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.
Dejanaya Spicer
What began as swirly stress relief has become a creative career for this West Philly artist. Her emotional pieces have simple silhouettes drawn in colored lines and squiggles that never touch yet all come together cohesively. Her preferred drawing instrument? The Sharpie. “You can see those perfect details, the shape of the body, the curve of the hair,” says Spicer, who’s also a full-time photographer. Her first exhibit is via Fitler Club’s artist-in-residence program; those of us who aren’t members can browse her work online. lovesickartgallery.com.
Black Girl Joy Bike Ride
When West Philly’s Iresha Picot realized some of her friends didn’t know how to ride a bike, she took matters into her own hands, launching this free biweekly recreational cycling group in 2023. Her aim was simple: to get more Black women and girls on bicycles. And it’s worked. A year later, Picot’s “gentle” communal rides have fostered a strong sisterhood of riders of all ages and, yes, spread a lot of joy. You can BYO bike to the meetups or rent an Indego free of charge. Head to Picot’s Instagram for ride schedules. instagram.com/ireshadahoodtherapist.
The Railroad Street Bar and Grill
There's a reason why when you cross the border into certain distant exurbs, every other car on the road is sporting a trunk magnet with the double-R logo of Railroad Street. This place has everything you want in a great beer bar -- a dozen-odd rotating taps, a huge bottle list packed with weird stuff, a staff that actually knows about all that weird stuff, some salty things on a menu that's better than it needs to be, and a back room filled with vintage pinball machines to play when you're drunk. 36 Railroad Street, Linfield, PA 19468, railroadstreet.com.
Fishtown
Where else to go but Fishtown? Start with the $2 tacos and tasty $4 margaritas at Loco Pezs lively happy hour (5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 to 3 p.m. on weekends; 2401 East Norris Street, 267-886-8061) before challenging your date to a few rounds of Asteroids and Donkey Kong (and beers, of course) at Barcade (1114 Frankford Avenue, 215-634-4400). If things are going well, proceed to nearby Kung Fu Necktie (1250 North Front Street, 215-291-4191) for some affordable live music many shows are just $10. 00000,
Inn at Bowmans Hill
There are plenty of B&Bs in Bucks County, but this is the only one that's earned four AAA diamonds. On the outskirts of New Hope, the inn's five verdant acres, heated outdoor pool, moonlit deck, attentive staff, and impeccable accommodations (from $295) exceed expectations. Breakfast is courtesy of the hens out back. For dinner and drinks, pay a visit to the iconic Boathouse Bar and Hamilton's Grill Room (8 Coryell Street, Lambertville, 609-397-4343). But also be sure not to miss new Middle Eastern gem Marhaba, which is BYO (77 South Union Street, Lambertville, 609-397-7777). 518 Lurgan Road, New Hope, PA 18938, theinnatbowmanshill.com.
Smith & Diction
If the new look of a local brand has recently caught your eye, chances are it was designed by Smith & Diction. The Bok-based design studio led by husband-and-wife duo Mike and Chara Smith is behind some of the city’s freshest aesthetics, including logos for the Rail Park and block-cleaning service Glitter, packaging for Elixr and Càphê Roasters, and a shiny new suite of graphics for the Philadelphia Visitor Center. They approach each project with a sharp creative eye and a meticulous 10-step process — and deliver a logo design or an entire brand identity. 1901 South 9th Street, number 510, Philadelphia, PA 19148, smith-diction.com.
<i>A Philly Special Christmas</i>
A Christmas album by members of the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t need to be anywhere near good to make a splash. But A Philly Special Christmas — the passion project of O-linemen Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, pressed on festive green vinyl and adorned with Peanuts-inspired illos of the lugs — was way better than good; it was transcendent. Guided by vocal coach Eliza Hardy Jones, the center and two tackles sang like angels. Multiple pressings of their burly warblings sold out in minutes, frustrating some Philly audiophiles but raising more than a quarter mil for the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center. phillyspecialchristmas.com.
Eastern Airlines
If you were traveling abroad when the coronavirus landed in the U.S., there was good reason to panic. Fear of spreading the virus brought international travel to a sudden halt, making returns to North America nearly impossible. Just when things couldn’t look more bleak or uncertain, there came the tiniest glimmer of hope from the least-expected source. Eastern Airlines, a small Wayne-based carrier (think 10 planes and a staff of about 200), came to the literal rescue. Through careful coordination with the State Department and local officials, Eastern organized rescue flights, and to date, they’ve flown nearly 24,000 once-stranded American citizens from Central and South America back to the States. goeasternair.com.
Quinta Brunson
It could have been a colossal failure: a workplace comedy (as if we haven’t had enough of those) set in an under-funded Philly public school (not an apparent great source of laughs) and broadcast on network TV (something people have been watching less and less of). “Oh my God, I really hope people like it,” Abbott Elementary creator and star Brunson told us just after the show’s debut on ABC in December. Well, they liked it. They liked it a lot. Thanks to the comic genius and marketing savvy of Brunson, who was raised right here by a mom who taught in those under-funded schools, the show proved a runaway success, earning well-deserved comparisons to The Office and killing it in the ratings — and making her an icon in the process. The show’s now been renewed for a second season; look for it on September 21st.
Her Place Supper Club
What began as a temporary deal in a shuttered pizza joint is now a full-blown, deeply personal restaurant. Amanda Shulman has transitioned Her Place Supper Club from a short-term project to a permanent operation while retaining its sublime French and Italian-ish food and a human touch so integral to the original concept. Coming here feels like having dinner at your cool new friend’s house — if your friend made the best steak tartare and fries in the city, always seemed to keep a truffle hidden somewhere in her kitchen, and had a wine and cocktail program crafted by Julianna Bursack. Her Place may have started as a pop-up, but lucky for us, it’s not going anywhere. 1740 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, herplacephilly.com.
River Twice
We absolutely did not need any more “New American” restaurants in this town. Mostly because that description means, essentially, nothing these days — it’s a semantically null phrase most often used for restaurants that don’t really know what they are. But Texas chef Randy Rucker knew exactly what he was doing when he brought River Twice to East Passyunk — opening a deeply personal spot that features modernist impulses, house-made pickles, butter beans escabeche, and his mom’s recipe for bread dumplings. In its moment, it was as idiosyncratic as it was startling, as welcoming as it was delicious, and while it pivoted to takeout during the unpleasantness, we’re hoping hard to see it open again one day soon. 1601 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148, rivertwicerestaurant.com.
Trolley Car Diner
Running a family-friendly dining spot is harder than it looks: Cater too much to the kids, and parents want to blow their brains out; cater too much to the parents, and parents still want to blow their brains out (because if the kids ain't happy, ain't nobody happy). This neon-bright '50s-style Mount Airy spot gets the blend just right: The kids' menu (which comes on an old-school Viewmaster cool!) offers up crowd-pleasing kid fare like chicken nuggets and mac-and-cheese, while the regular menu has enough ambition and variety (including great veggie options, like an eggplant grinder) to make grown-ups happy, too. Mom-and-dad bonus: great craft beers and boozy adult milkshakes. 7619 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119, trolleycardiner.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
Han Dynasty
At some Chinese restaurants, there are two separate menus the one given to American diners, and the secret one reserved for Chinese-speaking patrons. Not here: All diners get the same menu, which has both Americanized kung pao and lo mein and bona fide dishes you'd actually find in China. While you may find comfort in ordering your tried-and-true dishes (and they're great here), good things happen when you leap over that Great Wall to the other side of the menu. Cases in point: perfectly snappy shrimp in a hot pepper sauce, sizzling beef with charred scallion, and tea-smoked duck that'll have your taste buds on the road to Shanghai. 260 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, PA 19341, handynasty.net.