Sometimes there is just not enough time in the day. Between working, having a social life, exercising and everything else that life throws at us, making food that is both wholesome and delicious every day just isn’t on the cards. That’s where Dig Food Group comes in. The popular chain has taken up shop around the country, and the City of Brotherly Love is the latest destination.
So what is Dig? Think of it as a healthy haven full of locally sourced ingredients, intensely delicious flavors, workers that truly care about food, and an open and airy environment that allows guests to really sit back and enjoy what they are there for.
Or you can take this description right from Dig’s founder/CEO, Adam Eskin: “We certainly do a lot of vegetable cooking, and that’s wrapped into the larger idea of how we think about sourcing food, growing food, raising animals and ultimately cooking them. If I would break it down to what to expect as a guest, think of it as food that you would otherwise want to cook for yourself, food you can eat 2, 3, 4 times a week and that you want to eat but you likely just don’t have the time. It’s helpful, it’s wholesome and it’s hearty.”
The helpful, wholesome and hearty fare consists of fresh ingredients ranging from vegetables, proteins, sauces and even desserts. Think charred broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted Brussel sprouts, kale caesar salad, naturally raised and sustainably resourced proteins including wild salmon and organic tofu, plus much more.
Although the food tastes upscale and gourmet, Dig is a place where you can really kick back and relax.
“In terms of the experience, it’s very casual. It’s a place where you could go for low-key date night or you could stop in or after any workout,” adds Eskin.
Dig Food Group’s mission is to rebuild the food system by sourcing, cooking and serving delicious food. How they achieve that fresh, never microwavable, no preservative, house-made goodness is by sourcing food from the area.
“We’ve been fortunate, we certainly have had a few of our team members and leaders who been spending time down in Philadelphia getting to know people, and the restaurant is led by two local chefs. We are very locally focused we want to meet the folks who are excited about our mission and the type of food that we want to cook and then partner with them to do something really special and connect with the community as well,” says Eskin.
Something extra special Dig also incorporates is their Chef in Training program.
“All of our hourly staff are called CITs and that stands for Chef in Training. What really sets our business apart from some of our peers is that whether you’ve been cooking for years or you’ve never picked up a knife before, if you have a genuine interest and desire to know how to cook we will work with you. Day 1, you’re going through food safety 101, basics and you’re really starting to learn how to cook. So we have the CIT first five days which is basically the introduction: pulling herbs, learning how to prep and then we go from there. It’s an investment and I think it works well for us because we are a scratch kitchen and we cook everything from scratch, but it also is about not just punching in and just doing a job—we want you to have an experience that is based around the culture of cooking and really sort of loving with working with food. It’s how and why we bring in such great team members—it’s that desire to want to cook and to learn how to cook.”
Dig is the perfect opportunity to grab a quick healthy bite or to stop in with friends and have great conversation over delicious flavors. The made-to-order process makes it an easy in-and-out spot if you have a quick lunch break or just want one of their tasty desserts (sweet potato brownies anyone?)
For more information on Dig (1616 Chestnut St.) visit diginn.com
