When you think of hummus in Philly, chances are you immediately think of Michael Solomonov meccas like Zahav and Dizengoff. When I saw Hummusology take over Cake and the Beanstalk’s spot last year, I have to admit, I dismissed it thinking no hummus could ever stand up to the established Philly hummus royalty. I was also pretty sad to see Cake and the Beanstalk go. (I have a notorious sweet tooth and their flourless chocolate cake was my everything).
However, time heals all wounds and thanks to the magical powers of Instagram, I began to take note of how exquisitely put together Hummusology’s platters were.
It was time to bury the hatchet (or in this case a fork) and give it a try.
The space is cozy and inviting with plenty of light coming in from the garden outside. The menu has a plethora of options (more than I thought possible) but I went for the Vegetables Rave ($12), one of their most popular dishes.
The hummus is made on the spot and this particular dish is topped with roasted vegetables (mine had gorgeous red peppers, eggplant and sweet potato!) paprika, cumin, olive oil, green sauce and an adorable dollop of tahini.
As if this wasn’t enough, you get fresh baked pita bread (whole wheat or white flour) and a side salad.
While I can easily finish my whole meal at Dizengoff without being too full, here you’ll want to take leftovers home with you. They’re super generous with their toppings and it makes for a really satisfying meal that can be stretched into an additional snack.
Overall, I’d definitely go again as everything on the menu looked delicious. (The Hamshuka ($12) is next on my list — topped with Shakshuka and chickpeas! Oh and then there’s the Wicked Hummus from the West ($11) which comes with a hard-boiled egg).
Out of curiosity, I had to ask Hummusology owner Tal Ben about how it feels like to open a hummus restaurant in a Solomonov-loving city and he’s got nothing but love for his fellow hummus masters.
“We have great respect for other hummus restaurants,” he says. “We think there’s plenty of room for everyone in Philadelphia. Each place brings its own charm. We are glad to see people in Philadelphia embrace hummus.”
Hummusology is located at 1112 Locust St.
