Distrito
Its big. Its jubilantly gaudy. Its Pepto-Bismol pink. Its loud, its young, and its walls sparkle with glittery wrestling masks. You can literally swing from the rafters. (Some seats are actually swings.) Yes, its sensory overload especially the too-good-to-be-true steak nachos but Jose Garcess foray into the street food of Mexico City is also the most fun weve ever had in a restaurant. 3945 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, philadelphia.distritorestaurant.com.
University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Since its founding more than 120 years ago, the Penn Museum, as it's (thankfully) nicknamed, has showcased the results of many of the 400 expeditions by the university's archaeologists and anthropologists. Highlights include the Chinese art housed in one of the country's largest unsupported masonry domes the Egyptian art gallery, and the African artifacts, as well as the temporary exhibits throughout the year. 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, penn.museum.
Nordstrom
Guys can get fitted actually fitted, like man-on-the-stool-with-a-shoehorn for new pairs of Nikes, Toms and Cole Haans. We didnt get the hard (read: annoying) sell after browsing, either. Our salesman encouraged us to weigh our options and order later online, where free shipping and returns are standard. King of Prussia and Cherry Hill malls, 00000, shop.nordstrom.com.
Showing With Style
If there was a collective shriek of horror from soon-to-be-moms when Manayunk's Belly closed in 2008, there was an equally loud sigh of relief when Chelsea Ivsin and Elizabeth Long, then-employees of the store, kept the lease and reopened last May all during their senior year at Philadelphia University. Their selection of flattering, easy-to-wear maternity clothes, handbag-pretty diaper bags and It strollers has us just as impressed as the story of how their shop came to be.
4321 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127,
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Black Landlord
Funk meets hip-hop meets punk in this Philly octet composed of time-tested veterans of the local music scene, most prominently pimped-out-large-and-in-charge front man Maxx Stoyanoff-Williams, who leads his tight entourage through edgy, fierce horn stacks and beat breakdowns like James Brown on steroids. Buy the band's first full-length album, Addicted to Distraction, which came out earlier this year, or better yet, check out one of its energetic live performances. 00000, blacklandlord.com.
Kwi Restaurant and Noodle Bar at Caesars
After a long night of drinking, gambling and partying in our own Sin City, it's good to put good food in your belly. Lucky for you, Caesars' Asian noodle bar-which makes some of the best and most consistent Chinese food in the entire region, let alone Atlantic City-is open until 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 a.m. Fridays, and 6 a.m.(!) Saturdays. 2100 Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, caesarsac.com/restaurants/kwi-restaurant-and-noodle-bar.html.
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.
Phileo
For years, New York and L.A. had Pinkberry and Red Mango and Yolato, while we had, well, Rita's custard. Then last summer came Phileo, the shiny green-and-pink fro-yo mecca on South Street, with 16 creamy and often tangy pay-by-the-ounce flavors, and a do-it-yourself toppings bar that houses everything from Cap'n Crunch and Oreo pieces to fresh-cut kiwi and mango. Take that, L.A. 416 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, .
Fishtown Shadfest
It turns out that shad used to be hugely important to the Delaware River economy, a fact our quirky friends in Fishtown (where else?) exploit with their annual Alosa sapidissima-feteing festival at Penn Treaty Park. It's true that Lambertville has been doing a shad festival for decades, but the city's is cooler: We've got shad la Johnny Brenda's and some of the best bands around, lots of local crafts (love the bottle-cap cuff links!) and craft beers, and perhaps our favorite part valet bike parking. Penn Treaty Park, Delaware Avenue and Columbia Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, fishtownshadfest.net.
Philadelphia Salvage
Greening your home takes on a whole new meaning at this dusty shop where old doors, claw-foot tubs and antique tile are rescued from crumbling spaces and repurposed for modern pads. If owner Chris Stock doesn't have exactly what you need, he'll keep an eye out-and chances are he'll see it soon enough. 542 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119, philadelphiasalvage.com.
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.
Lithe Cinch
Hoping to erase or at least shrink that post-baby bump? Head to Lithe's Cinch class, during which haramakis (belly bands) worn around the waist help new moms focus on their core while keeping the entire midsection compressed during an hour of transformative bar and mat work. You'll tighten, tone and slim the entire area between the ribs and hips. Screw you, mom jeans. Lithe Method; see website for locations, 00000, lithemethod.com.
Dance Haddonfield
The $12 Sunday evenings start with ballroom dance lessons where you get the hang of the footwork required to make your waltz graceful, your rumba saucy, your tango smoldering. After that, the dance floor turns social. But what we truly appreciate is the group's dress code "Positively no jeans or shorts or grungy sneakers permitted" which makes the whole affair more A-list than DWTS. Grace Church, 19 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033, dancehaddonfield.org.
Rescue Rittenhouse Spa
Sometime in my mid-20s, three faint but distinct lines decided to plant themselves on my brow, stretching from temple to temple across my forehead like a fence without posts. I sometimes stand under the harshest light in my bathroom, dapping on a variety of products to see if with the right combination they might plump back out, like little troughs just waiting to be filled. They never do. Well, they never did, I should say Five years ago, on the advice of a friend, I went to Rescue Rittenhouse Spa's Danuta Mieloch, a Polish-born aesthetician who worked in Paris and Manhattan before opening Rescue here nearly a decade ago. Her facials are the only thing that has ever made the lines fade to near-nothingness. I realize this sounds absurd, especially because we're not talking about injectables or lasers or anything you've seen on Real Housewives. The magic comes courtesy of a non-invasive, utterly relaxing 60 minutes filled with exfoliating, a little microdermabrasion, and lots of moisturizing. The result is Beyonce-level luminosity and smoothed-out skin. One glows no exaggeration for weeks. Chances are good that I'm not writing anything you haven't read about or experienced yourself: Danuta (or Dana, as she's known to clients) long ago became an instant Philly classic. Friends told friends, and suddenly you had to wait six months to get an appointment But Rescue the closest thing I've ever found to redemption for all those sunburns in my youth is always worth it. 225 South 17th Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, rescuerittenhousespa.com.
Irina Sigal Dressmaker
Off-the-rack is so two recessions ago. Elkins Park
215-885-7547
http://www.irinasigal.com
8120 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027,
irinasigal.com.