Vegan

"I THINK IT'S awesome how Philly's become such a vegan-friendly place," said Kate Jacoby, likely one of the two people in town most responsible for that happening. With her husband, Rich Landau, Jacoby was co-owner of Horizons, a trailblazing vegan restaurant at 7th and Kater streets that closed a year ago this weekend. From its origins in 1994 as a natural-foods juice stand in Willow Grove, Horizons evolved over the years and in 2006 moved into Philadelphia, forever altering the local conversation about vegan dining.

In this season of election-related nonsense, know one thing: Bernard Brown is a vegan, but he's not campaigning to turn you into one. The founder of the PB&J Campaign doesn't care if you sprinkle cheese on your pasta, or if you like a schmear of mayo on that veggie wrap; his efforts are not part of some animal lover's plan to rid the world of meat products. Brown asks only that you think about the meal you're about to eat, and the very long tail your very quick lunch hour can have.

FOR A TOWN WITH A dairy-slathered steak sandwich as its main food icon, a town whose name signifies "cream cheese" to many Americans, Philadelphia certainly has more than its share of vegan surprises. Now, I'm not talking about the "surprise" that all-veggie foods can be decadently delicious, but rather those dishes that show up where you wouldn't necessarily expect them. Case in point: While walking down South Street recently, I saw a sidewalk sign advertising a new joint devoted to creatively topped hot dogs.

Many drinkers of fresh suds were seen crying in their beers when the Sam Adams Brew Pub snuffed out the fires under its huge brewing kettles. But the still of the night has been reignited. Welcome the Nodding Head Brewery & Restaurant. Nodding Head? Co-owner Curt Decker, who runs the new Center City brewery and restaurant with Barbara Thomas, wife of Tom Peters, co-owner of Monk's (and one of the area's most knowledgeable beer guys), explains: "Tom said the name came to him in a dream.

JULY IS A big month for U.S. rowing at the top level: Over in Camden on the Cooper River, the 2012 USRowing Club National Championships began Wednesday and continue through this weekend. Shortly thereafter, the USRowing Senior National team heads to London for the Olympics. Other than Philly's longstanding love of rowing culture, what does all this have to with "V for Veg"? Well, it happens that the Olympic rowers will officially be powered by a vegan snack product, The Perfect Snaque, which you can also check out at the Camden event.

WATER ICE IS A cherished summer institution in Philly, and those of us who skip dairy, whether for ethical, health or other concerns, can appreciate this cool vegan treat. Sorbet, Popsicles, frozen fruit bars and the like are also delish. But let's face it: "You can always have water ice [or sorbet]" is the cool-treat equivalent of "you can always have a salad. " Nothing against salad or water ice, but we sometimes want that singular richness and flavor associated with ice cream.

I SAW AN ad the other day pushing bacon as an ideal Valentine's Day gift, and I had to laugh. It's like saying, "Here, sweetheart, I want you to die sooner!" OK, I know this holiday is not about eating "right. " It's about something bigger, and that something is love. Love and chocolate. Dark chocolate is the treat that loves you back. Healthwise, you can have your chocolate cake and eat it, too, especially if you mix it with - don't laugh - fruits and veggies. It's not a new idea.

A vegan for the last eight years, Jennifer Storey is careful not to put meat, eggs, honey or milk in her body. Now it's becoming easier not to put them on her body, either. From conditioner to lip balm to plant-based pedicures, companies and spas nationwide are offering vegan products and services. That typically means there's no testing on animals, and ingredients are free of animal byproducts - including beeswax and carmine, a commonly used red coloring made from beetles. But these goodies aren't tucked away on a dusty bottom shelf in a health-food store.

IN 2007 AND AGAIN in 2008, Citizens Bank Park was named North America's Most Vegetarian-Friendly Ballpark. And after more than a decade of drought, in 2007 and again in 2008, the Phillies made the playoffs. Coincidence? Not if you ask Scott Geiger, the Phillies fan who's been helping the ballpark expand its menu. "It's no coincidence," he said with a straight face, "that the Phillies have made the playoffs two years in a row, the same two years they've had the No. 1 most vegan-friendly ballpark.

In many ways, the SuTao Cafe is a classic Asian eatery. The menu, complete with typos and color photographs of entrees, is the proverbial Chinese cornucopia of options. The selection and word play are here, with everything from wonton soup to "Happy Family" and General Tsao's chicken. But there is a crucial point about this tidy and enchanting establishment: It's 100 percent vegan. That means no meat, fowl, fish, dairy or egg products served here. For the uninitiated, the operative word here is "mock.