Gianna’s Grille
507 S. Sixth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-829-4448
“Gianna’s Grille” www.GiannasGrille.com
Hours
Tuesday to Thursday “12” noon to 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday “12” noon to 9 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday
Gianna’s Grille: Dishing Up Homemade Eats and Vegan Treats
Craving a Philly cheese steak, but don’t want to cheat on your New Year’s resolution to lose weight? Head on over to Gianna’s Grille in Philadelphia! Gianna’s GG Special won’t doom your diet, because it’s 100 percent vegan—made with veggie “steak” and homemade soy cheese—not to mention 100 percent delicious! When one regular carnivorous customer tried the GG Special, he loved it so much, he never went back to the “real thing.”
Fabulous fooled-you “cheese steak” is just one of the veggie delights dished up at Gianna’s. Other vegan eats include the BBQ Freebird (a vegetarian “chicken” sandwich with soy cheese, fried onions, and barbecue sauce), Chicken Run “chicken” salad, luscious lasagna with veggie beef and soy cheese, and pizza topped with your choice of mock meats like “pepperoni,””sausage,” and “ham,” soy cheese, and all the veggies you could ask for. Oh, and did we mention that all the desserts—including the decadent homemade “cheesecakes”—are vegan?
Gianna’s owners, Babs and Paul, opened the restaurant (named after their daughter) in 1997 with the goal of providing “a place where everyone could have a great meal, whether they were vegan or not. We wanted the strictest vegans to be able to dine with carnivorous friends and family and have everyone enjoy themselves the same.”
It’s working! Gianna’s has developed a following among meat-eaters and vegetarians alike, and so many bands stop in when they’re in town that the restaurant has started a “wall of fame” filled with tour posters and comments from the musicians. But you don’t have to be a star to eat like one. Just visit Gianna’s when you’re in Philly, or whip up the restaurant’s warming broccoli and cauliflower bisque in your own kitchen tonight.
Recipe From Gianna’s Grille
Vegan Broccoli and Cauliflower Bisque
1 cup diced onion
3 stalks diced celery
3 cloves chopped garlic
8 tsp. soy oil
8 tsp. unbleached flour
1/2 gallon soy milk
3 cups vegetable stock
4 large Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 head broccoli florets
1 head cauliflower florets
1 Tbsp. rosemary
1 tsp. sage
Salt and pepper, to taste
- In a soup pot, sauté the onion and celery until translucent.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then add the oil and flour and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Slowly add the soy milk and vegetable stock, whisking continuously. Add enough stock to reach the desired thickness.
- Add the potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer.
- Add the broccoli and cauliflower florets, rosemary, sage, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook until the florets are tender.
- Garnish with the parsley and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
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