Vegetarian "Mexican"

I'm astounded by all the great authentic Mexican food here (I'm from New York, where a significant Mexican population is a fairly recent phenomenon). Unfortunately, being a vegetarian means that the more "real" the food is, the fewer things I can eat--lard in the beans and all that.
Any suggestions for places to get yummy, if inauthentic burritos and such with vegetarian beans? Are there any Cal-Mex type burrito joints in Chicago?


Thanks!


Mimi

Hi Mimi,

check out this thread on "El Nuevo Kappy's" on Cermak:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2958

It's not at all California-burrito-style, but it has lots of vegetarian options such as tlacoyos and quesadillas filled with mushrooms, or ricotta, or nopales, etc. There is no lard used in the corn masa.

Amata

Although not an exclusively Mexican joint, I was extremely impressed with the fajitas made with seitan at the Chicago Diner, which is exclusively vegetarian. (And I must say, I WAS resistant to the thought, NOT being a vegetarian!)

Thanks, both of you. I've been meaning to get to the Chicago Diner for months.

Your suggestion sounds great, Amata! (I assume I'm still out of luck with the frijoles, though)



Mimi

las palmas has plenty of vegetarian choices - they have several locations in the city and suburbs.

Miss Mimi wrote:Thanks, both of you. I've been meaning to get to the Chicago Diner for months.

Your suggestion sounds great, Amata! (I assume I'm still out of luck with the frijoles, though)



Mimi

I think places that do things 'authentically' or in the traditional way are pretty likely to use lard in a lot of basic preparations, including beans but also in some of the masa preparations and even flour tortillas. Of course, tradiitional Mexican cookery necessarily included a certain repertoire of dishes that were free of meat products for the Catholic fast days, but these days and especially here in the context of immigrant communities in the U.S., it's pretty hard to be genuinely vegetarian or to follow a proper Lenten fast and eat in Mexican restaurants. There's no doubt that there has been a strong 'carnicentric' tendency in the development of Mexican immigrant eating habits, just as there has been with Southern Italians before them.

Kappy's is one of the better options I know of, since they offer a number quesadillas and tlacoyos which involve no meat products. You could go there and ask about whether they use pork in preparing their beans and, if so, you can skip the beans and still have a nice meal.

For those who shun meat but consume fish and mariscos, there are a number of decent places around town.

I'm afraid if you're very strict, the possibilities are pretty narrow; for me, during Lent, eating in any Mexican restaurants other than Kappy's or the seafood specialists is pretty much out of the question.

Antonius

Picante has vegetarian black beans (I assume their refried beans are not vegetarian, though I did not ask), and will use them in burritos, tacos, nachos, and tortas. they also have cheese enchiladas and chile rellenos. I've only had the burrito, but it was very good (far better than the flavorless black pellets with bland rice they serve at Chipotle).

I've only been to the location on Lincoln, but there is one on Division, too:

Picante
2016 1/2 W Division

3332 N Lincoln

Mimi,

I asked a similar question last year....

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3695&highlight=que++mejor

MJ

Last night I went to Riques--they offer some more interesting vegetarian options, and lots of them. In fact some of the veggie dishes looked more enticing to me than the meatier ones. Rajas w/ chayote squash, corn, panela cheese and pintos--sort of a Mexican-style succotash. They have an entire vegetarian menu. Plus, they call themselves regional Mexican--the owners mother is from Sonora, and they offer specials each Saturday that focus on a different region in Mexico. How authentic it is, I can not say, but it's interesting and the food was pretty good. Plus, you can bring your own and park on the street.

Riques
5009 N Sheridan

Miss Mimi wrote:I'm astounded by all the great authentic Mexican food here (I'm from New York, where a significant Mexican population is a fairly recent phenomenon). Unfortunately, being a vegetarian means that the more "real" the food is, the fewer things I can eat--lard in the beans and all that.

Mimi

how about chile rellenos?

Blind Faith Cafe (all veg fare) east of Chicago Ave. on Dempster in Evanston has a good vegetarian Mexican breakfast. They also do a vegan version with sauteed tofu instead of eggs. A Tostada with vegetarian chili or black beans is on the lunch dinner menu, as are enchiladas and black bean tamales. Blind Faith is definitely not authentic, and it is expensive, but all the ingredients are fresh, the room is quiet, and two people can share the huge portions. You will need hot sauce!

Miss Mimi wrote:Any suggestions for places to get yummy, if inauthentic burritos and such with vegetarian beans?

El Faro, on the southern edge of Little Village, looks sort of interesting. It’s an “authentic” Mexican restaurant with a significant vegetarian section on the menu. I thought it had been discussed more but this is the only mention I can find. I haven’t eaten there but can almost guarantee it’s better than places like Mamacita’s.

El Faro’s Menu

Antonius wrote:I'm afraid if you're very strict, the possibilities are pretty narrow; for me, during Lent, eating in any Mexican restaurants other than Kappy's or the seafood specialists is pretty much out of the question.

I agree with your point about the difficulty of eating totally meat-free in most Mexican restaurants. Even when you ask, sometimes vegetarian means only no big hunks of meat. Several years ago a strict vegetarian friend from India took me to his favorite Mexican place. He really loved those beans and I didn’t have the heart to tell him why (I later brought up the lard issue with his wife who gently broke it to him).

It’s too late for this year but I thought the Especiales de Cuaresma menus found at many taquerias listed only truly meat-free dishes (they very often contain fish though). I’m mad at myself for not taking advantage of the seasonal specialties this year.

Zacatacos

Los Altos

Josephine wrote:Blind Faith Café . . . You will need hot sauce!

I’ve heard it referred to as Bland Taste Café.

I was a Mexican-food-loving vegetarian for a very long time - I feel your pain!
Il Tapatio on Ashland / Roscoe has several vegetarian choices. Many of the veggie entrees are offered with white rice & steamed vegetables, so you avoid the whole meat-in-the-beans thing. They have these spinach & cheese-filled crepes with a creamy chipotle sauce that are amazing! It's a bit late for this, but they also have a Lenten menu with a bunch of vegetarian and fish appetizers, soups, and entrees.
Beware of the STRONG margaritas (already discussed elsewhere on this site). They're delicious, but they sneak up on you! There's one called the Rolls Royce that I'm fairly sure has roofies mixed in with the tequila.
FYI - the place is tiny and always packed.

arae wrote:Il Tapatio on Ashland / Roscoe has several vegetarian choices.

For reference purposes:
El Tapatio Cafe
3400 N. Ashland
(773) 327-5475

I'm pretty sure they haven't gone Italian-Mexican fusion

Best,
Michael

I'm glad you mentioned Tapatio. I used to live 3 doors down from it maybe 13 years ago. Then it was a solid neighborhood spot. As the area gentrified and Trixies became more open-minded about Mexican food (linked to cheap 'ritas, I'd bet), it rapidly declined into a packed, mediocre neighborhood spot. It sounds as if it has come back around. I do still dislike the fact that a place called El Tapatio has few dishes that are specific to Guadalajara.

Anyway, back to the OP, Tapatio always did have very nice sincronizadas de papas.

Not Mexican, but Guatemalan: El Tinajon at 2054 W. Roscoe has some excellent vegetarian options, though I again cannot attest to whether or not lard/chicken broth/etc. are used in some preparations.

I can vouch for El Faro, sort of. I've eaten there once. The rajas con queso gordita was very good as was the decidedly non-vegetarian al pastor taco. I didn't try any of the soy fakemeat products.