Middle Child
Imagine an old-school counter-service diner, only instead of being run by angry Greek men, it’s staffed by a bunch of Philly hipsters offering blintz toast and a kick-ass egg sandwich with Cooper sharp and arugula on Philly Bread pullman. 248 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, middlechildphilly.com.
Soft Co.
Cow-print earrings, custom aprons, and beautiful, supple sling bags make up some of Ambler’s own Soft Co.’s small-batch leather goods. The offerings are extremely limited and purchasable by Instagram DM and on the website; commissions for items like accessories and housewares are also welcome. softcoleather.com.
Termini Bros
Take a free bakery tour at Termini’s South Philly flagship to see mixers as big as hot tubs and cannoli being filled. This is great for kids, who get little paper hats and are highly likely to walk out with a free treat. 1523 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, termini.com.
United Upholstery
After being quoted almost $900 in the city, a Philly Mag staffer drove the 30 minutes to Au Nguyen’s shop in Delco and got her great-aunt’s scallop-back chair meticulously re-covered in luxe raspberry velvet for a cool $395. 201 North Springfield Road, Clifton Heights, PA 19018, Unitedupholsterypa.com.
Printfresh
The short sets, robes, sleep shirts and separates are soft but breathable, sustainably produced, and sexy without being revealing. But the real appeal is that these items were created by a printmaker, not a pajama maker, so the patterns and colorways — pink cheetahs, navy moons and stars, flamingos and elephants hidden in a vine design — are like wearable works of art. printfresh.com.
Style by Blain
Aside from being one of the best-dressed and best-named business owners in the city, Voltaire Blain has an unusually welcoming store — a historic Chestnut Hill home where the shoes are displayed not on racks, but on a pool table — and an equally impressive collection: Styleshoes by Alden, Paraboot, and Gaziano and Girling, some of which he designed himself. 8433 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118, stylebyblain.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.
Kitchen Harvest (Suburbs) and Circle Compost (City)
The quickest way to make your house smell better? Put all the rotting fruit and vegetables in a bucket outside, instead of letting them sit at the bottom of your trash can. It’s good for the environment in addition to being good for your environment. mykitchenharvest.com/, circlecompost.com.
Chris' Jazz Cafe
We've finally realized that most chicken wings taste like sauce, not chicken. But not at Chris', where fresh cuts (meaning they're taken from whole birds that are being broken down for other uses) are seared in a cast-iron pan, finished in the oven, and seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper. 1421 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, chrisjazzcafe.com.
Center City Soft Pretzel Co.
After enduring an 18-month struggle following a devastating fire, East Passyunk’s Center City Soft Pretzel Co. reopened its doors, inviting locals to savor, yet again, the warm and doughy embrace of Philly’s Best Soft Pretzel. (And it’s expanding its offerings — just peep the new collaborations with Queen Village sandwich champs Farina Di Vita.) 816 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, centercitypretzel.com.
Philly Zoo at 2
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. facebook.com/philadelphiazoo/videos/?ref=page_internal.
Primavera Fund
This arts org, named for former longtime Philadelphia Youth Orchestra music director Joseph Primavera, provides mentorship, instruction, instruments and more to promising young, local classical musicians who otherwise lack means. “If you told me years ago that I would be traveling to Vancouver, Canada, and being a guest performer at a TED Talk conference, I wouldn’t believe you,” says violinist Akili Farrow, who in 2018 toured with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA. primaverafund.org.
Bánh Bèo Chén at Gabriella’s
Imagine an open-face dumpling — a rice cake topped with minced shrimp, crispy pork skin, mung beans and scallions. Imagine it nestled and steamed inside its own small, shallow bowl. Now imagine 10 of them being paraded out of Gabriella’s kitchen on a giant platter for you and all your friends. The dream, right? Yeah, that’s the dream. 1837 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148, gabriellasasian.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.
Philadelphia Mycology Club
On the hunt in Ridley Creek State Park. Photograph by Jauhien Sasnou You probably didn’t realize that Philly’s parks, trails and even sidewalks are home to a huge variety of mushrooms, many of them edible. But how do you begin? And how do you not, you know, die from ingesting, oh, say, a death cap? Simple: Find the Philadelphia Mycology Club on Facebook. They host mushroom hunts all over the region, and if you’re lucky, you’ll come home with some tasty hen-of-the-woods or morels for supper. facebook.com/phillymycoclub.