Some of my UWS favorites

This weekend I had dinner and dessert from two of my favorite neighborhood spots. 

For dinner, Heath and I love to stop by Mermaid Inn and sit at the bar for an early, quick bite. You have to get there early or the bar will be full. Their Grain Salad has quinoa, kale, red onions, cherry tomatoes, chick peas, butternut squash and a really light and bright vinaigrette. It is so simple and so good. Order without the cheese to be vegan. They also have some amazing old bay fries with ketchup that complement this salad rather nicely.  

For dessert, I stopped by Peacefood Cafe and got their Strawberry Shortcake to go. Obviously it looks delicious, but there is also a hidden element that makes it even better than it looks. Strawberry jam. It's enormous, it will feed multiple people or one person for several days. 

Hip City Veg

While in Philadelphia, I stopped by Hip City Veg for takeout on the train ride home. 

Their Udon Noodle Salad was stellar - chinese black bean dressing, sprouts, arugula, carrots, cabbage, daikon, peanuts & spicy glazed chick’n. 

And they offer Philly Cupcake treats! (See my previous post on their Oreo cupcake). 

Philly Cupcake

Last weekend I visited Philadelphia for the first time. Unfortunately it was a short trip and Vedge was completely booked. Next trip for sure. 

I did have the pleasure of eating a vegan Philly Cupcake. 

They are not a fully vegan bakery, but they always have vegan options, really good vegan options that vary daily. I had the Oreo cupcake and it was beyond delicious. The chocolate was so rich and moist and the icing fluffy.