Philadelphia-Based Vegan Caterer Opens Restaurant

Veg caterer and Philadelphia culinary veteran Steve Laurence is opening a cruelty-free eatery in the city’s Passyunk Square neighborhood. According to Philadelphia CityPaper, the new restaurant, VeganCommissary, will serve dishes of the Western and Eastern persuasion, including vegan sushi, edamame hummus with togarashi-spiced wonton chips, Barley-and-Hops Salad, and a vegan burger. Laurence told the news source that he was inspired to give up meat after his father began following a macrobiotic diet during his battle with cancer. “He became so healthy, it changed who he was and how I looked at food,” he says. Later, Laurence went vegan and opened up his catering business, supplying local coffee shops with plant-based goodies.