Out of everything in the world, Ashley Huston loves sugar the best. It’s no surprise she is a baker. Huston opened Dreamworld Bakes, the Fishtown bakery, in December 2024 after years of running a bakery business out of her West Philly apartment.
Her perfect day, she said, would be a day when her bakery stays busy all day.
“I’m constantly working,” said Huston, who baked Patti LaBelle’s 80th birthday cake. Working and manifesting opening a boutique hotel in West Philly someday — “more like a bed-and-breakfast with a bakery under it.”
Her days involve coming into Fishtown everyday, dreaming up her monthly menus, running Dreamworld, and going home to feed and pet her cats — Ketchup and Leeloo.
She wakes up around 4 a.m. and goes to sleep as early as 7 p.m. on some hard days. Usually, she is in bed by 9 p.m. and asleep by 10 p.m.
She tried to imagine what a perfect day in Philly would look like. Outside the bakery.
7 a.m.
On my perfect Philly day, I sleep in. I wake up and have coffee in my yard in West Philly. I drink a lot of my own coffee, our Dream World blend but I also use a Trade Coffee subscription. Sometimes I go to ReAnimator Coffee, [on Pine Street] down the street from my house, and pick up an iced vanilla latte. And then I’ll sit in my yard, lay in my hammock. I try to “touch grass” whenever I can. Got to love those big West Philly backyards.
9 a.m.
I have a vintage Peugeot Bike. A morning ride down to the Schuylkill trail before it gets too hot is always enjoyable. If I have time, I’ll do the whole loop. I’m pretty active, so I like to get some kind of movement in on a regular basis. Monarch Yoga in Kensington is a great studio with a very welcoming environment and community. My good friend, Michelle, is my favorite instructor. We went to the same hot yoga studio years ago, and now we’re both small business owners. If not yoga, I’d go to the gym, which is theWest Philadelphia YMCA.
10 a.m.
I will have some breakfast. If I could, I would go down to South Philly every day and eat at Artisan Boulanger Patissier cafe. I really love their breakfast sandwich and almond croissants. More than mine, probably. They also have really good banh mis. I might even drop into a farmer’s market. My favorite is the one in Clark Park every Saturday morning. I’d get a pastry and some flowers and snag a squat in the park for an hour or so, and just watch people. We have such good characters in Philly. Our people sometimes get a bad rap, but we got the flavor.
Noon
I’d walk around downtown. Riverwards Produce is a great place for seasonal produce, especially in smaller quantities. Before I opened Dreamworld [brick and mortar], I had a hard time trying to find produce like sour cherries or pink chicories in an amount that could fit into my fridge. I also love Reading Terminal Market. It’s full of tourists but it’s fun. I pick up meat, cheese, and get one of those hotdog pretzels from Miller’s Twist. It’s also right next to Chinatown, which is one of my favorite places in the city. I could walk around there forever if I had the time.
1 p.m.
Some of my favorite places to eat are in Chinatown, like Penang for their char-kway-teow or beef redang. I also love Sang Kee Peking Duck House with a passion. The roast pork noodle soup with dumplings makes me feel like I’m walking around Hong Kong and don’t even get me started on the duck.
If I’m still in West Philly, I’ll walk down to Hummus Grill in University City. Don’t sleep on it, it’s the best falafel in the city.
In South Philly, my lunch would be a Ba Le Bakery banh mi or pho at Pho 75.
3 p.m.
I think all I do is eat, because my whole day in Philly revolves around food! I love vintage shopping too. Moore Vintage in Queen Village is a great place for one-of-a-kind finds. I love the Philadelphia Museum of Art, seeing any contemporary exhibits they may have on. I try to go a few times a year. I love when they bring new artists. I probably go there more than any other museum in the city.
I’ll often bike down to the Ritz in Old City; sometimes with people, but also by myself. Or I’ll meet up with friends at a bar, get a margarita.
I love an outdoor situation, so I love LMNO. Mezcal paloma is my go-to anywhere. So if there’s a paloma on the menu, I’ll have it.
I love to host and entertain and to care for people. And I love showing off my home [recently featured by Apartment Therapy]. When I have the time, the perfect day to me ends with an evening at my place.
Maybe in the yard with the lights on and the grill going. Or in my den having a game night with my besties and a signature cocktail.
If I’m going out, I like Little Water where I went for dinner the other day. The seafood was phenomenal. They had a really nice, clarified paloma on their menu. It had a little lavender in there, so that was right up my alley. I also love Kalaya. I’m a sucker for crab fried rice, and their massaman is great.
I love Taqueria La Prima in South Philly. And I also love going to Le Virtu in Passyunk if I’m on a date. That’s such a romantic place.
8 p.m.
I’m a woman in my mid 30s, so I try to frequent places that have live jazz. I liked going to Say No More’s outdoor space. I miss them. I love 48 Record Bar. It’s always a good time, bomb drinks, and great music always. If people visit me from out of town, that’s a fun place to take them to.
10 p.m.
North Third in Northern Liberties is my food stop if I’m out late. I think they have the best wings in the city, especially their Thai chili wings. I’ve been going there since college, which is a hundred years ago.
For a late night drink, I’m a sucker for a tiki drink. So if there’s a tiki pop up anywhere, I will go to that.
11 p.m.
In my perfect bed. The trick is to get a hard to firm mattress, and top it with a memory foam and a down topper. You have to do both. That’s the perfect sleeping situation.
My perfect day, actually, begins and ends with getting a good night’s sleep. With Ketchup and Leeloo, who drive me insane. The perfect way to end my perfect day in Philly, in my bed in West Philly.