I lived in Philadelphia for most of my life, and for the last 4 years of that life I have been vegan. Somehow I had never made it to the acclaimed and nationally coveted vegan restaurant, Horizons, until my last week as a resident. All I can say is that it was worth the wait. Doodlebug was nice enough to take me here for a lovely birthday and “going away” celebration.
This joint is loaded with cruelty free goodness from cocktail to sinful dessert. The ambiance was cozy and romantic, the service was great and unobtrusive, and the food…..oh the food.. it was to die for. If you are ever in the Philadelphia area be sure to stop by this gem for a bite. If you are not able to make it there, recreate a little piece of it at home with their cookbook Horizons: New Vegan Cuisine.
Naturally, we started out the evening with cocktails. I had a mojito, while Doodlebug had a mojito of the virgin persuasion. It always makes me smile when he orders faux frilly drinks! Next came the first course. We ravenously devoured the smoked eggplant empanadas and the vietnamese tacos. Both dishes were absolutely delicious and the servings were surprisingly generous, which is not typical of a restaurant of this caliber. I would eat the vietnamese tacos everyday if my wallet or culinary skills allowed it.
Then, in a very timely fashion our entrees arrived. Doodlebug ordered the Hearts of Palm and Curries, simply because it was the most unique thing on the menu. It was delicious (yes, of course I ate some of it!) and had really unique flavors. The only undesirable factor was that it was somewhat like our vietnamese taco entree. Although we weren’t really complaining about that! I got the grilled seitan entree, because I was in the mood for a more traditional dish and was craving mashed potatoes. I need to emphasize that this was the only “fake meat” I’ve ever eaten that has even come close to the real thing. I was never much of a meat eater, so this was probably not the best thing for me to order, but I would highly recommend it to any carnivore dining at Horizons.
Although we were stuffed to the max and barely able to move, we still managed to scarf down a slice of cheesecake and some lovely chocolate concoction (I forget the name, but it came with peanut butter ice cream!). Both were exceptional and (thankfully) small portions.
I truly regret waiting until my last moments in Philly to experience the amazingness that is Horizons. The next time I am in town I will be sure to make a beeline there straight from the airport.
But you? You enjoy it now!!
Horizons
611 S. 7th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 923-6117
horizonsphiladelphia.com
Now I really need to go! We had planned our Valentine’s Day dinner there this year, but it snowed like crazy so we stayed in instead. Glad you got to experience it before you headed west!
I’ve lived in Philly for about a year and a half now and have never gone. I do not know why, as everything I ever read/see/hear about it is amazing.