Congo Bars and more from Nick's Vegan Café

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Congo Bars and more from Nicks Vegan Café

POSTED: Friday, February 18, 2011, 5:58 PM

Filed Under: Vegan | Vegetarian

Photo | Rich Farnkopf

Grindcore House. Pumpkin. Rocket Cat Café. Soy Café. The Bottle Shop. Café Mocha. And me. What do we know that you dont yet? That Nicholas Sanfratello, the guy who put the name World Café on the vegan-menu map (at Fourth and South) before entering the bar/after-hours scene of the '90s (Café Limbo, Bongo Room) is back in action. After retiring for a few years, he created Nicks Vegan Café, a commercial kitchen across from Fairmount Park where he makes and sells vegan baked goods for both wholesale and retail in addition to savory items for eat-in or takeout. A lifelong vegetarian (at least since 1973) and one-time musician (his band Red Weather was the first act ever to play the original Dobbs), Sanfratello had never attempted anything of this magnitude the preparation of vegan foods in such a ample space. "North 33rd Street is as big as Broad," he says. "I have a loft on top of the Café and have an unobstructed view of the city skyscape from my back deck. It makes me feel like I am living in the country, while being 6 minutes from Center City." At his location, he has "veganized" traditional comfort foods seitan cacciatore and cheesesteaks, veggie meatballs and meatloaf, with more mock-meat items to come. "I felt as if I had unfinished business in that field after closing the original World Café," says Sanfratello. "I believe in nutrition as a solution to most physical and mental disease. I also see the traditional restaurant business as a little too decadent in a time when the world is collapsing." Sanfratello sees food as function, but doesnt believe vegan have to be boring. Most particularly flavorful and great for those who cant get to his locale are his baked goods, muffins and Congo Bars (pictured). They're made with hemp (no THC), a highly nutritional detoxifying agent. My fave happens to be the Mango Goji Berry Congo Bar. Visit any of the aforementioned stores or go to nicksvegan.com to check out his wares.

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Posted 2011-02-18 20:32:46

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Vegan Cooking, Vegan News. Vegan News said: Congo Bars and more from Nickâs Vegan CafÃ© :: Meal Ticket ... http://bit.ly/gchuGx [...]

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Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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Congo Bars and more from Nicks Vegan Café

Congo Bars and more from Nicks Vegan Café