V Street

V Street Restaurant Review:

Vedge’s Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby have conjured one of the city’s most exciting dining experiences in this more casual outpost off Rittenhouse Square. The hip, moodily-lit space features Edison bulbs, a concrete bar up front and, in the back, an open kitchen with seating for diners to observe the magic at work. While street food from around the world would be a fusion-y muddle in unsteady hands, Landau coaxes premium flavor from vegetables like the grilled carrots in his asado salad with avocado, corn and pumpkin seeds, and jerk trumpet mushrooms with sweet potato aïoli and escovitch cabbage. Smoked Chioggia beets over Hungarian lángos are as meaty as any side of beef, and diners sharing plates will fight over the last Peruvian fry. Not to be missed: Jacoby’s dairy-free soft-serve ice creams in seasonal flavors like tahini, egg nog and sweet corn. The pared-down wine list favors natural selections, all available by the glass; cocktails with global accents (horchata, Turkish coffee, arak) match the food thrill for thrill. The happy hour menu offers a small selection of novel items (piri piri tofu tacos; select beers) for $4 to $6 each.