 Vegan Dining in Chicago |
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The City of Broad Shoulders has come a long way in recent years with moving away from its steak and potatoes image toward one that's a little kinder, a little greener and a lot less artery-clogging. While certainly not giving Santa Cruz a run for its money, vegan and vegetarian dining opportunities in Chicago definitely have flourished in volume and quality within the past decade. In the nearly ten years since I moved to Chicago after college, I've seen soy creep its way into regular restaurants, I've seen a growing trend toward buying local, organic produce, and I've seen a multitude of greens and grains replace the iceberg and white rice (brown if you were in an "exotic" establishment) with which we used to have to content ourselves. Not only this, but pretty much every restaurant has at least one meatless entree, so if Aunt Selma really must go to Ribs 'R' Us for her 80th birthday, you won't necessarily have to contend with a plain baked potato. If you are visiting Chicago and you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at Vegan Street; also, the Chicago Vegetarian Society would probably be able to answer any questions. And until all restaurants are meatless, feel free to download our vegetarian dining cards, nifty little messages you can leave with your check next time you dine amongst the omnivorous. The Chicago Diner The Diner has several pages of menu; they offer brunch, lunch, sandwiches, dinners, salads, soups, specials, the whole kittencaboodle. I would recommend trying one of their specials - they are usually creative and exciting. On the weekends, they have a wonderful brunch - let me just say four words: Hash And Tofu Scrambler. Amazing! Succulent! It's scrambled tofu, spicy tempeh/potato hash, melt-in-your-mouth vegan biscuits and gravy, plus a little fruit on the side. It's out of this world...Everyone who's tried it at my insistence falls in love, as much as one can with a plate of tofu, potatoes and biscuits. Their soups are always vegan and usually wonderful. I'm a sucker for the split pea. The sandwiches are quite substantial, easily enough for lunch or dinner. Grilled portabellos are becoming passé these days, but their Portabello Fantastico with marinara or herb vinaigrette makes you remember why you like fungi so much. Sandwiches come with home fries, brown rice, cole slaw and garnish. But this is the really big thing: their desserts are all vegan, all phenomenal, all absolutely decadent! And when The Diner says "vegan", they don't mean with the exception of honey, they mean VEGAN. They are quite serious and conscientious about these matters (who else would we have cater our wedding?). They usually have many different kinds of cakes you can buy by the slice or whole. They offer varieties like Black Forest (chocolate layered with cherries and chocolate cream), Cookies and Cream (chocolate layered with white cream and crushed chocolate cookies) and Lemon Coconut (lemon layer cake with flaked coconut and lemon cream - our scrumptious wedding cake). One time we ordered a cake from The Diner for a party, and my friend, who's not a vegan and didn't know the cake was, took one bite, opened her eyes wide and said to me with deep, intense sincerity: "This is THE best cake I've ever had in my life...I mean it - EVER!" The mood at The Diner is usually very relaxed, casual and friendly. There's no need to dress up, and no need to rush through your meal. The food here is moderately priced, most entrees range between $6 - $10. Alcohol is available here, including organic wines, and in the summer, their real-fruit margaritas are amazing, especially on the back patio where one can dine during the milder months. They also have a juice/smoothie/coffee bar. Come out and support these guys: they're Chicago’s oldest vegetarian restaurant, and they really cater to our community. There is also a branch of The Chicago Diner located in Highland Park, one of Chicago's northern suburbs. They seem to serve the same kind of fare there, but I'm not as familiar with this location. I'm certain one wouldn't be disappointed at the Highland Park location, though.
Blind Faith They have a wonderful, substantial salad called the "Brazilian Salad," which comes with salad greens, boiled beets and potatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers and hazelnuts; it's fantastic with their piquant vegan dressing, white miso onion. They also offer a daily macrobiotic plate and daily specials. Blind Faith has a fresh juice/smoothie bar and a phenomenal baked goods with quite a few vegan choices (my favorite is the cranberry bar). Generally, people at Blind Faith are helpful with making certain that the food you've requested is prepared in a vegan fashion (unfortunately,the menu does not make a clear indication of what is and what is not vegan). Occasionally, especially if you are in the self-service section, you may encounter a stray spacey counter person who gazes out the window foggily when you're trying to ascertain whether a certain dish is vegan or not, but it's pretty rare. There are plenty of great vegan options offered here. The dress is casual.
Amitabul
Asian Cafe note: the Asian Cafe is closed for now. They are hoping to open soon in the Lincoln Park neighborhood Formerly known as Vegetarian Garden, Asian Cafe is one of a kind...it's entirely vegan, with traditional Chinese dishes, such as kung pao chicken and crispy duck, all made with seitan. The owner, Mona, hired a master seitan chef from China and brought him back with her to Chicago where he oversees her kitchen. The result is really something to behold: some dishes taste more "meaty" than others, but none quite simulate that texture of tearing into flesh, which is a good thing. Entrees are usually delicately sauced, although some are more spicy than others. I've tried so many: the lemon chicken, beef with broccoli, chicken sizzling rice, and I've never been disappointed. If you are someone who feels uncomfortable eating food that mimics meat, there are also quite a few dishes where vegetables are the feature, such as Buddha's delight and eggplant with black bean sauce. Asian Cafe is in Chinatown, which is a little south of downtown; many might consider the restaurant to be inconveniently located. Please give it a chance, though: the food is great and Mona is very committed to serving reasonably priced, high quality vegan fare, so she deserves the support of the vegetarian community.
The Mother Earth Cafe *Note Mother Earth Cafe recently moved to its current location from a much smaller one. The restaurant should be opening in fall of 2000. Check back for a new review.
Soul Vegetarian East 203 E. 75th St., 773-224-0104 Entirely vegan except for honey
Victory's Banner Walk into Victory's Banner and it's a bit like walking onto a cloud: the environment is all powder blue, white, and pastel shades of pink and lavendar. The servers, dressed in soft, diaphonous saris, speak in hushed tones, and there is often lulling, Anya-esque music playing in the background. In fact, everything about Victory's Banner seems like it was strategically chosen so that diners would be temporarily lifted from this material plane, and maybe transported into a fairyland with happy, smiling elves around every corner. I enjoy Victory's Banner, and I'm always glad to welcome another meatless restaurant into Chicago, but I have to say that as a vegan, my choices seem pretty paltry. Thus far, the restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch, and the breakfasts are standard American egg-y and milk-y fare. They do seem to be a bit reliant on animal products, when their one breakfast option that should be vegan (Erin's Eggless Wonder, which is a tofu scramble) comes with goat cheese. Everything is made to order, though, and substitutions and omissions can be made in most items. If you are an ovo-lacto vegetarian, though, there are many varieties of pancakes, omelettes, and waffles. Lunch is a bit easier on a vegan...We can chose among a variety of sanwiches and salads (although to make most of these vegan, an omission here and there are necessary. The spinach salad I had, without the egg, was crisp, but a little boring. The Peace-Love and Bliss Burger (what did I tell you about the elves before) was quite good the last time I tried it. This comes with grilled potatoes, mashed potaoes with gravy, or brown rice. I've also tried the tofu scramble on a previous visit, and I found it to be a little uninspired, although the multi-grained bread that accompanied it was great. In all, I'd say that Victory Banner should start incorporating more vegan dishes, and, while they're at it, become a little more creative with the menu. A lot of what they offer is the "tried-and-true" veggie fare from an earlier era. They are a new restaurant, though, and they've got plenty of time to gain creative strength.
Chowpatti
Devon Street near Western Avenue in Chicago is a favorite haunt of vegetarians who crave spicy Indian food, and there are a number of entirely vegetarian restaurants that line "Little India." In addition to the wonderful aroma of curry and fennel in the air, there are a lot of businesses that stay open late along Devon St., from markets to stores that sell Hindu statues and artifacts. The area is also quite multicultural, with urban hipsters mixing with traditional Indian families, tattoos mingling with saris...It's a lively and colorful feast for the senses. The only thing to beware of is that your food is prepared in a vegan manner; traditional Indian food is often cooked with ghee (clarified butter) and yogurt. If you are vegan, simply specify what you can and cannot eat; you'll find that most people are quite helpful. Also, it can be quite tedious to park around here, so my suggestion is to come either before or after peak hours, which are from about 7 - 9 pm. Some vegetarian Indian restaurants on Devon St. are: Arya Bhavan Dasaprakash Udupi Palace |
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