I know, I know. You’re probably sick of reading posts about me just traveling and eating.
GET BACK TO THE RECIPES, LISA.
Soon, soon, I promise! I plan on staying put most of the summer, aside from road tripping and one cooking gig back East in a few weeks. I’m excited for the Boulder farmer’s market, seasonal summer veggies and MAYBE growing some of my own since I haven’t done that in years and seriously miss it.
For now, you have to suffer through all this Chicago vegan food porn. I was surprised at how much I adored it, considering I’m not a huge fan of major cities. Their amazing plant-based options obviously was a driving force behind my fondness, but I was also a huge fan of their rooftop bars, waterfront spots, gorgeous river walk and their coffee.
But really, the food is the most important part here, isn’t it?
Have you also ate your way through Chicago? What spots are your fave?
This was my first stop en route to the Justin Timberlake concert. AKA, I was almost too excited to eat. That was, until I saw all the comfort food options at Vegan Now. Including drumsticks, ON AN ACTUAL STICK. Which was so amusing to me, and made these BBQ seitan wings even more delicious. I also had some cheesy noodle bake which was pretty amazing, some cheesy roasted broccoli, which was pretty good and some baked beans, which were pretty bad. For a big loaded plate, it was over $18 which I thought was fairly overpriced for what it was. If I went back again, I would totally just go for the drumsticks and to walk around the French Quarter Market, which is where Vegan Now is located.
This place is superrrrr cute and loaded with amazing raw vegan treats, snacks, chips, bars, juices and smoothies. Plentiful breakfast options are fairly scarce downtown, so Chicago Raw was my go-to spot for filling options that weren’t just avocado toast or smoothies. This apple cinnamon granola parfait with cashew cream was insanely delicious, nutritious and perfectly satisfying. Even my non-vegan friends were really impressed with this spot and I wish I got to go a few more times!
100% of people I know recommended The Chicago Diner for this trip. It’s the quintessential vegan spot, and has been around for over 30 years, which makes it one of the longest running meat-free spots I’ve ever heard of. It’s got endless amounts of heavy, fried, delicious comfort food that everyone will love. From massive burgers, to mac and cheese, to cheese-drenched poutine, nachos and artichoke dip. They’re also famous for their milkshakes and brunch options, though I didn’t indulge in either one. I opted for their Titanic burger, which was a seitan burger topped with seitan bacon, onion rings and a fiery chipotle cream sauce. WITH WAFFLE CHEESE FRIES. I adored the burger, but man, those cheese fries. I could eat those forever. I was completely stuffed and rolled outta there with a very happy belly. The staff and service is also exceptional and made the overall experience that much more enjoyable.
The Chicago Diner set the bar pretty high. But Kitchen 17 surpassed it! It seems like a lesser known spot, but it’s home to some of the most incredible food I’ve ever tasted. First of all, it’s a gorgeous, eclectic space, that’s also BYOB and filled with cool books and board games, which is always a selling point for me. AND THE FOOD. My god, how can I ever make decision with so many mind-blowing options?! I stressed over their menu for a solid 15 minutes, before (no shocker here), choosing their buffalo chickn sandwich with housemade ranch and some of the most amazing fries I’ve ever had. It was a tough call considering they also have chickn parm sandwiches, gyros, BBQ cheddar burgers and an insane assortment of pizzas including pepperoni, cheeseburger and a chili mac and cheese deep dish. Their desserts are also impressive, but I was too focused on the savory stuff to go for the sweet. The seitan buffalo was deliciously messy, super spicy and just hit all the right notes. I don’t know what they do to their fries to make them so perfect, but I whole-heartedly appreciate it. Do NOT miss this place!
This place is heaven. They’ve got both vegan and non-vegan options, so they cater to everyone. And with unique flavors like buffalo chickn ranch, mac and cheese, Philly cheesesteak, BBQ jalapeno pineapple with butternut squash and a veggie artichoke, they’ve got something to satisfy everyone’s weird cravings. I LOVE that they sell by the slice, since every other place I’ve been only serves whole pizzas, especially when it comes to their vegan options. So it made it incredibly easy to just constantly stop in and try whatever variation they were serving that day. Extra points because they don’t use Daiya, and instead have the yummy, rich flavors from Teese, which I adore. I honestly couldn’t tell you which was my fave, even though I found the Philly to be the most cheese-dense. They’ve also got cheap beer, really cool decor and are open til 3 am, which made it even more appealing for the nights I got back to my Airbnb super late.
This is THE brunch spot. Biscuits and gravy, loaded nachos, fried pickles, tofu scrambles and tons of other, well-priced options make this the perfect spot for brunch, lunch or dinner. But especially ideal for brunch, if you ask me. I couldn’t resist their fried, overly stuffed vegan chimichanga, dripping with homemade queso and cashew nacho cheese sauce, guac and teeming with seitan chorizo, tofu eggs, beans, potatoes, rice and veggies. I was convinced it would be sufficient for leftovers because it was so massive, but it was so freaking tasty, I ate the entire thing in maybe 10 minutes. I couldn’t help it! The bold flavors and textures made it impossible not to consume in one sitting. I really wish I had gone everyday for brunch, because I’m positive that everything else here would be as equally mind-blowing.
This place was on my radar the whole time, and I waited until my last night to try it out. Talk about saving the best for last! DEEP DISH PIZZA. I didn’t even know it was possible to make a vegan version of this. And Paulie’s KILLED IT. Buttery, thick crust, crispy vegan pepperoni and oozing with melty, decadent cheese. I couldn’t have dreamt anything better if I tried. The staff and owner here are also INCREDIBLE and very keen to all things plant-based. They’re also working on Impossible Burger based dishes, and using different vegan cheeses and meats in the near future. This place is beyond anything you could imagine!
This was probably the only truly healthy food I ate the entire trip. And my body was super happy about it. This acai bowl could definitely pass for dessert though with it’s cacao nibs, peanut butter drizzle, bananas and super sweet base. It was massive and refreshing, and I followed it up with their avocado toast, which included figs, cayenne and rosemary, and was uniquely delectable. Their space is modern, clean and adorned with plants and made it a great place to chill on a rainy Sunday morning.
I’m adding this spot even though they’re fairly lacking in any vegan options. However, they are home to the BEST avocado toast I think I’ve ever had. Loaded with sprouts, radishes and crispy quinoa…crispy quinoa! Why hadn’t I thought of that?! I don’t know why it made it so much better, but the crunchy bits really elevated the already delicious toast. I could have at 4 more slices, no question. So, well done Beatrix! Now I’ve gotta start making this at home for myself.
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