If your memories of summer camp don’t involve eight-course tasting menus and vintage fashion shopping sprees, well, perhaps you weren’t doing it right. Or you were never in a stalled Apple TV+ production with Brian Tyree Henry.
Mr. Henry, 43, who recently received the Gotham Television Awards’ first Performer Tribute for his role in “Dope Thief,” is the star and an executive producer of this crime drama about two friends who try to earn a living as fake drug enforcement agents. The limited series was not quite halfway through filming in Philadelphia when Hollywood writers went on strike in 2023, soon followed by actors. He decided to make the best of a bad situation by staying put and diving as deeply as possible into his character’s hometown.
During the work stoppage, which lasted six months, “the Philly crew was still there, and they were my friends,” Mr. Henry said in a video interview. “So my time in Philly felt like sleep-away camp.” He learned a lot. For starters: “Philly natives love Philly,” he said. “If I walked out of my house in anything green and white, it had better have an eagle on it.”
He also discovered that he didn’t need to stray far from his Center City rental to find a happy place: the tiny 17th-century Rittenhouse Square. “You can sit in the park and read a book, and then go and chill out and have a good meal across the street,” he said, citing the steak, popovers and tater tots at Barclay Prime among his favorite examples. Another neighborhood staple was the Rittenhouse Spa & Club, where regular facials helped mitigate the “sweat, blood, smoke and gunpowder” he was covered in during filming. “They would be like, ‘What did you go through this week?’” he said.
Here are five more of Mr. Henry’s favorite places in Philadelphia.
1. Friday Saturday Sunday
This is “the best dining room I’ve been to,” said Mr. Henry of the Rittenhouse Square spot, which won a James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2023. Run by the chef Chad Williams and his wife, Hanna, this converted 19th-century townhouse (also home to the couple’s James Beard finalist bar) serves ever-changing eight-course tasting menus. If you happen to see sweetbreads on the lineup, don’t shy away from them, said Mr. Henry. They’re so good, he had no qualms about finishing any remnants off friends’ plates, too.
2. The Schuylkill River Trail
Of the various activities Mr. Henry took up during his Philly sojourn, cycling was his favorite — especially along the Schuylkill River Trail. He’d drive with friends up to Valley Forge, then bike the 25 or so miles back to the city. “It’s a long trail, but it doesn’t feel like that because there’d be little beer gardens, little restaurants and little parks,” he said. Though he loved the lush, leafy stretches, certain cityscapes were hard to beat: There’s an overlook just off the trail, next to the Fairmount Water Works building, where you have views of the cascading dam, Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
3. The South Street Shopping District
Packed with vintage treasures and “really, really funky” finds, South Street and the surrounding area were fertile hunting grounds for Mr. Henry. The Raxx Vintage Emporium was a particular favorite, where he could resist neither the meticulously color-coded racks nor the selection of embroidered patches. “Every time I go in,” he said, “I’m going to leave with about seven pieces.” Harry’s World, which describes itself as a “new age spiritual shop,” was equally fruitful. He loved stocking up on sage oil, crystals, candles and other necessities for altars. “I like to make altars to honor my mom and honor my ancestors,” he explained. “I was raised that way.”
4. The Bok Building
A Works Progress Administration-era vocational high school that’s been turned into a haven for artists, designers and other makers and creative types, the Bok Building houses all manner of workshops and studio spaces. As smitten as Mr. Henry is with the rooftop restaurant (Irwin’s) and bar (Bok Bar) — and the city views from both — he also loves the literal old-school aesthetic. “Each floor still has lockers,” he said, “and it is really dope.” He suggests checking out whatever studios are open (the lineup changes daily, and there’s a display with that info by the reception desk) and leaving room for a baked treat from the first-floor Machine Shop.
5. The El Chingón-John’s Water Ice Corridor
For the perfect lunchtime doubleheader in South Philly, Mr. Henry recommends tacos at El Chingón (the beef-stew-and-cheese-loaded quesabirrias, in particular, washed down with the house horchata) followed by a stroll along Passyunk Avenue toward John’s Water Ice, a local institution. “It’s been there forever and it’s great,” said Mr. Henry, who favors the fruit flavors and said he left Philly “a water ice fanatic.” In fact, he had a parting message: “If Philly wants to bring water ices to L.A.,” where he lives, “you should do it,” he said. “I could eat a water ice all year long.” And in fact he did, unexpectedly spending all four seasons in Philly, and feasting his way through each one.
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