Ian Graye doesn't apologize for vegetables. At Pietramala, his intimate BYOB on Second Street, he doesn't need to. The 36-seat restaurant has become a place where smoked mushrooms achieve the umami weight of beef, where fermentation unlocks flavors that most chefs spend careers chasing, and where a veggie burger—yes, a burger—draws monthly lines down the block. This is not vegetables playing a supporting role. This is vegetables as the entire argument.
Graye has cracked something fundamental about cooking: the power of constraint. Rather than overwhelming plates with flourishes, he focuses his energy on polishing single essential combinations until they shine. His grilled mushrooms painted in porcini miso over sweet corn are a study in this philosophy. So is the broccoli risotto, where a basil-boosted puree and shaved dried tofu do more work than a dozen competing textures ever could. The cauliflower arrives without fanfare. The smashed cucumbers with silkiest tofu custard and coriander bud-infused shoyu doesn't need to announce itself.
That veggie burger—the one triggering those monthly lines—tells you everything about how Graye thinks. Smoked mushrooms, heirloom beans, house-made tamari, and miso. Four components. Each one executed with precision, each one earning its place on the plate. This is what happens when a chef stops asking "what else can I add?" and starts asking "what can I remove?"
The restaurant itself feels thoughtfully sized. An open kitchen lets you watch the work happen. The front-of-house staff moves with grace, not fussiness. Earlier this year, Graye added a winery license through Camuna Cellars—natural wines and Pennsylvania spirits now flow alongside the vegetables, which matters. Good wine doesn't make bad food better, but it does elevate the already excellent into something more complete. The BYOB policy that built Pietramala's foundation remains intact for those who prefer it.
Pietramala's inclusion in Craig LaBan's Top 10 restaurants for 2025 feels less like recognition and more like acknowledgment of something obvious: this is one of the most focused, technically assured kitchens in the city right now. It happens to be vegan. That's not the story. The story is that Graye has figured out how to make you forget you ever cared about meat.