Your Local Vedge

by Andrea Blumenstein

image via Reserve.com. Make your reservation for Vedge Philadelphia here. 

Do you remember the Lettuce Turnip the Beet® shirts that made vegetable loving musicians even sexier? I do. (I’m talking to you Questlove.) 

My forever love for catchy t-shirts will go on as long as clever people continue to highlight my favorite things (like Notorious RBG). But, in case you want to do more than express your love for vegetables across your chest, some of America’s top chefs are opening up vegetable-centric restaurants for the vegans, vegetarian and omnivores looking to embrace the verdant and chow down on nature’s beautiful bounty.

Philadelphia’s Vedge Restaurant in Center City offers inventive vegetable cooking in an historic brownstone home renovated to serve dinner 7 nights a week, with a full bar with natural wines, craft beers and other elixirs to complement dinner and dessert.

At the helm of Vedge are James Beard nominated Chefs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, restaurateurs committed to shaping the culinary landscape in Philadelphia. They recently brought their modern plant based dining experience to the Washington D.C., were residents and visitors at our nation’s capital can sip cocktails and dine on the freshest of veg at Fancy Radish D.C.

Other spots to check out:

Graze Nashville; 1888 Eastland Ave, Nashville, TN 37206

This plant-based bistro and bar is open for brunch, cocktails and dinner. The same folks that opened up Wild Cow in East Nashville expanded to a second spot to serve delicious healthy and vegan fare.

Vital Root Denver; 3915 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212

Thanks to these guys, Denver has a super tasty fast-casual healthy restaurant with a great happy hour. They are usually closed on Monday, but check out their website for the special Raw Dinner on the first Monday of the month.

Greens; Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123

Chef Annie Somerville leads this world-renowned restaurant that, in true California stye, has been a leader in the “avant-garde” food revolution. They source heavily from Green Gulch Farm, just an hour north of the city, serving sophisticated plates with a hearty wine list.

​True Food Kitchen (TFK); National

Oprah-endorsed and nationwide earns this healthy chain a spot on the list. With locations in King of Prussia, Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Newport Beach and a whole lot more, a nod to the familiar is nice when you are trying to stay healthy while traveling, shopping or generally living. The menu is seasonal and rotates and, I would have to assume, differs slightly from state to state.






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