Fat Salmon
Dozens of innovative maki will lure you in, but what will keep you coming back to this sleek modern venue are the hand rolls-simple, delicious, and so fresh that every single piece seems to melt in your mouth like a luscious dessert. 719 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, fatsalmonsushi.com.
Vintage
We wanted this subterranean shop to stay our own little tucked-away secret. But then it moved its digs aboveground, dashing our hopes that we could keep the huge explosion of vintage clothes (and baubles and bags and housewares) to ourselves. 63 West State Street, Doylestown, PA 18901, Vintage-doylestown.com.
The Piazza at Schmidts
Grab some Stupid Hot wings from Homeslice and a couple of Fleur de Lehigh ales from Gunners Run, and find yourself a seat among the outdoor tables. The same weather and camaraderie as the throngs enjoy at sold-out Citizens Bank, but you don't pay a penny for admission. North 2nd Street at Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19123, atthepiazza.com.
Desert Rose
Sometimes you turn up at a restaurant and immediately wish you had brought some friends so you could try more food. Such is the case with this cute husband-and-wife-run BYO, where the chicken shwarma, eggplant sandwich and hummus with poached egg platter will have you planning another Delco run ASAP. 305 West State Street, Media, PA 19063, desertrosemediapa.com.
Callowhill Archery
Make like Cupid and take aim with Callowhill Archery’s “Love and War” date-night package. This 90-minute tryst includes intro-to-archery lessons and some games to inspire a little friendly competition. Bull’s-eye! 446 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, phillyarchery.com.
Tyrique Glasgow of Young Chances Foundation
This survivor-turned-advocate has been on the ground, building support for fighting gun violence even when the cameras aren’t rolling. Some other activists rattle off lots of stats, but he’s doing the work, creating coalitions with a diverse group of organizations in a valiant effort to get to the systemic causes of a crisis too many write off as intractable. youngchancesfoundation.com.
Milk Jawn
Order pints online in flavors like Earl Grey, flecked with handmade honeycomb candy, or lemon curd, swirled with made-from-scratch blueberry basil compote. Classic options include chocolate peanut butter and vanilla, made with a double-strength extract. Either way, you’re getting some of the city’s most exciting (and straight-up delicious) new ice cream. 3525 I Street Unit B06, Philadelphia, PA 19134, milkjawn.com.
Perla Lara, Editor-in-Chief of <em>Impacto</em>
Perla Lara, editor in chief of Impacto. Photograph by Colin Lenton Lara is producing the best community journalism around right now, with a keen eye into the Latinx community. While we’ve come to expect diverse media from the likes of WURD, the Tribune and Al Día, this media leader offers a timely and promising alternative. Notably, she’s working with staff from the Caribbean, South America, and the Greater Philadelphia area to cover Latinx issues more holistically. impactomedia.com.
Sabbatical Beauty
Sabbatical Beauty founder Adeline Koh. Photograph by Colin Lenton It’s not just that founder Adeline Koh crafts some of the most luxurious skin-care products on the market — from the Vacuum Cleaner cleansing oil to the Dorian Gray anti-aging serum — out of her Bok studio. It’s also that she donated masks and created hand sanitizers, all while using her playful yet powerful TikToks to put racists in their place. 1901 South 9th Street #308, Philadelphia, PA 19148, sabbaticalbeauty.com.
Trace Shop
Come for the cool wares — like cement-and-geode planters or Lord Jones CBD — but stay for the pillar of Marny Baxt’s business: the art. The former talent management exec dreamed up Trace after the passing of both of her parents, when she was faced with sorting through their personal art collection. Baxt wants to connect the community with creatives and make it easy to obtain and custom-frame one-of-a-kind works. 80 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore, PA 19003, thetraceshop.com.
SNL Vault
In April, Comcast did a limited launch of its first-time streaming service, and Peacock became available nationwide in July. Like most streaming services, it has its pros and cons, but one clear winner is the “channel” SNL Vault, which features the best clips from Saturday Night Live’s heyday. Other things we like about Peacock: all 21 seasons of Law and Order SVU, an unusually high number of classic (as in black-and-white) movies, including some Hitchcock, and … 21 Jump Street! peacocktv.com.
The Clam Tavern
If you show up at 7 p.m. without reservations, you’re most likely SOL. (The crowds have been coming since the 1960s for the cheap cocktails, small-town service and baked clams.) But we’ve got a secret: The Broadway Bar & Grille, across the street, has the same owner and serves the full Clam Tavern menu. 339 East Broadway Avenue, Clifton Heights, PA 19018, clamtavern.net.
Aleksandra Ambrozy
Philly brides have long known about this Polish-born talent—heck, Taylor Swift bestie Britany Maack employed her for her Reading wedding. But you don’t actually have to be walking down the aisle to get Ambrozy’s help. Pop into her airy studio before a big night out, have her come to your place for special-occasion prep, or sign up for one of her product-and-technique-instructive makeup classes to learn her tricks yourself. 1118 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, aleksandraambrozy.com.
The Training Station
Why? That’s the question that comes to mind when you learn former pro runner Phil Clark moved his gym_—and all its fancy equipment handpicked for serious athletes—from the Piazza’s shiny Rialto building to a dingy, unassuming strip mall on Spring Garden. But once you walk into the light-filled space—complete with a lengthy turf runway you’d think impossible for a city gym—it all makes sense. 533 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, phillytrainingstation.com.
UBIQ Lab
At UBIQ’s appointment-only “lab,” which opened this past winter, serious sneakerheads can design a pair of kicks in a completely custom color palette. (Deposits start at $500.) Need some inspiration? Consider taking those holy-grail Air Jordan 1’s and refinishing them in exotic crocodile or python. (Yup, they do that.) 1509 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, ubiqlife.com.