New vegan cafe is anything but an afterthought

Today marks the opening of a fascinating new vegan cafe off Rittenhouse Square, P.S. & Co. (or

» READ MORE: Pure Sweets & Company

for the long-winded), from Andrea Kyan.

Kyan should be

» READ MORE: no stranger to Philly vegans

, having plied her cold-pressed juices and confections around town for several years now, always with an eye to getting a storefront going. You may recall her appearance in

» READ MORE: this V for Veg column from last September

. And you may or may not be aware that she was formerly a student of vegan desserts diva Fran Costigan,

» READ MORE: about whom I wrote a month later

, so you can bet she knows her stuff.

Although the line out the door today at 1706 Locust was likely not mainly vegans but tourists wandering over from the crafts fair in Rittenhouse Square, the new spot is definitely one vegans will want to check out as soon as possible. In addition to the food being 100% plant-based, it's also completely gluten-free and almost entirely organic.

The venue has a classically rustic theme that fits with Kyan's healthful artisan approach, and one of its most appealing attributes is generous seating in both the front and a bright, funky back room. Of course there's also take-out and bike delivery within center city.

The offerings today were not the complete contingent because the walk-in cooler is not yet set up (but should be by Tuesday) but there's still plenty of fun stuff to try, including sushi, cupcakes, tarts, cookies and salads - as well as Kyan's line of cold-pressed juices, tonics and smoothies. I had a caesar's salad with dried-mushroom "anchovies" and roasted-chickpea croutons as well as a thick vegan Caesar's sauce. The different components worked together wonderfully, not so much to replicate as to take off on the Caesar-salad idea.

That's all I'll say for now, but be sure to check this Thursday's V for Veg column for more on P.S. & Co.!