JENKINTOWN >> As the country digs into turkey for Thanksgiving and who knows what other meats around the upcoming holiday season, Jenkintown is able to offer something new and different for Jenkintown at least.

Flora, a vegan restaurant featuring all manner of ingredients not produced by animals, opened at 307 Old York Road Nov. 11. The restaurant has four owners, led by, well, nobody, really. The husband and wife team of Jose Vargas and Jennifer Brennan have owned several restaurants over the past few years, including Leilas Bistro and Forcella, both in Jenkintown.

The group got to know each other in Mayfair, where man of many hats Dan Brightcliffe (hes co-owner, greeter and waiter among other things at Flora) and friend Pat Durison, another co-owner, were busboys for Vargas and Brennan. Its safe to say the restaurant bug has bitten them all.

Jen and Jose approached us and asked if we wanted to get involved in something of our own, Brightcliffe said. We floated around a few ideas before settling in on a vegan restaurant.

The idea of opening a vegan place was not the driving force behind Brightcliffes decision to make it that way. He was looking to fill a local void, he said.

We had so many people calling the Bistro asking if there were vegetarian or vegan options, said Brightcliffe, 25. We felt there as a need. There arent a whole lot of places for people to eat vegetarian or vegan without driving all the way into the city.

Brightcliffe is not a vegetarian, though his girlfriend is, he said.

I eat vegetarian about 80 percent of the time, Brightcliffe said, his comments echoed by Chef Max Hosey.

Despite not committing to a vegan lifestyle, Brightcliffe recognizes that the vegan menu is a growing part of the culinary landscape.

Since weve opened, the people who have come in, weve had a good number of meat eaters come in and theyre interested in trying something new, Brightcliffe said. Its worked out well so far. Continued...

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Jenkintown's Flora restaurant offers vegan fare