Friday-Morning Eagles Tix
Before you drop major dime on a sold-out Eagles home game again, know these three things. 1: For each home game, there are seats set aside for marketing purposes and for the visiting team. 2: Its rare for all of these seats to be used. 3: On the Friday morning before a Sunday game, the surplus seats are sold for face value on Ticketmaster. We found last-minute seats for several games last season. Fly, Eagles fan, fly! 00000, ticketmaster.com/Philadelphia-Eagles-tickets/artist/805999.
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.
Two Locals
Brothers and former home brewers Mengistu and Richard Koilor now have the distinction of running the city’s first Black-owned brewery, churning out deep and complex stuff like their Nubian brown ale and Who You Wit, a Belgian-style witbier. The duo is still looking for a permanent home; for the time being, check out their website for where to pick up a four-pack of tallboys. twolocalsbrewing.com.
Weavers Way Mercantile
The Weavers Way Co-Op has long been a part of the Mount Airy community (48 years and counting!), but the mercantile shop across the street opened in 2016. The space itself — a former garage — makes for a highly pleasant browsing experience, and the home goods and vintage clothes on offer will add retro personality to any home or closet. It’s not just limited to secondhand goods, though: Ceramics, candles, jewelry and more from local makers serve as reminders of the area’s rich artistic history. 559 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119, etsy.com/shop/WeaversWayMerc.
Massage Bella Vista
First you'll choose your scented oil and your music, and then you'll be ushered into a dark, quiet treatment room where you'll meet your therapist. With any luck, you'll get Blue Simmons, whose expert hands will home in on your sorest parts like a missile on its target. After your 75-minute rubdown, she'll walk you through an at-home regimen to keep you loose between visits. 750 Fitzwater Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, massagephilly.com/bella-vista.html.
Bibou
Pierre Calmels doesnt just do right by the classics (escargots, terrines, veal sweetbreads); he shows how fresh contemporary French cooking can be. (Think shellfish bisque with pomegranate seeds, or seared foie gras with a lime-tanged plum chutney.) Meanwhile, his lovely wife, Charlotte, turns the dining room into a home away from home for Phillys French expats. 1009 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, biboubyob.com.
Leeward Furniture's Popsicle Mirror
Last year was the year of the at-home workout gadget, from sleek Pelotons to personal workout mirrors that reflect your sweating image back at you. Now that we can all go outside again, turn your space back into an actual home with beautiful objects that don’t bully you into exercise. No better place to start than with Leeward’s beautiful popsicle mirror, made in Kensington by husband-and-wife duo John Geating and Gina Kim. It’s just the right amount of playful while serving a necessary purpose: You can check yourself out while also using its top shelf to store small tchotchkes and books. 3237 Amber Street 4-3-C, Philadelphia, PA 19134, leewardfurniture.com.
MainLine Pet Sitting
The choosiest of Main Line dog lovers trust MLPS with their Preciouses, and their homes P.O. Box 115, Gladwyne, PA 19035, mainlinepetsitting.com.
Mango Tree Bistro
No fish head curry here, but the more traditional varieties are well done at this Thai joint in a converted home right on Ridge Pike. 3120 Ridge Pike, Eagleville, PA 19403, mangotreethai.com.
Aneu Kitchen + Juicery
Home in on the “healthy shots” part of the menu for straight-to-the-system shocks of goodness like lemon with ginger, turmeric, black pepper and grapeseed oil. Additional location in Paoli. 1225 Montrose Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, aneucatering.com.
The People Who Looked Out for Our Health
Whether they’re helping patients who are sick or homing in on a vaccine, let’s hear it for the scientists. Read the full write up here. phillymag.com/news/2020/07/16/scientists-frontline-heroes-coronavirus-vaccine.
The Common
The Common’s burger. Photograph by Stuart Goldenberg The Common’s double-patty burger has the same spirit as a McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with cheese, but it’s made with local beef, Cooper Sharp, and a “spicy fancy sauce” to bring it all home. 3601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, thecommonphl.com.
J & J Motors
It’s not unusual to see a Porsche or Ferrari or Maserati on the lift at this shop, where they specialize in European models—but customers nevertheless rave about the unpretentious down-home service, surprisingly reasonable prices and spot-on estimates. 1111 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, jandjmotors.com.
Harvey Oak Mercantile
At this cool-girl boutique, you can pick up birthstone earrings by Cat Horn — who works out of her nearby home — or hand-etched brass zodiac necklaces made by Wallingford’s Stone Harvest Jewelry. 102 Park Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, harveyoak.com.
The Little Apple
The Paddywax candles and locally made jewelry here are easy crowd-pleasers, but it's the one-of-a-kind vintage home goods that will score you an invite to the next soiree. The one after that is up to you. 4353 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127, thelittleapplestore.com.