L'Angolo
Here are a couple of musts when eating at this South Philly stalwart: You must make reservations. You must bring your own wine. You must order the antipasto, which has a changing selection of heavenly veggies sweet potato souffl, fried eggplant, marinated mushrooms. And you must split everything, so you can try it all: orecchiette with shredded duck, a ravioli special stuffed with broccoli rabe, a succulent breaded pork chop served with a mound of baby greens. (And you must try not to fall in love with the charming Italian-speaking staff.) 1415 West Porter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, salentorestaurant.com/langolorest.html.
Redcap's Corner
Trendy places like Thirsty Dice and Queen & Rook are where you go when you want to hang out with your friends, have a beer or latte, and casually play some board games for an hour or two. Well, Redcap’s isn’t trendy. There’s no cafe. The store just recently upgraded from folding chairs. But what it does have is a hard-core dedication to providing an inclusive environment for serious tabletop gamers, whether your jam is Magic: The Gathering (tournaments every Friday!) or far more complex endeavors that make lesser players’ heads hurt by page two of the brick-thick manual. 3850 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, redcapscorner.com.
Korea Taqueria
Korea Taqueria began its life as a refitted halal food cart selling al pastor tofu tacos and gochujang-chicken burritos. But when partners Alexander Sherack and Rene Lopez decided to open a place with an actual address, Korea Taqueria lost absolutely none of its charm. The bulgogi birria tacos with kimchi consommé, Korean-fried sweet garlic chicken sandwiches, and staff-meal-style bulgogi cheesesteaks with salsa macha and melted mozzarella prove that even without wheels, KT has held on to every ounce of its wild, Mexi-Asian experimentalism and street-corner swagger. 3101 Tasker Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, korea-taqueria.com.
Styer's Garden Cafe
Rumor has it Jill Biden's taken to hosting luncheons at this unexpectedly fabulous spot, where the locavore fare mushroom risotto, seasonal salads, just-baked-in-a-flowerpot bread matches the ethereally earthy setting. Beneath a glass ceiling, atop a sandy gravel floor, in front of a freestanding green wall, are bright Fermob folding chairs, mismatched wooden tables and hanging staghorn ferns that, like the servers' linen aprons, the tabletop plants, and pretty much anything else that's not nailed down, are blissfully available for immediate purchase. (So you can have your cake plate and buy it, too.) 914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342, shopterrain.com/glen-mills-restaurant.
Haddonfield
It's just so freakin'cute. Seriously like,How could I swing moving here? cute. But besides the ridiculously charming, friendly, bucolic atmosphere along Kings Highway East, the shopping is simply divine. There's everything from kid stuff (Pipsqueak) to women's wear (Maxwell James) to sporting equipment (Haddonfield Running Company) to jewelry (McNelis and Sherry) to art galleries (Accent Studio) to gifts (Serendipity) to home furnishings (The Upholstery Shop) to lingerie (Georgie Girl Boutique) to music (Siren's Song) to spas and salons (Salon M Design) to ... Oh, we're tired. Just go, already. 00000, shophaddonfieldnj.com.
Johnsons Corner Farm
At Johnson's, there's a fruit or veggie for all seasons, and for every fruit or veggie, there's a festival to go with it. These farm folks celebrate the harvest of their strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, corn and apples and it's contagious. The music and baked goods and cookouts and hayrides out "to go a-pickin'" are so Garrison Keillor that before you're even done plucking your apples, you'll be planning your return trip to the 56-year-old South Jersey family farm for pumpkin season. The pickin's good seven days a week, and they'll weigh your bounty, charge by the pound, and then send you on your way to go make that pie. 133 Church Road, Medford, NJ 08055, johnsonsfarm.com.
Little Palm Children's Resale Shop
When Springfield Township parents Quiana and Kyle Smith opened Little Palm, they simply wanted to provide their community with a children’s resale shop and keep unwanted items from ending up in landfills. They’ve more than succeeded — this charming go-to boutique is stocked with a curated selection of preloved gear and clothing in newborn to size 12, plus a small selection for moms and teens. (You can sell, trade, or consign with them year-round.) Expect cool, high-quality brands like Misha & Puff, Patagonia, the North Face, Adidas, and Ralph Lauren. Can’t make it to shop in person? Look out for their Instagram story sales. 1505 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, PA 19031, littlepalmpa.com.
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.
Oyster House
When Sansom Street Oyster House closed its doors two years ago, we sighed with sadness ... and relief. The eatery, run by the Mink family since 1976, had sunk into mediocrity after it was sold in 2000. Fast-forward to 2009 Sam Mink, grandson of the original Mink, took back the biz, reworked the menu, and brought light (white subway tile, floor-to-ceiling windows) to a space that had clung to its dark, wood-paneled decor. Of course, there are still oysters, and the snapper soup is still served properly, with sherry. There are lots more Philly institutions that could use such a face-lift we suggest putting a Mink in charge of them all. 1516 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, oysterhousephilly.com.
Schuylkill River Trail
READERS' PICK: Obvious, yes. Crowded, maybe. But how could any fitness buff turn down 20.5 no-cars-allowed miles from Philly to Valley Forge? 00000, schuylkillrivertrail.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,
Classic Coachwork Main Line
It’s like the crew here has some sort of magic time machine that can bring a car that’s experienced an unfortunate turn of fate back to looking like it just drove out of the dealership. 228 East Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, classiccoachwork.com/main-line.
Winner Airport Parking
Winner makes at least one aspect of air travel easy, dropping you off and picking you up at the terminal in your own car. Say goodbye to the dreaded parking-lot shuttle forever. 6717 Essington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19153, winnerairportparking.net.
The Great White
The only thing more fun than an old wooden roller coaster is one that looks out on the Atlantic Ocean. The clickety-clack of the car up the first hill still scares the ever-lovin bejesus out of us. Adventure Pier, Spencer Avenue and the Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260, moreyspiers.com/play/adventure-pier/ride/the-great-white.
Neverland Virtual Reality
Always wanted to fly around the Earth? Get in a ring with a heavyweight boxer? Drive an Indy 500 car? Snap on one of this arcade’s high-tech headsets and you’re anywhere but here. (Pack Dramamine if you’re prone to motion sickness.) 209 East Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382, neverlandvr.com.