Good (healthy and/or vegetarian) eats in Chicago
My husband is taking me for a birthday trip to Chicago on Memorial Day weekend and I'm wondering if there are any budget-friendly restaurants that will help make it a memorable trip. One friend has recommended Green Zebra, and we're still looking for suggestions.
Thanks!
PS: Is there anything else we shouldn't miss while there?
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11 Comments:
Green Zebra! The menu is incredible.
Martini Me at 2:53PM on 04/28/09
I have never been, but I always hear to check out Karyn's Cooked, Chicago Diner (especially Chicago Diner) and Chicago Soy Dairy.
KarynMC at 2:58PM on 04/28/09
Green Zebra is amazing but definitely doesn't count as budget-friendly. It is definitely worth a splurge. The food and drinks are amazing.
I love Milk & Honey on Division for brunch (mmm...huevos rancheros casserole!!). Bongo Room is a very Chicago breakfast option but a little too much sugar overload even for my sweet tooth. Yolk is also good. My current favorite bakeries are Lovely on Milwaukee and Bittersweet on Belmont. Clearly my own interests do not lie with real meals, but rather breakfast and baked goods!
Theoretically you could eat pizza, but I personally could take it or leave it... I will leave those suggestions to others, hopefully.
Grocery Bistro is a new restaurant with a vegetarian chef, and I ate there with a vegetarian friend and we both loved it, as did my parents who I sent there the next week. It is also very reasonably priced and BYOB, with a wine shop next door if you want to pick something up. I highly recommend checking it out.
Chicago Diner is tasty and informal/quick.
Also, somewhere on SE there is a Chicago Eating Guide.
marinelm at 3:21PM on 04/28/09
If you're going to do pizza in Chicago, i'd suggest Spacca Napoli in Ravenswood.
There are also tons of Ethiopian restaurants, which are great for vegetarians. There's Demera, which is near the Lawrence stop on the red line, and happens to be right across the street from the Green Mill Lounge(google it)
Up on Devon, the city's Indian neighborhood, there are a few vegetarian only restaurants, my favorite being Udupi Palace. I'm drooling thinking about their Dosai and i'm a carnivore!
andshewas at 3:46PM on 04/28/09
Mana Food Bar is a new vegetarian place, and is supposed to be amazing. I've been dying to try it out!
lizaj at 3:46PM on 04/28/09
Oh yeah, I forgot about Mana, but it is great! I love that it's small plates so you can taste lots of things. It's another place (like GZ) with herby, fresh cocktails to accompany their food. Everyone should check it out!
marinelm at 4:31PM on 04/28/09
If you want a very different experience, try Amitabul. It's a vegan korean place that serves lots of healthy soups, noodle dishes, salads, and even pancakes. Everything is homemade and tastes delicious! I always have him make me up something with rice and spicy sauce.
It's a little bit out of the city but it's still in Chicago and reachable by cab. It's on Milwaukee just South of the Devon/Milwaukee intersection under a green awning on the East side of the street. They aren't open on Sunday, FYI.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 6:37PM on 04/28/09
Another vote for Amitabul, and I LOVE Chicago Diner. Great sandwiches and desserts, great atmosphere. Blind Faith Cafe in Evanston is another gem. My family has been going there since the 70s.
KarynMC, can you eat at Chicago Soy Dairy? Can you buy their food directly from the factory? Where is it?
rachelb at 10:55AM on 04/30/09
Chicago Diner! So fun and inventive!! The staff is so friendly too!
Green Zebra was great too...the service was a bit slow on the night we went, but that was fine...more time to chat!
sweethunibabi at 6:20PM on 04/30/09
All awesome suggestions. Thanks, eaters :) You's the best!
Stufsocker at 2:32PM on 05/01/09
UPDATE:
Green Zebra was AMAZING!!! Seriously one of the best meals ever. Everything I got was moan-inducing good. Beet salad, carrot coconut soup, wild mushroom risotto, and (what I had been looking forward to for weeks) the super-amazing ricotta gnocci with grilled ramps and green garlic in lemon cream. Damn, baby.
Chicago Diner: the perfect last meal in town, we had the Radical Reuben (it was totally radical) and the Sweet Potato Quesadilla with black beans and spinach.
Demera: a fun night out made better by the lack of utensils on the table (though the lovely waitress did bring out a knife from the kitchen so we could share an appetizer without passing around already-bitten lentil pockets. The injara was fabulous and the honey wine cocktail was delightfully potent.
I can't wait to go back to the city.
Stufsocker at 3:20PM on 05/27/09