Horizons Cafe

[stephenc]

So the venerable Horizons restaurant of Willow Grove has moved to Center City. I've been to the old restaurant and it's good.

Anyone scope out the new location yet? I hear it just opened....

7th, between Bainbridge/South

http://www.horizonscafe.com/

[mrbigjas]

i haven't, but i'm pretty interested in doing so, if it's really any good. i'm always interested in people who actually cook vegetarian/vegan ingredients by paying attention to their characteristics, rather than just using them as meat substitutes in trying to imitate meat-based dishes. from their menu it seems like it could go either way, so i'm thinking i'll check it out at some point.

Edited March 21, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[serpentine]

I've been. It's fantastic. Really fantastic. Nice folks, too.

I'm pretty suspicious of the potential deliciousness of most vegan cuisine, truth be told, but this guy really knows what he's doing with his ingredients -- he manages to give the food some real richness and complexity. And they mix some great tropical drinks. And I initially forgot that it was soy milk in my cappuccino and didn't even mind.

(And I'm just sayin', because I've known some vegans -- I did indeed happen to be wearing a leather coat and shoes, and there was no weirdness.)

[mmm_chocolate]

This is, in my estimation, the best food in the city (followed by L'Angolo as a close second). Everything that they create reaches perfection on the taste level, and is always beautiful to look at as well.

We were there this past Friday evening, and I had one of the best meals I've ever experienced. We started with the chopped spinach salad which is served with avocado, corn and lime cilantro dressing. The presentation is gorgeous...very thinly sliced spinach which is mixed with the dressing and then molded somehow into this cylindrical shape and garnished with olives and chili oil. Prefect seasoning, perfect amount of dressing, incredible fresh flavors.

We shared the jamaican BBQ seitan which I dare people to eat and feel confident that it's not chicken. Amazing deep, rich, sweet and sticky BBQ sauce, which they somehow get really crispy on the outside of the seitan so that you have the "skin" experience of really nice chicken wings or grill fired ribs. The cauliflower salad was thai inspired and included peanut dressing, lime leaves and a nice hot chili to top it off. The sopa de tortilla is a carnitas-type dish. Smoked glazed seitan in the style of pork carnitas, stuffed into freshly made grilled corn tortillas, topped lightly with a tomato crema and served atop a stew of beans, avocado, and other yummy things.

Awesome, awesome food. Please don't stay away from this place because you are a meat eater. I know how bad and bland (and sometimes scary looking) vegan food can be. I promise that you will be amazed by the preparation, flavor, presentation and general magnificence of the food at Horizons! It will become your new favorite spot. In addition to the amazing food, which is reason enough to try it, they have a really nice space, too. Downstairs is a bar and lounge where one can order tapas, and the upstairs dining contains a second bar, wood floors, brightly painted orange and white walls and a huge skylight to light up the room. Really classy and tasteful decor.

We went to Capogiros for dessert, so I can't comment on the desserts at Horizons. However, I'm returning this Thursday and will bring my camera, so be on the lookout!

[mrbigjas]

This is, in my estimation, the best food in the city (followed by L'Angolo as a close second).  Everything that they create reaches perfection on the taste level, and is always beautiful to look at as well.

We were there this past Friday evening

hey, so were we! i don't know that i'd call it the best food in the city, but it's miles ahead of any other vegetarian place that i've been, and really i shouldn't even be limiting it to comparisions with other vegetarian places--it's damn good food by any estimation.

it's fantastic to have it in town. i'll be back for sure.

(edited for clarity--and again, to say that i have more to say about this, some of which addresses andrew's points below, but i don't have time right now...)

Edited July 17, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

Huh. Well, it sounds like it's worth trying. I admit skepticism about a restaurant built on a negative concept, but sure, what the heck...

[mmm_chocolate]

Huh.  Well, it sounds like it's worth trying.  I admit skepticism about a restaurant built on a negative concept, but sure, what the heck...

←

Definitely go. Have the BBQ jamaican setian starter. Horizons is an active force in changing the idea that without meat it's not a compete meal, or these sort of "negative concept" sentiments.....but it can only work if meat eaters end up going.

[Andrew Fenton]

I'll go; if it's good enough for mrbigjas, it's good enough for me...

On the larger issue, of course it can be a meal without meat. But unless you have ethical or dietary reasons, there isn't any particular reason to seek out a vegan restaurant, any more than there is to seek out a restaurant that doesn't use salt, or red-colored foods, or spinach.

Though... it occurs to me that there's the possibility for a cuisine that's analogous to what the Oulipo did with literature: impose artificial constraints in an attempt to stimulate creativity. Poets have always done this, but the most famous Oulipian example is George Perec's novel La Disparition (translated as A Void), written without the use of the letter "e".

... and it turns out that there's the Oucuipo, a spinoff to do just that. Though it doesn't seem to have been a very active group: this website cites pennette alla vodka senza vodka as an example of an Oucuipo-inspired dish. This sort of thing happens elsewhere, too: but offhand, I can't think of any restaurants that deliberately limit them for purely aesthetic reasons.

[mrbigjas]

On the larger issue, of course it can be a meal without meat.  But unless you have ethical or dietary reasons, there isn't any particular reason to seek out a vegan restaurant, any more than there is to seek out a restaurant that doesn't use salt, or red-colored foods, or spinach.

i have a few thoughts on this.

first of all, like most people i have several friends who are or were vegetarian, vegan, raw food, raw meat only (OK none of these), etc. sometimes i question why they pursue anything but taste all the time, and the only real, rocksolid conclusion that i come down to is that people like to impose dietary restrictions on themselves.

i understand that, having been a vegetarian for a couple years a long time ago. and still, if you think about it, even food geeks like us put dietary restrictions on ourselves all the time, not giving in to the easiest and cheapest option at every moment, always searching out something new and interesting and good.... when you take something as basic as nourishment, people are gonna do stuff, and that's all there is to it.

either way, what i find interesting about horizons is how do people work within these dietary restrictions they've put on themselves? because really, if you think about it, it's no different than a barbecue place ('everything's gotta be smoked for a really long time') or any ethnic place ('only cook things from this country'). you choose a theme, and you run with it. every restaurant is this way--there's just a bit more of a perceived moral weight attached to this particular theme.

so then, if you consider a vegan place as just another restaurant, but with a slightly different theme, the question then becomes: is it worth it to eat there? which in my case means, does it taste good, and can i afford it (and to a lesser extent, even if i can afford it do i think it's overpriced)?

and the place passes on all accounts. i will admit that it's not QUITE my ideal of a vegan place, though--in part because oddly enough i felt like there isn't enough focus on vegetables. by that i mean that while it is cool that they're pursuing a different vision, it still tends to fall into the same 'block of protein, some starch and a vegetable side' thing that every restaurant does. when i went i was thinking of a more old-school vegetarian, diet-for-a-small-planet, whole-grain-and-vegetable based thing, and less of a place where you're replacing a piece of steak with a block of tofu. and horizons definitely falls more into that latter category--there's tons of tofu, and seitan, and soy-based 'cream' sauces and stuff.

but anyway, all my yapping begs the real question: does it taste good? and the answer is definitely yes. they're making some delicious stuff, generally going for a caribbean and/or pacific rim kind of spicy/sweet/sour flavor profile. i had a block of kochujang marinated tofu. there was bbqed and jerked seitan, and shredded 'pork' tacos. a 'malaysian' cauliflower salad. some things are more successful than others, but there wasn't a real misstep in our meal--everything we had just straight up tasted good, and there was plenty of it. and really that's all there is to it.

the dessert was merely OK--they have a good selection of aged rum instead, if you're of that mindset, which i am. oh and speaking of alcohol, i don't know from vegan wines, but i do know that when you're working those kinds of flavors, you have to pick carefully, and they have plenty by the glass. recommendation: the wine on their list that will go with the majority of their menu is the ch. lascaux rose, which rocks at six bucks a glass. don't fear pink wine!

and in case you're wondering about filling up without meat, let me assure you that the portions are more than adequate--too large, even--which i'm convinced is in part because after all, there's only so much you can pay for tofu in this country and everyone knows it, so things have to appear bountiful. i was ridonkulously stuffed when i left, and i brought half of my entree home.

so yeah, i hope that makes some sense.

(edited for clarity)

Edited July 18, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[mmm_chocolate]

Responding to mrbigjas's comments about Horizons not being the ideal vegan place...

I can understand where this is coming from. Horizons does do the "meat substitution" thing, and I know several vegans who don't want anything to do with meat...even the fake meat grosses them out! I myself don't understand this sentiment, because for a vegetarian like myself who doesn't eat meat for ethical reasons, I still miss the textures and flavors of meat. You could say that Horizons allows me to not have my meat and eat it too!

Blue Sage in Southampton is the better restaurant for the real veggie/vegan experience. Excellent food, fresh flavors, beautiful presentation....with the noticeable exclusion (overall) of fake meat. They center around veggies, and veggies take center stage. I would highly recommend Blue Sage to meat eaters as well, just to see what's happening on the "other side," it's just a bit out of the way in Bucks County. And if you LIKE meat, then Horizons will probably be more to your tastes.

[mrbigjas]

i don't really have a problem with fake meat; it's just that i really really like vegetables, is all.

thanks for the tip on blue sage, i'll check it out when i'm up there.

[sockii]

Responding to mrbigjas's comments about Horizons not being the ideal vegan place...

I can understand where this is coming from.  Horizons does do the "meat substitution" thing, and I know several vegans who don't want anything to do with meat...even the fake meat grosses them out!  I myself don't understand this sentiment, because for a vegetarian like myself who doesn't eat meat for ethical reasons, I still miss the textures and flavors of meat.  You could say that Horizons allows me to not have my meat and eat it too!

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[Buckethead]

Responding to mrbigjas's comments about Horizons not being the ideal vegan place...

I can understand where this is coming from.  Horizons does do the "meat substitution" thing, and I know several vegans who don't want anything to do with meat...even the fake meat grosses them out!  I myself don't understand this sentiment, because for a vegetarian like myself who doesn't eat meat for ethical reasons, I still miss the textures and flavors of meat.  You could say that Horizons allows me to not have my meat and eat it too!

Blue Sage in Southampton is the better restaurant for the real veggie/vegan experience.  Excellent food, fresh flavors, beautiful presentation....with the noticeable exclusion (overall) of fake meat.  They center around veggies, and veggies take center stage.  I would highly recommend Blue Sage to meat eaters as well, just to see what's happening on the "other side," it's just a bit out of the way in Bucks County.  And if you LIKE meat, then Horizons will probably be more to your tastes.

←

Even when Horizons was still located in Hatboro or wherever it was, I preferred Blue Sage, and I am a meat-eater. I think it's a better restaurant all-around than Horizons. Not that Horizons is bad, of course, but I do think that the Blue Sage's concentration on what vegetarian food does best (vegetables!!) leads to a better dining experience than Horizons, which tries to approximate meat without meat. They're pretty good at it, but if I want a steak, the most delicious seitan in the world isn't going to fill the kitty. It's definitely worth making an effort to eat at the Blue Sage if you're going to be in the area.

[Andrew Fenton]

either way, what i find interesting about horizons is how do people work within these dietary restrictions they've put on themselves?  because really, if you think about it, it's no different than a barbecue place ('everything's gotta be smoked for a really long time') or any ethnic place ('only cook things from this country').  you choose a theme, and you run with it.  every restaurant is this way--there's just a bit more of a perceived moral weight attached to this particular theme.

I think there's a difference between an ethnic restaurant (including barbecue) and a vegetarian restaurant. The one is rooted in a culture; the other is rooted in an ethical decision. I'm interested in exploring various cultures through food. I'm not so interested in making a moral statement by what I put on my plate. Others differ; that's fine with me.

Maybe a better analogy would be the "fresh, local, sustainable" movement in food. Taste plays a big part there, but it's also an ethical decision. I'm also broadly sympathetic to it, and I think it's an interesting challenge to explore the possibilties of local foods. If a restaurant decides to explore the possibilities of a vegetable-based menu (as it sounds like Blue Sage does), well, groovy.

so then, if you consider a vegan place as just another restaurant, but with a slightly different theme, the question then becomes: is it worth it to eat there?  which in my case means, does it taste good, and can i afford it (and to a lesser extent, even if i can afford it do i think it's overpriced)?

Of course: the proof of the pudding's in the eating. That's true whether it's a chocolate tofu pudding, or foie gras custard with Sauternes gelee...

[mrbigjas]

either way, what i find interesting about horizons is how do people work within these dietary restrictions they've put on themselves?  because really, if you think about it, it's no different than a barbecue place ('everything's gotta be smoked for a really long time') or any ethnic place ('only cook things from this country').  you choose a theme, and you run with it.  every restaurant is this way--there's just a bit more of a perceived moral weight attached to this particular theme.

I think there's a difference between an ethnic restaurant (including barbecue) and a vegetarian restaurant. The one is rooted in a culture; the other is rooted in an ethical decision. I'm interested in exploring various cultures through food. I'm not so interested in making a moral statement by what I put on my plate. Others differ; that's fine with me.

what about a south indian vegetarian place? rooted in a culture that at some point made an ethical or religious decision.... or what about a restauranteur that decides that, say, denmark is the goodest country in the world in every way, and therefore opens a danish place? then it's exploring the culture through food because of an ethical decision! LORD HAVE MERCY THIS IS CONFUSING.

i'm stickin to what tastes good.

[aaronwcpa]

I am not a vegeterian and usually avoid such place, but we made a special drive to Blue Sage and I was more than impressed by they food served. I think it may be the only vegeterian in Bucks County and well worth a longer journey.

[Andrew Fenton]

what about a south indian vegetarian place?  rooted in a culture that at some point made an ethical or religious decision....  or what about a restauranteur that decides that, say, denmark is the goodest country in the world in every way, and therefore opens a danish place?  then it's exploring the culture through food because of an ethical decision!    LORD HAVE MERCY THIS IS CONFUSING.

In the first case, I'd say that culture trumps religion; that's also true for a Jewish deli. I don't think that there's such a thing as "American vegetarian culture". In the second case... is there such a case? If it exists, it'd be worth thinking about.

I probably wouldn't seek out a Pastafarian restaurant, either, unless I'd heard that it was really really good. And I like spaghetti.

i'm stickin to what tastes good.

I don't think we disagree here...

[MikNik]

I've eaten once at the restaurant and once at the bar downstairs (which has more of a tapas-style menu). My dining partner kept muttering "I just know they're sneaking meat into this somewhere" under her breath last time we were there, because some of the dishes had a richness I woudn't usually associate with vegan food. Everything we tried was very good, the soups being particularly wonderful.

[mmm_chocolate]

either way, what i find interesting about horizons is how do people work within these dietary restrictions they've put on themselves?  because really, if you think about it, it's no different than a barbecue place ('everything's gotta be smoked for a really long time') or any ethnic place ('only cook things from this country').  you choose a theme, and you run with it.  every restaurant is this way--there's just a bit more of a perceived moral weight attached to this particular theme.

I think there's a difference between an ethnic restaurant (including barbecue) and a vegetarian restaurant. The one is rooted in a culture; the other is rooted in an ethical decision. I'm interested in exploring various cultures through food. I'm not so interested in making a moral statement by what I put on my plate. Others differ; that's fine with me.

what about a south indian vegetarian place? rooted in a culture that at some point made an ethical or religious decision.... or what about a restauranteur that decides that, say, denmark is the goodest country in the world in every way, and therefore opens a danish place? then it's exploring the culture through food because of an ethical decision! LORD HAVE MERCY THIS IS CONFUSING.

i'm stickin to what tastes good.

←

It does all get muddled. But here's the thing, you don't have to make a moral statement if you don't want to. Even if you think (or know) that's what a restaurant is doing.

Good example with the Indian. At an Indian restaurant, you wont be eating beef because of the religious/ethical/cultural beliefs of the owners. But does that mean that YOU personally are making a statement to the world about your personal consumption fo beef? Or would you avoid it because the restaurant holds a philosophy that differs from yours? No. You just like the taste of the food, so you go.

So if a vegan restaurant doesn't happen to serve meat for ethical reasons, it doesn't mean that you are subscribing to that particular belief just because you decide to eat there. If the food is good, you go. Horizons is good. Blue Sage is good.

I think I just re-made the point about going to a place because the food is worth it, so it must have been a good point to begin with....

[Andrew Fenton]

We finally made it to Horizons this weekend. We didn't have reservations, so sat downstairs and had some small plates. The bar was mellow and friendly, and they had Yard's Philly Pale Ale-- my favorite local beer-- on tap, so I was happy.

Of the dishes we ordered, the jerk seitan was definitely the star. The texture is really interesting: there's a crispy skin and sort of a soft interior. It's not at all like chicken, more like Peking duck, where you get the skin and that layer of fat underneath. Good stuff.

Yellow tomato gazpacho was good, and would have been better if they'd had a lighter hand with the vinegar, or if the tomatoes had been sweeter: it was a little sour.

A piquillo pepper stuffed was my second favorite dish-- actually, better than the pepper was the tomato/avocado terrine that accompanied it.

The wild mushroom cazuela-- basically a mushroom and garlic sautee-- wasn't bad, if not all that exciting. If you like mushrooms (as I do) you'll like it.

The one real miss was the tortilla "pierogies". Those are just a bad idea, in terms of flavor (bland) and texture (unpleasantly chewy).

We skipped dessert-- guests in town who hadn't yet tried wooder ice-- but I'll be back. I like the bar menu, and it seems like a nice place to sit, have a drink and a bite.

[tim e]

Wow - reviving this thread over 3 years later!

My wife and I ate at Horizons on Friday night. We had last been there about 2 years ago. They have turned the first floor bar into a second dining room, taking out the bar along the far wall and replacing it was a smaller one just to the right of the entrance. We had reservations, and the room seemed a little chilly so we asked to be seated upstairs. It was cozier than downstairs, but looked a little more run-down than I remembered. The upstairs bar was empty but most of the tables were full.

We both started with the Vietnamese tacos ($10), which were banh mi flavors on tortillas instead of baguette. While the fillings were delicious, the tortillas undermined the dish -- they were mushy and bland wheat tortillas that seemed store-bought, the kind that glue themselves to your teeth. They didn't stop us from inhaling the tacos.

My wife's entree was the Pacific Rim Grill Tofu ($18) with gochugang glaze, edamame potato puree and smoked miso broth. I didn't taste it, but she loved it. I had the Autumn Plate ($19), which was a medley of mushrooms (oyster, chanterelles and trumpet, I think) in jus along with papardelle and grilled romaine. It was out of this world -- if I didn't know better I'd swear they used veal stock in the jus, it was so rich and savory. This dish was really special - and this is coming from a committed and enthusiastic carnivore.

The portions here are generous to say the least, and I was stuffed after the main course. But my wife couldn't resist the apple cheesecake ($7) which she enjoyed.

At these prices it's not a place we can go regularly, but we won't wait as long between visits next time.