single best, absolute best, vegetarian meal in Chicagoland?

I have some customers coming in who are pure veg indians - no meat or fish, no alcohol.

I want to take them someplace special, there are great veg indian places, but I want something upscale, and, frankly, it would be nice if it wasn't indian, they get excellent indian every day.

price is pretty much not an object, because if I were taking them for a steak and wine it would be 200 bucks a head.

any suggtions?

I'd suggest Mana Food Bar on Division, if a more Western style vegetarian meal would be acceptable to them.

Mana Food Bar
1742 West Division
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 342-1742

Mana is delicious but doesn't take reservations and is quite small. Green Zebra is upscale, creative, a nice atmosphere, and has a few dishes that aren't veg for you as the host (unless you need a place with a completely veg kitchen?).


http://www.greenzebrachicago.com/
1460 W Chicago Ave

It's decidedly NOT upscale, but Chowpatti in Arlington Heights has a tremendous variety of all kinds of different regional Indian choices. I could not tell you how 'authentic' the cuisine is, but absolutely everything I have tried is solid, and it's been there at least 15 years, probably longer. Owners are sweethearts.

Chowpatti Vegetarian Cuisine
1035 S. Arlington Heights Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(847) 640-9554

Green Zebra would be my selection too - upscale, very creative, tasty . . . you hardly realize you're eating vegetarian, and I appreciate that it's not one of those places that uses meat "substitutes."

cool, green zebra is what I am looking for! anything else similar?

(I've eaten at chowpatty, the food is ok, but not upscale enough for what I am looking for, thanks )

How about the veg tasting menu at the soon to close Charlie Trotters?

If you want to go really upscale, Charlier Trotters ususally has an all vegetable tasting menu. It's not normally vegetarian (he'll use meat stocks, for example), but they will gladly make it fully vegetarian. Rerservations may be a bit tough as the restaurant is closing this summer.

Jonah

This might not be upscale enough, but we recently entertained an Indian visitor who has the same constraints, i.e. pure veg, no alcohol, at The Gage. Its not obvious from the menu that they have enough options, but we called in advance to give them a heads up & they were able to offer some menu modifications that worked well. You could probably do the same at other restaurants, we were location constrained in that instance & The Gage was our best option in that particular neighborhood. That said, I'll heartily endorse Green Zebra, I've loved the menu there.

Arun's (upscale Thai) doesn't get enough love around here but they will accommodate the finickiest request in their 12-course tasting menu and the food is excellent.

You might also give Lula Cafe a call and ask about your specific date, as they have been doing frequent Veggie Tasting Menus as specials, they're super excited about seasonal offerings and spring veggies are getting delightful, and I think they're excellent in general. They take reservations now too.

Everest offers a seven-course vegetarian tasting menu. If you want an upscale, formal (jackets required) restaurant with delicious food, a terrific wine list, and a great view looking out over the city, it's worth considering.

With a request in advance, the best restaurants (which include Trotter's and Everest) can all come up with a terrific meal for vegetarians. I bet even Alinea can provide a vegetarian menu as amazing for vegetarians as their regular menu is for omnivores.

nsxtasy wrote:EverestI bet even Alinea can provide a vegetarian menu as amazing for vegetarians as their regular menu is for omnivores.

My wife wanted to hang in the kitchen for a bit on our last visit and she asked how easily they can accommodate more extreme requests and they said nothing is a problem if you let them know ahead of time (which is why they ask when you make a reservation). As I mentioned above about Arun's I was really impressed at how they accommodated special requests on the fly.

I'd second Charlie Trotter's Vegetable Tasting if it is within your budget for clients. My family includes two vegans and his kitchen had no trouble providing a spectacular purely vegetarian meal on no notice.

In the city, I like Karyn's on Green for a purely vegetarian option. It's tasty, bright, modern, close to downtown and 100% vegan - so no animal products which is more restrictive than your customers' demands but certainly offers a 100% safe option. From Karyn's website: An Earth-friendly vegan approach to contemporary dining. Our diverse menu features classic American dishes reinterpreted with innovative presentations but without the meat, fish, chicken or dairy ...

Further out of the city, but certainly worth the drive, in Glen Ellyn is My Kha's restaurant - a below-the-radar jewel with lots of options for vegetarians. The menu is built on a very non-vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine but also offers vegetarian renditions of many dishes, for example, Waterfall Tofu or Shaking Tofu. Then, the owner and chef, My Kha, will happily (better with advance notice) customize any dish on request or create special dishes. Her home-made tofu, fresh fruits and vegetables, mochi, tapiocas, sorbets and sauces are as flavorful, delicious and healthy as you could hope for in a restaurant setting. My Kha's has been our family's go-to for over two decades. (She also serves up a lunch buffet that is offers a vegetarian delight with half-a-dozen options that change every day.)

Karyn's on Green
http://www.karynsongreen.com/
130 South Green Street
Chicago

My Kha's
http://mykhas.com/
476 Forest Ave
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
(630) 469-6243

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-Ez

ezgoldman wrote:I'd second Charlie Trotter's Vegetable Tasting if it is within your budget for clients. My family includes two vegans and his kitchen had no trouble providing a spectacular purely vegetarian meal on no notice.

If you decide to go somewhere that is not primarily or exclusively vegetarian, I strongly recommend that you mention the number of strict vegetarians in your party when making your reservation in advance.

Another vote for Trotters. They also have a non-alcoholic pairing for the food.

I will always appreciate the fantastic meals I had there from my first, when I still ate animals & drank alcohol, to my last meal when I no longer consumed animals or alcohol. They were all inviting, beautiful, intriguing, & delicious.

If you can't get in there I would do Green Zebra over Mana.

And if omnivore places are okay Lula is one of my favorites.

thanks, reservations at green zebra, and probably we'll do indian veg on devon one day for lunch. I'll see if we want to do arun, as well.

thanks

Karyn's on Green wasn't answering their phone a couple of weeks ago, which was irritating. We weren't sure if they were still open or what and weren't about to trek down there without proof.

Allow me to second (third, fourth) Green Zebra, it sounds like the one place that fits exactly what you're looking for. I can't think of any additional upscale options, but if casual is an option (if they'll be around for lunch the next day, for example), I'd suggest investigating Handlebar or the Chicago Diner. I had the best fake BBQ sandwich at Handlebar, and great biscuits and gravy at Chicago Diner. (Though it's been a few years.)

radparker wrote: I can't think of any additional upscale options, but if casual is an option (if they'll be around for lunch the next day, for example), I'd suggest investigating Handlebar or the Chicago Diner. I had the best fake BBQ sandwich at Handlebar, and great biscuits and gravy at Chicago Diner. (Though it's been a few years.)

I'd hit Tweet, Lula or M. Henry over Handlebar. I disliked the service the couple of times I've been and found the food unremarkable.

My husband and I both really want to like the place. I'm the vegetarian and it's close to our home and my husband knows the owner's husband (he owns a bike shop, I think next door to Lula).

globetrotter wrote:probably we'll do indian veg on devon one day for lunch.

Another decent all-vegetarian option for breakfast/lunch/brunch is Victory's Banner, in Roscoe Village.

And for all-day dining, if Evanston isn't too far, you could consider Blind Faith.

Neither is overtly upscale, but both are nice cafes and worth considering, especially for lighter fare earlier in the day.