Five NL Businesses Win Best of Philly - NLBID | Northern Liberties Business Improvement District

Northern Liberties is proud to be the home of not one, not two, but FIVE Philly Mag Best of Philly 2023 award winners…four out of five of which are new businesses that have opened in the past year!

BEST NEW VEGETABLES
Pietramala
614 N 2nd St

Go to Pietramala because the salad is dressed and seasoned perfectly in elderflower vinaigrette, making market lettuces a revelation. Go because the cacio e pepe, made in part with fermented white sweet potato, is intensely creamy and savory. Go because the dining room is lined with twinkling lights and smiling, patient servers. Or you could go because it’s vegan. But you might not even notice that.

BEST NEW PIZZA
Bar 1010
701 N 2nd St

Mike Fitzick tinkered with his pizza techniques and dough particularities for years at Bakeria 1010 in Linwood, New Jersey. Then he moved along to this Northern Liberties spot with a wood-fired oven and an arsenal of thin, bubbly-crusted pies that show restraint and know-how. The margherita — sweet from San Marzano tomatoes; structured and sturdy enough that your slice sticks out straight when you pick it up — can hold its own against the city’s best versions,

BEST VEGAN COMFORTS
Nourish
177 W Girard Ave

Steak and eggs, tacos, fried chicken sandwiches — vegans, too, can enjoy these nap-inducing dishes at this Fishtown plant-based cafe and juice bar. Having lived and owned restaurants in both Belize and Jamaica, co-owner and chef Sarah Scandone has acquired Caribbean influences that carry over into the extensive menu, with items like curried plantains, jerk veggie steak and black rice.

BEST PLACE TO DECOMPRESS AFTER A LONG WEEK
Formation Sauna + Wellness
305 Brown St

This dreamy plant-filled space has been a mainstay for Nordic-inspired sauna sessions (solo and group!) and rejuvenating massages since opening in 2020. Formation continues to evolve, with bodywork featuring CBD and cupping, DIY facial treatments, herbal foot soaks, a brand-new cold-plunge pool, and monthly sound-bath meditation events to boot.

BEST CURLY GIRL SALON
Wash~Day
736 N 2nd St

When two of the area’s top natural-hair experts teamed up to create Wash~Day, curly girls all over Philly squealed with joy. Here, Tori McCutcheon deploys her deep knowledge of curl pattern and technique to bring ringlets and waves back to life with her clever cuts and treatments, while Ruth Mullen skillfully applies multi-dimensional color to make it all pop.