Philly Eats Via Jersey Shore

In my quest of reporting vegan eats near and far, I have grown quite adept at planning trips with maximum “umph.” To follow, my most recent excursion to Philadelphia by way of the Jersey Shore, two destinations with thriving vegan options. In the interest of my hazy Sunday head, I am going to practice the skill I’ll soon ask my students next week, precision in language. Twisted Tree is a cafe on Cookman Ave in the Jersey Shore’s Asbury Park. Besides having simple vegan lunch options, they’ve got a mostly vegan bakery. I got a slice of their carrot cake.  It had so many nuts and raisins, I kind of missed the “cake” part. The soft cream cheese icing was delightfully airy. Coffee, service and the variety of vegan baked goods makes it a great spot to pick up a goody or two on the way to the beach.

I was very excited to visit Silverball Museum, a arcade / pinball museum that offers sundrunk boardwalkers relief from the blazing sun. And the best part, you get unlimited play for the duration of your stay! Admission fees depend on how much time you want. I spent more of my time taking pictures of the nostalgic graphics of the machines than I did playing. I highly recommend stopping here if you’re in Asbury Park.

Unlimited Skee Ball, too!

They have some great pinball machines, including this Guns N’ Roses one. But I was much more into the vintage ones.

Since we were parked right in front of Mogo, home of a delicious Korean fusion tofu taco, we stopped in for a bite. The flavor-packed taco had chunks of sturdy fried tofu that truly stood up to its toppings, which consisted of assorted pickled delights. They even had a Kimchee Bar so you can dress your taco with even more flavor. My mouth is watering thinking of this taco. After I ate it in like 3 messy bites, I got two refills of shredded daikon. Love that cool heat!

I mentioned Cookman Creamery in my previous post on the Jersey Shore. I was disappointed to have missed homemade vegan soft serve with homemade vegan whipped cream. Yes, I said homemade. In fact, everything thing in Cookman Creamery is made from scratch by an amazing Mom and daughter pair! This is the kind of business that I love discovering. High standards, made with love, and free of packaging.  All of Cookman’s flavors are tasted by the discerning decades-dairy-free Mom. She clearly knows a thing or two about really good dairy-free ice cream. And she is not afraid to say is loud and proud: the V-word is everywhere in Cookman! (Although we chuckled about an older woman who pronounced it “v-egg-in” and my Dad’s rendition: “vay-gun.”) Did I mention that they not only have hard coconut-based vegan ice cream with unique flavors (like “Ugly Avocado”), but they have vegan ice cream pies, vegan ice cream pops, vegan “flying saucer”-esque treats, milk shakes, etc etc etc.

I had to get their Banana split. These are my supporting reasons. 1) I always get the banana split if it’s available. It’s tradition! 2) I can try three flavors of ice cream (I got soft serve vanilla, soft serve chocolate, and hard Ugly Avocado). 3) They had a variety of vegan toppings like homemade chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauces, vegan marshmallow sauce, and homemade vegan whipped cream (the best I’ve tasted). and 4) Being away from my home base, I always choose excess. 

What a treat! Cookman’s is the real deal. Truly.

You know how John Turturro’s character in Box of Moonlight is searching for childhood haunt Splatchee Lake? That is how Morey’s Piers at Wildwood is for me in a way. My family and I used to go to the Jersey Shore when I was a kid and I never forgot this place. It is the Swing Ride that swoops over the boardwalk towards the ocean that I never forgot. (And a Fun House that is no longer there.) So I rode it again. This time not crying. 

On the way out of Wildwood, we hit The Wild Burrito for a sampling of their vegan options. The Wild Burrito isn’t scared to use the v-bomb on their menu, which is so helpful. They make their own seitan, which is also something that a vegan can feel good about supporting. And they have tortilla and plantain crusted fried avocado fries. Bam!

The avocado fries were the star of our visit, as was the service. The fries were not the greatest value, over $5 for five fries, and they needed some seasoning… but there isn’t much that creamy avocado can’t fix. 

Finally, to Philly. Along with many road closure due to a White Linen Party/restaurant pop-up. We made it to Charlie was a sinner, a vegan “speakeasy” in the heart of Philadelphia’s theater district, for a bite of dessert and some ambiance. The bar and eatery, opened by Hip City Veg‘s people, is dark and filled with pretty people. They’ve got a cool name and posh design. But I don’t need that stage show, I just want the food. I had Charlie’s Chocolate Cake, which was more a fudge brownie in crumbles, topped with strawberry sorbet, cocoa nib, and salted caramel. Like the morning carrot cake, I missed the cake! But the crumbles were rich and decadent. I’ll have to return for a bite of their creative savory dishes.

And finally, cheese steaks for the road. Because I couldn’t possibly eat another bite. We headed to Blackbird Pizzeria for their delicious vegan seitan cheese steak. The best vegan Philly cheese steak in the city of Brotherly Love. No use going anywhere else. Except a stop for non-vegan cheese steaks for the men in our lives.