Philly Crepes, Not Steaks
As a vegetarian visiting Philadelphia, I always miss out on the city's staple -- the cheesesteak. If I ordered a cheesesteak, hold the meat, I'm pretty sure the city would not feel any brotherly love toward me.
While the town has innumerable eateries serving plant food, Beau Monde turned me into a crepetarian. The restaurant at Bainbridge and Sixth streets serves crepes that taste just like the ones cooked up on Paris streets, but without the dusting of curbside exhaust. At the French brasserie, which is cozy with a fireplace and close seating so you can share ordering tips and body heat, diners choose from two types of crepes (savory or sweet) and various fillings. I opted for a wheat crepe with apricot compote and apple slices, though I could have gone into omelet territory (e.g., scrambled eggs, spinach, tomato, Swiss cheese), the steel-stomach arena (olives, leeks, caramelized tomato sauce) or full-on dessert mode (nutella, ice cream, toasted almonds).
The plate-size crepe was substantial enough to fulfill two of three meals. However, my friend, who ate only the French onion soup and a few bites of my crepe, had to stop by Geno's on the way home to get a cheesesteak.
Beau Monde, 215-592-0656.
By Andrea Sachs |
February 7, 2007; 12:32 PM ET
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Posted by: Susan | February 7, 2007 2:02 PM
could you consider doing a longer piece for the paper (dead tree version) on vegetarian travel? i often wonder if I am getting veg food in other countries, or if, for example, they consider chicken broth or the bonito flakes in miso to be vegetarian just because there are no chunks of meat in the food. in Asian countries, would saying "I eat like a Buddhist" do the trick? this sort of info would be VERY helpful. thanks.
Posted by: VA Veggie | February 7, 2007 2:06 PM
I would even say that Philadelphia has a homegrown vegetarian tradition, perhaps in reaction to the Philly Steak. Besides Gianna's, Giovinda's, reopened recently after a renovation, truly has the best range of what I would call Philadelphia Vegetarian.
Posted by: Andrew | February 7, 2007 2:33 PM
To VA Veggie: http://www.vegetarianguides.co.uk/products/veganpassport.shtml
At the above link, you will find some info about the Vegan Passports that Vegetarian Guides offers. As a vegetarian, these are an essential tool when traveling abroad.
Posted by: Susan | February 7, 2007 2:36 PM
ooh, this is great! thanks, much, Susan
Posted by: Va Veggie | February 7, 2007 2:39 PM
Your friend should've gone to Phillip's on Passyunk Ave.for his steak sandwich. They're really the best in town. I go off my no-red meat diet for one of their steaks.
Posted by: Former N/E Philly guy | February 7, 2007 2:40 PM
It's worth noting that the crepe craze in Philadelphia began in the curbside food-truck market. The first crepe carts appeared in the late 1990s and their success was so incredible amidst the generic steak/sandwich trucks that they eventually led to a revitalization and diversification of the food-truck industry.
Posted by: Mike | February 7, 2007 3:26 PM
VA veggie, Andrea did a package on vegetarian travel a while back (see the story here) and our Way to Go issue's specialty travel piece had a section on vegetarian/dietary resources, too. Hope that helps!
Posted by: Anne McDonough | February 7, 2007 4:06 PM
Thank you - I moved to Philly about a year ago (from DC) and I didn't know about this place. I'm going to try it this weekend.
Posted by: Christy | February 8, 2007 12:45 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Hi Andrea,
The next time your are in Philly, you must go to Gianna's Grille where you will find the most incredible vegan cheesesteak. They have non-vegan varieties too. www.giannasgrille.com It's worth it to drive from DC to Philly just for this delight.
Peace.