Parks on Tap

Nominated by Cory J. Popp, filmmaker and photographer parksontap.com.

Thirsty Dice

Philly will get its first-ever board-game cafe when the delayed Thirsty Dice opens in Fairmount, hopefully sometime this fall. For now, the Thirsty Dice crew hosts monthly pop-ups at Fishtown’s Evil Genius brewery. (The next one’s on August 8th.) They bring the games, and they’ll sit with you and your friends to explain the rules ... and to referee when needed. Because when you’re drinking, who really wants to pull out the instructions? thirstydice.com.

We Found a Way to Work Around the PLCB

While COVID-19 decimated the city’s restaurant scene, it also helped push Philly’s antiquated liquor laws just a bit into the 21st century. Here’s how.

The Lawsuit | The PLCB always acted as the middleman between wine dealers who sold specialty bottles (you know, the natural, biodynamic wine made by small producers) and places where you’d normally buy those bottles (restaurants and bottle shops). So when COVID-19 shut down all Pennsylvania state stores back in March, dealers in Philly were no longer able to sell their product, and independent wine retailers couldn’t restock their shelves. Two dealers, MFW Wine Co. LLC and A6 Wine Co., said “Enough!” and sued the motherfriggin’ PLCB.

While the suit is still moving slowly through the system — the PLCB appealed the ruling of the Commonwealth Court — the implications of PLCB-free wine commerce in the Philly restaurant industry are huge. Because even right now, in 2020, wine delivery is still nonexistent for retailers and restaurants. Right now, there’s still essentially no wholesale discount. Right now, retailers are paying gratuitous fees (and passing the cost on to us). And a lawsuit like this — which, mind you, has a good chance of succeeding — might very well change all of that.

To-Go Cocktails | The problems inherent in working within the PLCB’s convoluted systems were only exacerbated when coronavirus came along and shut down our nightlife scene entirely. Something had to give.

On May 21st, Governor Tom Wolf signed into law a piece of legislation that allowed restaurants and bars that had lost at least 25 percent of their average monthly sales due to the pandemic to sell cocktails to-go. Which means that for the first time since Prohibition, you can walk up to a bar in Philadelphia and order some martinis for the road, and nobody — not even a PLCB officer — can stop you from living your life. The to-go-martini kind of life.

Wine Shops! Finally! | When the PLCB temporarily closed all its stores, these shops stayed open and kept us drinking and drunk during the apocalypse. And they deserve all the attention in the world.

• Vernick Wine, 2029 Walnut Street, Rittenhouse

• Tinys Bottle Shop, 3124 Richmond Street, Port Richmond

• Di Bruno Bros., 9th Street Bottle Shop, 920 South 9th Street, Bella Vista

• Fancy Wine Club at Bloomsday, 414 South 2nd Street, Society Hill

• Le Caveau, 614 South 7th Street, Bella Vista

• Fishtown Social, 1525 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown

• Wine Dive, 1506 South Street, Grad Hospital

• Jet Wine Bar, 1525 South Street, Grad Hospital

Bulk Vintage

Bulk is the depot that sells vintage to vintage stores. Pre-COVID, they’d open up their warehouse to the public once a month. They’ve since pivoted, and smartly so: You can now shop their site and buy by the bundle — as in, a collection of 12 blouses from the 1970s for $60. 4324 Tackawanna Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124, bulkvintage.com.

Big Top Thrift

Even if Big Top didn’t have a huge charitable aspect — which it does — we’d still want to shop here for the many lighthearted and fun finds (cowboy boots, kitschy kitchen goods). But winking tees are definitely the centerpiece: Garfield, Hard Rock Osaka, Mrs. T’s Pierogies and Uncle Fester are only a few examples. Claim yours by sending a DM through Instagram. @bigtopthrift. instagram.com/bigtopthrift.

InMovement Gymnastics Education

If being at home with your kids 24/7 has changed your attitude toward screen time, it’s okay. Allay your guilt (if you still have any) by registering for one of the many local kids’ classes that have popped up on YouTube and across social media. See the full write up at Virtual Classes. phillyinmovement.com/virtual-summer-camp-2.

The Free Library’s Digital Resources

If your relationship with the Free Library of Philadelphia has simply been one of borrowing a book and returning it, you’re really missing out. From the comfort of your couch, you can delve into the library’s digital resources. Our favorites: the vast American Music archives; the 35,000 songs in Smithsonian Global Sound; and two different movie streaming services (Hoopla and Kanopy). freelibrary.org.

Hakim’s Bookstore & Gift Shop

The city’s oldest Black-owned bookstore is still going strong, selling new and old African American-focused literature — from biography and history to children’s books. 210 South 52nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139, hakimsbookstore.com.

Dawn Staley

The hoops being played in South Philly when the pandemic struck were maddeningly inconsistent. The Philly hoops being played farther south were consistently euphoric. The South Carolina Gamecocks’ women’s team — helmed by Philly legend Dawn Staley — went 32-1, won their last 26 games, and in a season without a tournament were the consensus national champs. Staley rightly won the prestigious Naismith Coach of the Year award, making her the first such winner to have also previously won the Naismith Player of the Year award (which she did in 1991 and ’92). One wonders what madness March might have wrought.

Harriett’s Bookshop

Bibliophiles flocked to this eclectic bookstore when it opened earlier this year, then again this summer when owner and activist Jeannine A. Cook began handing out books on the street to educate folks during police brutality protests. 258 East Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, harriettsbookshop.com.

Santucci’s Original Square Pizza

Readers' Choice winner. 901 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, santuccispizza.com.

Meltkraft

"Artisan grilled cheese sandwiches" sounds like exactly the kind of stupid thing you'd read about on Goop, Gywneth Paltrow's insufferable lifestyle site. But look, if you've got your own dairy, make your own cheese, and then combine that cheese with things like cranberry chutney, duck fat, barbecue potato chips, brisket or cornichons, you know what you've got? An honest-to-God, no-bullshit artisan grilled cheese sandwich that would make Gwyneth's delicate, pastel-colored and cruelty-free heart explode if she got within 50 feet of it. 46 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, meltkraft.com/locations/philly-2.

Roast Duck Taco at Revolution Taco

Usually, the daring reinvention of the taco — you know, filling them with all sorts of weird chef-y things — is B.S. The roast duck taco at Revolution is the exception. Wrapped in a scallion pancake, topped with plum sauce, ginger-cabbage slaw, pickled oyster mushrooms and a scattering of fried duck skin, it's Sunday-morning Chinese leftovers presented in the best possible way. 2015 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, therevolutiontaco.com.

Caviar

Look, we know that now you can get pretty much anything delivered. What makes Caviar special is that it has allied itself with some of Philly's best restaurants, so you're not just getting any pizza/grilled cheese/shumai dumplings delivered; you're getting the best iterations thereof. And they'll bring it to you fresher and faster than any other service in town. trycaviar.com.

Ela

Oysters with strawberry vinegar, gnocchi tots with black truffle dipping sauce, homemade Cheetos, bar nuts spiked with curry powder and, on top of everything else, a crazy burger topped with Cabot cheddar and shitake mushrooms on a black sesame bun? Philly has always been an eat-at-the-bar kind of town, and Ela is the best example of just how good we've gotten at it. 627 South 3rd Street, Queen Village 627 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, elaphilly.com.