Blackbird Pizzeria, Elfreth’s Alley, & Magic Gardens – Philly

Blackbird Pizzeria! Blackbird Pizzeria!

I feel like I don’t need to say much more. In a way, Blackbird has taken on a life (and fan base) of its own. You can’t walk away from Philly without everyone you’ve ever known (vegan or not) recommending Blackbird Pizzeria. They’ve built an outstanding reputation and a loyal customer base, without question. And it’s no wonder why. The food is creative and delectable, yet echos the traditional, deliciously greasy nature of a standard fast-food pizza joint. They’ve got great music, fun employees, and are situated just one block from the infamous South Street, where everyone hangs out. All of the time. It seems. :)

Blackbird Pizzeria – 100% vegan

507 S 6th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Seriously, Blackbird has got it going on in more ways than one. And as I write this I’ve yet to eat today so it’s making it extremely difficult to function as my cravings for B’s pizza is unparalleled in this very moment. Aaaaaah! Okay, pics!

Blackbird Pizzeria is home to some of the most unique pizza flavors and toppings I’ve come across. You’ve got fun pies like margherita, yukon (love this one!), nacho (spicy and delish), and fungi (one of my faves); and then there are the sandwiches which include the seitan cheesesteak (everyone raves about this. I tried it and yup… THE best vegan “philly cheesesteak” in all of Philly),  chickpea salad hoagie, lemon pepper tofu wrap, and roasted eggplant grinder. They also have some great sides including hand cut fries and garlic bread. Oh and they carry some delights from Vegan Treats too. YES!

Food pics, commence!

Slice of Haymaker (foreground) & Fungi (background)Slice of NachoSlice of YukonHand Cut FriesSeitan Cheesesteak

If you don’t mind I’d like to say a few more words about Blackbird’s Seitan Cheesesteak. Ah’em … as quoted from my note book, “rich, creamy, decedent, perfectly greasy. Onions, green peppers, mushrooms, amazingly delicious and thinly sliced seitan, melted Daiya cheese mixed in. Not too salty. OMG. On a baguette that just yields to the goodness that sits inside of it.” — It might not make total sense but I was in food coma/heaven at the time. ;)

Soooo gooooood!!!! If you’ve never been to Philly it’s worth a trip just for this place alone. But the good news is, Philly’s home to my number one restaurant of all time (to be revealed soon), Grindcore House (which you now know how I feel about), and numerous vegan friendly eateries. Philly is also relatively close to NYC, which is always a plus in terms of vegan dining wants and needs. :) Superb!!

After Blackbird I did some walking around the city to let the food settle and to.. well, look around. Philly is beautiful and I’d been looking forward to exploring much of it while here. So… I give you, Elfreths’ Alley (“…one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the country.”) and Magic Gardens (located on South St., not too far from Blackbird Pizzeria).

Awww, doggy. Proof that people still reside in these cutie houses. :)

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. I didn’t actually tour the inside but just spent a few minutes inspecting the outside of the surrounding buildings that house Magic Gardens. Very cool.

The pic below is not part of Magic Gardens. But I stumbled upon several other buildings throughout Philly that had unique artwork on them, and used shiny objects and glass bits to bring the buildings to life. In this particular case I just really liked the little message on the door. :)

Special thanks to those of you who recommended these places to me! ;) xo