PHILADELPHIA, PA, March 10, 2015 —The challenge is on to name the 2015 Best Vegan Cheesesteak in Philadelphia.
Brainchild of “V for Vegan” blogger Vance Lehmkuhl, the second annual contest, sponsored by the Daily News, culminates Friday, March 20, at Weavers Way Chestnut Hill, with a blind tasting by celebrity judges of the three most popular qualifying sandwiches.
Any restaurant’s meatless sandwich may be nominated but only those that are 100 percent vegan qualify for the finals. (Hint: “Just a little bit of cheese” doesn’t count.)
In addition to naming the overall 2015 winner, organizers will award “Best Newcomer” to the top venue competing for the first time this year, while the top vote-getter across all categories will win “People’s Choice.”
The judging tops off a Weavers Way Chestnut Hill celebration of the Great American Meatout, with sampling and info from vendors of vegetarian and vegan products, an all-vegan hot bar and our own vegan cheesesteaks for sale at the sandwich station.
With Zagat raters ranking Vedge No. 1 restaurant in Philadelphia in their 2014 rankings, and with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey going vegan and Beyonce launching a vegan meal-delivery service, interest in this cuisine is clearly on the rise. And in a city where the wit-witout divide shows no sign of ever narrowing, is adding no-meat, no-cheese to the cheesesteak options really all that farfetched?
From a couple venues a decade ago to a couple dozen in 2014, the vegan cheeseteak is showing up in crunchy vegan cafes and mainstream bars and pizzerias alike. Improvements in vegan meat and cheese alternatives – fillings range from soy to seitan to mushrooms, with store-bought or homemade vegan soft cheese – make these tasty sandwiches appealing to vegans and nonvegans alike.
In 2014 the Daily News sought not only to recognize quality but to determine how many restaurants offered a vegan cheesesteak. In the inaugural contest, 23 venues were nominated; in the final tasting, a unanimous judges panel hailedBlackbird Pizzeria (www.blackbirdpizzeria.com) as best.
Blackbird is back this year, but who knows what tofu-king topplers are ready to be crowned?
About Weavers Way: Founded in 1973 as a neighborhood food buying club, Weavers Way has grown to encompass four stores in Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill and two urban farms. Cooperatively owned by 5,400 member families, “the Co-op” emphasizes products that are healthy, sustainable and local, and supports fair prices, fair trade and fair treatment of workers. At Weavers Way, anyone can join and everyone can shop. For more information, visit www.weaversway.coop.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, March 10, 2015 —The challenge is on to name the 2015 Best Vegan Cheesesteak in Philadelphia.
Brainchild of “V for Vegan” blogger Vance Lehmkuhl, the second annual contest, sponsored by the Daily News, culminates Friday, March 20, at Weavers Way Chestnut Hill, with a blind tasting by celebrity judges of the three most popular qualifying sandwiches.
Any restaurant’s meatless sandwich may be nominated but only those that are 100 percent vegan qualify for the finals. (Hint: “Just a little bit of cheese” doesn’t count.)
In addition to naming the overall 2015 winner, organizers will award “Best Newcomer” to the top venue competing for the first time this year, while the top vote-getter across all categories will win “People’s Choice.”
The judging tops off a Weavers Way Chestnut Hill celebration of the Great American Meatout, with sampling and info from vendors of vegetarian and vegan products, an all-vegan hot bar and our own vegan cheesesteaks for sale at the sandwich station.
With Zagat raters ranking Vedge No. 1 restaurant in Philadelphia in their 2014 rankings, and with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey going vegan and Beyonce launching a vegan meal-delivery service, interest in this cuisine is clearly on the rise. And in a city where the wit-witout divide shows no sign of ever narrowing, is adding no-meat, no-cheese to the cheesesteak options really all that farfetched?
From a couple venues a decade ago to a couple dozen in 2014, the vegan cheeseteak is showing up in crunchy vegan cafes and mainstream bars and pizzerias alike. Improvements in vegan meat and cheese alternatives – fillings range from soy to seitan to mushrooms, with store-bought or homemade vegan soft cheese – make these tasty sandwiches appealing to vegans and nonvegans alike.
In 2014 the Daily News sought not only to recognize quality but to determine how many restaurants offered a vegan cheesesteak. In the inaugural contest, 23 venues were nominated; in the final tasting, a unanimous judges panel hailedBlackbird Pizzeria (www.blackbirdpizzeria.com) as best.
Blackbird is back this year, but who knows what tofu-king topplers are ready to be crowned?
About Weavers Way: Founded in 1973 as a neighborhood food buying club, Weavers Way has grown to encompass four stores in Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill and two urban farms. Cooperatively owned by 5,400 member families, “the Co-op” emphasizes products that are healthy, sustainable and local, and supports fair prices, fair trade and fair treatment of workers. At Weavers Way, anyone can join and everyone can shop. For more information, visit www.weaversway.coop.
PHILADELPHIA, February 18, 2015 — Weavers Way invites all women — particularly those aged 50-plus — to enjoy a special event honoring International Women’s Day.
Femfest 2015 is a free, full-day program of informative, inspiring and entertaining presentations by, for and about women aged 50 and above. It takes place Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, at Summit Church, 6757 Greene St., Philadelphia, PA 19119, in the city’s Mt. Airy neighborhood.
Women of diverse backgrounds from Northwest Philadelphia and beyond will share personal stories, knowledge and creative ideas concerning identity, life and aging as a woman, and tools and techniques for cultivating well-being.
Health coach Dana Barron, PhD, will discuss “How to Increase Your Energy Naturally”; biology professor Anne Bower of Philadelphia University will share her knowledge of plant medicine; physical therapist Joanne Fagerstrom will introduce a mindful approach to bone health; and Weavers Way Across the Way Wellness Manager April Pedrick will talk about how experiences of trauma affect nutrition. Participants will also hear from local therapists and healers such as Claudia Apfelbaum,Max and Elise Rivers and Iris Wolfson.
Guests will discover the dance-therapy technique called Five Rhythms, enjoy live music with Lynn Riley, get advice on “owning your voice” with Deborah Crane, hear words of wisdom from life coach Tracie Nichols of Wildly Fiercely Flourishing, and learn about women’s qi-gong from Gabrielle Burke of Dragon Spirit Arts.
Local author Betsy Teutsch will discuss her new book, “100 Under $100: Tools for Empowering Global Women,” which is being released the following day, March 8, the official International Women’s Day. The full program will also include featured profiles of several inspiring local women writers, artists and activists.
“Hearing from your peers helps to promote an atmosphere of trust and frankness that will offer participants the most benefits,” said Connie Garcia-Barrio, a writer and Weavers Way member who first brought the idea for this event to Co-op management and staff.
A raffle for a basket of Weavers Way products will benefitDawn’s Place, a Germantown-based nonprofit that works to improve the lives of women trapped by, or at risk for, commercial sexual exploitation. Dawn’s Place provides housing, trauma recovery services and vocational training while striving to raise awareness of commercial sexual exploitation via education, prevention, public-policy reform and community collaboration.
FemFest 2015 is free, but pre-registration is required. Participants can come for the whole day or any portion of it. A pay-as-you-go marketplace will feature gift items, handcrafts, books and health and beauty products from Weavers Way Co-op, as well as refreshments and lunch options.
About Weavers Way: Founded as a buying club in 1973, “the Co-op” now has grocery stores in Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, two health and wellness specialty shops and a pet supply store. We strive to offer food and other products that are wholesome, sustainable and locally sourced. At Weavers Way, everyone can shop and anyone can join. For information about our new initiative, Food For All, to make good food affordable for more members of our communities, visitwww.weaversway.coop/food-for-all. For information about Weavers Way, visit our website, www.weaversway.coop.
PHILADELPHIA, February 18, 2015 — Weavers Way invites all women — particularly those aged 50-plus — to enjoy a special event honoring International Women’s Day.
Femfest 2015 is a free, full-day program of informative, inspiring and entertaining presentations by, for and about women aged 50 and above. It takes place Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, at Summit Church, 6757 Greene St., Philadelphia, PA 19119, in the city’s Mt. Airy neighborhood.
Women of diverse backgrounds from Northwest Philadelphia and beyond will share personal stories, knowledge and creative ideas concerning identity, life and aging as a woman, and tools and techniques for cultivating well-being.
Health coach Dana Barron, PhD, will discuss “How to Increase Your Energy Naturally”; biology professor Anne Bower of Philadelphia University will share her knowledge of plant medicine; physical therapist Joanne Fagerstrom will introduce a mindful approach to bone health; and Weavers Way Across the Way Wellness Manager April Pedrick will talk about how experiences of trauma affect nutrition. Participants will also hear from local therapists and healers such as Claudia Apfelbaum,Max and Elise Rivers and Iris Wolfson.
Guests will discover the dance-therapy technique called Five Rhythms, enjoy live music with Lynn Riley, get advice on “owning your voice” with Deborah Crane, hear words of wisdom from life coach Tracie Nichols of Wildly Fiercely Flourishing, and learn about women’s qi-gong from Gabrielle Burke of Dragon Spirit Arts.
Local author Betsy Teutsch will discuss her new book, “100 Under $100: Tools for Empowering Global Women,” which is being released the following day, March 8, the official International Women’s Day. The full program will also include featured profiles of several inspiring local women writers, artists and activists.
“Hearing from your peers helps to promote an atmosphere of trust and frankness that will offer participants the most benefits,” said Connie Garcia-Barrio, a writer and Weavers Way member who first brought the idea for this event to Co-op management and staff.
A raffle for a basket of Weavers Way products will benefitDawn’s Place, a Germantown-based nonprofit that works to improve the lives of women trapped by, or at risk for, commercial sexual exploitation. Dawn’s Place provides housing, trauma recovery services and vocational training while striving to raise awareness of commercial sexual exploitation via education, prevention, public-policy reform and community collaboration.
FemFest 2015 is free, but pre-registration is required. Participants can come for the whole day or any portion of it. A pay-as-you-go marketplace will feature gift items, handcrafts, books and health and beauty products from Weavers Way Co-op, as well as refreshments and lunch options.
About Weavers Way: Founded as a buying club in 1973, “the Co-op” now has grocery stores in Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, two health and wellness specialty shops and a pet supply store. We strive to offer food and other products that are wholesome, sustainable and locally sourced. At Weavers Way, everyone can shop and anyone can join. For information about our new initiative, Food For All, to make good food affordable for more members of our communities, visitwww.weaversway.coop/food-for-all. For information about Weavers Way, visit our website, www.weaversway.coop.
