Pinnacle Overlook
Up yonder in Berks County (not to be confused with the Pinnacle in Lancaster County), you’ll find a nine-mile Appalachian Trail hike that offers a big payoff via this scenic (and we do mean scenic) overlook. Don’t forget to pack water. Lots of water. lancasterconservancy.org/preserves/pinnacle-scenic-overlook.
ToBox
Take your dull, beat-up shoes, bags, belts and briefcases to his men's footwear shop, and they'll restore and repaint the leather by hand. Note: They do briefcases and belts, too. 25 South 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, facebook.com/Toboxshoes.
Eyechic of Philly II
Considering it quietly opened its doors six months ago, you'd never know this eyewear boutique was part of the Eyechic consortium that's amassed 87K followers on Instagram — and maybe it's better that way. With an ultra-modern interior and a curated collection of high-end lenses from the likes of Miu Miu and Linda Farrow, the shop remains surprisingly under-the-radar. 2003 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, eyechic.com.
Retrospect Vintage (@retrospectvintage)
Every day, more than 6,000 followers race to claim the vintage home goods this South Street vintage shop posts on its Instagram feed. The items range from antique treasures to kitschy curiosities (rattan peacock chairs, velvet paintings and Victorian settees have all cropped up), and all are priced to sell, well, instantly 508 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, retrospectvintage215.com.
Microblading at 3000BC
It's semi-permanent makeup 3.0: Color-matched ink is applied one stroke at a time via tiny blades, rendering your eyebrow pencil utterly useless for the next two years. 8439 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, PA 19118, 3000bcspa.com.
Liberty Drones
Don't be fooled by the small space and single-focus selection (literally, it's all drones here): Philly's first drone store has everything from mosquito-buzzing, laser-tagging mini-drones for the kids to the latest in professional-grade technology, with 4K video resolution, three-mile flying range, hover stabilization and even crash-proof settings. 520 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, libertycitydrones.com.
Aldine
It's all about vegetables now, and Aldine is one of those restaurants fully invested in the center-plating of flora over fauna. Chef George Sabatino expertly plays with flavors and textures, and the best way to experience this is to order any preparation of beet on his menu. Swear to God, you'll never look at a tuber the same way again. 1901 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, aldinerestaurant.com.
DanDan
Because sometimes all the people you know are busy or awful or both, there's DanDan. The menu features a long list of small plates, soups, noodles and vegetables that encourages grazing, and if you're looking to be left alone, the far-less-crowded upstairs dining room will give you space to enjoy your own company. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet some better friends while you're there. 126 South 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, dandanrestaurant.com.
Chick & Nello's Homestead Inn
For decades, you had to rely on the waiters to recite what's available. Now they've finally gotten menus, but don't bother: We'll just tell you that you want linguine with the "primo" sauce (a combination of pork ragu and oil-and-garlic sauces), some baked clams, an antipasti salad, and a veal chop cooked on a real charcoal grill. Or, if it's Wednesday, ask for the whole veal breast special, something we can't even find in Philadelphia. 800 Kuser Road, Trenton, Trenton, NJ 08619, homestead1939.com.
Petty's Island Driftwood Dream
Give this one to people who say they don't like rum. The creation of Camden's Cooper River Distillers, it is smooth, complex, sweet and hauntingly dark with brown sugars, and it'll make them rethink their prejudice against one of the world's more maligned spirits. cooperriverdistillers.com.
Good King Tavern
Whether you've just swiped right or you're 20 years in, take your date to this cozy maize-gold space. It's got tin ceilings and a French-countryside vibe, so if you order a jug of wine and snacks off the menu of Paris-bistro classics, you'll almost feel like you're in France. 614 South 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, thegoodkingtavern.com.
Draft Latte at La Colombe
La Colombe founder Todd Carmichael might as well be a mad scientist. He went ahead and kegged the two-ingredient latte (cold brewed coffee and frothed milk) and then, with the help of a super-secret proprietary method for pulling the drink from the tap, created the most velvety-smooth iced coffee you've ever had. (Multiple locations.) lacolombe.com.
Ely Farm Products
Before it closed, Buckminster's featured this fantastic bologna on its menu, and it was so good that it was worth the trip just to check it out. So if you ever see this on a menu around town, try it. It'll change the way you think about bologna and make you consider a day trip to the Bucks County farm store to get more. 401 Woodhill Road, Newton, PA 18940, elyfarmproducts.com.
Brick & Brew
Try ordering a Pimm's Cup or Sazerac or asking for brandied cherries or a fancy whiskey at your average bar in Delco and you'll get the hairy eyeball — but not here. The cocktail list is sophisticated, the whiskey list is extensive, and the bartenders actually know what they're doing. For bites, the brick-oven pizzas are better than most, but don't miss the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, house-made soft pretzels, shrimp tacos and chicken schnitzel. 2138 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083, bricknbrewpub.com.
Bacon at LP Steak
We can think of exactly one reason to visit Luke Palladino's Valley Forge Casino Resort steakhouse: the grilled and smoked paprika bacon. It's pork candy — thick strips of sweet, tender pork belly, sticky with a maple-mustard glaze — and addictive enough that it deserves its own support group. 1160 1st Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19406, vfcasino.com/dining/lp-steak.