The Landing Kitchen
The Landing Kitchen in Bala Cynwyd. Photograph by Jeff Fusco Up in Bala Cynwyd, Nick Elmi and Fia Berisha opened a little all-day cafe overlooking the Schuylkill, totally accessible to the ribbons of hiking and biking trails in the area. When you’re done with your morning trek, there are expert coffee drinks, breakfast sandwiches and pastries. When you’re about to go mountain-biking and need some fuel, there’s a brioche grilled cheese served (if you want) with a hefty dollop of black caviar (you do). 617 Righters Ferry Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, thelandingkitchen.com.
Dottie’s Serenade Service
How do you make loved ones feel special on their birthdays when they can’t have their friends and fam all around them? A Zoom party? Pfft. You send them the marvelous Dot Levine of Dottie’s Serenade Service, where the apt motto is “Give the Gift of Joy.” Prices start at $76, and Dot has a pretty vast repertoire, ranging from Willy Wonka to the Cure to traditional Yiddish ditties. dottiesserenadeservice.com.
Fork
It's not surprising that Roberto Sella, Fork's wine director, approaches his list with smarts and style that does, after all, sum up this Old City restaurant. Fork's wine list is composed of a nice selection of international wines that hail from smaller vineyards, so prices stay low (think $30 to $60) but quality stays high. A small selection of splurge-y "reserve" wines for that blow-the-bank occasion rounds out an overall-fabulous 50-bottle-or-so list. 306 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, forkrestaurant.com.
Groundswell Design Group
That they'll swing by your place to do a quick spruce-up or plant a few flowers a year after your project was finished "just because" is only one reason to love David Fierabend, John McDowell and their Jersey-based crew, who score our top nod for the second straight year. In their creative hands, your patch of green will receive the same loving care and attention whether you inhabit a petite city plot or a rambling estate. P.O. Box 438, Hopewell, NJ 08525, groundswelldesigngroup.com.
Busybee Homestore and Design Center
Make an appointment, and an onsite designer will give you a 30-minute planning consultation, present a library book of furniture options, and walk you through the small but mighty floor selection of staples (dressers from Oeuf and Argington) and accessories (mini Eames-like chairs and Stokke high chairs). For $500, the designer will do more, like dream up art installations or help with paint colors. 734 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, busybeephilly.com.
Bicycle Club of Philadelphia
Less injury-inducing than touch football and less awkward than dodgeball with co-workers is this band of 1,200 cyclists who offer camaraderie, a perfect way to blow off some steam after a long workday, and the chance to explore unknown corners of the city and 'burbs. Group rides are organized by skill level, and the membership fee is only $15 a year. All you have to do is show up with your bike and a helmet. Ride on. 00000, phillybikeclub.org.
Blossom
Blink and you'll miss this little shop, which from the sidewalk looks as though it vends orchids only, but then reveals itself to be unrivaled when it comes to imaginative and sophisticated arrangements incorporating all sorts of blooms. We've tried DIY here; it doesn't quite work. Let owner Kevin Kim do his thing. You'll be happy. 225 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, .
Janice Martin
When the exhibit featuring Princess Grace's wedding came to town in 2006, the Art Museum called on Martin to restore Grace's famous -cathedral-length veil. So you can go ahead and trust her to get your grandmother's gown into ready-to-wear shape or, if you'd like, have her design one from scratch. She'll sketch, do fittings in muslin, and then source fine fabrics from Europe. How delightfully retro is that? 41 Cricket Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003, janicemartin.net.
Ocean Harbor
Authenticity is key to the dim sum experience, and the friendly, cart-pushing peddlers at this Chinatown haven do an amazing job of transporting you straight to southern China. The vibe of the room is bright and bustling; the staff is attentive and patient and happy to guide you through a myriad of sometimes adventuresome (chicken feet, anyone?) but always delicious (fresh shrimp dumplings, slightly sweet pork buns, and steamed cream buns heavenly custard-filled pillows of doughy goodness) choices. 1023 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, .
Police and Fire Federal Credit Union
We may be a PNC town, but those l-ooking for more parochial (in a good way!) and small-town-feeling service head to Police and Fire. Not only do they have more s-urcharge-free ATMs than their larger bank competitors; even the most peripheral of police and fire relations are eligible for membership. Biggest bonus: Call and you get a live person. Like, right away. See website for locations, 00000, pffcu.org.
Southwark
It's not that there's anything wrong with the back dining room at Southwark. It's candlelit and cozy, just like the front bar. But there's something special about eating at the wide wooden bar here, where locals gather to swap stories over expertly poured throwback cocktails. And the bartenders you can always find co-owner (and the chef's husband) Kip Waide here love that you feast on the tender pork chop, roasted potatoes and homemade cookies as much as you do. 701 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, southwarkrestaurant.com.
Nigro's Auto Body
As long as Philly is all narrow streets and parallel parking, your car's going to be all pockmarks and dents. Quit fretting and go see South Philly's Aniello Nigro, an Italian-trained die-hard car lover who's been making beat-up, beat-down and just beat cars look new for 30 years. 939 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, nigrosautobody.com.
Black Horse Auto Body Shop
Owner Johnny DiMino is made for reality TV a jovial car nut who treats dinged-up Mercedeses and Corvettes with love, and who charged hundreds of dollars less than another repair shop quoted to fix a dented SUV. We also like the t-shirts he gives to customers, embossed with his logo: "U Reckem. We Fixem. U Payum." 1502 Ridge Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, blackhorseautobody.com.
Zahav
What do you get a food snob who's tried everything? Grilled duck hearts, obviously. Or how about warm Turkish hummus, fried cauliflower and egg-topped lamb kebabs? Wash it all down with a bourbon-and-mint Lemonnana with hints of verbena in the easy dining room of this Israeli hot spot, and your snooty Brooklyn buddy will be canceling his plans at Minetta and begging to Amtrak it down again next weekend. 237 St. James Place, Philadelphia, PA 19106, zahavrestaurant.com.