Then about a year ago, Eisenberg and her partner, Art Phung, moved together across the river. Phung suggested that maybe Eisenberg could avoid writing about their new environs, so they wouldn\u2019t have to move again. (Eisenberg made no promises.) <\/p>\n
On her perfect Philly day, Eisenberg treks between fresh and familiar haunts, floats in the city pool immortalized in Fat Swim, and browses at least three bookstores.<\/p>\n
In a perfect world, I wake up at eight, and I go to Caf\u00e9 y Chocolate<\/a>, a wonderful Mexican brunch and breakfast spot in our new neighborhood. I read my book for a little bit until meeting a friend. The mocha they make is pretty life-changing. When my mom was in the hospital, she was like, \u201cAll I want is caf\u00e9 con chocolate from there.\u201d <\/p>\n The Clark Park farmer\u2019s market<\/a> still has a chokehold on our Saturdays. I\u2019d get some flowers from the Amish fellows [at Unique Gardens<\/a>]. <\/p>\n I like to look at all the dogs. I don\u2019t have a dog, my partner says I\u2019m not responsible enough. So I force a friend who has a dog to bring their dog to the park to meet me. I like to run into people and hear the queer gossip of the day \u2014 who went out last night, what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n A lot of my friends have kids now, so it\u2019s usually a good excuse to see some of their kids and hear about their gossip at school.<\/p>\n At the Kingsessing pool<\/a>, I like to just kind of flop around and float. I can\u2019t ease my way into the pool, I have to jump all the way in. I\u2019m not a particularly good swimmer per se, but it makes me happy. After doing the pool, I always feel 10% less dead inside. <\/p>\n We make our way up to Saad\u2019s<\/a> [Halal Restaurant]. I like the chicken falafel sandwich. Fries are often important. <\/p>\n From there I go see a movie at PFS East Theater.<\/a> I always love seeing the Oscar-nominated shorts or when they play older movies.<\/a> If it\u2019s August, I go see a BlackStar Film Festival<\/a> movie. <\/p>\n Walking from Old City<\/a> back to South, I stop at Head House Books<\/a>. It\u2019s kind of magical: whatever the book is that I want, they always have it. They have good book clubs, they\u2019re supportive of local authors, they do a lot of events. <\/p>\n Head House has a really good children\u2019s section. I usually try to buy a couple of board books because they\u2019re good for little kids and they\u2019re cheaper. I also have a soft spot for the classic things that I read when I was a kid, like The Babysitters Club and Nancy Drew. I buy a couple of kids books and put them in little free libraries<\/a> because I find that joyful. <\/p>\n I also cut over to Giovanni\u2019s Room<\/a>, because they have all those $1 paperbacks out. I\u2019ll browse around to see if they have anything that\u2019s cheap that I want to buy for my library or for one that I pass on the way home. I might wind through a few little free libraries. I could hit the one at the Singing Fountain on East Passyunk<\/a>, and say hi to Little Yenta Books<\/a>. <\/p>\n My partner and I go to Cafe Nhan<\/a> at least once a week. I love their vermicelli bowl with grilled pork, and fried spring rolls. They have an amazing limeade too. If you follow Cafe Nhan on Instagram<\/a>, they often show what broths and soups they have going that day, so you can get excited. <\/p>\n I used to be partial to Fred\u2019s<\/a> on 54th and Chester. I put Fred\u2019s in Fat Swim. However, I will say that at Chuck\u2019s Water Ice<\/a> [on Snyder], the texture is incredible. It\u2019s very fluffy. The flavors they have are really special \u2014 tangerine, blood orange. I like to get a gelati of tangerine and vanilla custard. I eat it as I walk home. <\/p>\n If I\u2019m feeling like I want a little nightcap, I go to Brewery ARS<\/a>. They have good beer and it\u2019s kind of a hole-in-the-wall, but not in a sports way. More in a \u201cwe might have a weird musician\u201d way. They probably wouldn\u2019t have the game on, but they would have a Sun Ra music video on. <\/p>\n I watch a comfort episode of television or read a book. Right now I\u2019m doing a rewatch of Girls, like everybody else. I get into bed at 10 and go to sleep by 11, if I\u2019m honest.<\/p>\n The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.<\/p>\n![\"Eisenberg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/D7WEQKVL5VDD5EA5UCXT6LR53Y.jpg\")
Eisenberg poses with a billboard along Interstate 95 promoting the release of “Fat Swim.” Jose F. Moreno \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n