Tabachoy
The best BYOBs take advantage of the comparatively affordable start-up costs to do something exciting. Tabachoy is a model example, offering an experience that feels fresh and personal, with a menu ranging from classic Filipino dishes, like the lumpia Shanghai stuffed with pork, to an only-at-Tabachoy Caesar salad so crunchy with napa cabbage and mustard greens and savory with fried scallions and cured duck yolk that it gives the ukoy, a gigantic fritter of shrimp, sweet potato and carrot, a run for its money. 932 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, tabachoyphilly.com.
Tony Burritos California
Know what goes great with beer? Tacos. Know what should be in every beer store in the city? A taqueria. As proof-of-concept, see Tony Burritos — a stand-up Mexican operation run from behind an old deli counter inside the Foodery in Roxborough. It’s doing simple, stripped-down double-tortilla street tacos filled with pork carnitas and chopped onions, brightened up with a squeeze of lime, and soft birria tacos dripping with consommé. 6148 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19128, tonyburrtioscaliforniainc.com.
Patti Brett at Doobies Bar
Photograph by Jeff Fusco Bartenders like Brett are a dying breed. She’s run Doobies since inheriting the business from her mom in 2003, and she holds court each night, serving craft beer, chatting with regulars, and curating an ever-changing jukebox full of Maggie Rogers, Sly & the Family Stone, and Brett’s beloved David Bowie. Her openness and easy conversation are reminders that connection, however casual, is as sustaining as a Citywide at the end of a long day. 2201 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, doobiesbarphilly.com.
Sylvester Mobley
Mobley has been a citywide hero for a long while, having previously been honored with the prestigious 2018 Philadelphia Award for his groundbreaking work in advancing his nonprofit, Coded by Kids. But he’s become a tech legend since launching his new venture capital fund for under-represented founders — and he continues to rack up national recognition and accolades, including being named a For(bes) the Culture 50 Champions honoree last year.
Cindy Carniecki
The Liquor Control Board isn't exactly famed for its knowledgeable staff. Which is why we were so pleasantly surprised to find Cindy Carniecki at the new PLCB-run boutique wine store in the Garces Trading Company, skillfully recommending a $15 French ros to go with our meal. It's nice doing business with a real wine enthusiast. (Cindy worked in the restaurant biz for 30 years before taking a job with the PLCB.) And apparently the feeling's mutual: The best part about working at the new store, she says, is customers who are excited about wine. 1111 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, garcestradingcompany.com.
Hush Salon Philadelphia
Chances are you've passed this year-old salon nestled upstairs inside Old City's Sweat gym without even knowing it. No more. The former Bang is now home to Adrienne Rogers, longtime color instructor for Product Club, and her husband Carlos. The duo, recent migrs from NYC who have celeb heads like Rachael Ray on their joint rsum, are turning out some of the best, most natural-looking color jobs in the city with sleek cuts to match. And they're doing it in a bright space worth finding, without the pomp or painful prices of some higher-profile spots. 45 North 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, hushsalon.com.
The Market at Comcast Center
So long, Liberty Place! Underneath the Comcast Center, the Suited masses can now craft lunches from the gourmet offerings at Di Bruno Bros., the homemade pastas at LaScala's, the hefty burritos at Mexican Post, the cheesesteaks at Frank's, and the udon soup and teriyaki at Tokyo Sushi. But this is so much more than your average food court. Dinner (and dessert!) are covered, too; pick up local fruit and veggies from Sook Hee's Market, the freshest halibut and lobster at Under the C fish market, and cannoli from Termini Bros. 1701 JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19103, themarketandshopsatcomcastcenter.com/info/aboutshops.
Pro-Team Collision
You don’t go to a body shop because you want to go to a body shop. You go because some dingus let a shopping cart go and it slammed into the side of your brand-new car, or you got rear-ended on the Blue Route. So it’s always nice to meet a crew like those at Pro-Team Collision, who handle your work with care and a sense of urgency. Need to (sigh) work with your insurance company? Pro-Team will do that work for you, to save you a bit of hassle. 378 Crooked Lane, King of Prussia, PA 19406, proteamcollision.com.
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia
If you’re saying “I do” here, there’s no reason to have your surrounding festivities anywhere else. After all, the sky-high hotel is a trip in its own right. Director of catering Robin Ewing will help you custom-create an itinerary, from a welcome reception on the main ballroom’s outdoor terrace to a post-wedding brunch at Vernick Fish. If you’re really looking to party, you could hold a wedding-inspired rock concert, like one local couple recently did. As for your honeymoon? Think about that 57th-floor infinity-edge pool. 1 North 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, fourseasons.com/philadelphia.
Wawa's Schwarberfest
Wawa does a lot of things. (Some would say too many things.) But here’s one we can’t argue with: They helped the Phillies reach the World Series. The chain’s annual Hoagiefest promotion coincided with a torrid June for left fielder Kyle Schwarber. In the post-season, Schwarber’s longball prowess waned, so on October 18th, Wawa reinstated its hoagie deal — this time under the banner “Schwarberfest.” The results: Schwarber, previously homerless in the post-season, launched six bombs in 11 games. Coincidence? Who cares?
Redcap's Corner
Trendy places like Thirsty Dice and Queen & Rook are where you go when you want to hang out with your friends, have a beer or latte, and casually play some board games for an hour or two. Well, Redcap’s isn’t trendy. There’s no cafe. The store just recently upgraded from folding chairs. But what it does have is a hard-core dedication to providing an inclusive environment for serious tabletop gamers, whether your jam is Magic: The Gathering (tournaments every Friday!) or far more complex endeavors that make lesser players’ heads hurt by page two of the brick-thick manual. 3850 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, redcapscorner.com.
Art Museum steps
Yes, it’s obvious. And yes, you have to dodge hordes of hyperactive children and hawkers slinging overpriced Gatorade. But the best place for an alfresco sweat session in this city will always be the Art Museum steps, 72 tiny limestone mountains that will kill your calves and tone your butt. At the bottom, you roll your eyes at the selfie-taking out-of-towners. On the way up, you curse the goddamn class trips blocking your ascent. But once you’ve made it, you turn around – legs aching, lungs burning – and look back over the city and feel like you’ve conquered it. And that will never not be a rush. So go practice yoga on some fancy rooftop, or do your Pilates in the park. As for me, I’ll be running the Art Museum steps with the tourists. See you at the top. – Gina Tomaine
Richmond Bottle Shop Inside the IGA
The Richmond Bottle Shop inside the IGA. Photograph by Ted Nghiem In the past two years or so, we saw an influx of independently owned wine shops open all around Philly — many of them run by restaurant owners and bar managers who take their wine programs very seriously, sourcing and stocking only the natural, or the local, or the hard-to-find stuff. We also saw Acme and Whole Foods get into the wine game here in Pennsylvania — though their selections are, um, heavy on the Sutter Home. And then there’s the IGA, a pretty generic grocery store in a pretty blah strip mall on Aramingo Avenue, not particularly boutique-y or high-end. Just a plain ol’ grocery store. Unlike Acme and Whole Foods, though, its wine selection is vast and fairly priced and downright thoughtful. There are traditional bottles — the chianti classicos, the Châteauneuf-du-Papes — but there are orange wines from Georgia, too, and pecorinos from Abruzzo, and natural and biodynamic wines everywhere you look. You’ll leave and wonder a lot about this place: Who’s running this shop? How do they keep the prices so low? And how the hell is it still such a secret? 2497 Aramingo Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125, therichmondshops.com/bottle-shop.html.
CJ And D’s Trenton Tomato Pies
Take a walk down East Passyunk Avenue and you’ll likely miss CJ and D’s the first time. But if you squint through the garage doors of Cartesian Brewing at just the right angle, at just the right time, you’ll spot them: gleaming, crispy Trenton-style pies, popped right onto the bar. It’s only open three days a week, and they sell out fast. Our recommendation? Grab a few pints of Cartesian’s low-ABV brown mild — and when the opportunity arises, pounce. 1326 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146, instagram.com/cjdtomatopies.
B&E Sportswear
When it’s Friday and you realize your daughter’s robotics team needs high-quality full-zip hoodies with screen printing on the back and embroidery on the front by the following Wednesday, you call this friendly, family-run establishment that’s been keeping customers happy since 1983. Sports jerseys. Family reunion t-shirts. Whatever. They do it all. 1005 Sussex Boulevard, Broomall, PA 19008, bandesportswear.com.