Philadelphia

A visit to Wiz Kid in Philadelphia

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You’ve probably already seen FGV’s previous proclamations about Vedge in Philadelphia being the best restaurant on the planet (see here and here)! Well when I heard that the founders Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau had opened a small fast-food outlet in the new Whole Foods on Pennsylvania Avenue in Philly, I knew I had to investigate! Check out my visit to Wiz Kid:

The menu is small but perfect. I of course picked the ‘Wiz Kid Philly’, a cheesesteak-style roll with seitan and mushrooms. Oh, and how could I pass up the fries topped with cheeze wiz?

Kate and Rich must have magic powers! There is nothing of theirs that I have tried which hasn’t tasted exceptional and Wiz Kid was certainly no exception! How do they make food taste this good? What is their secret? I want nothing less than world domination for Kate and Rich!

Check out Wiz Kid’s website to see the full menu and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I believe they’re opening a second location in Center City soon!

Review: Bar Bombón in Philadelphia

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josh panel

Last month I was in Philly and was keen to visit a vegan Puerto Rican/Latin-inspired restaurant that opened last year called Bar Bombón. A browse of the menu sounded promising so I headed downtown together with my brother, sister-in-law and two nieces.

We had a hard time picking from the menu so quickly did the most sensible thing and ordered pretty much everything available. There was five of us and we were hungry. Don’t judge! Here’s a breakdown of what we had:

Bar Bombon - dips and chipsSalsa Roja, Salsa Verde y Guacamole with fried corn tortillas.

Bar Bombon - fried yucaYucca Frita with Maduro sauce

Bar Bombon - empanadasEmpanadas de chick’n and beef

Bar Bombon - tequila seitanTequila Seitan Skewers

Bar Bombon - enchiladasEnchiladas de ‘pollo’

Bar Bombon - brussels tacosBrussels Sprout Tacos with fried avocado

Bar Bombon - broccoli tacosBroccoli Tacos

Bar Bombon - cubano clubCubano Club Sandwich

Bar Bombon - galletteAnjou Pear & Squash Gallette

Bar Bombon - tres lechesTres Leches Cake

Bar Bombon - arrozXocolatl rice pudding

I wish I could say that everything was delicious but we all left feeling slightly underwhelmed with the food. There were some standout items (the fried yuca, Cubano club sandwich and the incredible Tres Leches cake) but everything else seemed to be somewhat lacking in flavour and composition. I hate to be too critical because I’m sure that much time and love has gone into creating these dishes but I really didn’t feel like my expectations were met at Bar Bombón.

Add to that the Center City Philly prices, and I don’t think any of us would head back there in a hurry.

Except for that Tres Leches cake which was truly memorable.

Visit Bar Bombón online, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter or Instagram.

Make an effort

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I don’t know why I don’t live on the East Coast of the USA. The food is on another level. Well, I do know why I don’t but I’m trying to be dramatic in order to convey how seriously they take their vegan food over there.

Take Blackbird Pizzeria of Philadelphia as just one example.

This pizza restaurant is everything you could ever hope for and more. Huge pizzas, crunchy fries, cheesy calzones, seitan wings and a 100% vegan status will make you think you have landed in plant-based heaven.

Check out the photos of my recent take out order from Blackbird. The pics below show (in order) a slice of Haymaker pizza (featuring seitan sausage, red onions, garlic butter, tomato sauce, Daiya cheese and fresh oregano) I ate as I waited for my takeout order, calzone with oozing cheese, sticky root beer seitan wings, rustic fries and a Brunchbird pizza (featuring tofu scramble, crispy seitan bacon, sautéed spinach, garlic butter, Daiya cheese).

Stunning.

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Eat vegan in Philly

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Josh abandoned me a few weeks back for a trip to the USA. As punishment for leaving me alone, I have instructed him to write the following post about one of his favourite food experiences from his visit to Philadelphia. (So many jokes… I am grateful for the post and I love Josh)

It all looks fabulous! Take it away, Josh.

Mi Lah Vegetarian Restaurant in Center City, Philadelphia had been on my to-eat-at list for several months after a friend of FGV’s posted an Instagram pic of her vegan Bánh mì from there and I have been dreaming about it ever since. One day earlier this month while I was in the city of brotherly love, I decided to head to Mi Lah to check out the Vietnamese sub that I had been dreaming about for so long.

Right in the heart of Philly, this 100% vegan restaurant has an extensive menu and some tempting lunch specials. Of course I already knew that I was going to order the Bánh mì whereas my mum decided to go for the fried rice with cashews, tofu and vegetables. We also decided to split a starter of deep-fried mushrooms with an agave-mustard mayo.

All three dishes were outstanding and far exceeded our expectations. The Bánh mì was mind-blowing with delicious marinated tofu coupled with pickled cucumber, vegan mayo and grated carrot dressed with a lime/ginger vinaigrette… all crammed into a light, crispy roll… I’m drooling just thinking about it now.

I regret not making it back to Mi Lah for the brunch menu which looks AMAZING but I’m sure the opportunity will present itself again.

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London needs to eat more Vedge

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London is a fabulous city, but it is missing a certain something… vegan fine dining.

I am aware that we have an amazing and growing array of plant-based foods to choose from, but I am talking about high end service and exquisitely hand-crafted cuisine. There isn’t anything, right? Well, now you can be part of a movement to help change this in the most marvellous way imaginable.

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Best vegan restaurant in the world?

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Can we talk? I don’t want to sound nasty, but Philadelphia hasn’t been a model city when it comes to healthy or cruelty-free eating. From cheese steaks to hoagies, the city of brotherly love just loves to pile dead animals up in buns. The food for which Philly is famous for isn’t necessarily creative, either.

But hold on to you faux-suede fedora readers because there is a new sheriff in town. Vedge restaurant is not simply ringing the Liberty Bell for all creatures great and small, they might just turn out to be the finest vegan restaurant on the face of the planet.

The owners of Vedge had nothing to prove in my FGV eyes. They had already run the wildly successful vegan Horizons where the quality of food was of an unusually lofty standard. It’s South Philly location was always packed during my visits and I never left the premises without feeling like I had just enjoyed one of the best meals of my life.

Well, flash forward to a few months past the closing of Horizons and we find owners Kate and Rich have taken vegan fine dining to even more unbelievable levels of greatness.

The recently opened Vedge sits unassumingly behind a brick facade in Philadelphia’s Center City area. As Josh and I entered via the brief stone steps off Locust Street, we were faced with a gorgeous interior and seductive lighting. Some of the friendliest hospitality people I have ever encountered made sure we were comfortable and refreshed in the sumptuous cocktail lounge as we waited for our table to become available. My thirst was satisfied with a cold glass of lager as Josh opted for a scotch on the rocks. We were only on drinks in the bar and Vedge was already stratospheres above its competition.

My refreshment

Once seated we wasted no time in getting down to 5 star dining. A whole lot of world-class, vegan food was consumed by the pair of us and there is no easy way of getting it all down on screen. I’m just going to have to trundle through it, so sit back and experience the culinary delights of Vedge through the following photos.

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That’s the Philly in I

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Even though my trip to Philadelphia was several months ago, I am still sifting through the memories in order to bring some international flavour to this blog. This particular jaunt down memory lane takes us to Essene Market & Cafe in South Philly.

Essene is somewhat of an institution in South Philadelphia. This organic grocer, bakery, delicatessen and cafe has been a part of the city landscape since 1969 (their original store was just around the corner from their current South Fourth Street location). Ask any local for a natural food store and you will surely be told to head to Essene. Even the arrival of a Whole Foods on South Street has failed to dampen the love people feel for this retail stalwart.

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Call me up whenever u want 2 grind

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As a frequent traveler, I often rely on coffee shops for beverages, restrooms and internet access. Coffee shops can be your lifeline to friends, a much-needed hiding spot from the world outside or even just a place to replenish your bodily fluids. A coffee shop with vegan options is extremely common in 2011. You can increasingly find soy milk and other dairy alternatives such as almond or rice milk.

Having established that the humble coffee shop can be a sanctuary for the weary, vegan traveler, let’s move on to discuss how it can get better. Yes, I’m referring to a 100% vegan coffee shop. What was once a fanciful dream is now a fabulous reality in Philadelphia.

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