blind faith vs. soul vegetarian east

I live practically kiddie corner from blind faith. I am a vegetarian and have been so for 14 years. My boyfriend is a black hebrew israelite who was born in lousiana and loves the idea of soul vegetarian east. I've heard some good reviews for soul vegetarian east and wonder if it really is worth going out there with blind faith practically in our backyard. I'm very comfortable with blind faith and love their food. I know it's hard to compare the type of food each one serves, but is SVE that much better? And if it is really that good can anybody recommend some dishes that are really superb and that even a meat eater wouldn't mind eating? It was hard getting him to try blind faith and the fact that he really is enthusiastic about SVE makes me want to go there but if he orders the wrong thing, he'll never go again. Luckily I was able to guide him at blind faith, being that I've gone there for years and tried practically everything on the menu. Thanks for the help

I'd say it's definitely worth going to SVE just for the experience alone. It's a world away from Blind Faith in lots of ways - food, atmosphere, patrons, neighborhood, etc.

It's been a few years, but as for what to order, I always go for dinner and get the 'dinner plate', which is whatever they're serving that day. I've had lasagna, a fried "catfish" tofu thing with "tartar" sauce, phony "rib tips", etc.

And yeah, its a vegan soul food restaurant, so the necessity for all the quotes around food items is high. You're not allowed to groan unless you've eaten there

You might want to call ahead to see if the current dinner plate sounds good, I've never been disappointed. I *have* been disappointed by some of the menu items like the hand sandwich, so be warned.

MJ

vegmojo wrote:I *have* been disappointed by some of the menu items like the hand sandwich, so be warned.

Now that doesn't sound like vegetarian cuisine...

waka waka

babyd28, your boyfriend's a Black Hebrew Israelite and you wonder if it's really worth the trip to check out probably the only Black Hebrew Israelite restaurant between St. Louis and Philadelphia?

Soul Veg may be a trek from Evanston but it's worth checking out at least once. Many people (myself included) consider it to be the best vegetarian restaurant in Chicago. I live in Lakeview so my trips down there are limited but I am never disappointed.

What's good? The greens (either kale or collard depends on what they have that day) are amazing as is the cornbread that comes with it and I really love the BBQ Twist sandwich which is made from wheat gluten and is fried and smothered with some great sauce. There's a platter (sans bun) if you're really hungry. Time Out recommendeds the fried cauliflower. They said it tastes just like fried chicken but I haven't tried it yet so I couldn't tell you if it's true or not. The split pea soup is very good and I love the protein bits, which are little fried chunks of wheat gluten served with BBQ sauce for dipping. I would give a pass to the pizza puff. It was kind of like a calzone without cheese, but with a softer, doughier crust. Not horrible but I wouldn't recommend it the first trip there.

The desserts are the best vegan baking I've ever had, especially the cakes. I really don't know how they get the structure and texture they do without eggs but they always do. The caramel is best but I like the lemon too. The coconut pie is nice although the "meringue" is a little heavy and oily.

I've heard the breakfasts are very good but I've never been.

There are pictures and an good write up here: http://www.pjchmiel.com/vegan/soul_vegetarian.html

If you don't have a car you can take the Red line to 79th St and either walk or take the 75th bus.

Soul Vegetarian East
205 E 75th St
Chicago, IL 60619
(773) 224-0104

I haven't been to Soul Vegetarian East, but I wish I had. The great thing about all the restaurants in Chicago is that there is always something new to try, even if you're vegetarian. So get out there! It's not so much a question of "better" as it is a question of "different".
As far as it being worth the drive? To most folks here on LTH, all good food is worth the drive.

You can find a few mentions of Blind Faith in the LTH search.

Here's an LTH quote about Soul Vegetarian East:

edk wrote:For sheer weirdness and really decent vegetarian versions of soul food -- Soul Vegetarian East isn't all that far: 205 E. 75th. It is run by the Black Hebrew Israelites so no meat, no alcohol. (I love both but I still like this place quite a bit.) It is the only place in Chicago where you can get a Garveyburger. Believe it or not the vegan mac and cheese is outstanding. It is right down the street from Lem's if you need a pork fix. (source)

It was also on "Check Please" on WTTW Channel 11

Last, and forgive me for this, if the two of you really decide to change things up a bit you may wanna start by reading this heartwarming story of a brave woman's epic journey of redefining herself through food.

~GS

Soul Veg East is definitely worth a trip.

The fried cauliflower (and other veggies) are a fun appetizer, and the protein bits with bbq sauce are good as well. I've enjoyed the Garvey burger and the BBQ Twist sandwich, and a friend really enjoys their mac and cheese and their various dinner platters. He's actually vegan and explores a bit more on the menu.

Those of us who normally eat meat and dairy tend to stick with fried things and sandwiches/burgers, though I don't think that's a conscious decision...

Be sure to save room for dessert. Best vegan cakes and ice creams around.

I love Soul Veg so much I may start babbling incoherently; consider yourself warned. Go, enjoy!

My favorite thing is the BBQ roast sandwich, which is seitan sliced very thin and simmered in BBQ sauce. However, whether it's transcendent or merely pretty good depends on who's cooking that day--it can be a little greasy.

The house salad is lovely if you get it with the Creamy Garlic dressing.

Also good is the carrot salad sandwich--I forget exactly what it's called on the menu. Oh, and how could I forget the protein tidbits (with extra BBQ sauce)? these are a MUST TRY.

The greens, and the mac-and-cheese, are wonderful too.

Things to avoid--anything that strays too far from the soul food genre, e.g. the stir-fry dish and the falafel.

Service can be weird (sometimes very slow) but is always friendly. All the servers are volunteers...

darrek wrote:babyd28, your boyfriend's a Black Hebrew Israelite and you wonder if it's really worth the trip to check out probably the only Black Hebrew Israelite restaurant between St. Louis and Philadelphia?

Soul Veg may be a trek from Evanston but it's worth checking out at least once. Many people (myself included) consider it to be the best vegetarian restaurant in Chicago. I live in Lakeview so my trips down there are limited but I am never disappointed.

I guess I missphrased it, It took me literally years to get him to try blind faith, and he really is excited about going to sve because of the black hebrew israelite thing, but I'm scared that if we order something he doesn't like he'll never go anywhere off the beaten track with me again. So I really wanted to make sure that the food is as good as I hear and what to order. I compared it to blind faith only because he does like blind faith after I forcibly made him try it (I let him think I cooked it and then told him it was from blind faith) so I figure if it really is "as good" as blind faith then I'd be okay taking him.

Baby, I've never been to Soul Veg, but it has GOT to be better than Blind Faith!!!