It’s Pumpkin Spice Season! Here’s Where to Find Fall’s Favorite Flavor in Philly
Pumpkin season is finally here and these Philly restaurants understood the assignment.
Cake Life Bake Shop’s Pumpkin Maple Cupcake / Photograph courtesy of Cake Life Bake Shop
Pumpkin spice season waits for no one. She doesn’t care if you’re ready for her. She doesn’t care if the heat of summer is clinging on. She doesn’t even care if you like her or not; in fact, the disdain over pumpkin spice season just makes her stronger.
Come mid-August, pumpkin spice begins to percolate on menus, and by September it’s a full-blown invasion. And I, for one, eagerly and unapologetically welcome the return of our autumnal overlord. Fall is my favorite season. I am a sucker for leaf peeping, cable-knit sweaters, hayrides on crisp days and bonfires during those chilly nights. And though most of those moments don’t hit until mid-October, the strong scent and flavor of pumpkin spice gets me in the fall spirit.
Pumpkin alone doesn’t have much flavor. It is a mild fruit. (Yes, botanically speaking it is a fruit.) It’s earthy and a little nutty with a hint of sweetness. That is why it needs an aromatic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and other warming spices to punch up its flavor — a potent blend we recognize as “pumpkin spice.”
The first pumpkin spice recipe ever recorded appeared in Amelia Simmons’s cookbook, American Cookery, in 1796 and was applied to a “pompkin” pudding dish that closely resembles today’s pumpkin pie. Since then, the genre has expanded beyond the humble pie to include lattes, doughnuts, cakes, ice creams and even cocktails.
To best indulge in autumn’s favorite flavor, here are restaurants celebrating pumpkin spice in all her glory, plus a few variations on pumpkin flavors at-large.
Forsythia’s pumpkin and sweet potato soup / Photograph by Max Mester
Forsythia, Old City
This French bistro always celebrates harvest season with pumpkin specialties and this year they’re offering a pumpkin and sweet potato soup, with lobster claw and pumpkin seed granola. 233 Chestnut Street.
Cake Life Bake Shop, Fishtown
For the fall season, Cake Life has a new pumpkin spiced latte cheesecake topped with whipped espresso-white-chocolate ganache. There’s also the pumpkin-maple cake, a pumpkin-flavored layer cake with maple cream cheese frosting. (The pumpkin-maple flavor also comes in a cupcake version.) Seasonal drink specials abound, with the classic PSL, an apple spice latte made with real apples and spices, a caramel apple cider (hot or iced), and a Maple-Doodle Latte with maple syrup. 1306 Frankford Avenue.
Bluebird Distilling, Phoenixville
The crisp fall air hits different when you’ve got a spiced drink in hand, which is why Bluebird Distilling’s Spiced Pumpkin Dark Rum is a must-have for the season. With notes of pumpkin, molasses, and spices, this rum is great to sip straight or mix into seasonal cocktails and baking. 100 Bridge Street.
Vibrant Coffee, Rittenhouse
The prevalence of pumpkin spice lattes during this time of year demands that coffee shops get creative. Enter Vibrant Coffee’s maple pumpkin spice latte made with fresh espresso, a blend of house-made pumpkin and real maple syrups, and a spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. It’s a fall drink that’ll warm you inside and out. 222 West Rittenhouse Square.
Franklin Fountain’s pumpkin ice cream cake. / Photograph courtesy of Franklin Fountain
Franklin Fountain, Old City
If you’re having a small dinner party this fall, pre-order one of Franklin Fountain’s pumpkin ice-cream cakes for dessert. Shaped like a pumpkin, it’s made with tart pumpkin-butter ice cream and has layers of butterscotch and caramelized white chocolate-covered gingerbread pieces, candied ginger, and spiced pecans. For $60, the cake serves six to eight people. It’s available by pre-order now. There’s also a limited amount available for walk-ins. 116 Market Street.
Mifflin Tavern, Pennsport
The calendar says fall but the heat of summer still clings on into early October. For those hot fall days there’s Mifflin Tavern’s pumpkin latte martini: a mix of vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and pumpkin liqueur, with a caramel rim, and topped with pumpkin cold foam. 1843 South 2nd Street.
Talula’s Garden, Washington Square
At Talula’s Garden, they’re serving a sweet pumpkin crème brûlée with toasted cranberry pumpkin seed biscotti. And if you’re on the go, you can stop by Talula’s Daily next door to grab pumpkin scones or a mini spiced pumpkin pie to go with a Salem, their in-house version of the classic PSL. 210 West Washington Square.
Batter & Crumbs, Point Breeze
Batter and Crumbs, the all-vegan bakery and cafe, has created the best way to start a fall day: pumpkin spice bread with a creamy pumpkin cold brew. Both are creamy, pumpkin-flavored delights with fall spices and a hint of sweetness. 1401 Reed Street.
Roxanne’s veal and pumpkin lasagna / Photograph by Alexandra Holt
Roxanne, Bella Vista
A little outside of the pumpkin spice matrix is the pumpkin and veal lasagna at Roxanne. It makes its annual appearance in early October. 607 South 2nd Street.
Sweet Box Bakery, Washington Square West
Sweet Box has a pumpkin crisp cookie dough that’s as Instagrammable as it is tasty. If you want a decadent dessert that packs a lot of pumpkin spice, this one is for you. The creamy cheesecake is loaded with cinnamon and spices, made even sweeter and creamier with buttery brown sugar oatmeal streusel and swirls of vanilla cream cheese glaze. 339 South 13th Street.
HipCityVeg, multiple locations
Through October and November, all HipCityVeg locations will be offering their pumpkin pie shake with soy ice cream, organic soy milk, pumpkin purée, and spices.
1906, Kennett Square
The change of season means a new menu at 1906, the upscale veggie-led restaurant at Longwood Gardens. This year you can expect a fresh pumpkin tagliatelle, with veal, pork, and portobello bolognese. The dish is completed with Kennett Square mushrooms, crispy fried pumpkin, and Pecorino cheese. 1001 Longwood Road.
Libertee Grounds, Fairmount
For a sweet autumn snack with an indoor activity, Sidekicks is bringing their pumpkin spice milkshake to Libertee Grounds after their summer pop-up location closes. The milkshake features chai caramel swirl and graham crackers. 1600 West Girard Avenue.
The Pumpkin & Salted Honey Cheesecake donut from Okie Dokie Donuts / Photograph courtesy of Okie Dokie Donuts
Okie Dokie Donuts, Point Breeze
There’s lots of pumpkin cake styles waiting for you at this little shop just west of Broad. This month’s donut offerings include a vegan pumpkin-chocolate doughnut as well as pumpkin espresso. And starting this Saturday, Okie Dokie is offering their pumpkin and salted honey cheesecake doughnut filled with pumpkin cheesecake and topped with caramel graham crumb, salted honey glaze, and pumpkin spice buttercream. 1439 Snyder Avenue.
Vetri Cucina, Midtown Village
Marc Vetri never ceases to amaze us with his inventive approach to seasonal ingredients. New to the menu is a sweet potato cavatelli with smoked pumpkin and hearty chunks of crab meat all tossed in a sauce made of apple, fennel, house-made miso, and gochujang. The surprising combination evokes the depth of fall’s warm notes with a savory spice that goes beyond what conventional pumpkin spice could achieve. 1312 Spruce Street.
Little Susie’s, multiple locations
Little Susie’s has already updated its fall lineup with a pumpkin pie, which will be available through the end of the year at all of their windows. They also have a new latte, The Great Pumpkin, a double-shot pumpkin spice latte topped with cinnamon cold foam.
Flying Monkey Bakery, Center City
This small-batch bakeshop inside Reading Terminal Market has traditional pumpkin pie and pumpkin crumb cake, but you can also find several pumpkin versions of their famous whoopie pies, from chocolate-dipped to rolled in toasted pecan. 51 North 12th Street.
Càphê Roasters spiced pumpkin cà phê bí / Photograph courtesy of Càphê Roasters
Càphê Roasters, Kensington
Note to coffee shops: If you’re going to do a pumpkin spiced coffee of any kind this season, you must do it exceptionally well. Càphê Roasters is a Philly Mag favorite, and when it comes to their spiced pumpkin cà phê bí, they do not disappoint. The seasonal delight has a spiced pumpkin syrup (made in-house), milk, their Vietnamese espresso, and is topped with a spiced-pumpkin cold foam. 3400 J Street G1.
Small Oven Pastry Shop, South Philly
Ice cream flavors at this window on Washington Avenue go fast, so you’ll want to mark your calendars for this one. Small Oven’s pumpkin pie soft serve ice cream will only be available October 31st through November 2nd. 2204 Washington Avenue.
Malai, Rittenhouse
So many of Malai’s flavors feel like fall, but especially the Pumpkin Garam Masala Crumble, a pumpkin ice cream with a warm, aromatic masala flavoring, and black cardamom graham crackers. Grab it in a to-go pint, too. 260 South 18th Street.
The Bakery, South Philly
For a coffee fix, The Bakery has a few flavors to celebrate the season. First, their pumpkin spice latte is as classic as you can get, with nutty fall flavors, cinnamon foam, and a true pumpkin taste. Not strictly pumpkin, their Ghost Mocha is a mix of espresso, chocolatey mocha milk, and a sweet fluff ghost on the side of the cup. Finally, the Salted Maple Latte mixes organic maple flavored milk, espresso, and sea salt. 2300 South 3rd Street.
