Food: Grindcore House

story by Ariela RoseThis past August, longtime vegans and Pennsport residents Mike Barone and David Anthem opened Grindcore House, the city’s first completely vegan coffeehouse. Named for the extreme music genre and housed in a cozy corner space, the shop is a haven for accessible vegan fare.
“We wanted to offer coffee in this neighborhood,” says Anthem. “We also felt like there has been a shortage of actual 100 percent vegan businesses in the city.”
At the shop, rice, soy, coconut and almond milks are offered in place of dairy creamer, and bagels are spread with tofu-based cream cheese. A display case illuminates decadent dairy-free treats and the café recently started serving sandwiches.
Despite the meat-free fare and metal music, Grindcore attracts a diverse crowd. In fact, the pair has found that the majority of their customers are locals happy to have a community space. Since opening, Grindcore has hosted a rotating selection of prints by local artists. Plans for a lending library, CSA pickup and compost exchange are all in the works.
1515 S. 4th St., 6:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Mon. – Fri.; 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sat. & Sun.,