Tag Archives: vegan coffeeshop

Vegan Mofo 2015 Day 16: Gimmie Coffee

September 16, 2015

Jen – When summer starts I am so hopeful! I get so excited about my CSA, I think of all the things I am going to make, jams, pies, tomato sauce, up my veggie intake, it will be awesome. I think about all the ice cream I am going to make and eat. Ooh! And all those fresh herbs and juicy Jersey peaches. I’ll eat it all, nothing will go to waste.

Then when summer wraps up I wanna just curl up in a blanket and get as much Chinese and pizza take out and never cook again. Oh but I CAN’T do that! It is still really hot and I hate the heat, so no blanket curling. Oh and I am only half way through my CSA, until when? WHAT THE FUCK NOVEMBER! I curl up in a ball thinking about how many more Saturdays I have to go the farm and keep cooking. Then I think of the lack of ice cream I’ve eaten or made because the freezer is full of frozen tomato sauce.

Alexa – I can just never think of a favorite “summer” dish other than ice cream, which I loved year-round but there’s just something extra special about it when it’s hot out. I’m always just too hot to really want to eat anything besides a salad … or ice cream that it never dawned on me that I might have something that I love eating at this time. But I do know that as soon as it gets to be about 60 degrees and up there’s always one thing I yearn for more than anything else in the summer time…ICED COFFEE. It’s something I especially love in late summer because it’s always so gosh-darned hot and I am constantly sweating or craving something light and delightful.

So we turn to coffee. We don’t really drink it that often for the caffeine, just more for the taste (which is nice because Jen doesn’t let herself drink bad mud water like Folgers, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures for Alexa). The bad thing is we end up spending a lot on coffee. Jen likes getting the fancy drinks from Starbuck’s Clover Machine, and she will find herself getting coconut water lattes from Whole Foods. Why the major chains? Unfortunately the coffee scene is a little bleak in South Jersey. It isn’t bad, but not great. Some of it is possibly because Jen is close to Philadelphia, so they get the die hard coffee fans (she had a friend who drove ALL the way into Philly just to go to Ultimo Coffee). But there are a few good places that she’s found near her. Alexa has a coffee maker at home and has bought beans and concentrate from her favorite local spots, but then her family uses all of it and it disappears. So she cries in a corner all alone until she goes out in the morning and grabs herself a cup that she doesn’t have to share.

Grooveground

647 Haddon Ave, Collingswood, NJ 08108
website | facebook | twitter

Jen – Truth time, I’ve never had their drip coffee and I don’t come here often. I love Grooveground, but they are pretty far away from my work and home (even more reasons why I frequent Starbucks and Whole Foods). It is an interesting coffee shop because the owners really try and do something different. They sell lots of goods by local artists and have a used CD, DVD, and record exchanges going on. In fact, I recently bought a Cat Stevens album there. $4 for a vinyl record? Heck yeah!

They are also have a very vegan friendly menu. They have both almond and soy milk to choose from, and some edibles that are vegan. Okay, so you won’t be getting a cookie from there, but they have some savory options. Like you can get oatmeal or a bagel with PB & J for breakfast. Or for lunch they have a salads that can be modified, a hummus wrap, or (my favorite idea) a hummus panini!

But it helps that their coffee is good too. Even though I never bought their drip, their espresso drinks are pretty darn good. I usually just get a latté or iced espresso, until I noticed they sell caramelized espresso shots. What is that? It is when the barista puts a layer of sugar in the grinds and then pulls the shot. The sugar instantly melts and infuses with the espresso. It is amazing to drink the shot by itself, but then they decided to make a latté out of it. I TOTALLY recommend getting it with the almond milk. Most of the time I am disappointed by almond milk and coffee in part because most places actually buy unsweetened almond milk, making the drink too bitter. So the mix of unsweetened milk with sugary espresso make the perfectly sweet drink. So go and check that out!

Rook

10 White Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701
Other Locations: Colts Neck, Little Silver, Long Branch, Manalapan
Monmouth Medical, Oakhurst, Wall
website | facebook | instagram | twitter

Alexa – I think we have mentioned Rook a few times before but we never truly featured it on the blog yet. It is a little hard to since they are super simple. I mean their coffee is fan-fucking-tastic but they pretty much JUST sell coffee. And it’s not a sit-down kind of place. There aren’t many options for food that seem too vegan because most of it is baked goods (definitely not vegan) or granola bars (possibly vegan?), but their coffee is all that you need.

The ‘P’ definitely stands for Pumpkin!! And the ‘AL’ is because it’s mixed with almond milk. Gotta get that fall freshness going!

All of Rook’s coffee is fair trade and made in house, and they have distinct flavors that you wouldn’t be able to find at places like Starbucks or Seattle’s Best (which has been purchased by the Starbucks empire). We like it because the flavors are all very different from something you may find in another coffee shop as well. For example Jen loves the Turkish Coffee and hasn’t found a coffee shop yet that has it! Their coffee tastes very earthy or floral compared to a lot of the nuttier flavors out there, not that those are a bad thing! I also love that they have a list at the counter telling you all about the different roasts that they have. The staff are always very friendly and super knowledgable of each distinct coffee and if you’re like me, who frequents your favorite local spots at least 3 times a week, they pretty much know my order by now. Speaking of knowing my order…

Booskerdoo

793 River Road, Fair Haven, NJ 07704
36 Beach Rd #9, Monmouth Beach, NJ 07750
549 State Highway 35 North, Middletown, NJ
website | facebook | instagram | twitter

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Admittedly, Booskerdoo’s bakery in the shop is not vegan friendly, at least not to my knowledge. However, I’m sure if you were to order something from them (they do a lot of special orders all year long, but especially around the holidays) they would probably have no problem in making something vegan for you. The coffee is delicious and they definitely have something that Rook doesn’t – and that is a much wider variety of lattés and teas to choose from. They have almond and soy milk at the ready and don’t mind altering a recipe if you need. The staff in there is amazing, much like Rook, but I feel a bit closer to them as they shop is down the street from where I work. They also have really great and flavorful fair trade coffee that they blend in their original location and sell in each store, and their drip coffee is pretty fantastic as well. I can’t even say if I have a favorite currently…everything is just really good. I would highly recommend stopping by if you’re a coffee shop connoisseur! You won’t regret it.

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Posted by Jennifer in Food Review, Tour NJ, Vegan Mofo, Vegan Mofo 2015, Vegan Pitstop Tags: almond milk, Booskerdoo, caramelized latte, coffee, collingwood, Fair Haven, grooveground, latte, my vegan restaurant, red bank, Rook, Rook Coffee Roasters, soy milk, Tour NJ, vegan coffeeshop, vegan coffeeshops, Vegan MOFO, vegan mofo 2015, vegan pitstops

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My Vegan Restaurant: Espressit

August 20, 2015

storefront

Espressit

18 Haddon Ave, Haddon Township, NJ 08108
website | facebook

When I first moved to the South Jersey area I remember all my coworkers pushing for me to check out Espressit since they had the best coffee in the area and vegan food. Sadly it was out of the way from where I lived and worked, so when I got there they would sell out of their vegan baked goods. But as the years went by their vegan goods have expanded, and expanded, and expanded! Now I would say this is a must see spot for the vegan community.

This is a coffee shop, so clearly they have vegan options for their drinks. They have vegan smoothies and options of almond or soy milk for lattes. They started offering vegan muffins and vegan snack bars. Their muffins are HUGE! They are a breakfast by themselves, or something to share with a person. There are also vegan cookies, which are also huge, and other seasonal desserts that they rotate.

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Although getting vegan muffins and cookies is pretty cool, I am mostly excited about how they have vegan sandwiches, wraps, and burritos. It use to be a rare occurrence that they would have a sandwich by the time I came in, but I guess the demand has expanded. So there is now several different options to choose from as a vegan. Everything is clearly labeled and easy to figure out what you can eat. I personally love their Indian styled burrito.

It is worth noting that their whole store isn’t vegan or vegetarian. It shouldn’t stop you from popping in and grabbing a bite. Truthfully, they are in a small suburban town where being 100% vegan would probably be hard. But it makes a great spot to meet up with omni friends. You grab a vegan burrito and they can get their chicken wrap.

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Now the menu for vegans have gotten even larger! There is a vegan hot bar! It starts after 4, but I haven’t had the joy of sampling the food. Sadly eating out for dinner during the week isn’t my thing. If their hot food is as good as their burritos and muffins then it will be well worth your time and money. I also point out that I am unsure if they are still doing it- it has been a couple of months since I’ve been there as it is pretty far from my new house.

What really makes Espressit so special is that the owner works hard to be part of the community. There are works of art hanging in the shop that usually rotate every month. There are live performances, movie nights, and more. Whenever I would pop in before work it seemed that there was always people in the area getting together to talk and catch up. This makes the place have such a great vibe, and makes it a great place to meet up and chat with someone (instead of reading a book by yourself).

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Posted by Jennifer in Food Review, Reviews, Tour NJ, Vegan Pitstop Tags: bakery, coffee, collingswood, espressit, haddon heights, my vegan restaurant, omni, Tour NJ, vegan, vegan bakery, vegan coffeeshop, vegan pitstops

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My Vegan Restaurant: P.S. & Co

August 4, 2015

storefront

P.S. & Co

1706 Locust Street Philadelphia, PA 19103
website | facebook | instagram | pinterest | twitter

I’ve heard so many mixed reviews about P.S. & Co. Many people on The PPK Forums have bashed the establishment for being overpriced and having rude cashiers. But the reviews on yelp seemed generally very good (but there were still complaining about an elitist atmosphere.) What should I think?

When I arrived, the place seemed huge. There is seating on the sidewalk, seating in the front where the cashier is. Then you can walk down the hallway to more seating in the back, which seems perfect for larger crowds. Once you are in the back you can see a hidden garden area. Yes, you can sit there. It is beautiful and secluded, though it is connected to an alley so someone might toss something in a dumpster, which happened at one point while I was sitting back there. (Note, it wasn’t a restaurant staffer, just a random person walking their dog)

garden

The person helping me at the counter seemed nice and well education. She seemed to up to date with prices of the food, and reasons why. For example she was explaining why there was a price raise on the smoothies, as certain ingredients were having trouble with farming. She seemed to know regulars and was quick to help get a puppy some water.

sushiwrap

I ordered the avocado nori roll ($6.45) and the salty dog cookie sandwich ($8.00). The wrap was really tasty, but the rice wasn’t quite sticky enough to hold the wrap together. As I was eating it, pieces of rice kept falling out (perhaps they should of had a blend of brown and black rice?). The flavors worked very well with each other. There was some avocado dip off to the side, which helped keep the rice in the wrap.

The cookie was amazing, and super filling. If I knew I probably would of just gotten the cookie as my main lunch. It is, I am faily certain, was a mostly raw cookie-wich. The outside tasted like it was made mostly from peanuts, almond meal, and dates. The filling is a little bit of a mystery to me, but I am guessing it was a caramely date paste with pecans butter.

plant

I know what most of you are thinking- THAT COOKIE IS $8?! Well, I didn’t notice at the time because I probably would of opted for something cheaper like their tiny little macaroons. But this brings a great point. Organic can be cheap, sometimes not so much. And there are reasons why so many places don’t do all organic. Prices on the menu range from reasonable to absurd. No I don’t think the store is jacking up the price, they are pricing according to the cost of food.

So what should you do? I recommend sticking to coffee, tea, and their savory foods. Organic vegetables tend to overall be cheaper than fruits and nuts. I found their nori wrap yummy and comparable to the price of the sushi wraps at whole foods. I would get that wrap again in a heartbeat. Their desserts are on the higher price range, and I have to say that cookie was yummy and probably worth $8 worth of food, it was very filling guys.

seating

So what’s the verdict? It might seem like a hard bullet to swallow for the such a high price for such casual dining, but you aren’t going to save that much more by making the exact same organic meal at home. You are also getting a great environment when you come there to eat. The back has a beautiful garden area, the seating is huge unlike most places in the city.

Yes, the prices might be high sometimes, but you just need to ask how much things are before ordering. I found everything light and refreshing, which is a style I like to eat sometimes. I plan on coming back, and not dine and dash. I plan on sitting down and enjoying myself, because that is the type of place it is. One that is inviting and relaxing. Anyone who claims that the staff is stuck up or elitist have their own problems. I found the place welcoming and comfortable. The food was delicious, I can’t think of many reasons not to come back.

table

Posted by Jennifer in Food Review, Reviews, Tour Pennsylvania, Vegan Pitstop Tags: bakery, my vegan restaurant, P.S. & Co, Philadelphia, ps & co, Raw, Tour PA, vegan, vegan coffeeshop, vegan pitstops, vegan restaurants

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My Honeymoon: Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park

July 3, 2015

Two years ago my husband and I got married and went on our honeymoon in Maine. I have already written about our wedding and the first part of our trip in Portland Maine. Now I am talking about our trip visiting Mount Desert Island and Bar Harbor. I had been to Portland before but I could barely remember anything about my trips when I was little. But Bar Harbor was a place I can vividly remember. So I was excited to show the place to Jon.

When we first arrived we settled into our room at a local small hotel. It was privately owned and very nice. It had a small kitchen, making it easy to make our own lunches or breakfast, if we so chose to. Then we went to the local supermarket to pick up some food for lunches and snacks.

We walked around the downtown Bar Harbor area and all the memories flooded back to me. All the cute restaurants, and stores. Oh and the weird novelty lobster soaps. My sister and I loved those things. We came right before the tourist season, so the town was actually pretty dead. This made everything really romantic, so I recommend coming during the off season. Not much is actually closed in Bar Harbor like in Portland, but things do tend to close earlier.

We first started by driving around Acadia National Park. There is a main loop that drives to all the major points for the park. There are other trails, mountains, and points of interests that is part of the park on the western side of the island. But most of popular attractions are clumped together on the eastern side. As we drove all around we saw water from the rain create small water falls on the side of the roads.

We figured we would try the Bubbles Trail since it was fairly short. I mentioned in the previous post how it rained everyday we were there, right? Well, I didn’t take in consideration that it might not be raining hard, but the rain gathers and falls down the mountain. By the end of the trail we were struggling to get a grip, and I managed to slip and scrap myself. My husband was very concerned but this isn’t the first time I scrapped myself while hiking. I use to do it all the time when I was little and all you can do is to keep walking and tend to it later. *Note to self, buy mini first aid kit*

Aside from rain the skies were really foggy. It was pretty cool and we got some cool photos in the process. But it did prevent us from seeing some great views. We drove up Cadillac Mountain but couldn’t see very far which was a bummer because all Jon wanted to do was see the sunrise together. In fact we drove up it twice in hopes we could see the view before we left, the clearest day out the whole trip. Still it was a no-go. I guess it just gives us more incentive to return, right?

By the end of the trip the rain eased up a little, sadly that happened on Memorial Day Weekend. Man what a huge difference! All the sudden the amount of visitors doubled! My husband commented that it wasn’t very nice once all the tourists came out, which made me laugh since it still wasn’t peak season.

But there is something of a gamble by going to Mount Desert Island during May. It could be beautiful, or it could be rainy and foggy. It is really hit or miss. Luckily there are lots of fun things to do on the island that don’t involve hiking. Below is a pretty large list of things to check out, indoor, outdoor, and food wise.

Food:

Hannaford Super Market
86 Cottage St Bar Harbor Maine
website
This is small supermarket but was well stocked with vegan and vegetarian options. The location is great because if you can’t find what you are looking for you are walking distance from A&B Naturals, which may end up having it. We can’t comment on this store since we didn’t check it out, but both places will have plenty for you to stock up on perishable foods and snacks for the next week.

Morning Glory Bakery
39 Rodick Street, Bar Harbor Maine
website | facebook
This cute little bakery is a little hidden on the side roads. I would recommend checking it out since they have some breakfast basics. They have a few vegan options and I found the bagels and hummus my favorite. They even have a vegan sandwich that you can grab on the go. The place was pretty busy whenever we would go, and filled with locals. So go early and don’t expect to get a seat.

Eden Vegetarian Cafe
Closed
Super bummed that this excellent restaurant is closed. They featured locally sourced foods, and mentioned whenever possible the specific ingredients that were local. For example my bento box had local tofu, seaweed, and fiddleheads. The food was really amazing, though I remember my cocktail being less than awesome. It was way too sweet. They had a beautiful location that wasn’t in the direct downtown area, but was still a walking distance. Even though the food was amazing, I did think they tried to be a gourmet restaurant, and might not of been that good. Even still, if they were still open, I would of definitely eat there again.

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This Way Cafe
14 1/2 Mt. Desert St. Bar Harbor Maine
website | instagram | twitter | facebook
This was probably our favorite restaurant in Bar Harbor. They have lots of vegetarian options for food, and some vegan options as well. Their breakfast has a tofu scramble options, though I had eggs since I was still eating it at the time. I also remember getting their zucchini noodles for dinner, but it seems to change a little from when I ordered it. I remember it tasting awesome though. The restaurant has a very low key campy diner feel, but with some gourmet recipes. Take note that the menu can change by the time you go, but it looks like they have various ways that you can make your meal vegan. Our server was super helpful, and they were insanely fast. So you get your grub and out the door quick to your next hiking adventure.

Reel Pizza Cinerama
33 Kennebec Place, Bar Harbor Maine
website
I didn’t know where to place Reel Pizza Cinerama. Should it go under places or food? Well, this was a perfect place for us since it rained so much. Pretty much this is a place that serves both pizza and shows movies. These types of movie theater/restaurants are popping up all over the place. This theater is very mom and pop, has a couch in the front, and uses old bingo boards for calling orders. The pizzas are very vegan friendly, offering a soy cheese and nutritional yeast to sprinkle on. Downsides? They only show two movies and are really popular. We got tips from locals about how to visit. Appear an hour to 30 minutes BEFORE doors open. When you get in, sit down first, then have someone order your pizza. We followed these rules, and we were glad we did, the theater was packed (and this was OFF SEASON!) and our pizza was finished just as the movie started. Bonus- they even serve locals beers.

Matsumoto Joe Cafe
5 Firefly Lane, Bar Harbor Maine
website
After a certain point, I needed a little me time away from my husband. I went for a small walk around town to check out a cute cafe I saw. I’m glad I did. This small cafe had some mangas for people to pick up and read, and some cute little japanese snacks to buy. But the kicker is the amazing coffee. I had gotten some lattes from Morning Glory Bakery, and was disappointed. I got a soy latte here, and was transported to a blissful world. I was mad I didn’t stop here earlier. If you are a big coffee lover, I would check this place out. When I was there they were serving both soy and almond milk, but I am not sure if they stopped offering both.

Places:

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Abbe Museum
Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor Maine
website | acadia website | facebook | twitter | pinterest | youtube
This museum has two locations. One is located in the downtown Bar Harbor area, the other is nestled in the center of Acadia National Park. If you go to one museum you will get a coupon for a discount at the other location, so it is a good idea to check out both. We ran out of time and only got to see the location in the park. I found this location really interesting because it is full of history. The location in the park centers mostly around Dr. Abbe’s findings in 1920’s. He was one of the first archeologist in Maine, finding many artifacts from the tribes that lived in the area. The museum also sports older dioramas, which were raising money to update. They also just added another exhibit talking about the ever evolving trading of the Wabanaki and the French.

Seal Cove Auto Museum
1414 Tremont Road, Seal Cove Maine
website | facebook
I remember going to this museum when I was a little girl. It was the go-to place to visit if there was a rainy day. I remember it being packed, rows and rows of beautiful vintage cars. The place has gone through a major facelift since then. In the past there were cars from all different time periods, but now the owners decided to stick to early cars, from 1895 to 1920. What makes the exhibit so interesting is that it defies how we think of cars. They sport eco cars (electric models) and lots and lots of different car manufacturers. One thing I took away from the exhibit was that most car companies made more than just cars, like motorcycles and sewing machines. The museum is on the other side of the island so it can be a 45-60 minute drive.

Acadia National Park:

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Cadillac Mountain
Info on the Official Website
Although we didn’t take any trails up Cadillac Mountain, I have done so several times when I was little. I am fairly certain I have done both the north ridge (listed as moderate), and the south ridge (listed as strenuous) trails. If a little girl can do it, so can you. Even though we didn’t hike up it, I completely recommend driving up it. There is a gift shop on the top, so can pee after your hike! The views are also spectacular. The park always recommend driving up to see the sunrise. There are even sometimes early morning yoga classes up there too!

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The Bubbles
Info on the Official Website
Jon and I were able to take the Bubbles trail before the rain built up too much on the mountains. It is a fun trail, but unlike some of the mountain trails, there is more up and down since you are going to several peaks, not just one. The trail is pretty short, and connects to others if you want to extend the hike. When we went it was incredibly foggy (see photo above). We can only assume the views were nice.

Ocean Path
Info on the Official Website
This path is a great tour of the various points of the park. The path is 3 miles and an easy walk. It starts at the Sand Beach and goes all the way to Otter Cliff. What is nice about the walk is that you can park almost anywhere and pick up in the middle of the walk, easy peasy. It is a great way to visit Thunder Hole during peak hours, park far away and walk over. You will also see a variety of different surroundings, being near cliffs, beaches, and dipping a little in some wooded areas. This trail is perfect for a quick casual walk for the first or last day of your trip. It is also great for days where the weather is less than stellar as slipping and falling isn’t a big issue.

Thunder Hole
Info on the Official Website
Going to Acadia National Park and not visiting Thunder Hole should be against the law. This was my favorite attraction when I was a kid. The shape of the cliff creates lots of splashing and a loud boom. After a long hot hike it feels great to have water splash on you. It is best to check the official website and ranger stations about the tides, and they will recommend when the best time to visit. I always visit several times, during peak and off hours.

Posted by Jennifer in The Girls, Tour Maine, Traveling, Vegan Pitstop Tags: Abbe Museum, acadia national park, anniversary, Bar Harbor, bar harbor maine, Cadillac Mountain, eden vegetarian cafe, Maine, Matsumoto Joe Cafe, morning glory bakery, my vegan restaurant, national parks, Ocean Path, omni restaurant, reel pizza cinerama, Seal Cove Auto Museum, the bubbles, this way cafe, Thunder Hole, Tour Maine, vegan, vegan coffeeshop, vegan pitstops, wedding

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My Vegan Restaurant: Grindcore House, Philadelphia PA

February 18, 2015

Grindcore House

1515 S 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
website | facebook | google plus | twitter

Grindcore House is a coffee shop that is off the beaten path in Philadelphia. It is located in South Philadelphia and take about 30 to 60 minutes to walk from Center City to the coffee shop. So why the long trek? Well, Grindcore House is Philadelphia’s only all vegan coffee shop. They are known for serving coffee, vegan food that’s savory and sweet, and playing grindcore music.

The atmosphere is pretty laid back, and made me feel like I was getting coffee with all the visual arts major from my school (I went to the Philadelphia’s University of the Arts). There is a small area where you can order, and a small hallway leads you to a sitting area. In the sitting area features plenty of seats and couch to sit on. There is also a big bookshelf filled with various reading materials, including fiction, non-fiction, and even Marvel comic books. Despite the name, they don’t just play grindcore music, there is a wide range of metal and indie music.

I came to Grindcore for two reasons, coffee and donuts. You can find your average selection of coffee at the shop, drip or espresso. But unlike most coffee shops you have more milk choices. You can pick between soy, almond, or coconut milk. I tried a coconut milk latte, and it was alright. I think it was mostly based on my choice of coconut milk over soy. But the actual coffee was pretty good, I would recommend sticking with soy when having a hot latte.

The donuts on the other hand are amazing. I can safely say that no one would be able to tell the difference between a regular and these vegan donuts. They are yeasty and fluffy, and covered in a yummy glaze. Who makes these donuts? Dottie’s Donuts.

The company was started by two guys who worked at Blackbird Pizzeria, another all vegan eatery in Philadelphia. The two started to make donuts and ship them to other coffee shops, Grindcore House being one of them. They are thinking about opening a storefront in West Philly, making a second all vegan coffee shop in Philly. I picked the elderflower and matcha donuts (the elderflower donut is pictured) Both were amazing, and will make vegans and omnivores salvate.

Positives:
Dottie’s Donuts: I think the trip to Grindcore House is worth it just for the donuts. There are donuts available in other locations closer to center city. But Grindcore House is one of the original locations to get these goodies.

The Coffee’s Pretty Good: Despite my very “meh” description of the coffee, it is still pretty good. I would rank it higher than the local coffee shops I go to, which I have four to choose from in less than a mile radius. As mentioned I would stick to soy milk for hot drinks. There is something about steamed coconut and almond milk that never seems to work.

Environment is Nice: If hardcore music isn’t your thing, you’ll be surprised how much you will still like this place. The music is never too loud. The store is on a corner so there is lots of natural light in the store. There was always a certain amount of traffic flow, so it isn’t awkwardly quiet.

Unlimited Selection: Okay they only have SO much food, but it was the first time walking into a coffee shop and not thinking what I can’t eat. There is plenty to choose from including sandwiches, pastries, and chocolates from other vegan companies. This is the reason why I plan on coming back over and over again.

Negatives
It’s Off the Beaten Path: No, this store isn’t in the middle of nowhere, but if you aren’t from the area, you have to go out of YOUR way to get there. If your visiting in Philadelphia, you’ll have walk at least 10 minutes past South Street, the closest tourist site I can think of. Most of the people in the shop looked like they probably lived near the area.

Wobbly Tables: This seems silly, but I didn’t feel too great sitting at some of the tables. They swayed a little more than I liked. And probably need to be replaced. Anytime I shifted I could feel the chair joints move.

Grindcore Music: I like some heavy and intricate music, but sometimes this music tested me. It was less distracting in the sense I could of wrote, researched, studies, talked, or searched the internet all perfectly fine. But read? No way. I can’t really pinpoint why it was so distracting to read a book, but it was.

Getting There
Remember how I said Grindcore House is off the beaten path? Well, it is neighborhood that is more residential, and google maps can take you down some not so hot neighborhoods. So here is my recommendation to walk or bike all the way down 4th Street, until you hit the coffee shop. By going down 4th Street you will go down Fabric Row, pass some newly built housing, a church, and an abandoned hospital. Plus it is very easy to cross Washington, a major street in Philadelphia, from 4th Street. If you choose to drive, there should be fairly easy parking to be found.

Posted by Jennifer in Tour Pennsylvania, Vegan Pitstop Tags: coffee, donuts, dottie's donuts, grindcore house, my vegan restaurant, Philadelphia, Tour PA, vegan, vegan coffeeshop, vegan pitstops