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Thoreau: The restaurant with its own woodland retreat

One thing you don't want for new restaurant's opening weekend is a major, "paralyzing" snowstorm. But that's what faces Mike Jackson of Blue Sage, whose new vegetarian eatery Thoreau opened on Tuesday and who faces white-out conditions tomorrow. But the affable chef-owner shrugs off the weather in this podcast interview recorded yesterday.

One thing you don't want for new restaurant's opening weekend is a major, "paralyzing" snowstorm. But that's what faces Mike Jackson of Blue Sage, whose new vegetarian eatery Thoreau opened on Tuesday and who faces white-out conditions tomorrow.

But the affable chef-owner shrugs off the weather in this podcast interview (MP3, 10 MB) recorded yesterday, and goes on to explain why you won't find either tofu or seitan on the menu at his joint - and what mouth-watering combinations he finds more interesting.

Jackson also talks about plans for the vacant lot adjoining the restaurant (it's at 11th and Spring Garden) and another nearby lot that he hopes to convert to urban farming to help supply Thoreau. OK, it's not exactly a woodland retreat, but in the middle of the city it comes pretty close.

With this, their rich composting scheme and the plant-based meals, Thoreau is already set to be one of the greenest restaurants around, if it can make it through this weekend. If you want to keep up with sustainable and/or veggie trends in Philly, a trip to Thoreau is definitely going to be on the agenda. Just remember not to order the tofu!