Road Trip Vedge: NYC

Atlas Cafe in East Village is a must-eat. For one thing, they carry vegan donuts from Vegan Treats, one of the few items that aren't sold here, and something I seem to miss the way I keep carrying on like I'm a Simpson. Then, they have an unfuckwithable chalkboard that wants you to order everything at least once. Too bad I only snagged the last donut (a lonely sprinkled gem, although they usually have Boston, Coconut, and Oreo Cream varieties), an iced coffee, and a vegan granola muffin to go. I don't deserve my abs.


After enough shopping and exploration to whittle away the day, I ventured to Dojo for the Soy Burger dinner, which was served next to a mound of brown rice and a simple green salad with a bright orange tahini dressing that was so tangy and orgasmic that I thought about sneaking in the kitchen, stealing their batch, and calling it even. However, this was only a stealthy-enough $4-something. Since I had trouble deciding between the soy and the hijiki tofu, I ordered a tofu burg on the side for an extra $2.25. This patty was crispier on the outside, with a creamy tofu and vegetable filling, slathered in barbecue sauce. I paid more attention to this one than the soy burger, which was still quite good and tasted very much like meatless loaf. If anyone has a tahini dressing recipe, I'll let you borrow my soul. I hear you can actually purchase it from Dojo for $3.50 but I didn't investigate.

Special Time At Su Xing

Su Xing House expanded about a month ago, which made the tiny new-veg-Chinese spot tucked away on Sansom that much more visible to passersby. The extra dining room is schhhhwanky, with gold leaf lacquered tabletops and a mini chandelier. I've always considered Su Xing to be several degrees classier than those msg factories in Chinatown. Go to them if you don't care whether your Chinese takeout looks appetizing at all. Save Su Xing for Special Time, for the excellent Sesame Seitan (right) that we dug into, or when you can wait at least twenty minutes for a meal that's worth it in a clean restaurant. Remembz: Just because the booth isn't sticky doesn't mean the food isn't tops.

Su Xing House, 1508 Sansom St., 215-564-1419, www.suxinghouse.com

This Week In Carbs

I convinced my bacon-loving brother to eat tofu. He didn't gag. It was a bite of that grilled tofu sandwich from Essene. Dude made the right choice.

PhillyFoodGuys rate the best of our veggie hoagies and falafel within an 8-block radius. Yes to Sarcone's and Cafe Nhuy. Just a minor quibble here: Where is Mama's Vegetarian? The South St. location is out of judging range? Love hurts.

Canvas Coffee is home of the bialy, the crisp, flat bagel that pairs extremely well with one of their tofu spreads: spring vegetable, garlic & herb, sun dried tomato, and spinach. Also in good taste? Their always-pleasant service. Sometimes I like a good slap in the face with my coffee, a rather fetching sneer or three as I shake in a packet of crack after I just left a decent tip out of curiosity. But friendly baristas are a study of wonder all their own, and that's been my pref lately.

The Treasures Of Fu-Wah

You'd make a bad vegetarian if you didn't know about Fu-Wah minimarket and their magical tofu hoagies that I swear are marinated in unicorn sex and can in no way be kosher for us to consume. Pretend that you know, reserve a nice block of time for your next lunch, and get thee to West Philly, where it all happens. This is one hell of a banh mi, packed with lots of tofu on a more substantial roll, making it a hearty "Philly" sandwich that makes the other Vietnamese hoagies look sad, and merely cute and snack-like.

That's not all there is to Fu-Wah, however. Mr. Coffee iced coffee cans, Double Rainbow Blueberry Soy Cream, green tea soy milk, Asian veggie "meat", and all of the ethnic ingredients you need to make a decent curry. Intense.

Faux Chicken On The Run

Fake chicken salad is something that I turn to for lunch way too often. Here are the ways to dig it:

Govinda's does an interesting sandwich (pictured) that doesn't resemble chix salad at all. They don't shred it and they use spicy mayo, plus they add olives and pickles for extra flavor and crunch. You can get it on a roll or a wrap, and it's closer to a faux chicken caesar wrap than anything.

Since I prefer mine in between bread, I usually buy Healthy Corner's vegetarian chicken salad sandwiches, which are sold predominantly at Asian delis. This is my favorite, no question. It's just really simple and flawless.

Essene's faux chicken salad is similar, although not as flavorful. It's mostly vegan mayo, which makes it a tad runny.

I like to order my mock chicken salad over greens at Mugshots, but their version is closest to the texture of the real thing if that's what you're into.

And lastly, for serving a crowd or saving a dime, a recipe:

Basic Chicken-less Salad

1 cup vegan mayo (Vegenaise, Nayonaise, etc.)
1 (18 oz.) package White Wave Chicken-Style Seitan, chopped or shredded
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
salt & pepper

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Don't think too hard.

Serves 4, or you 4 times.

Word Of The Day

Check out your girl this week:

Top 5 Chalkboards I always read the chalkboards, and I think about the people who wrote on them. Rekuhnize.

The Official Armalite Cookbook, or how Mike McKee is the vegan president of Philadelphia and I should stop my love affair with Cabot cheddar.

On the same page, Good Eats Philly, a food delivery service that donates 100% of proceeds to those in need. You cannot deny that the picture of pan-seared, soy-lemongrass-infused tofu should be 100% in your stomach.

In the Metro, Back To School With Mother Nature.

Speakeasy And Carry A Big Stick

Anything goes in West Philly. So it makes sense that there you would find a Vegan Speakeasy that deals cakes, pastries, and pies on a by-the-order basis, given 48 hours notice. Cedar Park Bakery is the real deal if you want fresh vegan confections that haven't been sitting in a dessert case for a week. We don't all have the time or the talent required to make vegan "cheese" danishes and tiered wedding cakes in our own kitchens, but Cedar Park is like the neighbor who will gladly make it happen. To further put your baking skills to shame, they use whole grains and organic ingredients yet still maintain the sinful taste that one equates with respectable baked goods. The fact that they bake on request means you can probably go nuts with your order. And, since they're located in anything-goes land, you should try to pay them in flaxseeds or ganja.

Cedar Park Bakery

In The Kitchen With Kelly: And Her Favorite Bands

One of my favorite cookbooks? I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In The Kitchen With Your Favorite Bands. Some of my favorite bands? Not really, but I like 'em a helluva lot more than Paula Deen. There are plenty of vegan recipes in here, since indie rockers are notorious for veins protruding on their bodies. Some of our own Philly heads represent in the kitch, among them Dr. Dog and RJD2. You should give it a look for insane-yet-scrumptious grub like Death Cab For Cutie's Veggie Sausage and Peanut Butter Sandwich, M. Ward's Vegan Greek Sandwiches, Voxtrot's Peanutty Black-Bean Tofu, I could go on...Make sure you read the little anecdotes preceding each recipe. Devendra Banhart wins for most ridiculous with Africanitas Ricas, but he probably made that shit up right on the spot. The recipes are all painfully simple, and it's a cool coffeetable book. Or if you've not a coffeetable, then an ottoman that stores magazines inside, and if not an ottoman...then you need to be furniture shopping stat, o minimalist type.

Pear and goat cheese paninis on the tour bus means no more gas station burritos.

I Like Food, Food Tastes Good

Veggie Tales: We Pwn The Internet

Here's your guide to live by: Vegan Brainstormin', something not to do if you're a lonely single: Using Meat To Meet Men, and how to keep your friends: Feeding The Carnivore. Thanks, vegBCO!

While I couldn't call it Absolutely, Amazingly Delicious Vegan Pizza like PETA, yeah, Gianna's is decent. I know what they say about the service, but it's two emo-goth kids I used to go to school with, and a bunch of Mexicans, so I never have a problem. See what the deal is at SuperVegan. Their vegan cheese is now casein-free, and I'm part of that new-school veg where subsisting on sprouts and seeds is just not my game, baby. Sometimes I want the greasy slices and other sleazy slop they've got over there. Vegan cowboy cheese fries have swaying power. Plus, for the shameless of you who swore you'd never go there, you can now order online.

And not for nothin', Uwishunu big ups Tony Luke's for "the Uncle Mike", a vegan grinder that I'll try when I get over my fear of old Italian men.

In Pursuit Of Tofu Scramble

When I said that there were like 40 places to find tofu scramble in Philly, I meant it. To display my devotion, or because it's one of my favorite dishes, I'll give you a tofu scramble tour.

Second to grilled cheese, as I have shared faithfully with you so far, tofu scramble is also a perfect meal.

SoPunk's Black N Brew reigns supreme. Their tofu scramble (pictured) is not on the regular menu, but it should be, because I don't think I can go anywhere else now. This non-traditional rendition is simply heartier. They do the most justice to tofu by leaving it in more substantial pieces, so if you like yours less scrambled, this'll make you happy.

The Royal Tavern turns out a chalky version during weekend brunch. They need to give it more love, but I guess if you can make a fantastic lychee mimosa, you're allowed to be sub-par with the scram?

Farmicia has somethin' special-a tofu and spiced Italian soy sausage scramble that's delicious but definitely not typical.

Both Honey's and Morning Glory make your standard yummy scrambles, but the sides are more exciting. It should just be called Honey's Sit N Eat Biscuits for all I care.

Sabrina's scramble get the thumbs up from most vegans I know, but I'm not won over. It's decent, but there exists better.

And finally, Ida Mae's Bruncherie over in Fishtown is a surprise hit. Order the scramble with vegetarian baked beans and wheat toast with vegan margarine, and you're gonna be o-fucking-kay.

Veg Out: Organic Shopping

My organic cotton sheets came from Target, but hey, if I would've ordered them online from an eco purveyor, we know they would have cost more than $40 and traveled from Wisconsin or somewhere. Shopping locally can mean Target if said Target is a mere 10 minutes away.


I bought this soap for two reasons. None of them were because I actually needed soap. One, because it's called White Soap and I'm going to tell people that I make my own soap, Fight Club-style (White is my last name). Two, I love organic soaps because they're less harsh and smell amazing, so my skin doesn't feel rubbed raw and I can remove that barfly scent.

So if this were a commercial, I'd now turn to the camera and say:

"No matter how wild my night is, at 4am all I want to do is come home, play with soap bubbles, and then pass out on my organic-sheathed bed. Thanks to White Soap, I can!"

Hey, Look, We're #1 At Something!

Mac & Cheese checks out brunch at Silk City, has pangs for a block of tempeh that I know quite well, and nicks some corn waffle from her partner's plate. I would have done the same.

Citizens Bank Park nabs top rankings from PETA for being the most vegetarian-friendly ballpark in North America.

The veggie dog and flame-grilled Gardenburger were enough to earn Citizens Bank Park a place on the roster of last year's survey. But this year's addition of the Philly mock-steak sandwich--and the rave reviews it has received from vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike who pile on the grilled onions, mushrooms, peppers, and hot sauce--put the Phillies over the top.

It's not a bad place to be a veg, no. When I can order vegan hot dogs at Flyers games, then I'll be happy.

Veggie Tales: Out With Plastic, In With PBJ

From an undisclosed source, Whole Foods Market will officially stop selling plastic bags starting in January. It'll probably 'cause an uproar amongst silly Americans championing their right to a flimsy sack that takes 1000 years to bio-degrade.

The PB&J; Campaign is exactly how it sounds. According to them, choosing a PB&J for lunch over an animal-based lunch, or a grilled cheese (oh, shit), will save:

• 2.5 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions
• 3.5 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions
  
• 280 gallons of water
• 12-50 sq. feet of land
• 16 PB&Js will save a chicken's life

Vegan fluffernutters for everyone.

Brunchin' On The Vedge

A Full Plate Cafe has some really impressive veg creations, but nothing makes a Northern girl feel more Southern than the v sausage and biscuits with white onion gravy. Thick, creamy gravy drenches the spicy soy sausage and light, fluffy biscuits like a serious team effort. I rounded it out with some roasted sweet potatoes and a side of egg whites kicked up with curry seasoning. And of course I drained my Mason jar of mint iced tea.

Black N Brew is always stirrin' up new specials but a recent taste of the Cocoa Puffs french toast was a hell yeah. This is what every 8-year-old wants for breakfast but doesn't know it yet. Eternal youth on a plate.

Veg Out: Vegan Donuts Made In Philly

Vegan donuts are a reality in NYC, but so are a lot of other things. This isn't gonna be an NYC VS Philly post, though, so sit back. Over the weekend I discovered miniature vegan donut holes at Almanac Market, along with vegan cookies, made by North Port Fishington Cookie Factory. Oh, man, sounds like some bizarre land of awesome where one man whips up donuts in his kitchen wearing a pair of cut-offs, smokes a bowl, then puts in a batch of cookies. I shall track him down and let you know what his business plan is. I picked up a box of four donut holes for $2, and they were light, cake-like, and not too sweet. I don't believe they were fried. Until then, the glory:

Veggie Tales: True Or Faux?

Vegansexuals? Wait, people, is this true? I understand that kissing-after-steak-dinner is a problem mostly solved with Breathsavers or toothpaste or that old-fashioned palate cleansing trick called water, but do you really care what the person you're fucking eats?

"It is totally, totally true," said Janna Cunnigham, a 46-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., native, about the smells and tastes of carnivores.
"Their body odor is pungent. Their sweat is extremely smelly. Their spit, and all their body fluids, are strong and stinky. Vegetarian people are not so smelly," Cunningham, who has been a vegetarian for 32 years, and a vegan for 10, told ABC News.com.

Can you be that choosy in the bedroom? Just how hot and insane are you? Call me.

ABC News: I'm Just Not That Into You And Your Beef Jerky Habit

Veg Out: Fair-Trade Philly

It's a documentary chronicling the exploitation of coffee farmers by multi-national coffee companies. You might care if you guzzle down the second-most valuable commodity in the world. Find out where your dollar is going, because the 74,000 near-bankrupt coffee farmers aren't see much of it. Following the film is a discussion, complete with the beverage that's got everyone in such a hot tizzy...coffee. Co-owner of Mugshots, Jill Fink, is set to talk about local fair trade coffee.

Sun., 8.5, 7pm, White Dog Cafe, 3420 Sansom St., 215-386-9224, www.whitedogcafe.com, www.blackgoldmovie.com

While we're on that tip, you might want to check out this list of fair-trade coffee shops in Philadelphia: www.myspace.com/fairtradephiladelphia

And where there are sustainable coffeehouses, there are Ross' Espresso Bars. Oh, sigh. A gorgeous man who makes organic chocolate bars? It's like Depp if he wasn't all creepy-looking as Willy Wonka.

Why You All Up In Muh Grill For?

First I'm talkin' on some grilled cheese: Griddle Me This
After writing this, I discovered that E's Passyunk has a ton of build-your-own grilled cheese options, including vegan, and Infusion has added gourmet grilled cheese croissants to their menu.

Then Drew Lazor swings by to say hello. Scroll down for the LOV shout-out: Rabble Rabble

Time to pay the vegan rent with soy cheese choices from Urban Vegan: Great Vegan Cheese Meltdown
Note the wisdom in her tip. The first time I tried soy cheese, I wasn't a fan, but after eating it for years, I've grown to appreciate. Picture me at my gangliest, age 15, holding a can of Spaghetti-Os and telling everyone in my family that vegetarianism was my show of respect for life. They laughed at me then, and they laugh at me still. Now I'm preparing whole wheat linguine with basil pesto on a regular basis, but it doesn't happen overnight, understand.

Back on the grilled cheese game, classic is always the shit, but throw some fruit in there or fuck with the bread, and you've got the idea. It's hard to mess up the perfect food.