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If you had to pick your top three vegan (or WFPB) restaurants in Philadelphia to dine at, what would they be, and what would you order from each one?

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Recorded

This event was on August 18, 2026

Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Nolan is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Demetra Stamus

If you had to pick your top three vegan (or WFPB) restaurants in Philadelphia to dine at, what would they be, and what would you order from each one?

Answer

Well, this might be a really big surprise to you, but I don't eat out that much. And I'm not sure why, but if I were to name those three for you, one would be the Joy Cafe in Northern Liberties on North Second Street. We all know Chef Alice. It's my favorite place, and I have been going there for about 10 years because in the back of her restaurant, she has a really cool place to eat your lunch, but also do a lot of work. So maybe I've graded some of your assignments from Chef Alice's, but I like going to Chef Alice's, and her baked goods are also gluten-free. Everyone loves Veg. I've been to Veg several times. It's delightful. It's a unique and beautiful experience. And, of course, there's Miss Rachel's Pantry. Rachel and I go way back. For those of you who are from Philadelphia, you may remember that about 15 years ago, she had a cooking show on an obscure channel, but I think I was her only viewer, and we worked together on several projects. She is a one-night-a-week dinner. You have to make your reservation. She's a wonderful chef, and she's just recently written a cookbook about cheesesteaks because she won on "Beat Bobby Flay" with her vegan cheesesteak recipe. So the book, her name is Rachel Klein, and her restaurant is called Miss Rachel's Pantry, and she's just delightful. So that was a really good question, Demetra. Those would be my choices, and I think that Chef Rachel's cheesesteak is probably really delicious, though I will say I've lived here for more than half of my life, and I've never had a cheesesteak. They just never appealed to me. But rah rah sis boom bah to my Philadelphia brothers and sisters who absolutely adore them. All right.

Char Nolan

Chef Instructor

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.