Vedge

"At some point, you’ll have to repay your meat-loving friends for all the times they took you to a steakhouse and you ate a solo potato. When that time comes, demand they take you to Midtown Village’s Vedge for an upscale vegan experience. You can get excellent vegan food here, like mushroom carpaccio, spicy grilled avocado, and a creamy rutabaga fondue with soft pretzels. It’s fancy, but not in a tops-and-tails kind of way, and it works great for a dinner with friends or family when you deserve more than a meal made from side dishes (for once)." - candis mclean

"If you want a fancy vegan meal worthy of your fanciest fit, head to Vedge on Locust Street. The plant-based spot does things with carrots, celery root, and squash that you or an imaginative playwright could only dream of. There are warm, upscale interiors, white tablecloths on every table, and creamy rutabaga fondue coming out of the kitchen at a rapid pace. Try their spicy dan dan noodles and squashed avocado topped with tangy salsa verde, and you’ll have a meal as reliable as your fancy black dress." - candis mclean

"This Midtown Village restaurant has been one of the greatest vegan spots in America for over a decade. The Tiger Building, built by Frank Furness, was home to Deux Cheminees (two fires) until it became a vegan and carnivore hangout. This is a must-see for diners seeking a meal by the fire." - Ernest Owens, Sarah Maiellano

"Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby reinvented meatless dining in Philly by making vegetables — not meat substitutes — the star at Vedge, an elegant eatery set in a former mansion in Center City. Through culinary skill and maybe a little magic, rutabaga transforms into fondue and radishes impersonate sushi. Vedge also has a killer cocktail menu and natural wine list." - Ernest Owens, Grace Dickinson

"Vedge is a restaurant in Midtown Village that does things with vegetables you’ve definitely never seen before. Things that will make you question everything you think you know about carrots, tomatoes, and mushrooms. It’s a creative powerhouse that has been topping “best restaurant” lists around the country since it opened in 2011, and everything it makes is entirely vegan. But being vegan isn’t what sets Vedge apart. What sets Vedge apart is the fact that they use being vegan as a fun little challenge for themselves to make things more interesting. Kind of like when you were little and got too good at jumping rope so you decided to add a second rope into the mix—just to see if you could do it. And, let us tell you, Vedge can double dutch better than any other place around." - candis mclean, alison kessler