carb party

grindcore house now has a selection of fancy homemade flavors of tofutti cream cheeses for you to enjoy on your bagel. choices include scallion, jalapeno, olive, and sundried tomato. YES. the scallion is perfect--fresh, oniony goodness. the jalapeno has a nice, mild and tangy heat. the olive is of the kalamata variety, and it is purple. and tastes purple. as in, good. the sundried tomato is a slightly sweet spread from heaven if there was such a thing.

this shit is ruining my life. i have a daily "bagel or no bagel" fight with myself before i even leave the house. i want it to ruin your life, too. now go.

-beka

blackbird pizza

i've only eaten there the 2nd and 3rd day of their opening week. i need to change that asap and eat there more often.

i've had the yukon and peperoni slices. the cheesesteak and bbq mushroom sandwich. all are excellent. the bbq sandwich and yukon are my favorite things so far. the mushrooms are deep fried and breaded to perfection.

they keep unleashing all kinds of new slices and other eats. get there now!

sprig&vine

A good vegan brunch is something that the Philadelphia area is lacking in. It is getting better 'round these parts, but nothing has yet to come even close to Sprig & Vine's killer brunch menu. The Tofu Benedict is my favorite; a well-composed plate of genius. A ball of tofu atop a homemade tempeh sausage patty and crisp english muffin, smothered in a perfectly tangy hollandaise. It is hard to resist an order of doughnuts, which involves two full-size freshly-fried rings covered in cinnamon sugar. The french toast is rich and sweet, made with a nice crusty baguette.

When I was a kid, my family would meet up with another family in the neighborhood after church to get brunch at a fire hall. I would always get scrambled eggs, sausage, and well-buttered toast. I appreciate that Sprig & Vine has included vegan versions of some of my faves. I do wish they combined some of them in a dish, just so I don't have to spend $20 on sides and come home with a bunch of leftovers. Biscuits&Gravy+Tofu Scramble+Sausage+Homefries=Dream Brunch.

I will end on the biscuits and gravy. Sprig & Vine's biscuits are perfect: soft and flaky inside, crisp and lightly browned outside. The gravy is a beautiful, salty, well-rounded sauce with what seems to be a mushroom base. Yes, I am a mushroom-hater for textural reasons, but damn. Mushrooms make a good stock. An order of biscuits and gravy consists of two beautiful biscuits with a seemingly perfect pour of light-brown gravy of magic. The only thing is: Not enough gravy. I know they're trying to put as much on there as they can without making it look gross, but can't you do something? Like inject some gravy in there?

Brunch is definitely a 9.5/10. Vegan Real Talk can't get enough Sprig & Vine!

Sprig & Vine is an all-vegan fine dining restaurant located in New Hope, PA.
Sprig & Vine

Check back soon for a Sprig & Vine dinner review!

-beka

horizons

Horizon's is Philadelphia's best vegan fine dining restaurant. It is a frequently debated topic among the Vegan Real Talk bloggers. And here begins my first official VRT review of Ho-Rizons:

I started off with an amazing corn chowder, which included bits of fresh corn and perfectly diced potatoes, crunchy curried tofu croutons, sambal crema, a pinch of microgreens, and the wonderful scent of lemongrass...I knew it was going to be good. And it was.

That night, none of the entrees appealed to me. Horizons always has several appetizers that sound amazing, but the entrees rarely excite me. The Grilled Seitan is good, but it is also very rich and without much textural contrast. I usually get bored halfway through my meal. There are sure to be a couple tofu dishes on the menu, but they are typically seasonal updates of the same thing. Been there.

So, I went with two appetizers for my main: Jamaican BBQ Seitan and Salt Roasted Golden Beets. The BBQ Seitan was better than ever, served atop a perfect creamy potato salad. The Salt Roasted Golden Beets were a lovely presentation of one of my favorite vegetables, but the ridiculous amount of capers nearly ruined it. I'm guessing there were at least 30 of those pungent little balls in my dish. Too much. I did get to try a bite of the Hearts of Palm "melt" and and it was great. It was reminiscent of a crab cake; definitely something I'd order in the future.

For dessert, I had to try the new chocolate beignets. They did not disappoint. The three beignets were of a generous size, cooked perfectly, filled with good chocolate, and dusted with powdered sugar. I wish there had not been so much chocolate inside, as I was unable to enjoy a bite of beignet sans chocolate. The iced coffee float wasn't so great. Like bland, watered down coffee. Do one thing, and do it right.

Overall, I'd give my meal there an 8 out of 10.

I'll be back soon, as I'm super-excited about the fall dessert menu, especially this:

Carrot Cake Jar: ginger snap brownie, preserved carrot, walnut cheesecake, raisin fondant

:o

-beka

south philly eats

Circles. Take-out Thai. 1516 Tasker St.

My friends love Circles so much, they wrote a (really cute) song about it. And then they recorded it. I wonder if I could figure out how to post it on here.. Anyway, I finally tried Circles and I have to agree. They make a great tofu pad thai. Be sure to order with no fish sauce and no egg. They know the drill. At $10, it isn't as cheap as you'd expect from a takeout-only corner Thai place, but the portion is generous and filling. Worth it.

Loving Hut. 742 South St.

Loving Hut is the new all-vegan fast food restaurant located right on South St. The most exciting part about this place, for me, is the bubble tea. It can be hard to find vegan bubble tea, as many bubble tea mixes contain "non-dairy creamer" that is not at all dairy-free. I will never understand that. Loving Hut's version involves soy milk, tapioca pearls, and a strawberry syrup. It is sweet, creamy, and delicious.

I can also recommend the Golden Cheesy Bread as a decadent bad-day snack. You will get four small slices of baguette, slathered in a creamy and tangy mayo/cheese/bacon spread and then toasted. It is good, it is unhealthy, and I probably won't want one again once Blackbird Pizzeria opens around the corner.

I must warn you about Loving Hut's desserts. Blended tofu plus sugar does not equal dessert. Oh dear.

Royal Tavern. 937 E. Passyunk Ave.

Tempeh Club Tempeh Club Tempeh Club. Royal tavern is capable of making a very good tempeh club sandwich. The tempeh is marinated, layered with tomato, lettuce, tempeh bacon, and basil aioli. I've probably had this sandwich a dozen times. Unfortunately, the last time I had it, I was not at all impressed. The tempeh tasted like it wasn't marinated at all. The sandwich seemed uneven and hastily assembled. I hope it was an isolated incident, because this sandwich is one of the best deals in town. EIGHT DOLLARS for a huge sandwich and a side of fries with a killer vegan mayo dipping sauce.

Royal also serves a few other vegan sandwiches and salads that I have yet to try. Vegan items are clearly marked on the menu. They also have Vegan Treats desserts.

-beka

GRINDCORE HOUSE

I am so smitten with Grindcore House. I've been there a handful of times, holding off an official review until they're 100% open with a full menu and full hours. They're not quite there yet, but I'm impatient and I can't help but talk about how much I love this place. If you know me, you probably know that opening up a vegan coffee shop is a dream of mine. So, when I first heard about the rumor of a vegan coffee shop in South Philly, I was excited but skeptical. I'm thrilled to announce that I APPROVE.

The coffee is good and strong, with a dreamy selection of cow-free creamers. There is a nice little loose-leaf tea menu (I hope they offer a few seasonal flavored black teas!). You can choose from a variety of vegan baked goods, ranging from good ole' ridiculously-sweet Vegan Treats, to more locally-baked goodies such as mini-pies, mini-donuts and biscotti. Be sure to stop by on a Thursday to pick up a fresh Vegan Treats doughnut to go with your coffee. Grindcore House just started serving bagels topped with your choice of earth balance, natural peanut butter, or plain tofutti. Actually, that's my main complaint at this point: I want flavored tofutti! I'll take just about anything, but I'd be especially impressed with Chive, Vegetable, or Sun-dried Tomato and Olive. I understand they'll also be doing sandwiches at some point. I look forward to that. See ya tomorrow, Grindcore House!

xoxo,
-beka

renaissance sausage

This past weekend, I took my usual early Sunday afternoon trip to the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market. I purchased some beautiful rainbow chard, a couple honeycrisp apples, some striped eggplant, a few heirloom tomatoes, a couple tiny summer squash, and my most surprising find: A vegetarian sausage sandwich!

I never would have guessed that a sausage truck offered a vegan sausage if my friend Chelsey hadn't alerted me. Thanks, Chelsey! Renaissance's vegetarian sausage is a tender, home-made sausage that appears to be made with beans, vegetables, and a bit of wheat gluten. The texture is similar to the "beanballs" from everyone's favorite cookbook, Veganomicon. It is pan-fried so the outside is pleasantly crisp, with a delicate, almost-mushy inner. The sausage would have been nothing without the killer toppings, though. It was served with a generous helping of caramelized onions, a chipotle vegan mayo, and a sprig of cilantro..all inside a delightfully crusty roll. Fucking beautiful. At eight dollars, it is surely overpriced..but I'm not going to lie: I'll probably be back for more. You can get your very own vegetarian sausage sandwich from the Renaissance Sausage truck several days a week at various farmers' markets.

-beka

local 44 reuben

last night beka and i travelled west and meet up with sarah to eat some reubens at local 44.  we were all so excited! finally a place to get reubens in philly! and we had heard only good things about this place! we all love reubens!! how could it not be the best thing ever!!?


needless to say, it did not live up to expectations.

local 44's reuben is seitan based and i was excited to try it, as i have only had tempeh reubens (mmm i love a sandwich where almost every ingredient in it is fermented...). the sandwich also came with sauerkraut and "secret sauce". the seitan was thinly sliced deli meat style but real dry. unfortunately, there was no where near enough "secret sauce" or sauerkraut to moisten the dry seitan. the waiter attempted to alleviate the dryness of the sandwich by spilling water all over our table (and beka), but we were done eating by that point, so it was not terribly helpful.

overall, it was rated between in the 5-7 range. it definitely wasn't a bad sandwich, but i'd rather just fry up a moist sauerkraut/thousand island-y sandwich at home. or go to sprig and vine....

amy

bourgeois vegan food

i like fancy vegan food. i don't mind spending lots of money for food when it is good. and i understand the concept of quality over quantity.  but horizons! guh. what a waste.
dinner started with focaccia. when i was in rome, i would eat focaccia bread almost everyday from the 24-hour bakery by my apartment. i love it. horizon's focaccia sux. really thin and some bites too salty, other bites too plain. disappointing, but i ate a lot of it to try and get my money's worth. for an appetizer, we got bbq seitan. really good, but small.
for dinner, i got the mushroom crepe. crepes! another thing i love a lot. this was 1 (over)stuffed crepe. i am not always a fan of mushrooms, but these mushrooms were well cooked and yummy. but the crepe, which is supposed to super thin and super soft, was on the thick side and had an omelet like texture. that would cool if i ordered an omelet, but i ordered a crepe jerks. shawn got the $19 tofu block with (5) pieces of local squash and chickpea mash. why so much money?! tofu is $2, chickpeas $2, squash $.50. "but they pan sear it so well!"meh. that is not enough of an explanation for me. i was not impressed.
i have often been warned (by shawn) that dessert was overpriced and small. but we had heard good things about the chocolate beignets (donuts!!). the night before, we had been down the shore and talked a lot about our love of zeppole. we didn't get any cuz it was $5 and that seemed like a lot of money. well we paid $8 at horizons for what was pretty much 3 teensy beignet/zeppole and a tiny coffee float. yeah the beignet were good, but the chocolate inside was way too cocoa powdery and i actually scooped mine out and just at the beignet plain. the float was good, but small.
overall, if horizon's was across the board $5 cheaper, i would like horizon's way more. but it's not so it sux.

then there is sprig and vine. it is like $1-$2 cheaper than horizon's and i can't say enough good things about this place. i have been for brunch, lunch, and dinner. for both brunch and lunch, i got the reuben. mmm fermented goodness. a+. at brunch, i also got cinnamon sugar donuts. only having started to drink coffee 2 years ago, i have never dipped a donut into coffee before. these donuts are wonderful for that. light and airy in a way i am not used to donuts being, these donuts were perfect. lunch dessert was olive oil cake. i have never had cake like this before. it was the exact opposite of the donuts. dense and moist, with a solid rosemary flavor and a hint of sweetness. delicious.
for dinner, shawn started with the tofu satay. a solidly sized and good appetizer. i usually stay away from tofu based dishes, since i am usually disappointed, but i would order this. the tofu was cooked soo well. i started with the grilled peach/tomato salad. how can you go wrong with local summer peaches and tomatoes? it was banging. for an entree, we split the tempeh. holy fuck. never have i had tempeh like this before. it came with a maple mustard sauce that, when cooked, made a delicious caramelized crust. the sides were decent greens and really good mashed potatoes like my grandma used to make. even though shawn and i split it, i was super satisfied with how much i had eaten. the only disappointing part of the meal was the "flatbread", which started our dinner and was kinda just like shitty roti.
but overall, sprig and vine is probably my favorite place to eat fancy food on the east coast (mmmm...i still dream about the meal i had at the millennium with sofi in san fran). if sprig and vine was closer, i would probably eat there everyday.


amy

reviews as of late

grindcore coffee house- phillys first all vegan coffee shop. they are still in the process of fully opening, so at the moment they only have a limited, but quality selection. lots of vegan treats, south philadelphia baking society, etc... i dont drink coffee, so i've only had the tea and it was hella good. they do have like 4 different kinds of milk for yr coffee and tea. sickerz. i can't wait until they have a full menu. the streets are saying nothing but great things about this place.

horizons- i hadn't been to horizons in well over a year or two. in my time away from eating there, i've eaten at a few comparable places (laughing seed cafe in ashville, 222veg in london, sprig and vine in new hope, etc...) and horizons kinda sucked real hard this time around, both price-wise and in taste. their crepe was like a shitty pancake/omelet, the pan seared tofu was real salty and came with only 5 pieces of squash and a tasteless sauce. the highlight was the chocolate-stuffed beignets and even then the chocolate was horrible!

sprig and vine- i've only been here twice. once for brunch and then for dinner. i had the french toast and doughnuts for brunch. both were amazing. for dinner i had the tofu satay and the tempeh. the tofu is a simple dish, but done real well and a fair sized dish. the tempeh is the best i've ever had. it has a crispy cornmeal crust and a wonderful maple-mustard sauce. i look forward to eating everything on the menu at sprig and vine. i wish they were in the city rather than an hour north.

loving hut- cheaper priced vegan fast food-ish style food on south st. i've had good cheap sushi from there and a sub, er...'hoagie' with two kinds of mock meats.  the supreme master cvlt knows what's up.

-shawn

vegan food bloggings

hello all,

we love vegan food and talking shit. so we've decided to enter the vegan blogger world.

eat our shorts,
shawn, amy, and beka