La Cabra Brewing
The peeps at La Cabra pay as much attention to what’s coming out of the kitchen as to what’s coming out of the kegs, so you can score crispy pork belly with chipotle honey along with that Atlas double IPA. 642 Lancaster Avenue, Berwyn, PA 19312, lacabrabrewing.com/.
Angelo’s Pizzeria
The best pizzas often come from bread nerds, and owner-pizzaiolo Danny DiGiampietro is a bona fide geek when it comes to his dough. A long fermentation process results in ultra-bubbly crusts and a chewy center tinged with sourdough sweetness. 122 North Haddon Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ 08033, angeloshaddonfield.com/.
Brian Maher
You can come to him or he'll come to you—so there goes your "I'm too busy to work out today" excuse. And with Maher's tailored-to-you workouts and solid diet and nutrition know-how, you may even—gasp!—look forward to your gym time. 1429 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, phillypersonaltraining.com/.
Shroomwit at Frizwit
The meatless cheesesteak — treated as an afterthought in most Philly steak shops — is given the reverence it deserves at Frizwit in Pennsport. The mushrooms are local (from Mycopolitan, a mushroom farm that supplies some of the city’s finest chefs) and the cheese is made with local Abundantly Good cheddar (a do-good cheese that benefits Philabundance), and along with some onions, it’s all stuffed into a hoagie roll baked by Merzbacher’s in Germantown. Most importantly, the shroomwit eats like its meaty counterpart: unabashedly greasy, impossibly cheesy, and as junky and delicious as it ought to be. 100 East Morris Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148, frizwit.square.site.
Kanella
Anyone can throw down an omelet, fry up some bacon and sling mimosas for all the Sunday-morning sheeple. But only chef Konstantinos Pitsillides can turn traditional brunch notions on their ear and lay down some serious Cypriot eats for those who can appreciate pan-fried merguez sausages with organic duck eggs. 1001 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, kanellarestaurant.com.
Kheli French at Le Pink Champu
When a Vera Wang model needs an updo, a Victoria's Secret catwalker requires blowing-out, or Lil' Kim, Anita Baker, Selita Ebanks or Lauryn Hill needs natural-looking extensions, a splash of color or an amazing cut, they come to Kheli (or Kheli comes to them). No wonder: From her salon's two-year-old Manayunk location, she modestly works magic on any kind of hair that walks through the door. That is, when she's back from Fashion Week. 4205 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127, styleseat.com/lepinkchampusalon.
Cindy Martino at Pileggi on the Square
The pre-tan prep (face-washing, application of cuticle oil on fingers and toes, taping of palms) and explanation of the product this tanning veteran is about to hose you with (works with your skin's own pigment, organic henna stains that mean you'll walk out with a glow) take much longer than said hosing but said glow is so worth it. 717 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, pileggisalon.com/.
Carlos Rogers at Hush Salon Philadelphia
Show us a dude who says he's not obsessed with his dome's sprouts, and we'll show you a fibber. Hush co-owner Carlos Rogers understands. From his salon tucked in the back of Old City's Sweat gym, Rogers makes the most of man's sole groom-able God-given gift, working with volume and texture, face shape and style needs, gently breaking inconvenient truths about thinning tops, and sending fellows back into the cold, hard world with the best of all possible looks. 45 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, hushsalon.com/.
Dr. Thunder
At some point in the evening at Dr. Thunder's karaoke events, the following three things will probably happen: Dr. Thunder will strip down to a cape and shiny shorti-shorts with DR. THUNDER emblazoned across the butt in bright green letters; someone will sing Journey; and you will put on some ridiculous outfit and wig from his huge crate of costumes. Just know that those photos Dr. Thunder is taking of you while you're singing (read: making a fool of yourself) will wind up on Facebook the next morning. Mercifully, he rarely takes video. Find his busy schedule at facebook.com/thunderkaraoke. Call or see website for consultation, 00000, facebook.com/thunderkaraoke.
Chickie’s & Pete’s
Bars with food trucks inside. Bars with strict dress codes. Bars with 18-ingredient cocktails that take 15 minutes to make. Blah, blah, blah. When it comes time to watch the big game–or any game, for that matter–the only place I want to be is at any of the dozen or so area locations of Chickie’s & Pete’s. You and your too-cool friends can roll your eyes at my vulgar plebeianism, but while you’re at your tin-ceilinged, Edison-bulbed speakeasy, I’ll be sitting happily amidst an ungodly number of huge TVs with sound, drinking cheap beers and scarfing down crack-like Crabfries. If you come to your senses and decide to meet me for the next game, don’t ask the waitress if she has that $14 single-cask goat-tears-infused craft beer, or you might get stomped. – Victor Fiorillo chickiesandpetes.com/.
Richmond Bottle Shop Inside the IGA
The Richmond Bottle Shop inside the IGA. Photograph by Ted Nghiem In the past two years or so, we saw an influx of independently owned wine shops open all around Philly — many of them run by restaurant owners and bar managers who take their wine programs very seriously, sourcing and stocking only the natural, or the local, or the hard-to-find stuff. We also saw Acme and Whole Foods get into the wine game here in Pennsylvania — though their selections are, um, heavy on the Sutter Home. And then there’s the IGA, a pretty generic grocery store in a pretty blah strip mall on Aramingo Avenue, not particularly boutique-y or high-end. Just a plain ol’ grocery store. Unlike Acme and Whole Foods, though, its wine selection is vast and fairly priced and downright thoughtful. There are traditional bottles — the chianti classicos, the Châteauneuf-du-Papes — but there are orange wines from Georgia, too, and pecorinos from Abruzzo, and natural and biodynamic wines everywhere you look. You’ll leave and wonder a lot about this place: Who’s running this shop? How do they keep the prices so low? And how the hell is it still such a secret? 2497 Aramingo Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, therichmondshops.com/bottle-shop.html.
Charlie's Jeans
Where they can make even the squarest of pegs fit into the roundest of holes. 233-237 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, .
Everything but Water
Don't go near a Caribbean ocean, Shore house or backyard pool without coming here first. Plaza at King of Prussia, 160 North Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, everythingbutwater.com/.
Circles
Yes, they won "Best New Thai" last year. And they're still the best. Nothing else even comes close. 1514 Tasker Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145, circlesthai.com/.
Devil's Den
All drafts are half-price during happy hour and Great Lakes proves good things do come from Cleveland. 1148 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, devilsdenphilly.com/.