More often than not, my cravings begin with an urge for some form of fatty, salty indulgence. Or crispy carbs. But after a week of power eating for work, what I often crave most is something fresh and crunchy, a vibrant salad or meatless meal that feels like a gentle detox. Over the years, Philly’s chefs have embraced vegetable cookery as more than merely virtuous. We’ve witnessed a culinary revolution that’s transformed the vegetable world into a realm of desire. Don’t think rutabagas can be sexy? Read on.
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Top 25 Pick
Vedge
Top 25 Pick
Kalaya
Spice Finch
Irwin’s
Top 25 Pick
Elwood
Villa di Roma
Top 25 Pick
Res Ipsa
Palizzi Social Club
Top 25 Pick
Pizzeria Beddia
Bud & Marilyn’s
Taco … Salad?
Vegetarian tacos are a sign of our tortilla times. Here are several I love: cauliflower tacos with almond-morita sauce at Nemi (2636 Ann St.); fried Brussels sprouts tacos at Jose Pistolas (263 S. 15th St.); organic breakfast tacos with sprouted corn tortillas and scrambled tofu at PS & Co. (1706 Locust St.); grilled mushroom tacos with dandelion greens at Mission Taqueria (1516 Sansom St., 215-383-1200).
The Reviews
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Superior
Rare, sets regional dining standards.
Excellent
Special, excels in most every category of the dining experience.
Very Good
Interesting, with above-average food.
Hit-or-miss
Too inconsistent for a strong recommendation.
The pretzel rutabaga fondue at Vedge. (JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer)
VedgeTop 25 Pick
Vedge is a rare place that bridges two worlds: the universe of vegans dedicated to plant-based eating and omnivores willing to set aside their blood-thirsty ways for an evening of “fancy radishes” and eggplant braciole because Vedge is one of the best restaurants in Philly, no matter the category. And over the last eight years, it’s checked all the boxes for destination status, from its remake of a historic townhouse manse, to its trendsetting natural wine list and cocktails, to the polished service and pioneering cuisine.
I crave a crock of rutabaga fondue — with a fresh soft pretzel for scooping — more than any real cheese (or Cheez) dip it evokes. And when I slice into the big wood-roasted carrot over pumpernickel and think “Bugs Bunny Reuben,” or admire the colorful stuffed avocado and its myriad creamy-crunchy textures, or the Mediterranean savor of an everything-spiced golden beet with glack garlic tahini, it’s obvious why co-owners Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby are perennial James Beard finalists. They’ve created a new culinary language with universal appeal.
There are so many indispensable classics, in fact, I sometimes wish they made more room for new ideas than the frequently changing but small “dirt list,” where I devoured tender pea leaves over dashi rice with matcha sauce and charred “elote” corn ringed by smoky mashed potatoes. They perhaps take more risks with the street food menu at their more casual V-Street off Rittenhouse Square. But the spirit of constant evolution is ever-present in Jacoby’s brilliant desserts, which deliver impossibly creamy (non-dairy) seasonal inspirations, from gorgeous fruit “cheesecakes” to a rich chocolate namelaka that came with purple Filipino ube ice cream one week, a Mexican inspiration with sweet corn ice cream the next. That’s a sweet bridge to gastronomic discovery I’ll hungrily cross any day.
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A caramelized palm sugar dressing gets poured over khao yum kamin at Kalaya. The southern Thai rice salad combines toasted coconut, dried shrimp, chile flakes, seasonal vegetables, and fermented fish. (TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer)
KalayaTop 25 Pick
Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon dazzles with the rainbow of colors and complex crunch of her spicy khao yum kamin rice salad. But her treatment of the humble cabbage is just as miraculous, transforming those frumpy leaves with a splash of fish sauce and palm sugar — then a quick stir-fried singe in a smoking-hot wok — into something so sweet that it’s essentially cabbage candy.
Also featured in: Southeast Asian Power
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Broccoli tabouleh at Spice Finch. (STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer)
Spice Finch
Putting vegetables in a starring role is one of the best qualities of Spice Finch, Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle’s homage to modern-Med flavors, where you can graze on farro-stuffed grape leaves with apricots, Berbere carrots, and a tagine of beans over puffed warm grains. But I’ve never had anything quite like their broccoli tabouleh. It features raw broccoli that’s been grated into couscous-sized grains that lend a distinctive crunchy chew to quinoa salad brightened with fistfuls of herbs, a bright squeeze of lemon and drizzle of Soom tahini.
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The Grand Mezze at Irwin's. (YONG KIM / Staff Photographer)
Irwin’s
The eighth-floor views of the city are are so inspiring from this moody cocktail bar atop the Bok Building, you’ll want an excuse to linger. Chef Paul Garberson’s grand mezze is just the thing, a vast sharing platter that ranges from personal takes on classic Middle Easter dips (smoky baba, lemony hummus, tangy-swet walnut-pepper ezme salad) to airy carrot and feta fritters, deep-fried olives, and a colorful bouquet of pickles.
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Heirloom tomatoes with wild purslane, basil, mint, and sherry vinegar at Elwood. (CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer)
ElwoodTop 25 Pick
It’s hard to say which came first, the idea to rehabilitate celery or the vintage celery plate. But this dish is another compelling victory for Adam Diltz’s back-to-PA-roots culinary campaign. The chef conjures up the vegetable’s sexy Victorian days by braising whole heads in pork stock, roasting them with Hootenanny goat Gouda, then serving them in dark jus, with a steak knife. Celery’s been waiting 100 years for this kind of comeback.
Also featured in: Adventure Eats & Tasting Menus
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Fried asparagus at Villa di Roma. (TIM TAI / Staff Photographer)
Villa di Roma
I’m not going to pretend this is my healthy veg, but if they make asparagus in heaven, I expect them to be crisply fried and glossed in the golden gloss of garlic scampi butter from Villa di Roma.
Also featured in: Red Gravy Comfort
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Spring allium salad at Res Ipsa. (CRAIG LABAN / Staff)
Res IpsaTop 25 Pick
The most beautiful, intricate salads in town come from chef Michael Vincent Ferreri’s kitchen. He spins in-the-moment whimsies like a flower-dappled cloud of foraged alliums and colorful blooms for spring, and a summer ode Butter Crunch lettuce whose leaves were layered around Caesar-flavored bread crumbs like a lettuce nesting doll.
Also featured in: Chick-adelphia, Pasta
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The classic Caesar salad is perfected at members-only Palizzi Social Club. (Courtesy of Palizzi Social Club)
Palizzi Social Club
The Caesar as you know it arrives in a retro wooden bowl. But somehow, Joey Baldino has elevated the classic to its highest form in South Philly with the heady punch of anchovies and garlic for his zingy fresh dressing, croutons from house semolina bread, and so much grated cheese over top that it looks like Parmesan snow.
Also featured in: Red Gravy Comfort
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Tuscan kale, shaved vegetables, creme fraiche, and mint salad at Pizzeria Beddia. (YONG KIM / Staff Photographer)
Pizzeria BeddiaTop 25 Pick
Joe Beddia lands his own creative riff on the Caesar with oven-roasted vegetables at the core in lieu of romaine. But it’s his use of fish sauce vinaigrette for a salad of apples, radishes, lettuces, and almonds that will be his lasting contribution to Philly’s salad canon.
Also featured in: Pizza, Hoagies & More
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A Cobb salad from Bud & Marilyn's. (CRAIG LABAN / Staff)
Bud & Marilyn’s
We’ve had a run of good Cobb makeovers. But Marcie Turney has truly updated this retro salad beauty with her remastered Cobb. The chicken is roasted in sesame oil; shaved watermelon radishes and pepitas lend festive crunch; and smoky Nueske's bacon crumbles with creamy Buttermilk Blue for an indulgent bow to salad glory with a satisfying splash of Thai basil Green Goddess dressing.
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WRITER:CRAIG LABANEDITOR:EVAN S. BENNPHOTOGRAPHERS:TIM TAI (LEAD), JOSE F. MORENO, JESSICA GRIFFIN, MICHAEL BRYANT, CHARLES FOX, HEATHER KHALIFA, DAVID SWANSON, STEVEN M. FALK, ELIZABETH ROBERTSON, YONG KIM, MICHAEL S. WIRTZ AND TOM GRALISHPHOTO EDITORS:DANESE KENON AND FRANK WIESEDIGITAL PRODUCTION & DESIGN:GARLAND POTTS AND MEGAN GRIFFITH-GREENECOPY EDITOR:BRIAN LEIGHTONPRINT DESIGN:AMY JUNODAUDIENCE:ROSS MAGHIELSE AND RAY BOYDINTERNS:SERAPHINA DiSALVO AND STEFANIE PERNA