Drag Star Sapphira Cristál's Perfect Day Off in Philly

Drag queen, classically-trained opera singer, and recording artist Sapphira Cristál is probably best known as the runner up on season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race (she was also crowned Miss Congeniality, the title given to the kindest queen of the season). Since appearing on the show, Cristál has released several singles, performed at New York’s iconic Lincoln Center, and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Originally from Houston, Cristál lives in Philadelphia, a city she truly calls her own. Here’s how she spends the perfect day in the City of Brotherly Love.

Since leaving Houston, I’ve lived in Rochester, New York City, Boston, and now, Philadelphia. When I moved here, I felt it was the closest to Houston. This city is just full of warm people. While it’s not the south, it’s close enough that the people have southern tendencies. It is full of kind people. They’re not the nicest people in the world, but they will be there for you. They’ll be cursing you out and calling you a dumbass, but they will be there for you. And I love that about Philadelphia.

The food in Philly is excellent. One of my favorite spots to go to on a day off is Oyster House. It has a great $2 oyster happy hour every Monday through Friday. I personally can go through 72 oysters by myself—and I have, and I will again. Oyster House also has lobster and seafood towers. Everything there is reasonably priced, too. You're not going to leave destitute after eating a lot of food, and I like that.

Reading Terminal Market is another option for great bites. One of my favorite spots is Beck’s Cajun Cafe. It has great gumbo, amazing étouffée, and a to-die-for bread pudding. Sometimes it will even have beignets. There’s also a great ribs joint in the market called Glick’s Rib Shack. I’m from Texas, so I know good barbecue. When I first moved to town, I did a tour of all the barbecue restaurants in Philly to find the best one, and Glick’s Rib Shack is one of them. Right across from Glick’s is Beiler’s Doughnuts, which has really lovely apple fritters. I've watched them make the doughnuts: They knead the dough, add the apple, and then drop them into the oil. They’re so fresh. It reminds me of Shipley Do-Nuts in Houston.

Another great spot to eat is John’s Roast Pork. My boyfriend knows that I like pork and recommended John’s. When I first moved here, I had an awful cheesesteak and thought to myself, ‘This is trash. I don't ever want this again.’ Then I had the cheesesteak at John’s and was like, ‘This is phenomenal.’ I don't know what kind of steak they use, but they use a lot of it. It’s not a cheap cheesesteak, it’s great quality and it is delicious.

Outside of traditional restaurants, I love to go to Franky Bradley’s. Franky Bradley’s is all of the things. It's a bar. It’s a restaurant. It's a show venue. It’s a club. It has great food and great live performances. The club nights are bumping and it's packed every Friday. It’s also massive. It's basically two different buildings: Franky Bradley's and B. West, which used to be a club called Key West. It caters to so many different queer people and is a safe space for pretty much anyone in Philadelphia. I love Frankie Bradley's; it’s one of my homes in Philadelphia.

Fabrika is another great place for queer artists in Philadelphia. I perform there occasionally and I worked there for years. Fabrika has aerial acts, drag, burlesque, singers, sideshows, and clowns. It is a place for performance excellence and I appreciate that drag is a part of that. They understand that if you have talent, you belong on the stage. I like to go see my friends perform there.

On a day off, I also really enjoy going to the local museums. The Rodin Museum is one of my favorites. It's interesting to see the way Rodin viewed human bodies as art. He was really obsessed with the human body and I love that.

In the fall, Linvilla Orchards is one of my favorite places to visit. They have apple and pumpkin picking, hay rides, and even Christmas trees. I took my boyfriend apple picking at Linvilla Orchard and that's where I fell in love with him. It’s also where I got the call that Monét X Change and I were commissioned to put on a show at Lincoln Center in New York. So the orchard has a very special place in my heart.
 

The last place I have to hit on a day off is Planet Fitness. It’s the perfect gym. It’s cheap but it also has most of the things that you want and need in a workout. I’m a black card member, so I have all these massage options that are perfect for after a workout. There are massage chairs, including ones that massage you with high-pressure water. They have light therapy as well. It’s also a great gym for those who are not gym people and don’t want others looking at them. They encourage people to stay in their own business. There are all of these signs that are like “Shut the fuck up and just fucking work out.”

Oyster House
1516 Sansom St, Philadelphia

Reading Terminal Market
1136 Arch St, Philadelphia

John’s Roast Pork
14 E Snyder Ave, Philadelphia

Franky Bradley’s
1320 Chancellor St, Philadelphia

Fabrika
1108 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia

Rodin Museum
2151 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia

Linvilla Orchards
137 W Knowlton Rd, Media, PA

Planet Fitness
Various locations