A short visit back to Chicago w/vegetarian girlfriend

Hi all,

I haven't been back to Chicago for a few years and alas will only be in town for a few days so I won't be able to get to all of my favorites on this trip (or try all of the many new spots).

I'm looking for some suggestions of places, especially new but also old favorites which would be great for my vegetarian girlfriend who will be with me this trip and who has never been to Chicago before.

We will be in town next weekend (I arrive a bit earlier) so are looking for good options for Friday dinner, Sat & Sun breakfast (will be staying downtown but need a real breakfast Saturday not a brunch as we have lunch plans out in Oak Park with my family) and Saturday dinner.

XOCO or perhaps Frontera Grill are two spots we're leaning towards trying. At some point over the weekend we'll get some Italian Ice (probably at the place in Lincoln Park if it is still open).

We won't have a car so are looking for suggestions along an El line - definitely more open to places that are outside of the downtown area.

I haven't posted on LTHForum in a few years but I lived in Chicagoland for over 24 years but haven't been back much since 2007 so likely many of my old favorites have changed and I know there are many new places to try. Living in San Francisco we are definitely blessed with a lot of great food (though I still haven't found anyplace here that is the real equal of TAC Quick or Opart Thai - I wasn't ever a huge Spoon Thai fan). However I'm not sure that TAC Quick is a great vegetarian option.

In terms of fine dining the best meals I've had in Chicago have been at Zealous (I've eaten at Moto but didn't love it) and they do have a Vegetarian tasting menu but having recently eaten at the out of this world (multiple Michelin stars) Ubuntu in Napa which is an entirely vegetarian fine dining restaurant, I'm not sure how it would compare. We might be open to suggestions for fine dining vegetarian options (or places with both great vegetarian options as well as meat for me) but more likely we'll focus on great but more casual food this trip. But suggestions can be at any pricepoint.

I'm looking forward to returning, if briefly to Chicago.

Shannon

(and happy to share SF suggestions, will try to post a few to the outside of Chicagoland board later this week)

Hey Shannon, good to see your name up on the board again!

Right off the Green Line (and literally less than a three block walk from my Oak Park house -- two blocks to the El in Oak Park, a few steps from the Clinton stop to the restaurant), is Prairie Fire, a Sarah Stegner/George Bumbaris effort that I've been to a few times. There are some veggie items, and I had a very good Tallgrass filet mignon there (I never order this cut of meat, but I'd never tried the Tallgrass version, and was really glad I did as grass-fed beef can be sometimes too lean and this cut side-stepped that problem...and it was perfectly prepared).

That's an off-the-top rec; welcome home.

Prairie Fire
215 N. Clinton
http://www.prairiefirechicago.com/

Green Zebra - vegetarian we all go to even though we're not.

www.greenzebrachicago.com
1460 West Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642-5587
(312) 243-7100

And while I really like Frontera a lot,I am even happier at Xoco - we go there almost every afternoon for a agua fresca or aztec hot chocolate or when the work day has been really trying, churros. It just seems to have the right spirit and it's always tasty.

I second Green Zebra.

Victory's Banner for fantastic breakfast. I love thier french toast and omelets. (veg breakfast and lunch; outdoor seating).
www.victorysbanner.com
2100 West Roscoe Street, Chicago, IL 60618-6220
(773) 665-0227

Of course, the Karyn's empire - Karyn's Cooked, Karyn's Raw and the newest - Karyn's on Green
(veg with a southern twist)
http://www.karynraw.com
Karyn's Cooked
738 North Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3521 (312) 587-1050
Karyn's on Green (the most upscale)
130 South Green Street, Chicago, IL
http://www.karynsongreen.com/

Earwax Cafe (casual, funky omnivorous place with veg options in Wicker Park)
1561 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60622

Handlebar (fish and veg, backyard seating)
2311 W. North Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60647

Nhu Lan Bakery (banh mi includes one with veg "beef" (sandwich #10) - highly recommended!)
2612 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Ras Dashen (omni Ethiopian with many veg options)
5846 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois 60660

Farther flung but worth it:

I just tried Cousin's Incredible Vitality (raw vegan) and really loved their adana kebab. I'm not raw foodist, so this was really interesting to me.
3038 W. Irving Park Rd. Chicago IL. 60618
Ph: 773-478-6868 http://www.cousinsiv.com

Amitabul (Korean vegan) is another fine, unusual choice.
6207 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646
Phone: (773) 774–0276
http://www.amitabulvegan.com/

Then there's Soul Vegetarian East (vegan soul food)
205 E. 75th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60619
773-224-0104

Plus just about any Indian restaurant.

I'd avoid Chicago Diner.

Also, I suggest check the restaurants where the LTH vegetarian small household dinner exchange has met.

I'd recommend Mana Food Bar on Division. It's all vegetarian and small plates so you can order lots of different dishes. When I first tried their mushrooms over polenta, I remember thinking as I paid the check, "When can I get back here to have this dish again?" Cocktails and fruit shakes are delicious and refreshing. Small, dark cozy space inside; outdoor seating for good people watching on Division.

Mana Food Bar
1742 West Division Street
(773) 342-1742

Aion for tea, unless its a different girlfriend.

A few years ago, my wife and I went to Trotters. Her vegetable menu (it wasn't fully vegetarian - but they could make it such) was terrific, and better - I thought - that the meat side of the menu. Trotter doesn't get the attention that it once did in this age of molecular cuisine, but if you like Zealous, Trotters might be a good choice.

Yummy Yummy on Broadway. The #36 Broadway bus puts you at the front door. Just north of Diversey.

I've posted on it here but I'm out in rurual community w/ltd access to the internet.

I'm also vegetarian.

GAF wrote:A few years ago, my wife and I went to Trotters. Her vegetable menu (it wasn't fully vegetarian - but they could make it such) was terrific, and better - I thought - that the meat side of the menu. Trotter doesn't get the attention that it once did in this age of molecular cuisine, but if you like Zealous, Trotters might be a good choice.

If you are talking about Charlie Trotters, I agree, I am a carnivore, but preferred the vegetarian menu.

G Wiv wrote:Aion for tea, unless its a different girlfriend.

Heh, possibly though this is a very different girlfriend.... good memory!

But yes, Aion was always a favorite spot though not sure we'll make it there this trip.

Shannon

Thanks all for the great suggestions!

I've made a reservation at Green Zebra, definitely want to try it especially since it seems to be compared with Ubuntu frequently and our meal at Ubuntu was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had (alas the chef who was there when we ate has now left so apparently the quality may have gone down).

We are also going to try to get to XOCO perhaps for a meal, definitely for some hot chocolate & churros. I'll refer back to this thread for some other options - not yet sure what our schedule will permit. We may try some of these suggestions for breakfast though locations may not work for us to get to all of them as we'll be staying near downtown & will need to get out to Oak Park for lunch (and won't have a car).

Sunday we may go to one of my old favorites for brunch, North Pond, however from their website I can't tell how vegetarian friendly they are at brunch - anyone been there with a vegetarian?

Shannon

So I am just returned from a too short (though given the temperatures perhaps just right) visit back to Chicago from my new home here in San Francisco.

I'll try to write up some of the trip highlights in more detail but here are a few of them:

Friday - lunch at Xoco. Beyond well worth the estimated 45+ minute wait (to order, the food then arrived quickly). Everything was really tasty - definitely the hot chocolate and the churros were highlights but so too were the two Tortas we ordered, the housemade vanilla soft serve w/salt caramel sauce, nuts & bacon crumble (what's not to love there). It may take a lot of return visits to fully explore the menu - I think I'll need to return for breakfast, for most of the daily specials, and after 3pm for the many amazing sounding Caldos. Rick Bayless was there at the restaurant when we went and I was thrilled to see how packed all three of his restaurants were no matter when I stopped by them over the course of my visit.

After work - stopped by Bin 36, which I had managed to only rarely (perhaps once?) get to when I lived here. While the service was a bit brusque the wine & cheeses were excellent and very fairly priced and the space is large & comfortable - a perfect way to catch up with an old friend after work early on Friday evening.

Saturday - dinner at Green Zebra. My girlfriend is a vegetarian so a restaurant where the tasting menu was only vegetarian and there is only one non-vegetarian option on the menu is always a treat (though living in San Francisco it isn't entirely a rare or unusual option for us - there are some dozen+ vegetarian only restaurants in San Francisco at all pricepoints & across a wide range of cuisines). This was our treat to ourselves (well my treat to her) for our mini-vacation.

Verdict - while elements of nearly every dish were exceptional, Green Zebra isn't yet in the same ballpark as Ubuntu in Napa was when we went there a few months back (when Chef Fox was still the head chef, I've heard mixed reports that the quality has gone downhill since he left recently). At Ubuntu there wasn't a formal tasting menu but the whole menu changed daily - and every single element of every single dish was generally unique. In contrast Green Zebra had many ingredients which were part of multiple dishes (and we only sampled that night's tasting menu and 4 other entrees).

The excellent housemade non-alcoholic drink pairings were inspired, each were exceptionally tasty and as a very very very light drinker this was an option and concept I wish many other restaurants would copy and imitate (I'd also love to see a restaurant offer a mix of some wines & some non-alcoholic beverage pairings)

Green Zebra's dishes were each quite tasty and often had elements which showed great skill - but in many cases a dish had a couple of extra elements which didn't always add much to the overall dish (and the ongoing effect across the whole meal was that the kitchen could stand to edit a bit more - have a smaller menu & less repetitions of ingredients and tastes across dishes.

Overall we enjoyed a wonderful experience and meal but we won't be racing back (unlike my reaction to Xoco which I very very seriously thought about returning to for dinner the same evening I had eaten lunch there)

Sunday

Brunch at 3rd Coast Cafe (Dearborn & Goethe). Still fantastic and reliable and still the BEST BACON. Better even than the bacon a friend of mine makes & sells here in San Francisco. Seriously I was reminded why in my now going on 2 decades of frequenting the 3rd Coast cafe I would quite often order just a side of the bacon and savor every last think & perfectly cooked morsel. Consider seriously ordering a side of bacon to accompany your Cobb Salad or Bacon Omlet it really is that good. And the space & coffee were mostly unchanged.

A few other quick thoughts:

- Gina's Italian Ice in Berwyn is still a perfect summer treat.

- Intelligentsia is still good though I think SF's Blue Bottle, Four Barrel, Sightglass, Ritual, Epicenter Cafe, Coffee Bar, Matching Half Cafe and a few other spots around town all serve actually a slightly better coffee experience. But then in the past few years SF has become a hub of amazing "3rd wave" coffee with micro roasters and world class baristas.

- Lido's Cafe in Oak Park, while not serving amazing coffee is a nice addition to the town, was a hub for me while I was in Oak Park.

More thoughts (and some photos) in a few days.

Shannon Clark wrote:Brunch at 3rd Coast Cafe (Dearborn & Goethe). Still fantastic and reliable and still the BEST BACON.

Shannon,

Thanks for the report. I'm especially grateful to hear that 3rd Coast is still going strong. I used to go there somewhat regularly but haven't been in a long while. Yesterday, I was dismayed when a co-worker mentioned that she thought 3rd Coast had closed and a new restaurant opened in its place. I forgot to investigate last night, so your update was a relief. I'll be at the Graham Foundation later this week. Now I know where I'm going to eat.

It sounds like you and your girlfriend had a nice visit.

Sharon

Shannon Clark wrote:living in San Francisco it isn't entirely a rare or unusual option for us - there are some dozen+ vegetarian only restaurants in San Francisco at all pricepoints & across a wide range of cuisines

if you haven't gone to Millennium yet, you should. it is incredible. i enjoyed it much more than French Laundry - the food was more creative/inspired, tasted better, and we were completely stuffed by the end of the tasting.