Fitz on 4th, located at 743 S. 4th Street in Queens Village, is a pillar of the dining, drinking and community.
Executive Chef Alison Fitzpatrick is now celebrating one year of the local hotspot’s boldly unique, 100% vegan menu, a like-minded cocktail program devised with her son, Alex Soto, and the roomy restaurant’s chilled vibe.
Whether you are invested in Fitzpatrick’s zesty Nona Meatballs of pea protein and chickpeas with a rustic red sauce, richly appointed cocktails such as a muddled Fig Old Fashion, or both, Fitz on 4th pays back that investment with dividends and healthfulness.
“I became a vegan in 2018 and since that time have seen the positive impact in both health and the environment around me,” said Fitzpatrick while prepping for a weekend’s menu. “It is my responsibility as a business owner to create a positive impact on both guests and the community we reside. Giving choice, and not pressure, to “convert” (to a vegan menu and lifestyle) is the goal.”
Fitzpatrick’s mission is further soft-sold when she says that she would like everyone in Philly and its surrounding area to enjoy a plant-based meal at least one day a week.
“It’s simple. Eat more veggies and the positive impact on health and environment will follow suit.”
If making the healthful medicine go down easy means eating a menu as sweet and savory as Fitzpatrick’s melt-in-your-mouth Kebbeh of crispy quinoa and potato with a blend of pomegranate molasses, cranberries and walnuts, or her bite-conscious Tuscan Kale Caesar with cashews and “parm” (vegan cheese), dining at Fitz on 4th is a no-brainer. Drinking too, comes from a top-notch selection of curated cocktails (with signature F4 ice cubes) and mocktails such as Strawberry Basil Fizz.
After having tasted everything from the artichoke-based “crab” cakes with za’tar lemon remoulade to the flash-fried oyster mushroom sliders, to the divine coconut milk crème brulee, and Fitzpatrick’s tender, earthy mushroom and shallot flatbread with arugula and aromatic truffle oil, one of the dishes that defines Fitz on 4th is the charred taos gluten free eggplant with umami citrus sauce, toasted peanuts and spring onion. There is smoke and heat in Fitzpatrick’s phenomenal eggplant dish without masking one bit of the inherent earthy goodness.
“That eggplant dish has had many renditions,” said Fitzpatrick, proudly including her staff in its creation. “Each rendition of this eggplant came from the input of me and members of the Fitz on 4th team. It’s wonderful to discuss a dish with a service team member. That is success.”
Humble un-pretentiousness is also what makes Fitz on 4th so special. Vegan/plant-based fare is often treated fussily and with icy preciousness. In Fitzpatrick’s hands, however, Fitz on 4th’s menu is curated, but friendly, warm and communal.
“I try not to compare myself to any other chef,” said Fitzpatrick. “I prepare what I love and I enjoy the input and participation from the chef’s service staff as to what is working and what needs tweaking. Our kitchen is a democracy: an open door for input and that has proven to be a winner.”
Along with planning new menu items and eclectic specials (look for the heavy-duty use of ramps, spring onion, spring peas and many leafy greens) and another chef added to her team, Fitz on 4th is focused on a community beyond those who dine at its corner vegan salon. Fitzpatrick contributes to Broad Street Ministry‘s Meatless Monday pop-ups serving 300+ meals to those with food insecurities, as well as to various local arts charities such as DaVinci Gallery and BalletX’s fundraisers.
You can tell that Fitzpatrick loves the people who eat what she serves, who she considers guests in a very real way.
“We believe that it’s a privilege that they have chosen us in the first place,” she said of Fitz on 4th. “We firmly believe our guests own their chosen space while dining with us and it may not be the standard practice in restaurants, but we believe treating as such it will pay off with increase customer loyalty and quality of experience. That is key. We also have learned that our guests — as we do — enjoy consistent menu items with the flare of a seasonal special sprinkled into the mix, for a truly comfort-continental cuisine.”
For more information about Fitz on 4th, visit fitzon4th.com
