If you know anything about me by this point, you know that as a Philadelphia resident, I am more than enthralled with the food and restaurant scene here in the City of Brotherly Love. Of course, I have my favorites — A Kitchen, Ambrosia, Harp & Crown and Saloon — but I am always adding to my must-try list, and last weekend I was able to check one of those off. Spoiler alert: It was spectacular and definitely blog-worthy.

As usual, a girls’ night with my sisters, mom and close family friend Vanessa brought us to Vedge, an upscale vegan spot located in the Gayborhood of Philadelphia. Vanessa is vegan; and while she swears to be able to find something to eat at any restaurant, the rest of the group had been interested in trying Vedge.

The restaurant vibe is really cool — dark and intimate. The bar in the front room would be great for drinks and small snacks. We had one of the larger tables in the restaurant, set for five. They mostly accommodate parties of four and under.

We opted for the tasting experience, where we each chose three dishes, one from each section of the menu, all vegan. My meal included the stuffed avocado with hearts of palm, Chile rojo and papain verde sauces. This might have been one of my favorite bites of food in recent memory. Following that, I opted for the Charred Delicata Squash with crisp hominy fritters and zucchini escabeche. My sister had the Grilled Florentino Hot Pot during this course, which was also spectacular. My final course was a pesto tofu dish that was so good, I’ve tried to recreate it at home since.

All of the girls shared a bottle of the Sancerre and ended the night with a mix of the sorbet and vegan ice creams. I had the olive oil apple flavor and really enjoyed it.

Overall, I highly recommend Vedge for your next girls’ or date night. It is truly a phenomenal culinary experience for all palates.

— Haley Fogarty, vice president of sales