BEST STORE IN THE HISTORY OF EVERYTHING: Third Street Habit
So, maybe I'm biased because I spend a lot of money here, and have been "inhabiting" it (see what I did there?!) roughly since it opened, and because I really love all of the fantastic people who work here (Conchetta, Liz, and particularly the lovely January, who owns the store). But even a slightly more unbiased person would have to admit that this store is bomb. They have a great selection of brands - popular and less expensive brands such as Free People, C&C California, Splendid, Velvet and Ella Moss, more high-end brands such as Clu, IRO, Rag & Bone, and Isabel Marant (which is only sold in select stores across the country), and amazing denim from Current/Elliott, Genetic Denim and Hudson. The store is small but welcoming, and the staff is only too happy to recommend a new top or ask how your day's been.
One of my most memorable experiences at the Habit was in the fall of 2007, when my mom needed a dress for her all-out 50th birthday bash. I went in alone, and picked out four dresses, with the help of the staff. A few days later I brought my mom back to try them on, and the staff helped me put on an amazing impromptu fashion show, even finding shoes in her size for her to try with the dresses. They have incredible vintage finds and great accessories (especially their jewelry from one of a kind designers), and I can't talk about the Habit without mentioning their bi-annual SugarHabit sale, where everything is crazy marked down - some of my favorite pieces have been snagged at these sales. I could go on forever, but suffice to say, I love Third Street Habit. Every time I go home, I look forward to stopping in, saying hi to the staff, and checking out their sweet new clothes.
MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: TIE! The Continental and Amada
Philly has no shortage of good restaurants. And yeah, I'm sure Zahav and Vetri and Osteria are really freakin' good. But for my money, out of the restaurants I've been to more than once and even frequent, The Continental and Amada are really, really good.
I'm a fan of the Steven Starr collection of restaurants, and for my money, Buddakan is the best of the bunch. But if I had to pick a restaurant I love to go to over and over and over, I'd have to pick the chic, shared-plate-style Continental. Buddakan is an "occasion" restaurant for me (and it holds fond memories in that arena, since I went there for my high school graduation and for multiple birthdays), but Continental is my frequent haunt. I go for casual lunches, nice dinners, takeout, and everything in between - whenever my BFF jill Hanna comes in from the burbs, we head to Continental and pretend to be classy ladies lunching. The food ranges from simpler (delicious seared duck) to complex (lobster mac-and-cheese with orzo and THREE different cheeses), and in my four or five years dining there, I haven't had a bad meal. Other favorite dishes: crispy calamari salad, tuna tartare, crab pad thai.
Amada is, like Continental, a shared-plate restaurant, but on the much smaller scale of traditional Spanish tapas. It's been awhile with Amada, but their crazy-ass cheese selection, amazing flatbreads and grilled meats is exquisite, and prepared with love. The inside of the restaurant makes you feel ten times cooler just by being inside, with its white drapes and dark wooden chairs and tables. I am, unfortunately, not old enough to have sampled any of these, but their cocktails are named after Pedro Almovodar's movies, which is badass. Favorite dishes: I can't remember any. It's been a while. But pretty much any of their dishes that isn't a red-meat dish (which I do not eat).
BEST SUSHI: Zento
So, I promise I'll get off food in one second. But one last quick thing. Though Morimoto probably rules when it comes to sushi (I hear that the omakase, which I have never had, is pretty mind-blowing), if you're looking for something slightly more low-key but still delicious, Zento is where you need to be. Not only to they deliver, but they were actually started by a chef who left Morimoto, so the sushi is as creative as it is mouth-watering, and the fish is ALWAYS fresh (something I rarely get from Pitt's gnarly cafeteria sushi). Favorite rolls: square sushi with tuna, monkey roll, crunchy spicy tuna roll.
BEST CUPCAKES (besides Magnolia Bakery): Brown Betty Petite
Yeah. Just kidding. I was formerly a Flying Monkey devotee - when it came to Philly cupcakes, anyway. Even if this makes me a walking cliche, Magnolia Bakery vanilla cupcakes rock my taste buds, and the West Village location just happens to be across from the Marc by Marc Jacobs store (seriously, could 11th and Bleecker be any more perfect?). But once I discovered Brown Betty Petite in the Rittenhouse area, my (cupcake) life changed. The cakes are perfectly moist (even though that word is GROSS), the flavors are imaginative, and the cupcakes are HUGE and therefore totally worth whatever they charge. Favorite flavors: Sweet Potato, Sour Cream, and the totally exquisite ones with filled with lemon curd.
BEST PLACE TO HANG OUT IN THE SUMMER: Rittenhouse Square
Yes, another cliche. Whatever. Rittenhouse is gorgeous in the summer, filled with hipsters to make fun of while they smoke their American Spirits, and can occasionally be the place to see and be seen (my friend saw Freida Pinto and Dev Patel walking through one summer and basically died of happiness). Have to pee? No worries. That's what Barnes and Noble is for, and it's right off the park. Have an absurd amount of money to spend, or want to drool over that cute Marc dress you saw on Shopbop? Barney's Co-Op is next door to B&N. On the other side of the park, you can hit up Rouge or Parc for awesome food and fun outdoor seating. Past the Co-Op and B&N, you can head to Capogiro or The Adrienne for ComedySportz (which comes later). And within the park itself, I like to hang out in the center, either sitting on the big stone walls or dreaming about snatching the adorable babies who (misguidedly) frolick in the dirty fountain water. (I'm not a baby snatcher, I swear. I just talk about it a lot like a weirdo.)
BEST STREET TO WALK YOUR DOG ON: Walnut Street
When I'm home from college and walk the love of my life, Lily, on one of the long walks her trainer recommended so that she's too tired to be the true nutcase she is, I like to cut through Washington Square Park and walk up and down Walnut Street. Yes, there's usually construction going on somewhere along the ride that I have to dodge, but it wouldn't be Philly if they're tearing up a street for apparently no reason. It has cute stores, happy shiny people, and if you make it up to Rittenhouse, a lovely park.
BEST THING TO DO ON A SATURDAY NIGHT AT 10 P.M.: ComedySportz
I'm really lame and hate college-age parties (because, no, I don't want to drink large amounts of Lionshead, pass out under a table, and wake up with BALLS written on my forehead). So when I'm home, instead of trolling South Street for things to do or going to that really gross and smelly hookah bar next to TLA, I try to make my friends go to ComedySportz - specifically, the 10 PM show instead of the 7 PM. While both shows are designed to be family friendly, the 10 PM one is more fun anyway, especially because it's BYOB, and most people in the audience are usually drunk (which, depending on the show that night, can be equally as or more amusing than the actual event). That's not to say that ComedySportz isn't really funny. Obviously, since it's improv, you get a different show every night - and while some refs might be cooler than others, it's pretty rare to get a bad show. Also, a few of my friends work there (shoutout!), and the ComedySportz players can be seen in other Philly theater events, so going is supporting the Philly Theater scene. Philanthropy.
This was a really long post. My bad. I just really like Philly. I'm done now. Promise. Bye.
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