Photo from Dottie’s Donuts Facebook page.

If you’ve been to Little Baby’s Ice Cream, Mariposa Food Coop or Green Line Cafe, you’ve probably seen a Dottie’s Donut on the counter display. This Philadelphia startup has been churning out 50 different flavors of vegan donuts for the past year, and distributing them to other businesses, but for the very first time, Dottie’s Donuts will finally have its own brick and mortar store – at 4531 Springfield Avenue.

Owners Jeff Poleon and Matt Quinn don’t like advertising their products as vegan because they don’t want to alienate the non-vegan market. “After years of working in the food industry, we realized that there were a lot of assumptions about vegan foods,” explained Poleon. “So when we decided to start our business, we decided it was just a donut.”

They crafted a recipe out of coconut milk and a natural egg substitute, which is almost indistinguishable from a typical donut recipe. “Vegan is a bonus point. Kind of broadens our customer base,” Poleon added.

The shop will finally allow the owners to interact with their customers face-to-face. They lauded the Philadelphia population for being “more accepting” and adventurous when it comes to trying new foods than other places. The shop will give the team behind Dottie’s a chance to directly discuss their vision with their audience.  Continue Reading

Local Girl Scout troops are getting ready to set up their tables for the annual cookie sale, which begins on Thursday, Jan. 14. Starting tomorrow and until March 13, you can buy delicious cookies with great eight flavors around the neighborhood, including at some grocery stores (check out the Fresh Grocer at 40th and Walnut).

Girl Scout troops Junior 91143, Brownie 93273, and Daisy 91569 will be selling cookies from Jan. 14 to Jan. 24. Check out their table locations and schedule below. All the classics are $4 a box, plus gluten-free Trios (peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate) will be offered for $5.

Orders of 12 boxes or more can also be delivered (please contact Amy at kwaszilla@gmail.com; cash only).

Eastern Mountain Sports
3401 Chestnut Street

Jan. 14 – 4:00-6:00pm
Jan. 15 – 4:00-6:00pm
Jan. 21 – 4:00-6:00pm
Jan. 22 – 4:00-6:00pm  Continue Reading

Herban Quality Eats, a fast-casual restaurant that recently opened at 36th and Market, is kicking off its dinner service on Tuesday, Jan. 12 with a Pay-What-You-Want dinner. All the proceeds from the event will go directly to Morton McMichael School, a K-8 school located in West Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood. Dinner will be served from 5 – 9 p.m.

Herban, which is run by two Wharton grads, specializes in homestyle plates with a wholesome twist. The team’s mission is to “make nutritious taste delicious.”

The restaurant is currently open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Starting Wednesday, January 13 Herban Quality Eats will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.herbanqualityeats.com.

Here’s a sampling of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day events and happenings in West Philly and Center City. Also, a reminder that subway trains will be running all night tonight to accommodate New Year’s Eve travelers. Happy New Year!

New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Philadelphia will ring in 2016 not once but twice with New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Delaware River waterfront (Penn’s Landing). The first show starts at 6 p.m., and the second one is at midnight. If you can’t make it to Penn’s Landing, check out this Visit Philly guide to the best spots to watch the fireworks and ring in the New Year.

New Year’s Eve Yoga

Studio 34 is hosting the annual New Year’s Eve Yoga and Mochi event from 8 – 10 p.m. This is a fun and inspiring all-levels yoga workshop led by Studio 34 teacher Morgan Andrews. After class, mochi (sweet chewy rice cakes) will be served. Admission for this class is sliding scale, $10-$20. Click here for more information. Also, you can try some hot yoga for free at Bikram Yoga West Philly (4145 Chestnut St), just bring a screenshot of this ad. Bikram Yoga is holding classes today until 4:30 p.m., and there will be one class on New Year’s Day, at 11 a.m. Here’s the schedule for this week.  Continue Reading

Photo from Herban Quality Eats’ Facebook page.

Herban Quality Eats, a West Philly healthy food startup, which has been operating for a little over a year out of the shared kitchen space at the Culinary Center at 48th and Spruce, is opening a fast-casual restaurant this Tuesday at 3601 Market Street. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the recently completed University City Science Center’s high-rise apartment building.

The restaurant will open at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 15 and to celebrate the opening, the first 101 guests will be treated to a free lunch.

At Herban (a mashup of “herb” and “urban”), diners can build their platter starting with a base such as Himalayan red rice, seasoned kale, or chilled whole wheat peanut noodles, then adding a protein: you can choose from grilled chicken, backyard steak, pesto salmon, or “the vegan jawn”, a mix of lentils, quinoa, and sweet potatoes baked into protein-packed balls. Next, you can pick a sauce to accompany your combo, from herbed tomato, walnut coriander, and Herban hot sauce. And to finish off your plate you can choose two sides, like roasted Brussels sprouts and quinoa ‘n cheese.

Salads are also on Herban’s menu: the Montego with organic baby spinach, avocado,  plantain chips, fresh pineapple, and jalapeno-lime vinaigrette and the Spruce with organic kale, feta cheese, pear, pecans, dried cranberries, and balsamic-ginger vinaigrette.

Throughout December, Herban Quality Eats will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. In 2016 they will extend their hours. For more information, visit www.herbanqualityeats.com.

   Photo courtesy of Lil’ Pop Shop.

After over three years of operation at 44th and Spruce and gaining popularity throughout the area, Lil’ Pop Shop is ready to expand.

The new location, at 4608 Woodland Ave., will serve as a main production hub for the business and will include more offerings. “We’re outgrowing the kitchen on 44th,” says owner Jeanne Chang. “We will have a lot more equipment [at the new location].”

The new space is equipped with an oven for baked goods, including cakes and pies, confections, marshmallows, and different types of cookies. “This will greatly impact the products we can make; it will better serve the neighborhood,” Chang said.

Lil’ Pop Shop II will emulate the same model as the first, as it will be mainly for takeout with limited seating.

Chang relocated to Philadelphia in 2012, after her husband began working at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a West Philadelphia nonprofit that researches smell and taste. She decided to open the business on 44th and Locust in May 2012 and has been serving up original popsicle recipes ever since. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she uses her culinary background to craft flavors such as Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Early Grey with Black Pepper and Green Tea with Mochi for her customers.  Continue Reading