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How to have a Perfect Philly Day, according to historian, author, and educator Michelle Craig McDonald

Philadelphia historian, author, and educator Michelle Craig McDonald knows her coffee. Especially the revolutionary kind.

McDonald, who serves as an academic adviser for PBS’s series Drive By History, is the author of the new book, Coffee Nation: How One Commodity Transformed the Early United States.

Philly historian and educator Michelle Craig McDonald enjoys reading in Rittenhouse Square Park. She is the author of “Coffee Nation: How One Commodity Transformed the Early United States.”

Telling the story of America and coffee, McDonald traces the bean’s beginnings from slavery-based plantations of the Caribbean and South America in the early 1700s through its prominence in Colonial life to the rebranding of the exotic good as an American staple. McDonald details the emergence of coffee shops, like the Old London Coffee House at Front and Market Streets, as critical Revolutionary-era hubs for politics and business.

“Within 50 years of our independence, the United States becomes one of the largest suppliers of coffee to the world — but we can never grow it,” said McDonald. So in this moment, when we think about independence, coffee really reminds us that the United States remains deeply tied and deeply embedded with the economies of the region. It was not just a self-sustaining nation that looked inward.”

Given the nature of her research, it’s no surprise that McDonald’s Perfect Philly Day revolves around food and drink. McDonald, a Southern California native who lives in Rittenhouse Square with her husband and fellow historian, Roderick A. McDonald, said her perfect day includes lots of coffee and cooking, a great Philly workout, and reading crime novels in Rittenhouse Square.

6:30 a.m.

My coffee pot is my first spot. I’m going to need fortification if I’m going to tackle the day’s news. I just go with the tried and true Colombian roast from Trader Joe’s.

When we are down the Shore, my favorite comes from Remedee Coffee, started by two sisters who source their beans from Colombia. It’s a great small business.

On a perfect day, this is when we do our New York Times games — like Connections or Wordle — which we do together. My sister says it’s cheating. I like to say it’s “collaborating.”

8:30 a.m.

I love cooking of all kinds, but baking is my first love. My go-to on a perfect day is a batch of scones. I have a recipe that I got online from a website called Love and Lemons. It’s a base recipe. You can make anything you want. Cranberry, orange walnut, apricot, ginger almond, or my brother-in-law’s favorite, which I know because he buys the ingredients every time I visit, blueberry lemon.

I used to head over to Metropolitan Bakery on 19th Street, which I am still mourning the loss of.

I loved their Millet Muffins and raisin walnut bread. My freezer is stuffed with both because I bought as many as I could before they closed. And I’m slowly rationing them so I don’t lose them quickly.

9:30 a.m.

We have a solid division of labor in the household. I do the cooking. But my husband does the shopping. While the scones are in the oven, he may well be on his way down to the Italian Market on his vintage 1962 Schwinn bicycle — expertly serviced by Curtis at Via Bicycle on Broad Street. He’s a fan favorite!

My husband is the provisioner of the house. I get to take what he brings back from the list — and sometimes not from the list. It feels like my own personal version of Chopped. He comes home with five ingredients and says, “What can you do with this?’”

10 a.m.

I’m hitting the gym. I do love eating, which means I need to pay the piper. I go to Pure Barre in Center City. It’s wonderful. It’s a class — a core-based workout that does weightlifting, planks, pushups. An hour there, any day I can get it, gives me enough brownie points for the rest of the day’s culinary adventures.

If the weather is nice, we might substitute a bike ride down the Schuylkill River Trail. Manayunk is a great destination.

Noon

That’s when Small World Seafood is in the area with deliveries. It’s an Old City business that was born out of necessity. The owner provided fresh seafood to restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then he began an online business selling directly to customers. You can get anything — halibut, skate steaks, steelhead trout, oysters, clams — for a lazy cooking night.

Michelle Craig McDonald’s perfect Philly day includes lots of coffee and cooking, a great Philly workout, and reading crime fiction in Rittenhouse Square.

1 p.m.

I’ve got the fish and I’m marinating it for dinner. Steelhead trout is one of my favorites, so super easy, a little bit of soy, a little bit of orange, a little bit of brown sugar, a little bit of maple, and garlic.

2 p.m.

On a perfect day, when I can while my time away, you will find me reading in Rittenhouse Square. I have an abiding passion for crime fiction. Ann Cleeves. Donna Leon.

And if it’s not great weather, you could still find me reading, but probably in one of any of a dozen coffee shops that are within walking distance of my house.

There was a great article that just ran recently in The Inquirer about the rise of Yemeni coffee shops in the city, such as Moka & Co.

3 p.m.

This is where it’s going to get busy. I would be remiss if I didn’t bring a little history and culture into this day. The American Philosophical Society has a wonderful project called “The Revolutionary City: A Portal to the Nation’s Founding.” It’s a partnership where five Philadelphia historical institutions — the APS, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Kislak Center at Penn Libraries, and the Museum of the American Revolution — came together to plan for 2026, and all their exhibits build on each other. Now I know that’s a long afternoon. Readers can pick and choose and see the others on their second favorite perfect Philly day [laughter].

6 p.m.

My husband and I cook together. If it’s Saturday, the compulsory listen is “The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn.” Cooking is my way to unwind and my husband is an excellent sous chef.

8 p.m.

We tend to have a leisurely meal with a glass of wine or two, and review the day’s exploits. An episode of television in the evening is a good escape. We are huge PBS fans. We love British crime dramas. We are huge fans of Shetland, a Scottish crime drama, and Vera, an old British crime drama with a curmudgeonly police detective.

10 p.m.

I am not a night owl. But I will confess to a wee dram of bourbon most evenings. Then, a little more light reading. And it’s time for lights out.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

July 4, 2026
How to have a perfect Philly day, according to actor and director Amina Robinson

South Philly-raised director and actor Amina Robinson is one of the region’s most celebrated theater makers, known for directing major productions including Fat Ham, Once on This Island, and The Color Purple. Now based in Cherry Hill with her husband and son, Robinson was just named the new artistic director of Norristown’s Theatre Horizon, where she’ll take the helm later this year.

When she’s not directing plays and musicals like this spring’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, the Temple University professor spends her days walking around Philadelphia and visiting family in West Philly. On her perfect Philly day, she takes her family for cheesesteaks at Jim’s before walking around the Schuylkill and, of course, catching a show at her soon-to-be artistic home, Theatre Horizon.

8 a.m.

I get up and I wake up my son and my husband. We decide to get ready and go to Philly for breakfast. We’re gonna go to Eggcellent Cafe on Chestnut Street and I’m gonna eat their truffle avocado toast — it’s so big and good. I’m gonna have their golden turmeric latte, too.

Families and friends gather from all over to watch the firework show over the Delaware River on New Years Eve at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.

10:30 a.m.

We’ll walk breakfast off by taking a nice little walk down Penn’s Landing, right along the water.

11 a.m.

After that, we’ll go visit my mom in Overbrook Park. I would bring her decaffeinated Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, that’s a must. Then we’ll sit and talk with my mom for a little bit. I would see my brother and my stepdad, and probably my nephew, and maybe my brother’s girlfriend would be there, but I really would be going to visit my mommy.

Ken Silver, owner of Jim’s Steaks, corner of 4th and South Street with sign on front of building.The restaurant is under construction after 2022 fire destroyed the cheesesteak restaurant. Photo taken on Monday, March 25, 2024.

1 p.m.

For lunchtime I want to go down to Jim’s on South Street and get a cheesesteak with whiz and fried onions. I probably need to walk off my cheesesteak, but I’m not going to walk off my cheesesteak. I’m going to let it just sit in my belly for a while.

3 p.m.

Then we’ll go out to the Art Museum area and chill out and walk around. Maybe we’ll have ice cream, there are usually ice cream trucks out there. I love walking around that area so much — I’ve always loved West River Drive and Kelly Drive. When I was a kid, I didn’t know that Boathouse Row was like boathouses, even though it’s called that — I used to always say, when I grew up, I’m gonna live in one of those houses.

Boathouse Row is relit with a new programmable system containing 6,400 LED lights that allow for 16 million color combinations in Philadelphia, Pa. on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

5:30 p.m.

At night, I’m gonna go to Norristown. There’s this Mexican restaurant on Main Street that’s so freaking good, Taqueria La Michoacana. I would definitely have their beans and rice, and tacos, and I don’t know what else.

7:30 p.m.

I would go see a show at Theatre Horizon. They want to foster empathy and edify the people who come to see the theater. As the incoming artistic director, I’d love to start programs like that to grow the artistic community there, all the while supporting the community that’s already been built there.

New artistic director Amina Robinson at an event for Theatre Horizon’s 2018 production of ‘The Color Purple.’

10 p.m.

I’d head home to sit outside and watch the cars go by, just like chill out and relax. Then I’ll lay on the couch and fall asleep watching a television show, probably a Lifetime Movie Network movie.

June 20, 2026
How to have a perfect Philly Day, according to Jill Scott

Jill Scott’s sixth studio album To Whom This May Concern is a tapestry of Scott’s familiar easy rhythms with lyrics equal parts sweet longing and self-love.

But on this 19-track project — Scott’s first collection of new music in more than a decade — she isn’t just telling us she plans to live her life like it’s golden the way she did 22 years ago. She’s also telling us about the great life she has right now. And she’s urging us to join her in the present moment with funky beats, powerful lyrics, and tight rhymes.

“You might as well go ahead and be great,” Scott said in a recent video chat. “There’s literally nothing stopping you from being all of yourself.”

Album cover of Jill Scott’s sixth studio “To Whom This May Concern” is a portrait of Jill Scott by muralist Marcellous Lovelace

To Whom This May Concern is Scott’s assertion of self-love especially evident in the album cover’s illustration — by Chicago-based muralist Marcellous Lovelace — of the 53-year-old multi-hyphenate wearing big gold earrings and her natural hair in a top knot. “I’m free” is written in block letters across her forehead.

“I’m pushing and supporting all of the art we have created as Black people in America,” Scott said. “I support that. [But this album is not for] limited ears. It’s definitely not limited music.”

Jill Scott makes her Tiny Desk Concert debut

But it’s definitely Philadelphia music.

Scott, who lives in Nashville, Tenn., recorded most of the album in Philly with Grammy winning producer — and her cousin — Carvin Haggins. She has traveled all over the world and says there is no place like Philadelphia.

“The people at home are so dear and warm,” Scott, who often goes by Jilly from Philly, said. “I was grateful to find that again.”

Jill Scott performing on NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert series. The North Philly singer’s new album is ‘To Whom This May Concern.’

Scott loves every nook and cranny of her hometown, but she still pours an extra bit of love for the “Norf Side,” to borrow from the lyrically sound rap she performs with Tierra Whack on the new album.

“So often people have shunned me, making me feel less than because I come from North Philadelphia,” Scott said. “I wanted to shout out my area and remind [that people from] North Philly, we can do anything.”

Here is the songstress’s idea of a perfect Philly day.

7 a.m.

If I lived in an apartment or condo in Philly near a park I’d get up and take a long walk, first thing.

9:30 a.m.

In the summer, I’d go over to the Blues Babe offices on North Broad and greet the kids at summer camp [Blues Babe is Scott’s nonprofit that sends children from Philadelphia and Camden to free summer camp]. The children gather there before taking trips all over the city. It’s important that I tell these kids that came from the same place I do, that they can do anything.

12:30 p.m.

I’d have lunch at Continental Midtown on Chestnut Street. (I’m really sad they closed the one in Old City.) I just love their turkey burger. Then I’d walk over to Rittenhouse Square and sit at the park. I love watching nature. On my perfect day, the artisans would be out selling jewelry and art and I’d find a good deal because you know I like to save money.

2:30 p.m.

From there, I’d go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and maybe catch the Noah Davis show. Then, I’d go to the African American Museum of Art before making my way down to Ishkabibbles on South Street. There, I’d order a pizza steak with fried onions and mustard and pickles. (Nobody has to understand your cheesesteak.)

“Untitled Girls” This painting by Noah Davis will be on display in the Philadelphia Art Museum’s 2026 exhibition named after the late artist

5:30 p.m.

I’d make my way back up to North Philly and visit my friend Syreeta Scott at the natural hair salon Duafe. She has such beautiful art work in there. It’s so peaceful. The energy is so good. We would go out, or she might cook something amazing. I would raid her closet and just chill.

Inside Duafe Holistic Hair Care.

7:30 p.m.

If Syreeta isn’t cooking, we’d make our way to Sid Booker’s. I got to have it. Let me give you the deal: When you go to Sid Booker’s, you have to eat it in the car. There is no such thing as waiting until you get home. You are wasting it. You will ruin it. And if you like ketchup and hot sauce you have to get it on your shrimp, not on the side. But on your shrimp.

Fried shrimp are pictured at Sid Booker’s Shrimp Corner in North Philadelphia on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018.

10:30 p.m.

I’d hope that Stacy “Flygirrl” Wilson is having a party with Mike Nyce, I would definitely go there. That is always a good time.

Stacey “Flygrrl” Wilson and DJ Mike Nyce at the Kimmel Center during a summer happy hour.

March 7, 2026
How to have a Perfect Philly Day, according to Philly rapper Kur

Philly rapper Kur turns pain into poetry.

Since his 2012 mixtape, Straight From The Kur, the Mount Airy native has transformed his past experiences into emotionally raw music that has drawn an impassioned fan base.

Over the years, his fiery lyrics and hard-nosed delivery have become sharper, and his fan base and influence have grown. After striking hot with street anthems like “Peach Snapple” and an acclaimed release with 2024’s THURL, Kur has become a national mainstay.

The 31-year-old rapper, born Chauncey Ellison, continues the momentum with his new album ARD, released in late February.

Kur said the project, which stands for both the Art of Release and Discipline and a shortened version of alright, marks a return to form.

After 2025’s “Skip Da 8,” North Phjilly rapper Kur releases his newest album, “ARD.”

“I was super transparent and vulnerable when I first came out. I think as the years went on, I started to put a filter on and shut [fans] out from certain things,” he said. “I think that was a contradiction because people were actually supporting me because I was transparent. I tried to get back to it as much as I could on ARD.”

He’s peeling back the layers, letting fans in on his own personal struggles, in hopes that the two parties find a path of self-reclamation and healing.

“When you dig a little deeper, everybody has built up trauma that they’re not releasing. And I think that people don’t hear, ‘Yo, you will be alright or you will be OK.’ Somebody may not have anybody to tell them that they will be OK. I think just to see it may change their perspective. I’m coming from a healing point.”

We asked him about his perfect day in Philly. Here’s how he’d spend it.

10 a.m.

It’s different in the summer than the winter. If it’s summertime, I’m waking up and going to Kelly Drive, then stopping by Rita’s for a mango water ice. Or, I’m going to get a Philly Pretzel Factory.

Noon

I had to fall back on cheesesteaks, so I’m going to go to Bistro SouthEast on South Street. It’s not a heavy Philly staple, but that’s my kind of day in Philly.

2 p.m.

Look at clothes at Status and Creme on Second and Race Street. Or go to King of Prussia Mall. There’s also a place called Bullseye on 15th and Walnut Street. They have some good stuff in there. And there’s Common Ground [in Midtown Village] and [Center City’s] Lapstone & Hammer.

6 p.m.

I go to a smoothie truck in Fishtown and then I usually go to the studio. I’m telling you what I do, so I don’t want to make nothing up. I can’t lie.

3 a.m.

I leave the studio at 2 or 3 a.m. I go to Healthy Picks in Center City because it’s 24 hours. It’s the only place in Philly where you can get fresh fruit at 3 a.m. That changed my whole jawn. Nothing against Wawa, but when you go there and you get fruit, it isn’t really how you want it. To have a jawn where they chop it up and it’s fresh and super icy.

February 28, 2026
How to have a Perfect Philly Day, according to Revolution Museum chief R. Scott Stephenson

For R. Scott Stephenson, the ghosts of the Revolution are easily conjured. They are found on every block and every corner of his daily walk from his 18th-century home in Queen Village to the Museum of the American Revolution in Old City, where Stephenson has served as president and CEO since 2018.

“If you close your eyes, you can feel it,” Stephenson wrote about “The Declaration’s Journey,” the museum’s ongoing grand exhibit celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. “Over there, irascible John Adams and taciturn George Washington stroll to their first meeting. Down the street, brooding Thomas Jefferson takes a break from drafting a declaration to stretch his legs and find a nice pint of cider.”

R. Scott Stephenson has been president and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution since 2018. This year, as the nation turns 250, the museum takes center stage.

As Philadelphia takes center stage in 2026 for the national milestone, also known as the Semiquincentennial, Stephenson will no doubt have a little less time to stretch his legs. This year, it falls to him to conjure the spirits of those fiery days of rebellion for the more than 1.5 million visitors Philadelphia is expecting in 2026.

It is a moment of celebration and introspection the museum has been planning for since before it opened in 2017. With the lauded exhibit exploring the history and global impact of the declaration, and their most robust slate of programming and exhibitions ever, the museum and its staff of about 100 historians and researchers, is ready, said Stephenson.

“It’s akin to a playwright,” he said. “You’ve written the play, you’ve cast all the characters, you’ve made all the costumes, you built the stage and been through endless rehearsals. We feel so supremely confident to meet the visitors that are coming.”

A Pittsburgh native, who earned a PhD in American History at the University of Virginia, Stephenson and his wife, a physician, and two adult children, have lived in the Philly area for 25 years. His perfect Philly day would include coffee before dawn, Italian Market shopping and exploring with his daughter, oysters and bookstores, Philly’s only Colonial-era tavern, and a home-cooked meal with the family. And all, with those ghosts trailing close behind.

Stephenson, 60, a Pittsburgh native, lives in Queen Village with his wife and daughter.

This interview has been condensed and edited for length.

5:30 a.m.

Our beloved adopted Philadelphian, Benjamin Franklin, said, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” So far, I’m just healthy, the other two may have not necessarily come (laughter). But I think maybe with the thousands of years of farmers in my past, my circadian clock has never changed. I am up without an alarm between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. I start my day with a pot of really strong black coffee. Those first couple of hours before anyone is up is golden time for me. I read my periodicals, my newspapers. I still like the sound of paper wrinkling.

7:30 a.m.

We are a cooking family. On weekends, we are all about ending the day with a big meal that we make together. So a perfect day is my daughter and I walking to the Italian Market to browse around at the various shops, figuring out what protein we’re going to build dinner around. And nosing around the produce stands and cheese stops. At Fante’s Kitchen Shop are great reproductions of 18th-century German cookie molds for making gingerbreads.

I do not have one path to get from Point A to Point B anywhere in Philadelphia, so I’m usually going to want to zigzag around a bit. We like to do a little exploration as we bring the groceries back to the house.

11:30 a.m.

My wife and I love to walk over to Rittenhouse. Lunch at the Oyster House. I love that block of Sansom. It’s a street that feels like a previous era. There’s an original oyster house in Pittsburgh. That was a place both of my grandfathers ate lunch often. My father would go there. I was taken there as a kid. Although ironically, I have a great grandfather who died from eating, what was called on his death certificate, a “poisoned oyster.” He ate a bad one and died in 1905 when he ate a bad one that was a little too far from the Jersey Shore when it was consumed.

1 p.m.

I’d definitely pop into Sherman Brothers Shoes right next door. Incredible shoe store. I am sort of obsessed with Alden shoes, these great, super sturdy, American made, old school leather shoes. So I am at least going to go drool a little bit, and think, “Oh, when I wear this pair out, what’s my next pair of Alden’s going to be?”

2 p.m.

On a perfect day, I’m popping into the museum, and trying to remain anonymous. Just for an hour, and go wander around the galleries or sit through a showing of “Washington’s Tent” — and just talk to guests. A lot of my job is storytelling. Being able to talk about the impact we have on people — the best way to do that is to actually tell a story that happened to me.

3 p.m.

Our other routine would be to go to Plough & the Stars in Old City. We absolutely love Plough & the Stars, particularly in the winter, to be able to sit in front of the fire there. Have a shephard’s pie or fish and chips and a Guinness.

4:30 p.m.

I’m gonna spend some time up at the Book Trader on Second Street. I’m not actually allowed to buy any more books. My library is mostly in storage right now. We just don’t have the room. But I do love a bookstore, particularly a used one.

Stephenson said of Man Full of Trouble tavern and museum: “That’s the only surviving tavern in Philadelphia from the 18th century, where you can literally sit in a room where rum punch and revolution was the game.”

5:30 p.m.

Walking home, and frankly whether or not I have been to Center City or Old City, I am almost certainly going to stop, and this a new addition since it just reopened, but at the Man Full of Trouble tavern and history museum. That’s the only surviving tavern in Philadelphia from the 18th century, where you can literally sit in a room where rum punch and revolution was the game. To me, it’s just another reason why this is the greatest city in the nation. Being a few blocks from the Man Full of Trouble, creates a lot of trouble (laughter).

6:30 p.m.

It’s probably time to start dealing with those groceries at this point (laughter). At least one weekend day every weekend is family dinner day, where we’re all going to be cooking. So my son and his girlfriend will be in — my daughter’s there, my wife’s there, and we’ll have figured out what’s on the menu. We have a long table. We love to have candles and a candlestick on the table, and turn the lights down. A no device moment, where we really are in each other’s presence.

8 p.m.

We are probably going to be playing Wingspan, it’s a board game. There’s a new one called Finspan, which is all about fish in the ocean. We are almost exactly a two minute walk from Queen & Rook Game Cafe. So we’re kind of in a board game neighborhood. We’ll be right at our dining room table and we’ll be playing for a while and drinking a little wine.

9 p.m.

Going back to Franklin for a minute, and you remember his aphorism was “Early to bed, early to rise.” I am not the life of a party. Most nights by 9 p.m., my eyes are closed and I am sawing wood (laughter).

February 21, 2026
How to have a Perfect Philly Day, according to Habibi Supper Club’s Miled Finianos

Miled Finianos grew up between Miami and Zgharta, Lebanon, until he moved to South Philly in 2019. The 30-year-old rising chef runs Habibi Supper Club and lives in an East Passyunk rowhouse with a lovely modern kitchen, where his recipe ideas come to life.

Within two years of its launch, Finianos has reimagined what chef-led dinners can look like in Philly with his exciting weekly concept Habibi Supper Club, an underground supper club in Philly serves the “love language for Arabs” with a big Lebanese feast.

Loyal diners and first-timers consistently book out his supper club as soon as he drops the reservation link on social media for five- to six- course menus showcasing the flavors of his roots — think spreads of shish barak, warak enab, and kibbeh.

“Having left Lebanon 14 years ago, and I would say it’s important to me to preserve the recipes and the experiences that are attached to these dishes because a lot of Levantine culture is passed down by word-of-mouth,” he said. “So when the mouth gets farther away, it becomes hard to preserve the culture. Habibi Supper Club has brought me closer to my culture than ever before — that’s what fuels me to keep going.”

Here’s how Finianos would spend a perfect day in Philadelphia. “Habibi has no scary Sundays if I follow this exact itinerary,” he added.

8 a.m.

I used to wake up earlier when I was still at my corporate job, but now I sleep in a little longer to make up for some of the later hours of my supper clubs and workshops. Now I can sit in bed, check emails, messages, and socials — I’m a notorious quick responder; it kills me to leave things overnight.

9 a.m.

I’m out the door, dressed for the weather, and walking up Passyunk Ave. to find coffee. We are blessed in South Philly with a plethora of coffee shops, each better than the next. My rotation is usually between Herman’s, Shot Tower, or Rival Bros. Today we’re hitting up Shot Tower for an iced americano — no matter the temperature outside.

Miled Finianos’ perfect Philly day includes a stop to see friend and chef Kenan Rabah at Majdal Bakery.

10:30 a.m.

After sipping on coffee and reading the newspaper at Shot Tower, it’s time for breakfast. The only breakfast spot for me is Majdal Bakery, where my friend [and owner/chef] Kenan [Rabah] is slinging the flavors I grew up with. (This is a public plea for him to bring back the za’atar manouche with makdous.) With Fairouz playing, I feel like I’m back home [in Ehden, Lebanon] for a bit. He won’t let me leave without trying something one of his new pastry inventions and I will always happily say yes.

11:30 a.m.

Sundays in Queen Village means the farmer’s market at Headhouse is in full swing. Armed with my tote and a debit card, I’ll peruse the market goodies, often while on FaceTime with my teta (grandmother) or mother. I show them what’s in season — but low-key, I’m farming for ideas of what they would do with what I buy. Then I head home with my goods and plot some personal menu ideas, along with some Habibi [Supper Club] R&D for whatever event is coming up.

1 p.m.

Hunger hits again, and lately I have been on a Vietnamese kick. I walk back up to either Pho Ha or Cafe Diem for a dry rice noodle bowl to satisfy that craving. We really are so lucky to have such a diverse authentic food scene in South Philly.

Miled Finianos visits the Headhouse Square farmers markets.

2:30 p.m.

Now, assuming I don’t have prep work to do, I’ll head back down Passyunk Ave., find another coffee, and sit with my laptop. If the weather is nice, I’ll park myself outside and people watch, daydreaming about a car-free Passyunk Square. This is the time I think of menu ideas, work on future events, and just soak in gratitude for being able to do this as a full-time gig.

View of Center City Philadelphia from the Bok Bar atop the Bok Building in South Philadelphia in 2021.

6 p.m.

Now, my social itch is itching. If this is a day off, I usually have plans with a friend — or 12. I like to keep it local, so drinks and snacks at Grace & Proper and Royal Tavern. Or if it’s open, Bok Bar, my favorite place in Philadelphia — the view of the city paired with the delicious pop-up of the month just makes my heart full.

9 p.m.

One last drink at my fave dive bar, The Jim. I have been ending my nights with a nice shot of Fernet Branca because anything else gives me acid reflux — that’s just too much information to be sharing, but oh well.

As you can probably tell now, the perfect day for me is devoid of any chores or errands because that’s what Mondays are for.

February 14, 2026
How to have a Perfect Philly Day, according to Provenance chef Nicholas Bazik

What’s changed for chef Nicholas Bazik in the weeks since his Society Hill restaurant, Provenance, earned a coveted star from the Michelin Guide?

Everything.

And nothing.

“There’s this strange duality to it,” says Bazik. “It’s like a complete life-changing event. … But at the same time, the day-to-day is exactly the same. It’s just a little more amplified and there’s more things to do.”

Bazik’s Provenance was one of three local restaurants to be awarded a Michelin star in November, and already, the accolade has brought lots of things: National acclaim, a rush on reservations, and a plaque (yet to be delivered) that will be displayed inside the restaurant, which opened in 2024.

Then there’s the pressure that comes with earning the culinary world’s highest honor.

“The restaurant industry in and of itself is unique, because at every step, every milestone that you get, it just means that there’s more work to do — and more pressure,” Bazik says. “Having a Michelin star means that everyone coming through the door is seeing you as that thing, so there’s no time to let [up].”

The one exception might be Sundays, when the restaurant is closed and Bazik can finally take a breath. It’s a day that, for him, revolves almost entirely around family — though food, not surprisingly, also plays a supporting role.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

7:30 a.m.

I normally wake up around 7:30, which is around the time my 4-year-old son wakes up.

In my previous job, prior to me going on paternity leave, the owner gave me a gift certificate to a coffee company, saying, “You should get yourself an espresso machine because you’re going to need it.” That was one of the best, most thoughtful gifts I’ve received from an employer. It’s a Jura espresso/coffee machine, and I use that everyday.

Then we’re going to Sulimay’s. It’s as close to a perfect diner as it gets. The food is great, the service is great, the space is unique to Philadelphia. Any breakfast spot, I always get the same thing which is two eggs over easy, bacon, hash browns, and rye toast.

10 a.m.

I’ll spend some time at the farmers market at Headhouse Square, which is largely how I like to shape my menus and figure out exactly what’s seasonal, what’s on offer, what’s relevant, what’s good. My family’s with me, and I’ll do shopping there for the restaurant and I’ll also do some shopping for home.

My son and my wife will go to Three Bears Park, which is around the corner from us, and I’ll go meet up with them there, and we’ll play and then go back home for a light lunch with some of the things that we got at the market.

1 p.m.

After lunch, we’ll go to Adventure Aquarium in Camden. My son is just obsessed with everything aquatic. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of sharks and fish and whales. We love going there — it doesn’t matter if we’re looking at the same fish every single time, he loves it. So we’ll go there for an hour, and make our next move, which is somewhere outdoors.

2-4 p.m.

Ideally, we’d make two stops. We’d go to Lemon Hill, which is where my wife and I got married, and then go to Wissahickon Park — so essentially try to spend the whole afternoon in a green space.

To be able to travel from Center City and 15 minutes later be in a green, open space with trees and wildlife, it’s incredible.

5 p.m.

Because our son is 4 now, he has the full capability of selecting what he wants to eat for dinner, so we leave it up to him. And we essentially go to one of two places: Kim’s Restaurant in North Philly, which is the oldest charcoal grilled Korean barbecue spot. The other one is Mr. Joe’s restaurant, which is my son’s name for Picnic in Fishtown.

For our purposes, Picnic is the perfect restaurant. It has chicken, french fries (my son’s favorite food group), oysters, and green salad. We get the same thing every single time, and we go enough that we should have a designated table.

6 p.m.

It’s time to go home and start the bedtime routine. We do shampoo time, and it’s the only time that my son watches any sort of TV. We’ll watch 20 or 30 minutes of something — normally a deep-sea documentary or a solar system documentary.

Then from 9-10 p.m., my wife and I get to talk about what’s happening that week — what’s happening with him at school, what events are coming up that week, giving her a proper heads up on what’s happening at work, because everything happens so fast that it’s sometimes hard to keep up.

And ideally, it’s in bed by 10 p.m., and then it’s start the week the next day.

January 31, 2026
How to have a perfect Philly day, according to Di Bruno Bros.’ Emilio Mignucci

Emilio Mignucci’s name is synonymous with cheese in Philly. The third-generation Di Bruno Bros. owner-turned-vice president of the brand, now owned by Wakefern, lives in Center City but his heart is still in the Italian Market. The legendary importer and cheese connoisseur is also a sometime cheese tour guide, taking cheese-obsessed guests on culinary adventures in Europe with Cheese Journeys. But he’s just as passionate a guide in his hometown. Here are his favorite places to grab a bite on a perfect Friday in Philly.

Emilio Mignucci with a cheese spread he enjoys eating.

4:20 a.m.

My father trained me to get up this early from when I was very young. When I was a kid I used to work the produce stands in the Italian Market and we would start setting up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. I’ve always had that routine.

4:30 a.m.

Nowadays I head to the gym when I wake up. I get in a workout until about 5 or 6 a.m. and then do a five to 10 minute meditation, then practice my Italian on Duolingo, which I’ve been doing for a six-year streak.

6 a.m.

I split my week between Wakefern headquarters in Edison, N.J., and Philly. But I work from home on Mondays and Fridays, so for coffee I’ll walk over to La Jefa.

7 a.m.

I get a cappuccino with whole milk at La Jefa and a concha. They’re always filled with lavender or something cool. I also like their corn husk coffee, but if I’m getting that I skip the concha. And I love their pastrami lengua sandwich on days they do brunch, but I don’t normally eat breakfast.

7:30 a.m.

I walk to Di Brunos in Rittenhouse where I have an office. We just came out of the best season for cheese, which is fall into winter. I’ll taste cheeses with the team behind the counter, like Jasper Hill Farms’ Winnimere and Pleasant Ridge Reserve. They’re stinky and so darn good. I love Alpine-style cheeses.

Emilio Mignucci, DiBruno describes his perfect day, Friday, Jan. 16, 2025. Emilo grandson of the founders of DiBruno take a whiff of cheese.

Noon

I eat lunch around noon. If I stay in the store, I grab one of our seasonal salads, though I’m attracted to the pizzas. But the best lunch in Philly is John’s Roast Pork. There’s nothing better. I crave it. I dream about it. It’s the most succulent pork sandwich. The pork is cooked in its own juices and when you go up to the counter to order, it’s taken out of that hot pork broth. Then there’s sharp provolone and I love the bitter spinach and a single long hot pepper. I know everyone talks about cheesesteaks in this town and they’re great, but for me the best sandwich is the roast pork.

1 p.m.

I go back to work, finish up emails and meetings about product innovation and figuring out cures for the tariffs and increases in pricing because we import so much stuff.

3 p.m.

If people are visiting me, I love taking them to the Italian Market. It’s the oldest open air market in the country and it shows what Philly is all about. [Even though the immigrants have changed] it’s still a mix of really good hardworking people. When my aunts and uncles came over from Italy, they worked their tails off there. So I’ll stop for an espresso at Anthony’s for something traditional and Italian, chicory-flavored, and bitter. Then I’ll pick up stuff for my wife like fresh lettuces. She likes the sweeter ones like Bibb and romaine. I like the more bitter ones like arugula. I’ll also grab mushrooms, peppers, and onions. My wife always makes me roasted peppers.

5 p.m.

I try to sneak into Fiorella when they first open, but I also love Blue Corn. If it’s Fiorella, I try to go with three other people so we can get the whole menu and all the pastas. The pasta for me is second to none. It’s spectacularly delicate, very well made, and not overly filling. Then I have to get something sweet. Isgro’s was open late over the holidays and I have to get their ricotta cookies. A dozen of those is what my wife will get me instead of a birthday cake.

8 p.m.

There are so many good bars in Philly but a.bar is my corner bar. My wife and I go two or three times a week. I like Negronis or I’ll get a Vesper. Nothing is more perfect than a Vesper.

9:30 p.m.

Two cocktails and then it’s time for bed.

January 24, 2026
How to have a Perfect Philly Day, according to ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Mandy Mango

Local fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race are bummed this morning after seeing Philadelphia drag queen Mandy Mango — just the second contestant to represent the city in the show’s history — get eliminated last night.

For the third week in a row, Mango landed in the bottom. She failed to impress the judges with her sketch comedy act playing an Amish woman competing in a butter churning competition; her overly sexual take wound up being a bit too outlandish, and her runway look as a dashing deer couldn’t save her.

“I can’t say I’m too surprised, I’m not delusional,” Mango said on Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race following the episode. “I accept this with grace but I’m extremely sad.”

Despite the loss, of course, Mango remains a star at home in Philadelphia.

An HIV nurse by day, Mango (aka Sigfried Aragona) grew up in Lansdale and attended West Chester University before moving to Center City, where she lives with a roommate and their four cats named Wasabi, Miso, Soy, and Sriracha. The 29-year-old performer frequently appears at Frankie Bradley’s, her home bar.

Competing on Drag Race was an exciting challenge for Mango, who says she’s received an outpouring of support from fans in Philly and as far as the Philippines, where her family is from. She’s thrilled to spotlight Philly’s drag scene for a national audience, following Season 16 runner-up and Miss Congeniality winner Sapphira Cristál. (Cristál helped Mango prepare her audition tapes.)

“Especially in the context of Drag Race, Philly hasn’t been [seen much]. I feel like we’re kind of on the up-and-up of people really recognizing our drag and seeing what we’re about,” said Mango. “Hopefully I got to show off that Philly is full of fighters. We’re full of performers, and we all have a little bit of quirkiness and silliness to us.”

We asked Mango about her perfect Philly day.

9 a.m.

I’d probably start off by going to Planet Fitness, ideally, to get my little morning workout in. That’s all I need. And then I will get breakfast, probably over at the Reading Terminal. I love Beiler’s Doughnuts, a great post-workout meal [laughs], or honestly, Miller’s Twist with the pretzels.

Mandy Mango and DD Fuego face off in a lip synch battle on episode two of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18. Mango stunned the judges with her energetic dance skills.

Noon

Come home and watch TV, catch up on my day, take a nap. Love a nap. But a lot of my friends are foodies, so on a nice day we like to be out and about.

1 p.m.

Just walk around Chinatown and get bubble tea. Tea Do is my usual spot. I like to get a little taro bubble tea, but if I need a pick-me-up, I’ll get the Zen’s Awakening. It’s a little chocolatey, really sweet, with coffee in it.

We like to explore the little cute shops in Chinatown, like Ebisu and Little Seven House. Check out the little toys, see if my friend needs another Labubu.

Ebisu Life Store in Chinatown.

Then we’ll probably eat somewhere in Chinatown. We’re always checking out different spots, but a go-to for us is definitely Ocean Harbor for dim sum and Pho 20. There’s something about pho restaurants, when it’s just “pho” and the number after it, you know it’s legit. Also Pho 75 in South Philly is one of our faves. Philly has some of the best Vietnamese food.

3 p.m.

I probably will go ahead and get back home, go over the little pictures that I took with my friends around the city and make sure we post those, and then take a nap.

Upstairs bar at Strangelove’s, 216 S. 11th St.

6 p.m. to midnight

I like to go out in drag sometimes, if I have the time. So I probably get mug and get ready to go out. I really love Strangelove’s, that’s probably where I start and get a drink and some food. They have arcade games in the back, which I recently played — I got into a really heated Mortal Kombat tournament. I made it past the first round then one of my designer friends [who helped with my Drag Race submission] Elias [Gurrola] surprisingly hustled me! I will come back and avenge myself.

Mandy Mango on the runway on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18, episode two.

I’ll eat dinner at Strangelove’s, get some of the flatbread. I love a finger food when I’m in drag, so pizzas or chicken tenders are great. It’s gonna sound basic but their fries are actually so good.

Then I’ll bop around to U Bar, it’s a nice place to get another little drink. Then we’ll make our way down the alley to Tavern [on Camac] to really get dancing and start the night. You can usually catch me on the upper floor. I love it especially if Carl Michaels or Chris Urban are DJing.

Midnight

Around midnight, we move to Frankie Bradley’s, and check out the disco side and the upstairs club side. Catch [DJs] Drootrax or Gina. I usually end up dancing a little too hard because they’re always killing it.

Boneless, skinless, pretzel-encrusted chicken from Wishbone.

2 a.m.

I get my little post, post-club meal at Wishbone. They’re open till 4 a.m. They have pretzel-breaded chicken and baked mac and cheese. I get one white, one dark, half a pound of mac, and a biscuit.

My schedule sounds chaotic, but it’s sort of ideal for me.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs every Friday on MTV.

January 17, 2026
How to have a Perfect Philly Day, according to novelist Adam Cesare

Adam Cesare knew by the third date that if he and his future wife were going to end up together, he was going to have to start calling sub sandwiches hoagies. “She’s a Philly lifer,” the New York-born, USA Today best-selling author said. Sure enough, after graduating from college in Boston, the couple relocated to Philadelphia, where Cesare threw himself into the city’s film and literary scenes. “I took to Philly like a fish to water,” Cesare said. That was 15 years ago.

Fast forward to today, and the former high school English teacher is an acclaimed local author with more than a dozen horror novels under his belt, including the popular Clown in a Cornfield series, the first of which was adapted for the big screen and released in theaters this past summer. Now, Cesare is gearing up to release Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo!

When he’s not busy editing his manuscript, Cesare still loves to explore Philly’s extensive film and lit scenes, roaming through used bookstores or catching a flick at PhilaMOCA.

Here’s how Adam Cesare would spend a perfect day in Philadelphia.

9 a.m.

First, I would make sure it’s not a Sunday because I want to go to Beiler’s Doughnuts in Reading Terminal, and it’s closed on Sundays.

11 a.m.

After Beiler’s, I’d pop over to Old City to go to The Book Trader. I could name-drop all the current new bookstores, but there’s something about used bookstores that I really like. I’d swing by the comics shop, Brave New Worlds, because it’s right next door, then I’d head to Mostly Books on Bainbridge. I love that place. It’s great because they have a pretty decent VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray selection too, so I’ll get a few movies.

I might also pop into the Philly AIDS Thrift. It’s fun to walk around. They have a good book section. It’s mostly general fiction. I like their physical media section too. You can get the DVD or VHS of every television series that’s been kicked off Netflix.

1 p.m.

For lunch, I’m definitely going to Monster Vegan. It is what it sounds like. It is a really good vegan restaurant themed on monsters. They play clips from Count Yorga and stuff on the walls. They do events, too. I once saw Lloyd Kaufman present Class of Nuke ‘Em High.

3 p.m.

After lunch, I might drive over to Manayunk to check out Thrillerdelphia. It’s a new bookstore that exclusively sells horror and thrillers. They just opened two months ago, and I did one of their first events. They’re really nice people, and they have a great selection.

5 p.m.

It’s time to beam back down to South Street for dinner and a movie. On a perfect day, I’m going to Royal Izakaya, a Japanese restaurant I like to go to on my birthday. Since money is no object on my perfect day, I’ll order the omakase. Let the chef decide.

7 p.m.

There are so many good places to see a movie in Philly. There’s the Philadelphia Film Society. There’s also PhilaMOCA. It’s probably my favorite place to go. They work closely with Exhumed Films, which is a group of film fans who screen 35mm and 16mm films from their private collection in local theaters. They do a lot of work with The Colonial in Phoenixville as well.

The last time I went to PhilaMOCA, I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and John Cameron Mitchell was there doing a live commentary, which was sick. They do really cool stuff like that all the time.

9 p.m.

That was a full day. I’m good for bed now.

January 10, 2026