Vedge

Vedge
1221 Locust St Philadelphia, PA 19107 Washington Square West -  (215) 320-7500

When you walk up to Vedge, you get the feeling you are walking into someone's nicely restored house--and you are.  This little vegetable cottage is home to some of the fanciest, most delicious vegan food in Philly. Open in 2011 by Philadelphia Chefs Richard Landau & Kate Jacoby, this is the Crème de la crème of vegan dining.

The unusual layout of the restaurant places patrons in close proximity to the cooks--you can see your food being made.  There are hardly any private areas so you feel the honesty and goodness of the dining environment as soon as you sit down.

There is a huge wine list as well that Chef Jacoby, a certified Sommelier, has painstakingly selected to go with the entres.  The cocktail list is nothing short of amazing as well.

Though the picture does not capture the essence of this cocktail, it was fantastic.
BON VOYAGE $12: Beefeater, Cointreau, pineapple-lemongrass shrub, falernum, citrus
*falernum I found is a simple syrup. It contains flavors of almond, ginger and/or cloves, and lime, and sometimes vanilla or allspice.

SMOKED CARROTS kimchee* “reuben”, pumpernickel white bean puree
* traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings
Pumpernickel is a typically heavy, slightly sweet rye bread traditionally made with coarsely ground rye.

(above) Pickled Curry Cauliflower | Mixed Green Olives fennel, preserved lemon | Chile Roasted Almonds
At the price of pick 3 for $9, we should have ordered another round. 

TOKYO TURNIPS $8 housemade potato roll, tofu XO sauce

FINGERLING FRIES $7 creamy worcestershire.  These will rock your world.  If you have nothing else tonight, make sure to order these. Baked fingerling potatoes with a lovely sweet/spicy worcestershire sauce. 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS $8 shaved & grilled, smoked mustard.

 (above) Blood Orange Jelly Donut almond pesto, tamarind ice coffee $8

(above) White Chocolate Strawberry Lamington sorrel bon bon, strawberry “quick”

La Veranda

La Veranda
30 N Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 351-1898

The main entrance way offers valet parking and is an elegant canopy with icicle style lighting which openings into a large atrium feature a grand piano and the bar.  I was able to serenade a few guests while we waited for our table.

While one side of the restaurant looks towards Columbus Boulevard, the other side offers seating looking out over the Delaware River.  You can even see the Ben Franklin Bridge in the background.  At night, this is quite a romantic spot.

(below) Creme Di Asparagi O Di Pomodoro Cream of asparagus or cream of tomato soup - $7.50.
This was a nice asparagus soup, very light and creamy.

(below) Bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette.

(below) Vitella Piccante: Veal with lemon, butter and white wine sauce - $19

(below) Saltimbocca Alla Romana. Veal seasoned with sage and ham in a white wine sauce - $20

Vetri

Vetri
1312 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone (215) 732-3478
Fax (215) 732-3487

Menu Vetri serves a chef's tasting menu as the sole dining option six nights a week, $155 per person.  Vetri is a mainstay of the Italian Philadelphia Restaurant Scene.  Not for the faint of palate and definitely not for the faint of wallet.  Dinner for two will run upwards of $350.  Well worth it, and I think the following quote does Vetri the best justice: "Possibly One of the Best Italian Restaurants on the East Coast." ~Mario Batali.*

*American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. In addition to his classical culinary training, he is an expert on the history and culture of Italian cuisine, including regional and local variations.

Upon arrival to this quaint, rustic looking house-converted-to-restaurant, you are met at the door by a gracious maître d who takes your coat and assigns the table.  The restaurant seats 30, and has an immediate intimate homey feel.  The keynote decor items include two beautiful chandeliers in the dining room, which after a little googling, I found were "elegant hand-blown Murano glass chandeliers Chef Vetri had custom made by the famed artisans at the Formia glass factory in Venice, Italy." ~About Vetri

After settling into your seats, one of the most unique aspects of the dining experience is there is no menu.  Now that is not to say a menu is not brought before you, but it is more or less an "ingredients" of a meal list and you have a conversation with your server about any allergies or foods you definitely do not like. After a little parley with your server, the final choices are up to the chef who creates a hand crafted 6 course meal for your dining pleasure.  This was perhaps the most exciting piece of the dining experience because I literally did not know what was coming out next to eat.

I included this shot, a complimentary glass of prosecco, because I really liked the unique choice of crystal ware.  Both the champagne flutes and glasses were very unique.

This was the appetizer to start off the meal.  At 12:00, there was prosciutto with a balsamic reduction along with various other hors d'oeuvres.

This was served with a crudité--whole raw vegetables with a fantastically creamy balsamic vinaigrette reduction.  The vegetables were served on ice which was a nice touch.

Bread was then brought out which was accompanied by some delicious olives and olive oil. The olives were divine.

(above) This was fantastic.  Unfortunately I lost my notes for this dish but the croissant was amazing.  Flaky, light, divine as a croissant should be.  I was not impressed with the garnish, but at Vetri, the food is the main event and it was a delight.

(above) Tuna involtini with pickled fiddlehead fern. Involtini are traditionally thin slices of meat wrapped around a filling of cheese and breadcrumbs, pan-fried in olive oil.  It was delicious.

(above) DI TERRA (from the earth) salt baked quail.  This was perhaps one of the highlights of the evening.

(above) Sweet Onion Crepe with White Truffle Fondue. The dish is small but the portion is just right.  The onion has been cooked for eight hours and paired with white truffle sauce.  It is a Vetri signature dish for a reason.  Get it.

 (above) Spinach Gnocchi with Brown Butter. The gnocchi were pale green and I tasted a delightful parmesan cheese on top. Maybe not quite as good as the sweet onion crepe but very tasty nonetheless.

 (above) Radiatori with braised snails and porcini. Radiatori are small square shaped pieces of pasta that look like radiators.  Porcini are a type of mushroom.

(above) espresso braised beef cheeks.  Fantastic.

(above) Salt Baked Quail.

(above) The pre-dessert.  Assorted cookies, etc centered is a macaroon.

Pistachio flan with white chocolate gelato.  There is a saying that you save the best for last.  It certainly applied.

Cafe Renata

Cafe Renata - Cafe, Restaurant, BYOB
4305 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267) 275-8254
Date of Review: Sunday, April 27, 2014

This restaurant, situated in the heart of the University City/West Philly area is one of the hidden gem brunch spots of the city.  While offering a titillating diversity of food choices - just the salad choices alone may include Tabouleh, Fattoush, Greek, Caprese - the MAIN event of Cafe Renata is the brunch menu.

The menu is exquisitely priced- a cup of coffee sells for a mere $3 while the main dishes only range from $10-15. The quality of the food is amazing for the money being spent. There are also some surprising menu options, more of which I will discuss later.

We began the meal with an exquisite glass of the homemade fresh ginger lemonade with sugar on the rim, which was a nice touch.  Definitely worth checking out if you are in the mood for a refreshing, fresh summer drink. It was neither too tart or too sweet and sat well on the palate.

As I was already tired from the day, I joined the lemonade with a cup of Cafe Au Lait, French for "Coffee with Milk."  The main difference between traditional coffee and milk and Cafe Au Lait is that hot milk is added which helps to give a more frothy, creamy taste.  In the commercial setting it is prepared using steamed milk and espresso machines.

As I knew I would be writing a review, I decided to start the meal with the more unusual menu items I could find. This is Oatmeal Brulee (Apples, Raisins & Cinnamon) - $5. It was fantastic.  I've never had a "bruleed" oatmeal before and I must say it was nothing short of amazing.  Fantastic dish, and I definitely will be trying to concoct it at home.

(Not Pictured) I accompanied the Brulee with a side of Candied Bacon - $4, which was a combination of small square sized pieces of bacon soaked in a caramelized reduction, probably brown sugar.  Anytime you mix sugar+bacon, the result can only be orgasmic.  If you take nothing else from this review, try the candied bacon.

Napoli Roasted Red Peppers & Fresh Mozzarella ($8.50). After much debate I settled on the Napoli, and I am not happier I did.  The Mozzarella is fresh on the premises and the mixed sweet and white potatoes was an excellent accompaniment to the Omelet.  One critique however was the bread was not served with jelly or preserves.

Eggs Benedict Poached or Fried Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Tomato& Hollandaise, Served with Roasted Potatoes - $11. The Eggs Benedict were well done served with the roasted sweet potatoes.  The Hollandaise sauce could have used a bit more pepper (black or Cayanne) but it had the expected mild tang and smoothness of a good egg yolk/butter emulsion.

You can learn more about Cafe Renata and their services (including catering) by visiting them at http://caferenata.com.

UPDATE
8/20/14

Stopped in today for a bite to eat and was greeted by a girl cleaning the windows/doors of the establishment. I grabbed a slice of their lemon pound cake (the last one) and a glass of their fresh squeezed orange juice. Both were superb. Cafe Renata features a rotating dessert menu and for the first time guest, I'd recommend the orange juice- certainly VERY fresh.

A view of the rotating dessert menu and that last slice of the lemon pound cake.

Who says you shouldn't have dessert first.

Caprese House Made Mozzarella, Basil Pesto, & Tomato. I rounded out my lemon pound cake with a sandwich with some house-pickled vegetables.  Very tart and tasty.

Turkey Sonoma Smoked Turkey, Bacon & Avocado with Lettuce, Tomato & Mayo.  Another fine choice, very tasty.  Liked the addition of the avocado.

In addition, I ordered two smoothies: the peach and strawberry banana smoothies with my meal which were very tasty.  Not too sweet, and very freshly made.  You could tell that there was no frozen fruit here.

Greek Salad Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Cucumber, Feta & Olives $7.00.  I split this with my friend and it was certainly a nice accompaniment to our sandwiches.

Of Note: 

House teas adorn the shelves in mason-type jars.

Some customers enjoy a light lunch while students can do work using the Free WiFi.