Johnny wrote: wrote:

Most decent restaurants will be willing to prepare a vegan meal upon request.

Midas replied:

Unlike any vegetarian being willing to make something for a carnivore.

[Edited to correct attribution of quotes]

Actually some vegetarians are quite relaxed about what other people eat. My vegetarian sister-in-law (who is a terrific cook) would prepare the Thanksgiving turkey for family gatherings at her farm in Wisconsin. Even served it up without any snotty comments.

What frustrated my wife (who is a pretty good cook herself) is that her vegetarian sister could make a better gravy than she without even tasting it.

George R wrote:Midas wrote:

johnny wrote:
Most decent restaurants will be willing to prepare a vegan meal upon request.


Unlike any vegetarian being willing to make something for a carnivore.

Actually some vegetarians are quite relaxed about what other people eat. My vegetarian sister-in-law (who is a terrific cook) would prepare the Thanksgiving turkey for family gatherings at her farm in Wisconsin. Even served it up without any snotty comments.

What frustrated my wife (who is a pretty good cook herself) is that her vegetarian sister could make a better gravy than she without even tasting it.

A small bone (full pun intended) of contention, my friend: I typed the first comment you attributed to me - but not the second.

My apologies to Johnny for messing up the quotes. I have edited my post to correct this.

Went to Green Zebra last night. They have approximately 1/3 - 1/2 of their dishes marked as being vegan or able to be done vegan. We had 5 people and with 2 bottles of wine were a bit over $90 per person.



edited to correct my original bill total (I had said $100 per person but it was actually just a bit over $90)

phixed wrote:A friend of mine created a great overview of eating out vegan in Chicago awhile ago.
http://j3n.net/food/

This is a nice list. Thanks phixed!

I want to second Hashalom restaurant from the list. Delicious homemade soups, especially the Moroccan vegetable soup. Good Israeli and Moroccan vegetarian plates. Inexpensive, homey place.

Hashalom
2905 W. Devon
Chicago, IL
773.465.5675

I just had lunch at Flat Top in Oak Park and realized they have many vegan options. Of course, this is assuming the vegan diner would be OK with their meal being prepared on the same grill as us carnivores.

If a vegan eats meat on the sly, would that be considered an eating disorder?

johnny wrote:I just had lunch at Flat Top in Oak Park and realized they have many vegan options. Of course, this is assuming the vegan diner would be OK with their meal being prepared on the same grill as us carnivores.

If you tell them you want it to be vegetarian, as I recall, they either have a separate section of the grill, or they clean the grill.

leek wrote:

johnny wrote:I just had lunch at Flat Top in Oak Park and realized they have many vegan options. Of course, this is assuming the vegan diner would be OK with their meal being prepared on the same grill as us carnivores.

If you tell them you want it to be vegetarian, as I recall, they either have a separate section of the grill, or they clean the grill.

Good point - although vegetarian is one thing.
I have some pretty hardcore vegan friends who probably wouldn't eat anything that was even in the same room as meat.

Any recommendations for a carnivore for business lunch at the Chicago Diner these days? Since "everything" is on the menu (Mexican, Thai, barbecue, pub grub, wraps, poutine, etc.) I don't have an immediate handle on what would be done best. I suppose the Monte Cristo is calling. Are the vegan shakes good? Will report back.

Santander wrote:Any recommendations for a carnivore for business lunch at the Chicago Diner these days? Since "everything" is on the menu (Mexican, Thai, barbecue, pub grub, wraps, poutine, etc.) I don't have an immediate handle on what would be done best. I suppose the Monte Cristo is calling. Are the vegan shakes good? Will report back.

I really like the vegan shakes there, just don't get vanilla.

Consider the reuben or BLT burger.

I have enjoyed the mushroom lentil loaf and the pierogi quesadilla. Regarding the shakes, had a chocolate peanut butter shake that was very good.

Thank you both. I went with a Cuban with sweet potato fries and a small peanut butter chocolate shake and both exceeded expectations. The plantain chips, sharp mustard, pickled banana peppers, and lemony faux-meat on the sarnie provided the textural contrast needed to sell the thing. The plain black coffee was good too.

Santander wrote:Thank you both. I went with a Cuban with sweet potato fries and a small peanut butter chocolate shake and both exceeded expectations. The plantain chips, sharp mustard, pickled banana peppers, and lemony faux-meat on the sarnie provided the textural contrast needed to sell the thing. The plain black coffee was good too.

As a lacto-ovo vegetarian w/over 20+ years plant-strong I have not eaten here in so long, I can't even tell you it's neighborhood. Anything else, strike your fancy? Would you go back?

There are 2 kinds of vegetarian restaurants: those that don't try to make their dishes be an analog of meat, and those that do. It's been a while since I've been to Chicago Diner, but I remember it as a place in the latter camp. Most of the menu seemed like its mission was to make meat-eaters comfortable, by creating vegetarian "versions" of familiar meat choices. (Even down to the names of the items.) So I think any carnivore could be reasonably pleased there.

riddlemay wrote:There are 2 kinds of vegetarian restaurants: those that don't try to make their dishes be an analog of meat, and those that do. It's been a while since I've been to Chicago Diner, but I remember it as a place in the latter camp. Most of the menu seemed like its mission was to make meat-eaters comfortable, by creating vegetarian "versions" of familiar meat choices. (Even down to the names of the items.) So I think any carnivore could be reasonably pleased there.

I agree - that's how the menu is structured. My preferences are more in the non-analogous camp, but they did a reasonable job. pairs4life, I did also have bites of a good standard salad and some "Thai chili wings," which I found more like tofu ribettes, with some crispy surface texture and hot-sauce/lemongrass notes. The staff and vibe were enjoyable, unrushed, quiet.