Veggie Food in Unlikely Places

It's not often that a local deli plates up veggie-friendly food that goes beyond the typical cheese hoagie...especially not in Philadelphia where the cheesesteak rules in its many greasy forms. But I recently visited Citi Marketplace (1318 Walnut St., 215-545-4085), a small grocery/deli with a hefty vegetarian and vegan menu.

The marketplace, which bills itself as an organic market and deli, offers more than a dozen meat-free meals, including veggie burgers, tofu wraps, chik'n cheesesteaks, grilled steaks, wraps, hoagies and soy cheese specialties. They also make a mean egg, cheese and vegetarian sausage sandwich, ideal for that late-night or early-morning nosh (the deli serves up food starting at 7 a.m. during the week until 11 p.m.). Citi Marketplace also offers free delivery downtown for orders equaling $10 and up, and provides catering services (there's a vegetarian sandwich tray available for less than $7 per person).

Citi Marketplace may be more grocery than gourmet, but it's a great alternative to other greasy spoons in Center City and the nearby Avenue of the Arts and Washington Square West neighborhoods. If you're willing to wait (service is on the slow side) you'll be pleasantly surprised. You can also pick up sides, snacks and other organic goodies to go.