Tonight I Dined: The Chicago Diner
I recently had my very first visit to Chicago. While I planning to just do a round up post of everything I ate, I decided that a summary would not do the vegan dining experience in the Windy City justice. So, here's the first post in a series of Chicago eats!
The Chicago Diner seems to be a favorite of vegan social media posters--so of course it made my "must try" list. I biked from Navy Pier to the Boystown location of the all-vegetarian restaurant, so I arrived nice and hungry.
I ordered the BBQ chicken salad that was saucy seitan over crisp greens and veggies tossed with vegan ranch. To sip on I had a soda with housemade lavender syrup, lemon, and cucumber. My boyfriend ordered the stroganoff french fries topped with a creamy mushroom-tempeh sauce from the seasonal menu.
So, was The Chicago Diner all it's cracked up to be? Yes.
Any establishment that can serve me a salad and I'm saying yum the whole time I'm eating it, is a true winner in my book. Usually I consider salads "punishment food"--but this was a far cry from that. The seitan was crispy and chewy, and well-coated with the BBQ sauce. The vegan ranch imparted a tangy freshness to the dish without being heavy or overdone. I sampled the fries and they were lovely--you can't go wrong with fried potatoes topped with a creamy sauce and green onions. The soda was really flower-y, which I loved, but beware if you don't like that sort of thing.
I regret not getting on of their famous vegan milkshakes--all the cups were drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped high with whipped cream. I just couldn't overdo it with a full day of walking ahead!
The Chicago Diner seems to be a favorite of vegan social media posters--so of course it made my "must try" list. I biked from Navy Pier to the Boystown location of the all-vegetarian restaurant, so I arrived nice and hungry.
I ordered the BBQ chicken salad that was saucy seitan over crisp greens and veggies tossed with vegan ranch. To sip on I had a soda with housemade lavender syrup, lemon, and cucumber. My boyfriend ordered the stroganoff french fries topped with a creamy mushroom-tempeh sauce from the seasonal menu.
So, was The Chicago Diner all it's cracked up to be? Yes.
Any establishment that can serve me a salad and I'm saying yum the whole time I'm eating it, is a true winner in my book. Usually I consider salads "punishment food"--but this was a far cry from that. The seitan was crispy and chewy, and well-coated with the BBQ sauce. The vegan ranch imparted a tangy freshness to the dish without being heavy or overdone. I sampled the fries and they were lovely--you can't go wrong with fried potatoes topped with a creamy sauce and green onions. The soda was really flower-y, which I loved, but beware if you don't like that sort of thing.
I regret not getting on of their famous vegan milkshakes--all the cups were drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped high with whipped cream. I just couldn't overdo it with a full day of walking ahead!
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