When I headed out into the city for a coffee shop to work at for the afternoon, I was actually looking for Square One Coffee, but upon arrival, I discovered that it was closed on weekends. Probably shoulda double-checked before I left the house… But oh well, not a big deal. I pulled out my phone to Yelp (honestly, sponsor me!) a nearby coffee shop and found Peddler Coffee, which I quickly fell in love with. At the door was a little chalkboard promoting their special flavours, of which I chose the lavender london fog, but was also tempted by their apple cider and clove cardamom latte.

As if I wasn’t already sold by those fancy flavours, their interior decor… man… Obsessed! That’s all I have to say! I love it! They had cute lil pumpkins everywhere, copper gooseneck kettles filled with plants, exposed brick, huge window-walls, and cool shaped wood tables (I can’t think of a way to describe it other than “raw” lol). And they played great music! Totally my vibe. I loved the rustic, autumnal feel of the interior. I wonder how they decorate for other seasons. Definitely pop by for a visit before autumn ends though! *I say this as I publish this post weeks late and the weather is gradually transitioning to winter*

A new restaurant opened up in Philly this summer! And of course, Jennifer knew all about it; she always knows about the most beautiful cafes, bakeries, and restaurants. She, Victoria, and I were planning to have Sunday brunch, and the two of them recommended Walnut Street Cafe; Jennifer had already been there twice, and Victoria had already been there once (with Jennifer). It was high time for me to make a trip over as well!

I was invited to United By Blue’s tour and tasting preview for their new store! Ethan — who you probably don’t recall was my point of contact for Lokal Hotel but he’s now over at United By Blue — emailed me out of the blue (ha ha ha) to invite me to their preview event, and after checking that I was indeed free that evening, I wrote back immediately to RSVP. I love United By Blue, their cafe, their aesthetic, their graphics, and their mission, so it wasn’t a hard decision. I stop by their cafe almost every time before my UPenn class if they’re not already full! I also asked Ethan if I could bring my friend Jennifer along because I knew she would be excited to check out their new shop; she’s been following their story for way longer than I have and appreciates them on a whole nother level. Also, I needed the company to support me through this social endeavor! (She was my company for Lokal as well!) I was nervous about asking for another invite as it was a closed event, but Ethan was so kind and quickly put me down for two.

I was in the city and had an afternoon to kill before meeting friends for dinner, so I Yelped a cafe to be productive at and found J’aime French Bakery. It was marked as “hot and new” on the app, which inspired me to hurry my ass over and snap some fresh content for y’all. (Can Yelp sponsor me??)

I live just a minute away from Green Engine Coffee. Somehow I managed to resist getting daily coffees last year, but this year not so much. It’s probably because my class schedule is light, so I’m not in class often, but my workload is heavy, so I need a place to work. I’ve tried working at home so as not to spend too much money on coffee at cafes I loiter at, but I never seem to be able to stay on task in the comforts of my apartment; the desire to cosy up and do nothing is too strong!

But despite the many mornings and afternoons I’ve spent at Green Engine, I’ve never gotten any food there before. When Grace (my friend and neighbour!) told me about her weekly ritual of grabbing Friday morning brunch at Green Engine to celebrate surviving the week, I was happy to join her!

White Dog Cafe has three locations, and one of them is really close to me, but I’ve never gone before because it’s quite expensive. My friends and I call it a place for Mainline Moms (rich white housewives). But to celebrate finishing all three parts of our first project for our design class, Louise, Stephanie, and I wanted to treat ourselves! (and subsequently spent a total of $100 omg never again) (it was good while it lasted)