According to Teri Hatcher, Philadelphia
has everything you need.
Let's be very clear: Teri Hatcher is not, nor will she ever be,
desperate. With an unstoppable show, a beautiful daughter (Emerson,
eight), and a smart new memoir
(Burnt Toast: And Other
Philosophies of Life), this former
Love Boat dancer,
Bond girl, and
Lois Lane is, in fact, the opposite of desperate.
She is living the very, very good life. When enjoying her success,
there's no place she'd rather do it than
Philadelphia, where she
hunkers down several times a year to visit extended family. Here's
Hatcher's perfect day in Philly, which includes cheesesteaks (of
course), a little piece of history, and a martini bar of which even
James Bond would approve.
Okay, first up: I'm famished. Where are we headed? The best
way to start your day in Philly is to wake up early and get an
amazing breakfast down on Ninth Street at the Italian Market. It's
over 100 years old and very warm and inviting, and it's also fun
and low-key. You can get some of the best espresso, cappuccinos,
and Italian pastries you've ever tasted. The street is packed with
a remarkable selection of bakeries and cafés. Oh, and they have
yummy egg frittatas too.
Excellent. Armed with a good double-espresso, we're set to give
the credit card a bit of a workout, right? Yes. I like to
wander around for some girl time, shopping at Rittenhouse Row along
Walnut Street. They seem to have all the stores a gal could ever
want. Although I'm not typically a big shopper, when you're on
vacation, it can be fun, and there are plenty of classics in the
area. Burberry,
Ralph Lauren, Third Street Habit, which has hip,
contemporary clothes. And of course I love to indulge in a little
chocolate treat for myself from Godiva. Best of all, I found out on
my first shopping excursion that there is no sales tax. So, of
course, I would encourage anyone to spend more to make up for what
you would have paid in sales tax.
Is your style more like Susan from Desperate Housewives
or glitzy, like the pictures we see in In Style? It's
very much in the moment; I find that I am a chameleon. There are
days when I dress like Susan - taking my daughter to school and
baking for the school fund-raiser of the moment - and then there
are nights where I have fun glamming it up and feeling like a
princess, like at the Golden Globe Awards.
Is Philly really the City of Brotherly Love?
Well, let me just say that for some reason, everyone I meet from
Philly is fabulous. I'll meet a new friend and be talking at a
party for a while, and, inevitably, when I ask where they are from,
it's Philly. So that's a reason to go there in itself. Nice,
creative, passionate, real folk. They're always a pleasure,
really.
After we've shopped our hearts out, we have to refuel. Which can
mean only one thing …
Yes, lunch in Philly is easy. There is only one thing you should
do: get a cheesesteak at either Pat's or Geno's. I learned fast how
to "correctly" order a cheesesteak. You will really sound like you
are in the know if you add this tagline to your order: "I'll have
it with" or "I'll have it without."
So how do you have it? With or without? I go for the "Whiz
pizza with or without" at Pat's. Which, translated, is a
cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz, tomato sauce, and with or without
fried onions. I get mine without fried onions.
Wow, my stomach hurts just hearing about it. I promise you
that sandwich will change your life. I love to eat, and I think
visiting different cities is completely defined by where and what
you eat. I've taken my daughter all over this country, and one of
my favorite things was a book I used on a road trip, called
Eat
Your Way Across the U.S.A. It allowed me a peek into diners
where [the locals eat]. By seeing this, you understand our
diversity, and hopefully that understanding brings tolerance. I
think that is what travel can bring you.
So, clearly, after inhaling a cheesesteak, we now need to get
the blood flowing and burn off a few calories. What's up for the
afternoon? An interesting place, one of my favorites, is
Independence National Historic Park. It's where the Liberty Bell,
Independence Hall, and the Graff House, where Thomas Jefferson
lived and the Declaration of Independence was written, are located.
It's an amazing part of our country's history. It is so good to be
able to see and feel this history. To understand and remind
ourselves what
America is and what we want it to be. To remember
the passion that people had hundreds of years ago to create this
country and to use that passion to fight for what you personally
believe in. Also, if it's nice outside, a trip to Valley Forge,
where
Washington's troops camped, is always fun.
After such a good history lesson, I think it's time to refresh
and relax. What hotel is fit for the founding fathers and
television stars? I'd head to the Ritz-Carlton. They have
amazing rooms, and the service can't be beat. And after a quick nap
- hopefully - we'd head back out to kick off the evening.
And where would we do that? You're a former Bond girl, so I'd
venture a guess that we'd have to start off with a good
martini. Yes, I'd kick off the evening with a delicious martini
at the Continental Restaurant and Martini Bar in Old City. They
have the biggest martini menu anywhere in the city. I've also
enjoyed having cocktails with friends at Marmont and at 32 Degrees,
where they have ice cubes that light up. It makes the drink a
novelty, but it's still a fun and adult evening out.
So what's your favorite drink? Oh, a pomegranate margarita
or a grapefruit martini.
Sounds delectable. But we don't want to drink on an empty
stomach. Where do we head for delicious grub? Depending on who
is coming with me, there are two great options: Vetri, which is
near the
Rittenhouse Square area, for a small and intimate dinner
where you feel like the chef and staff are taking specific care of
just you. Or the
Barclay Prime steak house, which is a great local
favorite. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is perfect, and it
is everything you would expect from a hip steak house in an
old-time American city. Vetri does the best gnocchi I've ever had.
It's light, fluffy, and delicious, and you can combine it with
different sauces. And at Barclay Prime, I get a rib eye - medium
rare - and whipped mashed potatoes, with a nice Bordeaux.
You were named "Most Likely to Be a Solid Gold Dancer"
in high school. Any good spots to get your groove on? Well,
Philadelphia primarily has a lounge and hip-hop scene, but there
are a few really great dance scenes. The best is a Saturday-night
party that's thrown all summer, called Mojito, and hosted by Tommy
Up. The party is in the courtyard of an office skyscraper in
Commerce Square with a huge fountain, great live house music, and
guest DJs like the now world-famous King Britt and Josh Wink. A
small restaurant, Marathon Grill, supports the party. It's a great
time and a great crowd. For more good nightlife, I would also try
Fork or Bar Noir or Alma de
Cuba.
But since Philly is such a comfortable city for you, you could
always stay at home with a book. Maybe even your new memoir,
Burnt Toast. What was the inspiration behind writing the
book? When I was on the Barbara Walters special post-Oscars
show last year, I mentioned the phrase
burnt toast to her,
and how my mom thought she was doing the best thing by giving her
all to my dad and me, but she actually, in a backhanded way, taught
me that I didn't deserve the best. I've felt guilt about striving
for the best ever since then. Turning 40 allowed me an opportunity
to reassess how I treat myself and ask a big question about how I
want to do it for yet another decade. Well, when I said that,
Barbara's producers were all in the background and began saying,
"Oh my, that's me, that's how I am." So we knew I had a relatable
idea. As I began working on it, it just became broader and
ultimately turned into what I hope is a fun and enlightening
insight into me as well as women in general.
What exactly is burnt toast? Burnt toast is a syndrome that
I think most women can relate to, in that, we, as wives and
mothers, tend to give the best away and have trouble taking care of
ourselves, putting ourselves first - which we deservedly need to do
at least some of the time.
Sounds like a perfect Mother's Day gift. You don't have to be on
the cover of People to understand that juggling act. I
think that is so true. The book tells the story of my successes and
my struggles with happiness and self-acceptance. But mostly, I
wanted to encourage other women, as I encourage myself, to not eat
the burnt toast anymore. Even metaphorically, to understand that a
woman, a mother, doesn't always have to put herself last and can,
without guilt, choose good things in life for herself.
She Said... Where Teri Hatcher puts herself first in
Philadelphia
LODGING
The Ritz-Carlton, very expensive, (215) 523-8000,
www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/philadelphia
DINING
Barclay Prime, very expensive, (215) 732-7560,
www.barclayprime.com
Geno's Steaks, inexpensive, (215) 389-0659,
www.genosteaks.com
Marathon Grill, moderate, (215) 568-7766,
www.marathongrill.com
Ninth Street Italian Market (from Wharton Street to Fitzwater
Street), inexpensive,
www.phillyitalianmarket.com
Pat's King of Steaks, inexpensive, (215) 468-1546,
www.patskingofsteaks.com
Vetri, Italian, very expensive, (215) 732-3478,
www.vetri
ristorante.com
NIGHTLIFE
32 Degrees, (215) 627-3132,
www.32lounge.com
Alma de Cuba, (215) 988-1799,
www.almadecubarestaurant.com
Bar Noir, (215) 569-1160,
www.barnoir215.com
Continental Restaurant and Martini Bar, (215) 923-6069
Fork, (215) 625-9425,
www.forkrestaurant.com
Marmont, (215) 923-1100,
www.marmont.net
SHOPPING
Burberry, (215) 557-7400,
www.burberry.com
Godiva, (215) 963-0810,
www.godiva.com
Polo Ralph Lauren, (215) 985-2800
Rittenhouse Row,www.rittenhouserow.org
Third Street Habit, (215) 925-5455,
www.thirdstreethabit.com
ATTRACTIONS
Graff House
Independence Hall
Liberty Bell
All three of these attractions can be contacted at (215) 965-2305
and
www.nps.gov/inde/
We Said... Where we put ourselves first in Philadelphia
LODGING
Shippen Way Inn, inexpensive to moderate, (215) 627-7266.
Philadelphia is steeped in so much history, we thought this cozy
Colonial inn dating back to 1750 (but recently renovated) would be
an ideal home base near Penn's Landing. And it was, from the
charming innkeepers and ivy-covered garden to the working fireplace
and four-poster bed in our room.
DINING
Haru, moderate, (215) 861-8990.
Haru means "spring" in
Japanese, so May is an ideal month to visit this new outpost of the
famed NYC sushi joint. But you'll come to love executive chef
Shingo Inoue's creative combinations (succulent lobster rolls with
avocado, cucumber, mango, and caviar, anyone?) no matter the
season.
Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse, moderate, (215) 331-3112,
www.sweetlucys.com.
Feeding the whole family? Or taking your entire team out
after clinching that big contract? Consider this northeast
barbecue spot, whose Pig Out platters fill a famished clan
for a lot less than you might think. For instance, for
$66.95, you get a meal for six, including rotisserie chicken,
two pounds of meat, one and a half racks of ribs, three pints
of sides, and a pint of barbecue sauce. A sweet deal, indeed.
ATTRACTIONS
Eastern State Penitentiary, (215) 236-3300,
www.easternstate.org. The world's
first penitentiary, Eastern State dates back to 1829. A tour of the
site includes a look into Al Capone's former cell (he spent eight
months there in 1929) as well as at a newly discovered secret
tunnel through which a dozen prisoners escaped some 60 years ago.
Note: No children under seven allowed.
Wharton Esherick Museum, (610) 644-5822. If you’re trekking the 20 or so miles to visit Valley Forge, make a point to stop into this little-known treasure. Esherick, originally a painter, was one of the twentieth century’s greatest woodworkers, as displayed in his hillside home turned museum. Reservations are required for Saturday or Sunday group tours.
FRIDAYSATURDAY
SUNDAY
ONE SPECIAL DAY
Author