Skip to content
The Koginut squash as served at Pietramala in Northern Liberties Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. A round-up of several new plant-based restaurants.
The Koginut squash as served at Pietramala in Northern Liberties Wednesday Jan. 4, 2023. A round-up of several new plant-based restaurants.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Craig LaBan’s Top 10

Pietramala

Featured on Craig LaBan’s Top 10
Northern LibertiesVegetarian, Modern American, Italian$$

Pietramala is a cozy vegan spot, with such a tight menu — usually no more than 10 plates — that you can comfortably order the whole thing with a group of four and not feel overwhelmed. Yet you'll never have the same meal twice: Chef Ian Graye’s incredibly inventive cooking, which treats produce with the full range of culinary techniques (charring, fermenting, compressing) pushes vegetables to acrobatic heights, and he’s always attempting new feats. (You also won’t find meat substitutes here.) Hits from a meal in June were a delicate carta de musica flatbread layered with cashew ricotta, pea shoots, charred pea pods, and nasturtiums, as well as a broccoli, green garlic, and aged tofu play on risotto so rich and nuanced, you’d swear a whole hunk of Parmesan and a cup of cream went into it. Desserts are the only thing where the experimentation can sometimes yield unwelcome results — a celery ice cream was intensely vegetal — but the whole experience merits the gamble.

How we choose our best lists

The Inquirer aims to represent the geographic, cultural, and culinary diversity of the region in its coverage. Inquirer staffers and contributors do not accept free or comped meals — all meals are paid for by the Inquirer. All dining recommendations are made solely by the Inquirer editorial staffers and contributors based on their reporting and expertise, without input from advertisers or outside interests.

Restaurant Details

614 N 2nd St , Philadelphia, PA, 19123
(215)-970-9541
https://www.pietramalaphl.com/
pietramala_phl
Also appears in