Good for Body and Soul

HEALTHY PORTIONS: The soy burger platter with collard greens at Pattersonâs Paradise.

Meatless soul food? Patterson's Paradise offers old favorites that are healthy and tasty.

by Elisa Ludwig

If anything sounds like a dubious proposition, it's healthy soul food, which, even as a turn of phrase, is practically an oxymoron. How good, one wonders, could collard greens possibly be without the backing of bacon drippings? The answer, if they're served at Patterson's Paradise, is pretty good. After 30 years, the Northern Liberties eatery has become something of a legend, serving health-conscious soul food to celebrities like ?uestlove, Will Smith and scores of hip-hop personalities passing through town.

I'll admit, I had little faith. It took me a few years to get around to visiting Patterson's because I was a bit put off by the "healthy" part of the equation. While in theory I support any restaurant that offers an alternative to burger-gobbling, it just didn't sound like much fun. I anticipated macrame, and perhaps a little bit of anti-gluten propaganda. Nothing can shame you into passing on the butter more than a couple of enthusiastic health nuts at the table.

But Patterson's, looking more like your average diner, was nothing like it appeared in my paranoid, pork-loving fantasies. Rows of brown vinyl booths are contrasted by a mural depicting a beachfront oasis in bright colors. On the opposite side of the room is a counter and stools for solo eaters. The only reminder that you're in a natural sort of place is the collection of leafy plants gathered in the storefront windows.

The culinary conditions, however, were as principled as promised. There are no caffeinated beverages or soda of any kind on the premises and no salt on the tables. There is no white sugar and no white flour in any of the dishes. Eschewing canned and frozen goods, the kitchen sticks to fresh vegetables. And though some might disagree with the very concept, this Paradise is meatless.

The only available animal on the menu is fish. Patterson's usually offers grilled salmon or fried flounder. I sampled the latter, which was perfectly non-greasy, and crisp with a delicate cornmeal batter. A little drizzle of hot sauce and it wasn't long before the two fillets were reduced to a few cornmeal crumbs.

For those who like to let their imaginations fill in for flesh, Patterson's specializes in pseudo-meat dishes. "Steak" sandwiches, veggie burgers and faux sausage serve as cruelty-free fulfillments for heartier cravings. But don't ask what makes the mock chicken so chicken-y or the make-believe steak so steak-like. "This is a family corporation," I was told. "And those are family secrets."

Vegetarian "chicken" croquettes are globe-shaped patties made from soy protein and topped with a thick mushroom-based gravy and sautéed onions. Slightly denser and richer in flavor is the soy "steakette," which comes with or without the same topping of gravy and onions. Both manage to give enough of an impression of meatiness without being so convincing as to freak out the genuine vegetarian.

"Chickettes" are chicken-like nuggets with fried shells whose crisp exteriors reveal a softer, chewier texture inside. These came much closer to approximating chicken nuggets than the frozen meatless variety available in supermarkets. My dining companion, however, found them a shade too dry and added ketchup.

All of the platters come with two side dishes, some of which are not available on a regular basis, so it's best to ask before you get your heart set on the spinach souffle. I did, and I am still pining. Sautéed cabbage is a colorful mix of purple and green varieties, sweetened with carrots and onions. Macaroni and cheese, which can be ordered vegan style, is nutty with thankfully real cheddar and crusty with just enough baking. In fact, this was one of the better versions I've tasted around town. Candied yams are soft and fluffy, with a swirl of maple syrup. And the collard greens, somehow, miraculously, manage to be sharp but not bitter, deeply sweet and smoky without the benefit of salted pork. That, too, unfortunately, is a family secret.

For dessert, we sampled the peach cake. For all intents and purposes, this was closer to a cobbler, a thick slice of crumbly yellow cake soaked in the syrup of canned peaches. (In mid-winter, the no-can rule cannot be applied to fruit.) This, too, won our admiration, though it was not as ambitious a cooking feat as, say, the fake meat.

A word of advice: It's best to visit Patterson's on any night but Saturday (they're closed for a religious observation of the Sabbath) or Sunday (a huge dinner rush for both takeout and eat-in and a very small waitstaff make for sluggish service).

Eating healthy soul food is a little bit like having your cake and eating it too: All of the pleasure and none of the guilt. The soul in question is, obviously, a virtuous one, but the food is no less tasty for it.

Patterson's Paradise, 538 N. Fourth St., 215-925-8355. Appetizers, $2.50-$3.50; entrees, $7.95-$9.95. Sun.-Thu., 10 a.m-9 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Not wheelchair accessible. Smoking prohibited. Reservations accepted. Cash or checks accepted.