Top 6: Vegan spots in Philadelphia area

Goldie and Vedge are on the Top 6!

Jessica Boyington Image
Friday, September 3, 2021
Top 6: Vegan spots in Philadelphia area
Jessica Boyington visits the top vegan spots in the Philadelphia area.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- You may have been forced to eat your veggies as a kid, but you will not have to worry about that anymore! I am going to take you to some plant-based places that will blow your mind.

Here are some of the Top Vegan spots in the area:

Goldie is a vegan and kosher, Israeli-style falafel shop by Michael Solomonov, named after its sister restaurant Zahav, which means gold in Hebrew. It opened on April Fools Day in 2017 but let me assure you, this place is no joke!

They serve crunchy falafel balls hand tucked inside pita or on top of a salad, shawarma spiced French fries, with all the sauces you dream of. They also have several flavors of milkshakes. I went for the sweet Turkish coffee, and it was sweet and thick...and almost unbelievable to think that not ounce of dairy was used to make it.

Vedge sits off of Locust Street in the heart of Center City inside an old brownstone mansion. Husband and wife team Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby opened it in 2011 and although it is vegan, they call it a vegetable restaurant. (And that is just what it is!) Responsibly sourced veggies, meticulously plated with an artistic eye, that fill you up with more flavor than you ever thought you could get from what most would consider a side dish!

I tried some menu staples. The smoked Portobello carpaccio with caper vinaigrette topped with a creamy fennel salad and cracked black pepper. The eggplant braciole is smoked eggplant, riced cauliflower, jasmine rice, roasted and on top of salsa verde. The rutabaga fondue with soft pretzel for dipping and pickled vegetables is a must try. Their most popular cocktail, made with mezcal and hibiscus topped with beet powder, did not disappoint. Last but not least, for dessert I had a tart, topped with miso caramel, pecans, and blackberries, filled with chocolate mousse.

At Vedge, they are committed to finding the limits of what vegetables can do, and it looks like they have not found any yet.

Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 Fridays on Action News Mornings!