Wedge and Fig

Wedge and Fig
forks: 6.8
price: $$

160 N. 3rd St
Philadelphia, PA

Second final DONE. After running out of my psych final I needed a celebration. A rejuvenation. Something to replenish my soul that had been locked away in Van Prison for way too many hours. Ripka and Neesh were right there with me and we decided to run far away from campus and take a very needed, very long, and very nourishing study break. Ripka had been talking about this place she'd been to for quite a while, so we decided to be adventurous and check it out. We hopped in a cab and set out for Old City, and were greeted by the cute awning of Wedge and Fig. I was already in heaven when we walked in. Glass display cases filled with beautiful and copious amounts of a variety of cheeses and desserts greeted us. Yes, I was going to like this place.

It felt like an indoor picnic. The atmosphere was sunny and light even though it was miserable outside, and our waitress was just as friendly as the decor. She welcomed us warmly, as if we were eating at her own house; her amiable attitude made us feel like we were pals that went way back, but not in a creepy/weird way. The menu was insane. It featured a grilled cheese bar, where you are the designer selecting from a variety of cheeses like classic cheddar or brie and toppers from truffled honey and fresh pesto to fried egg and apples. MMM.
Seriously. look at this. Designing grilled cheeses will be my new activity when I'm bored.

 Then there were house specialties,  like mac and cheese and a delicious sounding chicken pot pie, then a massive sandwich selection, and some other salads as well. Deciding what to order for lunch was ten times harder then my psych final. Did I want the Blue Fig panini with buttery Fourme d'Ambert blue cheese, sweet fig preserves, and prosciutto on pretzel bread, or the truffled egg salad? Seriously, it made my final look like a joke. Finally, I settled with the Coronation Chicken salad, house-roasted chicken, dried apricots, smoked almonds, celery, onion, and sweet maharaja curry served atop a bed of mixed greens. It was clean, smoky from the almonds, and had a great kick from the curry spice. The mix of textures was perfection as the chewiness of the apricots contrasted nicely with the crunch of the almonds and celery. The apricot's fruitiness gave the salad a really light and tangy note. The chicken was tender and flavorful and happily soaked up all of the spices and mix ins. NOM.

Neesh went with the daily special club sandwich: fresh turkey, cotswold cheese, tomatoes, caramelized onions, bacon, and truffled mayonnaise on multigrain bread. OMG it came looking melty and beautiful and bacony, three things a great sandwich should be. The turkey was thick cut and hearty, and the caramelized onions melted in your mouth. We were very excited about the truffle mayonnaise, but it could not be tasted! We attributed this to the extra piece of bread in the middle of the sandwich (club style) and think that the sandwich would have been better off as a simple two-piecer rather then double decker status.

neesh you so cute

 Now, for the big surprise of the meal. Ripka, was a big girl stand up. Yes, she ordered her usual house salad, which was fresh and springy and tasty, but then she redeemed herself by also ordering the John Oates sandwich. Reading this sandwich on paper makes me cry it's so enticing: allege, sopressata, black forest ham, tasso ham, fried egg, tomato, and roasted garlic spread on pumpernickel. When I say ultimate breakfast sandwich, this is IT. The sopressata and hams were salty and nicely cured, the fried egg complemented the meats perfectly, and the tomato added a bite of freshness. The toasted pumpernickel bread enhanced the sandwich even more giving it that crunchy finish it needed to make it soar above and beyond. Yes, this is a killer, sandwich, if the egg had a runny center it would really push it over the edge. Next time I'm askin.

 like okay?

Now some people call it a day after that. I mean, ya thats a lot. But no, the dessert case was calling, and Ripka picked up the phone by answering its call with a lemon bar and a peanut butter cookie sandwich. The lemon bar was light, lemony, and creamy. A flaky and simple crust with a gooey lemon filling and a healthy finish of powdered sugar, simple perfection.

Two peanut butter cookies sandwiched quince jelly and MORE peanut butter. I mean come on thats not even fair. The cookies were crumbly, and the fillings gave them a sweeter finish and acted as a fabulous juxtaposition *neesh I used the word* for the cookie's texture.

The meal was the perfect indoor picnic and I will be back because I need to tackle the grilled cheese bar along with every other sandwich creation on the menu. Def the best gourmet sandwich shop I've found in Philly, with its fresh and quality ingredients. One thing is, don't except to come in and out of here quickly because it takes a WHILE. But yes, the meal was a star. But the real star of the meal? Ripka and her three course finish.

I am wedgend

xoxo

hungreegirl.