the belgian cafe and memphis taproom

the belgian cafe
21st and green
philadelphia, pa
(215) 235 3500
www.thebelgiancafe.com

type of cuisine: brew house
culinary excellence: 2
vegan friendliness: 8

memphis taproom
2331 east cumberland street
philadelphia, pa
(215) 425 4460
www.memphistaproom.com

type of cuisine: brew house
culinary excellence: 6
vegan friendliness: 8

if you're a philly vegan lookin' for some fried food and brew, you're in luck. just this year two such places have sprung up - the belgian cafe, near the art museum, and memphis taproom in kensington. and this philly vegan has visited both of them to tell you which beast is best.

let's start with the belgian cafe. first of all - TONS of beer, so if that's your thing, you should be duly impressed. me, i ordered any old ale and drank a few sips before handing over the rest to luca. they have a good handful of vegan options, including spring rolls, wings, burgers and a few other inventive menu items. unfortunately, none of it is particularly good. the pommes frites are alright, served with an unpleasant smoked ketchup and a crumbly tofu aioli. the breaded seitan wings taste ok at first, but then they start to be really gross. way too much bbq sauce on them. the vegan meatloaf is like a browned veggie nut loaf with broccoli on the side. it's the kind of dish that makes me wonder if the chefs are aware that it's possible to have really good vegan food. on the plus side, the space is really cute and not unbearably loud, which brings me to...

memphis taproom. so the food here is a lot tastier, but luca and i had to scream our conversation and left in a dizzying stupor of ringing eardrums. at one point i actually yelled "HELP!" just to see if anyone would notice. nope. but back to the point of our visit - greasy grub. i ordered the tempura summer veggies with coconut curry dipping sauce for my meal. i might have liked a different assortment of veggies (included were red peppers, cauliflower, mushrooms and carrots), but it was so nice to have tempura again. everything was crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. i think a soy ginger sauce would have been a better compliment than the curry, but points for originality. luca ordered the vegan fish and chips, a plate of super-battered soft tofu sticks that tasted so much better than they sound, some average french fries, a smoky slaw and a side of vegan aioli. i am interested in going back during non-peak hours to try their eggless french toast and smoked avocado blt. also, while you're in fishtown, stop by the philadelphia book company. this place was bizarre - a huge warehouse full of the most random assortment of books that you rummage through in near total darkness.

there you have it!