Kathryn Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 I'm going to be in Chicago next week for a conference (a quick one-day trip to go and present) and was wondering if anyone knew of any good vegan options close to my hotel (I'm staying at the Hilton on Whacker drive)? I can easily pack in some food for the short time I'll be there, but it would be nice to find a little something near me for one of my meals (just for variety). TIA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinisterkungfu Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 I've never been to Chicago, but I just wanted to say one thing... Whacker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 I think we have some members from chi town, maybe they will speak up. I've only traveled through. -Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted March 5, 2006 Author Share Posted March 5, 2006 Whacker Yes, it does seem a bit odd. I wonder if it was named after someone (John Whacker!) or if it's near the porn shop area! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 This will probably be helpful: Found at this link: http://www.goveg.com/f-vegcities-chicago.asp America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities#10 Chicago, Illinois Sure, Chicago was built on the slaughter industry, but we try not to let sordid pasts get in the way of bright futures. After all, the Windy City has come a long way since Upton Sinclair's bloody butcherfest, The Jungle. These days, Chi-town boasts more than 20 vegetarian restaurants, including the famous "Meat-Free Since '83" Chicago Diner, perhaps the best homestyle-vegetarian restaurant in North America. You'll have to go there more than once, because there's no way you can miss the Bayou Tofish, BBQ Seitan Wings, or Lentil-Tempeh Shepherd's Pie. Read more about the famous diner and Chef Jo Kaucher. For vegetables gone ultra-gourmet, we hear that Charlie Trotter' $115-a-person vegetarian menu is a tantalizing experience—if you can handle the price tag. The Green Zebra was rated one of Chicago's best new restaurants and called "the hottest reservation in town" by The New York Times. If you're looking for something that's lighter on the pocketbook, Irazu's is the best place for a $5 lunch Costa Rican-style—try the veggie burrito or vegetarian plate, which changes daily, with a side of tostones. The thick, rich chocolate soy milkshake at Earwax Café is delicious, as are the vegan sloppy joes, Reubens, and cakes. Soul Vegetarian East features super-savory choices, such as barbecued seitan, veggie burgers, vegan gyros, and a fantastic macaroni and "cheese." Try the breaded, fried seitan with corn and mashed potatoes and gravy. Karyn's Raw offers an exotic array of upscale, uncooked dishes. Its sister restaurant, Karyn's Cooked, offers jerk tofu, seitan steak, and the very popular "Slab of Ribs," which is 100 percent pig-free but doesn't taste like it. Although many mock meats are made with soy or wheat protein, Karyn's tasty "meatball" sandwich is made using lentils, one of the healthiest foods around. For the full scoop on vegetarian eating in Chicago, grab a copy of Veg Out! Vegetarian Guide to Chicago. If you prefer to stick to the Internet, visit VegGuide.org or VegChicago.com. Top Tip: It's worth taking a road trip to the Windy City just for the Chicago Diner. And if you have some spare time, buy some extra Diner food and drive it down to PETA's office in Virginia! Be sure to click on this link because it will provide hyperlinks to the places they talk about: http://www.goveg.com/f-vegcities-chicago.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 For vegetables gone ultra-gourmet, we hear that Charlie Trotter' $115-a-person vegetarian menu is a tantalizing experience—if you can handle the price tag. Yeah, I'll be checking that one out, all right!! Thanks for the info! I'm printing it out for my trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Cool, yeah, that section on Goveg.com is very helpful. It has links to all those places so you can gather all the info you need. I hope you have a great time! -Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 I live near Chicago, but am shamed to say that I have yet to try out any of the vegan restaurants there (mostly because everyone I know is NON-vegan and isn't adventurous enough to try something new...grrrrr ). But, I've heard rave reviews about Chicago Diner and Karyn's (Raw food place). A fun NON-Veg place to go is Ed Debevic's... I used to waitress at the one in Yorktown, but the one in the city is MUCH more fun.... I don't know if u've heard of it or not, but it's basically a 1960's restaurant, where the servers dress in character and serve with sass. They dance to Elvis and the Jackson 5 on the counters and make fun of customers.... it's a blast. They do have some veggie options, but no one goes for the food b/c it basically sucks, lol. But, it IS a blast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 I ended up stopping at a natural foods store on the way up and importing all my food (and after trying for 15 minutes to fiind the @(#@& entrance of the hotel--which was blocked by taxicabs, I was in no mood to go out to eat). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Kathryn, Are you still in Chi-Town at the moment? There are a bunch of places listed on goveg.com in their top veggie cities report. You might find that useful. Sorry you weren't in the mood to eat. I know traveling can be frustrating. I hope you have a great trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 I've been back for over a week, peeps! It was just a quick overnighter, for me to give a presentation at a Foreign Language conference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Oh sorry I slept 2 hours over a 8-hour period and now I'm back at work, so I'm a little "not all there" at the moment. I hope it was a fun trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChrisZx Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 To bad I just saw this... There are alot of amazing places to eat in Chicago. Hell I would have been more than happy to meet you down there and show you around. D'OH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChrisZx Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I live near Chicago, but am shamed to say that I have yet to try out any of the vegan restaurants there (mostly because everyone I know is NON-vegan and isn't adventurous enough to try something new...grrrrr ). But, I've heard rave reviews about Chicago Diner and Karyn's (Raw food place). A fun NON-Veg place to go is Ed Debevic's... I used to waitress at the one in Yorktown, but the one in the city is MUCH more fun.... I don't know if u've heard of it or not, but it's basically a 1960's restaurant, where the servers dress in character and serve with sass. They dance to Elvis and the Jackson 5 on the counters and make fun of customers.... it's a blast. They do have some veggie options, but no one goes for the food b/c it basically sucks, lol. But, it IS a blast! Chicago Diner is amazing. Soul Vegetarian East is really awesome also. Soul Veg has to be my favorite.It is on the far south side and no matter what anyone tells you the area is not as bad as it used to be. I wouldn't go running around down there but people are always telling me I am going to get shot/mugged. We should totally plan a vegan dinner outing. Me and the old lady always love going down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 That would ROCK! I know no other vegans around here, so I desperately need some vegan buddies to hang with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChrisZx Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 That would ROCK! I know no other vegans around here, so I desperately need some vegan buddies to hang with! Well hit me up on myspace and we will work something out for one of these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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