This past weekend I took the Megabus to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, city of brotherly love. The 5.5 hour bus ride gave me approximately 18 hours in the city before embarking on the return trip home at midnight. My itinerary was set prior to my journey. A full day of sightseeing and meals at several vegan restaurants and bakery were on my agenda!
Upon my arrival, I made my first stop at Grindcore House, the vegan coffeehouse(www.grindcorehouse.com). Since reading about this all-vegan coffeehouse on the web, I just had to visit! It is a quaint cafe with two seating areas. The room in the back is also used for live music performances. The menu is vast and boasts of many varieties of vegan treats and healthy teas. My pre-breakfast munchies included a vegan peanut butter and chocolate brownie, a brownie with a dollup of chocolate mousse under a white chocolate covered pretzel, a cranberry walnut biscotti, and an apple crumb muffin. After taking small bites of each to sample, I carefully packed them in my bag to take back home with me. Everything was deliciously sweet and luscious! I could have eaten them then and there but alas I had to make room for my remainder meals of the day. I washed down my desserts with an herbal pomegranate/goji berry/blueberry, green tea.
Further down the road, I came across the health food market “Essene”(www.essenemarket.com). The market is extremely well-stocked with every vegan item imaginable from fresh produce, hot buffet meals,herbs and dried fruit and nuts, and vegan faux meat sandwiches to snacks such as cookies and candies.
The time then arrived for experiencing our nation’s past through the contributions of Philadelphia and our nation’s founding fathers! I just had to see the Liberty Bell, which represents our freedom from oppression. 
Across the street were the frame beams in the location of the former home of George Washington. As I made my way to the adjacent street, I found Independence Hall where our nation’s constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed. Also closeby is the National Constitution museum.
I was hungry for breakfast at this point! I decided to eat at Mi Lah(www.milahvegetarian.com), vegan restaurant. I absolutely enjoyed my meal! I opted for a vegan omlet filled with vegan American cheese, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes and a side order of home fries. Orange juice accompanied my meal.
More historic, touristic sites were next on my agenda! Franklin Court is a complex which houses several buildings developed by Benjamin Franklin. The frame of his home can be seen here. A museum, his printing company, and his post office can be found here also. Visitors may purchase a stamped letter with Benjamin Franklin’s postmark.
Across the street, the Quaker Meeting House is a large structure which housed the region’s Quaker religious community in auditorium-like seating.
I then proceeded to Betsy Ross’s house. She gained fame, of course when she was given the task of creating America’s first flag. My tour brought throughout the various levels of the home where Ms. Ross dressed in period costume told us tales of her upholstery-making business enterprise for the US. government and navy.
Elfreth’s Alley is America’s oldest residential street. Residential brick rowhouses and shops still line this charming, little street.
For my lunchtime meal, I ate at the all-vegan, Blackbird Pizzeria(www.blackbirdpizzeria.com. Instead of selecting one of their fabulous pizzas, I opted for a vegan, Philly Cheesesteak with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and vegan cheese. I was very happy with my selection! It was delicious and filling. They also have a variety of decadent vegan cakes such as red velvet), whoopie pies, and cookies.
In anticipation of the sweet treats I was about to encounter, I scurried over to the city’s all-vegan bakery “Sweet Freedom Bakery”(www.sweetfreedombakery). I could not wait to try the desserts at this place! To satisfy my sweet tooth, I purchased several items to bring home with me. My bag of treats included a vanilla chocolate chip cupcake, a chocolate and peanut butter donut, and a fruit crumble square. Every item I purchased was absolutely bursting with flavorful goodness! The owner is a strong advocate of health and made mention of the fact that the ingredients are natural and do not include refined sugar or animal products.
Reading Terminal Market(www.readingterminalmarket.org) is a must-see for every tourist in town! This market sells food products, home products, fresh produce, candies, herbs, sweets, and houses many stalls of food vendors. A vegetarian/mostly vegan food stall called “Basic4Vegetarian Cafe” offers diners vegan sandwiches, faux meats, and breakfast items.
My 18 hour day was filled with lots and lots of walking to and fro from the historic sites and vegan cafes. Last but not least was my fantastic dinner selection. I dined at Horizon’s(www.horizonsphiladelphia.com). This vegan upscale restaurant serves very creative, gourmet cuisine. I selected an appetizer of potato perogies, a main course of heart of palm cake with squash and lentils, and a dessert of three beignets with a chocolate filling accompanied by hot chocolate with a dollup of chocolate mousse. The perogies and the heart of palm cake were absolute culinary perfection! Each flavorful morsel left me yearning for the next bite! The heavenly dessert was warm, moist and a “melt in your mouth goodness” of dough and chocolate. The service was superb. This was definitely one of the best vegan meals I have ever eaten in the world!
A couple of hours still remained before I had to hop back on the Megabus for my journey home. I decided to take a stroll over to the old city hall. The architecture was gorgeous! The ornate building and steeple were reminiscent of European splendor. Across the street was a beautiful cathedral lit up gloriously by the city lights.
Midnight arrived and it was time for my 5.5 hour Megabus ride home. I highly recommend every attraction and every vegan restaurant and bakery on my itinerary. Philadelphia is a very vegan-friendly city. It is home to several vegan restaurants and many vegetarian ones. You do not want to miss this opportunity to delve into America’s past from one of its most historic cities!
I had quite a delightful day filled with historic sights and vegan delights!!
UPDATE – Aug. 2011: Horizon’s Restaurant is now closed.