barely enough room to stand up and pee (and God forbid you have to do more). You can still get a 75-cent hot dog from a crock-potted pool of questionable liquid. And if you so much as let a finger dangle into the waitress's service space at the bar, she will put a verbal beatdown on you. But that's okay. It's McGlinchey's. It's always been that way, and I, for one, hope it never changes. 259 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, mcglincheys.com.
Art Museum steps
Yes, it’s obvious. And yes, you have to dodge hordes of hyperactive children and hawkers slinging overpriced Gatorade. But the best place for an alfresco sweat session in this city will always be the Art Museum steps, 72 tiny limestone mountains that will kill your calves and tone your butt. At the bottom, you roll your eyes at the selfie-taking out-of-towners. On the way up, you curse the goddamn class trips blocking your ascent. But once you’ve made it, you turn around – legs aching, lungs burning – and look back over the city and feel like you’ve conquered it. And that will never not be a rush. So go practice yoga on some fancy rooftop, or do your Pilates in the park. As for me, I’ll be running the Art Museum steps with the tourists. See you at the top. – Gina Tomaine
Mahoning Drive-In Movie Theater
Mahoning Drive-In Movie Theater. Photograph by Jeff Fusco Pennsylvania was home to the country’s second drive-in movie theater, and we once had more drive-ins than almost any other state. And then drive-ins kind of evaporated, leaving a couple of generations never having experienced them. But that all changed earlier this year when traditional movie theaters were forced to close and people rediscovered (or, in many cases, discovered) the drive-in. The gold standard is the Mahoning Drive-In Movie Theater, about 90 minutes northwest of the city. It’s worth the trip, since it’s the rare drive-in theater that solely screens classic movies — on film, no less. And the characters who run the place are as entertaining as the movies themselves. Just watch the documentary At the Drive-In, which is all about the Mahoning. Bonus: You can camp overnight. 635 Seneca Road, Lehighton, PA 18235, mahoningdit.com.
Han Dynasty
At some Chinese restaurants, there are two separate menus the one given to American diners, and the secret one reserved for Chinese-speaking patrons. Not here: All diners get the same menu, which has both Americanized kung pao and lo mein and bona fide dishes you'd actually find in China. While you may find comfort in ordering your tried-and-true dishes (and they're great here), good things happen when you leap over that Great Wall to the other side of the menu. Cases in point: perfectly snappy shrimp in a hot pepper sauce, sizzling beef with charred scallion, and tea-smoked duck that'll have your taste buds on the road to Shanghai. 260 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, PA 19341, handynasty.net.
Alec Bohm's "I Fucking Hate This Place" Moment
After the Phillies third baseman made two bonehead errors in an early April game, fans at Citizens Bank Park considerately stood and applauded his routine throw to first base for an out. TV cameras consequently caught him saying, well, the quote above to shortstop Didi Gregorius. He then committed one last error, just to ice the cake. (To be fair, Bohm also hit a double and earned two walks — and the Phils came from behind to win, 5-4, over the Mets.) After the game, the young player apologized to fans and insisted he didn’t mean it: “Look, emotions got the best of me.” The next night, fans gave him a (sincere) standing O.
Church
From Front and Callowhill to 7th and Lombard, there are more than 20 historic churches, synagogues and Quaker meetinghouses. (For a complete list, visit ushistory.org.) And unless your prospective mate is an avowed atheist, touring them is a beautiful, quiet, even romantic (just not too romantic, people these are houses of worship) way to kill a few hours before contemplating life's meaning over cheap drinks and a cheese plate at Farmicia's weekend happy hour (15 South 3rd Street, 215-627-6274, farmiciarestaurant.com). 00000,
Limitless Longevity with Charlie Seltzer
Robin Raskin, Bewellphilly.com weight-loss blogger: Dr. Charlie has helped me completely rethink my approach to healthy eating. He got me away from the scale, focusing instead on how my clothes fit. The best part: When I couldnt get to his Center City office, we set up Skype meetings so we could touch base no matter where I was. 1601 Walnut Street, suite 810, Philadelphia, PA 19102, .
Dalina Soto
If you despise the mere mention of portion control or detox diets, local dietitian Dalina Soto is the one to call. Soto rejects all that guilt-ridden diet-culture nonsense, so her IG feed is filled with encouraging nutrition tips and uplifting self-affirmations to help you get your body and mind back on track. Nutritiouslyyoursllc.com. 1010 North Hancock Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, nutritiouslyyoursllc.com.
Gregory Benjamin
Benjamin's preserves made in Bucks County are a Good Lord type of good. (Dare you to even try to pick a favorite from among his magnificent strawberry rhubarb pie, spiced peach, raspberry and lemon blueberry varieties.) He sells them in a smattering of small shops ranging from Doylestown to Wayne you can find the retailers listed on his website (gregorybenjaminsbest.com). Of course, you can also just have them shipped directly to you. In bulk, preferably. Call or see website for retailers, 00000, gregorybenjaminsbest.com.
Ikiré Jones
For socially conscious menswear, look to Ikiré Jones (Ikirejones.com), a Philly brand inspired by founder Walé Oyéjidé’s Nigerian roots. The colorful collection – from silk scarves to suiting – illustrates stories of marginalized cultures, and sales benefit Peek Vision, a foundation that works to give vision-care access to low-income countries. (Fun fact: Ikiré Jones pieces were featured in the blockbuster hit Black Panther.) ikirejones.com.