Eco Compostable Biodegradable Shit

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and the sadness I felt when witnessing a HipCity bag blowing across the grass in Rittenhouse sealed the deal: Philly vegan eateries are wasteful. Compostable products are exciting, but how many of these products REALLY end up in a compost pile, which is the only way they will biodegrade as promised? 

Today it took me five minutes to drink my Coconut Dream Elixir at Jar Bar, and it pained me to throw away my plastic cup. All of their meals are served in plastic to-go containers. A meal at HipCity inolves at least several containers, wrappers, napkins, plastic forks, and a bag. Even eat-in salads at Blackbird are served in a to-go container, albeit a very earth-friendly sugar cane-based one.

I'm sure these businesses struggled greatly when deciding to use only disposables, and I can see how it would be difficult to deal with stacks of dirty dishes when you're primarily a to-go/eat 'n' go place. There is just something about the whole compostable/biodegradable=it's ok! mindset that really bugs me. I suppose I'd be happier if these places had a "Compostables" bin so I could at least feel like they'll end up biodegrading.

Miss Rachel's Pantry

I am so in love with Miss Rachel's adorable new all-vegan lunch cafe on West Passyunk Ave.  Miss Rachel seems to specialize in comfort food, which just happens to be my favorite kind. Today I enjoyed "The Crabbie," which is a delicate and delightfully satisfying faux-crabcake served on a roll with mayo and a slice of juicy tomato. Last week, I had the meatloaf sandwich with a flavorful mushroom gravy, also delicious. Their hearty, homemade sandwiches are appropriately priced at around $7. 

Miss Rachel's also offers baked goods from local vegan bakers, ice cream, as well as a full coffee menu and a few breakfast items. She even does a vegan egg 'n' cheese sandwich, which is good if you like daiya cheese. I'm really hoping she expands her breakfast menu because it's my favorite meal and there aren't many place in Philly to get a vegan brunch.

If you're feelin' fancy, she does a weekly reservations-only four-course Friday night Farmhouse Table Dinner. I wish I could just go for the first course this week, because a Macadamia Cheese Tartlet with Caramelized Onion sounds incredible.

http://www.missrachelspantry.com/

"HIPCITYVEG"

Philly's all-vegan restaurant family just got a little bigger. This fast food place opened up in Rittenhouse a couple weeks ago. I'm a huge fan of their "Crispy HipCity Ranch" burger, green smoothie, banana whip, and kale lemonade. If you're a fan of fancy salads and mushroom sandwiches, you will be very excited. If you were hoping for a vegan McDonald's or classier Foodswings (like I was), you might be a bit disappointed. I can see myself going here once or twice a month when I feel like indulging in some fake meat goodness. 

I am looking forward to seeing how this place evolves. My fingers are crossed for non-sweet potato fries and some sort of housemade burger. A meal deal would rule too, because spending nearly $20 (sandwich-side-drink) for takeaway lunch is ridiculous.

-beka

mi lah brunch

mi lah is a fancy vegan restaurant that has been around for a few years. i went a couple times when it first opened maybe like 5 years ago and loved it. then i didn't go for a year or two for some reason and when i finally talked to people about it, most people didn't have anything good to say, which surprised me. when i finally went back for brunch (maybe like 2 years ago?) my food was good, but the service was AWFUL. they ran out of coffee right when i arrived. when i finally got my coffee, i didn't get a refill until almost the end of brunch. and our food took forever to come out. after that, i decided i wouldn't go out of my way to go back to mi lah.

more recently, i have been hearing some good things. i went with todd to pick up some pies he really likes. another friend raves about how good the brunches are. i decided it was time to give it another chance. so some sundays ago, todd, shawn, and i ventured to center city for some vegan brunch. i was pretty psyched on the extensive menu and had a hard time ordering. i wound up getting the "spanish breakfast", which consisted of tofu scramble, polenta cakes, kale, and sausage.



it also came with some sort of spicy aioli.  and i covered my dish in pancake syrup.
for a pretty basic dish, it was awesome. the kale was perfect, the tofu scramble was peppery and basic, but hit the spot. the polenta cakes were light with a good lightly fried crust. and the sausage - i couldn't tell if it was a spicy field roast, but it was good too.
overall, it was a good hearty breakfast.

todd got what i would consider to be my dream breakfast - deep fried seitan with waffles.

this dish was...underwhelming. it came with a side of mustard greens - i guess its trying to be a little healthy? but its a weird addition. also a weird addition was the spicy aioli on the side.
the seitan is hidden underneath the waffles. they were deepfried. that's really all there is to say about them. they didn't have any flavor and their texture was boring. the waffles were decent - nothing special. it did come with a whole caraffe of syrup, which was exciting, but it wasn't real maple syrup just pancake syrup. but i really like pancake syrup....so...i wasn't totally disappointed. even eating a piece of seitan with waffle covered in pancake syrup was just...well...meh. that is not how the experience should be - the chiken and waffles i had in chicago was like a flavor explosion in my mouth. i would not order this.
but i would go back to mi lah for brunch. actually i want to go back soon. shawn got an omelet! it was awesome! there are so many other things i want to order! i would drink coffee before going though....they were a little slow with the coffee refills.
amy

SCRANTON

last week, shawn, beka, and i ventured up to scranton to visit the train museum AND eat at a vegan restaurant AND there was snow!!!!
the train museum was neat. i got to see lots of old trains, watched a movie, and learned how a steam engine works (it's amazing!!!). and make shawn and beka put on gross probably lice infested hats.

we ate eden, the all vegan cafe. it has an extensive menu of sandwiches and wraps. i was overwhelmed by the choices by then one of their specials was a reuben! reuben's are one of my favorite sandwiches, partially because i cannot get one in philadelphia. it is $9 and with your sandwich you get a side and a pickle. i choose the vegetables.

i appreciated that the sandwich was grilled (i have had a couple of sandwiches recently that have not been grilled). it had daiya inside mixed with some thousand island and some thinly sliced deli slices. i would have appreciated some pickles inside, but i never think there are enough pickles. overall, i thought it was a pretty good sandwich. the vegetable side left something to be desired - obviously a bag a frozen mixed veggies heated up. at $9 i def think the sandwich was overpriced, but i was happy to have vegan options in a small city (big town really).

when i go back to scranton to visit the trolley museum, i will happily be visiting eden again.

amy

soy&sake, dun-well, champs

Visiting NYC is one of my favorite things to do, and I now realize I need to to this way more often while I still live so close. There is so much to do. So many people to see, so many museums to peruse, and, most importantly, so much food to eat!

Amy, Sarah, Ryan and I started off our Saturday at Champ's for brunch. We got there just after opening (10am), and it was empty. Things open late in NYC. It is weird for us baby-city residents. We sat in a beautiful glitter booth and were immediately served coffee. They had everything I could have possibly wanted, which made my decision extra-hard. I decided on the All-Vegan Slam: Scramble, Toast, Soy sausage, Tempeh bacon, Homefries, and Salad. I also ordered a single pancake. Thank goodness for this option! I love sweet breakfast foods, but I only ever want one quarter of what an actual serving typically is. The food was good. Not great, but good. The scramble could have used more seasoning, the pancake could have been fluffier, the tempeh bacon was ridiculously good, pretty sure the sausage was gimmelean (no problem with that!), and the salad was enormous and perfectly-dressed with a bit of balsamic vinaigrette. Next time, I look forward to trying the tofu benedict and the french toast. Champs wins in my book because the food was reasonably priced, they're into veggies with breakfast, the menu is everything my hopes and dreams are made of, and they are experts at coffee refills.

Next, we went to Dun-Well Doughnuts, a brand-new all-vegan doughnut and coffee shop. What. The. Hell. NYC, I hate you. This place knows how to make a doughnut. Their doughnuts are big, soft, fluffy, and available in some interesting flavors. I chose The Elvis, which is peanut butter and banana-flavored. The peanut flavor was subtle and the banana almost non-existent, but I'm not complaining. I would have been happy with any glaze these people threw on such a fine specimen of a doughnut. I also got a Chocolate&Pretzel topped one for later, and that was lovely as well but I do wish I had thought about how the pretzels would get soggy... Oh, and I can't fail to mention the interior. It feels both old-timey and simple. Perfection, really. Dun-Well!

And finally, I got to check out Soy & Sake. I'm not sure what the deal is, but I think they might be owned by the same people who own Red Bamboo? They have a lot of identical menu items, as well as a full vegan sushi menu. I love sushi and I love Red Bamboo, so this was hard. Very hard. Would I get my usual very-adult meal of crispy chicken, ham&collard rolls, and a milkshake? Or the bento box like I probably should have? Friends had warned me of some potentially-weird sushi, so I found myself paralyzed with fear at the sight of such an extensive menu of faux fish rolls. Thankfully, Amy has been there a bunch and she recommended  the best sushi ever: VEGETABLE TEMPURA ROLL. This was sushi perfection, and my life will never be the same. I also enjoyed my peanut-avocado roll, but the amount of peanuts in there was a bit much. Honestly, I would have been just as happy with a good 'ol avocado roll. I also got wonton soup, which was alright. Oh, and crispy chicken nuggets of course!

Until next time, you big crazy city..
beka

NYC!!!!

damn. new york. you rule my mouth.

i finally got to go to champs for brunch. i guess there is some weird shit with their owner fucking some people over, so i avoided going the last couple times i have been to NYC. so i don't know, maybe champs shouldn't be patronized, but their food was good and i was happy to have a chance to try it.

the inside is super cute and very traditionally diner-y, with glitter booths and a counter to sit at. and awesome death before decaf signs. ordering was difficult as there were a ton of delicious vegan breakfast foods, but i decided on the monte cristo. while any monte cristo will never beat the sandwiches i made with sarah, beka, and jess - http://www.namelymarly.com/2011/03/americas-top-10-new-sandwiches-veganized-the-maple/ - this one was pretty goood. it came with a side of potatoes and salad. i appreciated the portions too - enough to fill you up, but not to make you fall into a food coma.

the inside of the sandwich was filled with a ton of cheddar daiya and some vegan ham log. the thing i like the most about the monte cristo is the mixture of savory and sweet, but this sandwich was mostly savory.  i ordered a side of maple syrup and poured it all over my sandwich and that made it awesome.


after this, we went over to dun-well doughnuts, which is my dream food spot. the inside is super cute and old-timey looking with 40's music playing. they had a ton of doughnut options (glazed! cinnamon sugar! blueberry! peanut butter jelly! and so many more!!) and i got a little wild. i ordered a bunch to go and ate an almond-coco-joy doughnut to eat there.

the doughnuts are amazing. everything a real doughnut should be, soft, flaky, doughy, light, airy. holy crap. i would eat here every day if i could. and they currently french press all their coffee and they are also all vegan (no dumb dairy milk for peoples coffee!)
amy

VEDGE

this blog was partially started due to my hatred of horizons. so when i found out that horizons was closing and they were opening up a new spot i was hesitant but intrigued. would it be even more expensive? would they start calling menu items by the right name? would it be good?
....meh.

a few days ago, a whole crew of us went to vedge for happy hour. vedge's fancy non-alcoholic drink selection was non-existent, but the waiter suggested i order a virgin mojito and it was quite delicious. they had some nice looking alcoholic drinks, i wish they would have some nice non-alcoholic ones. the happy hour menu consists of some of their smaller plates (at $5 each) and some special happy hour dishes (at $4 each). shawn and i split 5 of the happy hour dishes, which did leave us feeling slightly full. the highlight was the seitan wrap (i refuse to call it a seitan taco, because it is def not a taco). the seitan was delicious and full of flavor and totally worth the price. it was so good we ordered it twice. they also had a mushroom crostini (mushrooms? meh..), a banh mi crostini (i'd rather pay $4 and buy a real banh mi), and potato wedges (delicious, but $4 for potatoes? no thanks). all this food left me feeling a little full, but super excited about dessert. i wound up getting sticky toffee pudding, which RULED. it was a little expensive ($8), but delicious! i have never had non-vegan sticky toffee pudding, but it was a lovely piece of cakey bread smothered in a delicious sugary sticky yummy sauce.

the best thing for me about vedge was the interior. i hate to say anything too great, because i still kinda hate vedge for the same reasons i hated horizons, but god damn. sitting in the lounge, where we had happy hour, was beautiful. dark wood paneled walls, a fireplace filled with candles, great windows. someone mentioned that it reminded them of a harry potter room and they were totally right. it feels so much better to pay a lot of money for food when you are sitting in a beautiful fancy room (esp compared to the horizon's yuppie hippie design).

overall, i would totally go back for happy hour after eating a big lunch to sip coffee and eat sticky toffee pudding in the lounge. maybe i would get some seitan wraps too. but thats it. i don't think i will be going for dinner anytime soon - even more expensive then horizons and you get less food? no thanks.
amy

philly update

vedge-
i wasnt really planning on eating here because of my dislikes with horizons. $14 for a block of tofu...what year is this? however, i was willing to give the happy hour specials a chance. i though the seitan wraps(they are not tacos like they're called on the menu) were excellent and worth getting. everything else on that $4 menu was good, but the seitan was the standout. i also got the choco-taco for desert and it was good, but could be knocked down a few dollars...

at least the interior looks worthy of the high prices this time around. EXCEPT for the bathroom. it looks like a restroom you'd find at the ymca pool and the soap was some boring method brand bottle that still had a security censor on it. i expect nice soap when dining at fancy vegan eateries. much like grindcore house. they know whats up when it comes to restroom soaps.


el camino real-
i was exciting about the cactus and sweet potato tacos and the wings. both are not vegan. the only vegan option really was a boring burrito that they charge $4 extra for seitan. it came with 3 pieces of seitan. lame. dont bother going.


south philly taproom-
went here for brunch one day and order the tofu scramble. a classic stand-by. sptr's scramble is basically soft cold tofu with some other stuff thrown in.


blackbird-
i tried the new chickpea parm sandwich and it was good. i still think the cubano and bbq are the best though. i've tried some different than my usual slices too. all are great, but could use a little less dayia or another cheese alternative.


-shawn

road dawgz

i had the chance to travel a bit and eat at lots of places last year. i'll try to remember all them and write little reviews. here goes.

the owlery(bloomington, in)
i had the fried chicken dinner and it was amazing. 10 bucks for a solid meal. the tofu was super breaded and the mashed potatoes and gravy was right on. punx know how to make good food. fancy restaurants, take notes.

pepples donut farm(oakland, ca)
i got 12 and ate them all in one day. really good flavors and so much better than anything on the east coast(although i havent been to the newly opened dun well donuts).

chicago diner
the first time i went here i had monte cristo and was disappointed, but the pb cookie dough milkshake was the best thing i've ever had. the second time around i got the country fried steak breakfast and sampled many shakes. all were top notch. i cant wait to eat here again this summer.
*i was there last for a moz show and the diner was playing nothing but the smiths.

quesadilla la reyna del sur(chicago, il)
all vegan real mexican food. something i've been dreaming about for years now. i got two tacos, but plan on returning to get other dishes. there is so much to choose from, multiple visits is a must. very cheaply priced too.

pick me up cafe(chicago, il)
i got the french toast here and it was the best french toast i've ever had. very airy and great tasting. 5 thick slices for 7 bucks.

the double r diner(twin peaks)
the coffee was damn fine and i dont even drink the stuff. other than that... just stop in the look around.

-shawn

VEDGE: VEGAN FINE DINING

I did not have high hopes for this place. The name bothers me, the menu isn't what my dreams are made of, and the prices are a bit much for a regular visit. But, I have been pleasantly surprised each and every time I've been. It isn't cheap, but it is damn good and totally worth it.

Listen to me. Get these things:

Golden Beets. Perfection, just like at Horizons. Avocado, tofu, and beets. All the best things.
Braciole. A beautiful, delicate eggplant dish.
Seitan. The little black lentils it is served atop are surprisingly good.
Steak Spice Tofu. Savory flavor perfection.
Sticky Toffee Pudding. Warm, buttery, gooey, with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream.

I like that Vedge has a bunch of different dining areas. I feel like I'm at a new restaurant every time I visit! My first dining experience was in the rear dining room. My charming dining partner and I were seated within rather close proximity to several other tables. It was at times hard to tune out nearby conversations, and for that reason the rear dining room is so far my least favorite.

The long, beautiful marble bar is a surprisingly great place to dine. The bartenders are pleasant and just attentive enough. It also happens to be a great place to meet married men. If I ever get married, there is no way in hell my husband is going to Vedge without me. Just thought I'd put that on the record.

There's also the Harry Potter (ok not really, but you'll see) lounge where you can enjoy a special menu of small bites, along with the happy hour menu of cheap small dishes. I love the lounge because there are comfy couches and you can easily fill up on four or five small bites at an average of $4 each. Not bad.

One of my few problems is that Vedge somehow failed take into consideration those who chose to abstain from alcohol. Thankfully our waiter made some decent off-menu virgin mojitos happen, but seriously dudes? I was hoping for more. Horizons used to have that killer virgin mojito on the menu, and similar restaurants (Candle 79!) often have fun drinks for the (adults and) kids.

I am looking forward to seeing how this place evolves. I'm really excited about the daily dirt list concept and how the dinner menu and dessert menu have been changing as well. Introducing new, irresistible delights is definitely the best way to entice me to come back!

xox,
beka