Cristina Martinez at El Compadre
Her claim to fame may be simple lamb tacos, but Martinez (of South Philly Barbacoa fame) is a master of her craft. Her use of quality ingredients and dedication to making everything—from heirloom corn tortillas to soulful stews—by hand, are why Philly’s top toques bow down to her prowess. 1149 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, facebook.com/Calle9ElCompadre.
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.
Chasing Trail
A jaunt with this all-paces-welcome trail-running group (they meet at Wissahickon’s Valley Green Inn at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays) squeezes in a hefty dose of nature, a calf-burning workout and a chance to make new friends, all before brunch. Facebook.com/groups/chasingtrail.
Totem
In the city, Totem proves that men's accessories aren't all cheesy fedoras and corny cuff links with a selection of Shinola timepieces, Miansai screw cuff bracelets and I'm-not-trying-too-hard Shwood eyewear. 535 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, totembrandco.com.
Indego Bikes
UberX? Pfft. All those blue two-wheelers you've seen cruising around town are evidence enough that the city's pay-and-pedal bikes are this year's ride of choice (5,000 Indego members and counting!). Now if we can just keep all those newly mobile folks off the sidewalks ... Various locations, rideindego.com.
iPartz USA
This tiny company operating out of a cluttered space above a pizza shop is actually one of the largest cell-phone parts wholesalers in the Northeast, so they have the real Apple screens (not the knockoffs others use) dirt cheap. We recently brought them a badly shattered phone: Ten minutes and $60 later, it was like new. 299 Levering Mill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, ipartzusa.com.
O'Boy Organics
Owner Trina O'Boyle, a former Montessori teacher, brings ingredients, supplies and aprons and holds court during her (healthy!) cooking party while you relax and snap pics. oboyorganic.com.
Bob and Barbara's
There's rarely a cover at this Philly dive bar, where a shot and a beer still cost just $3.50. And the talent lineup is always intriguing, from a twice-monthly country music hoedown and a funky Saturday-night guitar trio to the lounge-y sounds of Dena Miranda and the Mellowtones. 1509 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, bobandbarbaras.com.
Lake Nockamixon
Bucks County has plenty of gorgeous to go around thanks to destinations like the nearly 1,500-acre lake -- all shimmering and tree-lined -- in Nockamixon State Park. There are six public launching areas, which means this is a windsurfer's, paddle boarder's, kayaker's and boater's dream. (Much of the needed gear is available to rent on-site for fair prices.) 1542 Mountain View Drive, Quakertown, PA 18951, dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/nockamixon.
La Fogata
As happens so often, a run-of-the-mill strip mall yields ethnic-dining gold. This small mom-and-pop just down the road from the Berlin Farmer's Market has a fiercely dedicated clientele and is always filled with soccer-watching Mexican guys and young families chowing down on menudo, amazing tacos al pastor and homemade horchata. Just as a heads-up, not every staffer speaks English, so feel free to try out your Espa�ol. 33 West White Horse Pike, Berlin, NJ 08009, .
Il Pittore
Screw you and your vegan, fair-trade, farm-to-table almond milk. There are some things we'll always do better on the East Coast, and Italian food is one of them. The ironic thing? Il Pittore looks like every taste-of-Tuscany dining room scattered across the Left Coast, but the food is so much richer, smarter and more soulful than virtually anything you'd find at any of those "lighter is better" places. 2025 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, ilpittore.com.
Perry O'Hearn
Need insta-motivation? A quick visit to O'Hearn's Instagram page—the Philly Phitness owner posts a medley of non-cheesy motivational mantras and videos of sweaty, intense training sessions—will get you off the couch and into your sneakers in no time. instagram.com/phillyphitness.
Sip-N-Glo Juicery
When Sip-N-Glo Juicery started bottling its wholesome juices and smoothies, it was like the juice gods were smiling down on us, finally. And we thank them. 932 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, sipnglo.com.
Scott Greer
No other local actor has the comic timing and powerful stage presence demonstrated by this 44-year-old veteran of the Philly theater scene, who has performed more than 30 times at the Arden alone. See him kill it again in the lead role of the Beast in La Bte, opening at the Old City theater in September.
Andrew Meredith
This 38-year-old Northeast native's debut work, a memoir called The Removers, is dark and bleak and funny and utterly Philly. The down-on-his-luck narrator joins his sad dad, a disgraced former La Salle prof, in the business of making house calls to pick up corpses for local funeral homes. Between encounters with the dead and those they leave behind, he meanders in and out of love affairs, observes the dissolution of his parents' marriage, and ponders why he can't seem to gain any traction. A tour de force that should be the hands-down choice for the next One Book, One Philadelphia campaign. andrewmeredith.net.