HipCityVeg: Atypical Vegan delight
As the week ended with a day immersed in studying and in-doors and an earlier colorful sunset, my friends and I decided to have dinner at HipCityVeg, which recently opened in University City on 40th street by the High Rise Field.
HipCityVeg first opened in the spring of 2012 in Rittenhouse Square, a main dining area in the city of Brotherly Love, and made a reputation of itself for its all plant-based diet, including salads, burgers, wraps and milkshakes. Nicole Marquis, the owner, teamed up with chef Lauren Hooks to create a place for nutrition-conscious people like her. As a vegetarian myself, I could understand her frustration. Going to a restaurant can be difficult at times as piecing together meals is tiring and makes us wish for an easier way to keep our restricted diet. HipCityVeg quickly became popular, with a staff growing from 6 to 25 and many groothies (the signature drink made of leafy greens, mostly spinach, seasonal fruit and apples) sold. According to Nicole Marquis, many people were waiting for a place like this to open. Indeed, Philadelphia is becoming a vegan city with people embracing challenges and changes but craving for fresh, organic food.
As 40th street is lined up with restaurants for different taste and welcoming college students and local habitants for a quick and fine dinner experience, the location itself prepares for the new experience. Walking into the place, I felt like I was entering the healthy, green-and-plant-themed and hip version of a fast-food chain. Finding a seat proved to be hectic given the rather small size of the restaurant and the number of people in the restaurant but we eventually managed it all while waiting impatiently for our groothies and our long-awaited meals. The decoration itself represents the concept of fresh food with its light colors and clean, modern design formed of wooden tables, potted-plants and organic fruit dispersed over the counter in a well-thought and artistic way.
The Crispy HipCity Ranch, a faux-chicken fried burger, is apparently very popular but we opted for salads (udon noodle, chopped med and smoked tempeh spinach) and the Ziggy Burger, a veggie burger composed of tempeh and special sauce. Everything was delicious and filling. I especially enjoyed the fact that we had diverse options and taste. Other friends went and highly recommend tasting the sweet potato fries and the pumpkin milkshake, perfect treats for the fall weather who has yet to arrive. A friend concluded was HipCityVeg was best for healthy burgers and SweetGreen for salads. While this might be true, everything there is appreciated and should be tasted. Venturing there was a perfect way to end this stressful week and go on with the weekend, and made me feel happier to live in Philadelphia.
Diane Bayeux