Veggie dog and "chick-free" pita with rasberry-ginger soda at Veggie Bite Lloyd DeGrane

January 12, 2007

Veggie Bite
3031 W. 111th
773-239-4367

WHEN THE FAST-FOOD joint Veggie Bite opened in Mount Greenwood, on the southwest side, less than a year ago, says co-owner Sylvia Watycha, "we had a lot of walkouts." Veggie Bite looks like your basic flesh-and-dairy operation -- the fiesta-bright yellow-and-blue color scheme, the backlit menu sign with pictures of burgers and nuggets, the stainless-steel shake machine, the piles of ketchup packets. But there's a stack of "Why Vegan?" brochures on the counter, the Italian "beef" is made out of wheat gluten, and the "cheese" fries are covered in something called golden sauce.

"It was pretty depressing," says Watycha. "But after we were in the neighborhood for a while, a lot of those same people started coming back," albeit cautiously: "People ordered, like, the smallest thing on the menu."

Now, though, Watycha and her fiance, Moshe Shalom, say they've made some larger inroads in the traditionally Irish Catholic area. Some of the neighborhood traffic comes from people trying to lose weight -- a veggie burger here has about 120 calories, compared to a Big Mac's 560 -- while others, initially dragged in by vegan or vegetarian friends, seem to have developed a taste for the veggie dogs, "chick-free" nuggets, and other menu items, none of which contain dairy, meat, or other animal products and all of which are meant to appeal to carnivores. "We're catering to the meat eater, you understand?" Watycha says. "We've had a lot of converts. That's what we want." One of the restaurant's promotional posters declares, "Meat has met its match."

Shalom has been vegan from birth. Watycha converted as a teenager, because she couldn't understand why people kept some animals as pets but slaughtered and ate others. (Incidentally, she says, "I'm looking for other Polish vegans to step up, because I've never met another one.") For both, it's more than a lifestyle; it's a calling. Shalom, a part-time runway and magazine model who has appeared in Elle and W, turns down jobs that require him to wear wool, leather, or fur. He and Watycha cite heart disease, obesity, asthma, and constipation as some of the common conditions that a vegan diet can prevent or alleviate. "You don't get high cholesterol from being a vegan," Watycha points out. She even claims she can pick vegans out of a crowd -- she says they have calmer mannerisms.

Veggie Bite's menu has doubled as customers have requested vegan versions of more and more meat dishes, including buffalo wings, gyros, meatball subs, and Philly cheesesteaks. (The owners won't reveal their recipes, but they will say that most of the meat substitutes are made of seasoned, texturized wheat gluten.) Shalom recently found himself embroiled in argument with a customer who insisted that the vegan Italian beef sandwich tasted so much like the real thing that it must have meat in it. "It's not meat," Shalom told him over and over. "Trust me." One of the most popular items, the chili-cheese fries, arrive as a fork-worthy mound of fries covered with a decent bean chili and the bright yellow, only slightly grainy golden sauce.

The prices run just a bit higher than McDonald's -- a veggie burger combo with fries and an all-natural bottled soda is $6.89. Vegan lemon meringue pie, coconut cake, and other baked goods, sweetened only with brown or turbinado sugar or maple syrup, are available by the slice. "You piss people off" if you use honey, Watycha says, since many vegans consider it an animal product.

Passionate as Veggie Bite's owners are about the vegan lifestyle, they're sympathetic to the difficulties of giving up meat, particularly given the ubiquity of McDonald's, Burger King, and the like. "If you're driving 15 miles, how many junky fast-food places do you pass?" Watycha says. "Your stomach is growling, and you're going, 'I'm gonna be good, I'm gonna be good,' and then you pull up at a stoplight and you go, 'OK, just this once.'" If convenient vegan food were widely available, she and Shalom say, more people would eat it. That's why they're envisioning an entire Veggie Bite chain.

The Chicago Veggie Bite is actually the second location. The first is in the southern California town of Reseda, where Watycha and Shalom frequently visit Shalom's brother. Though the two live in Chicago, they thought it prudent to try the vegan concept out first in the health-conscious west. The Reseda spot opened in May 2005 and did well enough for Watycha and Shalom to open its Chicago counterpart last March. They now host a monthly vegetarian meet-up at the restaurant (see veggiebite.net for a schedule), and in the summers they plan to host movie nights on the patio out back.

The couple have already fielded requests from would-be franchisees, but they're not up for that yet. "Maybe by the third one we'll be ready," Shalom says. That's due to open in Lakeview in April. But why didn't they just start there, or in Andersonville or Wicker Park, instead of on the meat-loving southwest side? "We figured if we could make it in Mount Greenwood," says Watycha, "we could make it anywhere." --Anne Ford

For more on restaurants, see our blog the Food Chain.

Eat Your Veggies

Vegan, vegetarian, and vegetarian-friendly

Alice and Friends Vegetarian Cafe
5812 N. Broadway | 773-275-8797

F 8.8 | S 7.3 | A 6.2 | $ (11 reports)
ASIAN, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH: SATURDAY; DINNER: MONDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY

The name refers to Alice in Wonderland; the menu consists primarily of vegan versions of pan-Asian food -- Smoked Veggie Duck, Almond UnChicken, Korean BBQ, Japanese Don Ka Su -- though recent additions include a veggie burger and UnChicken Drumsticks. Dishes that don't use soy products are available, but Raters rave about the meat substitutes. Most entrees come with rice and salad; there's a large selection of appetizers, drinks, and vegan desserts. The walls are covered with bright mosaics and inspirational sayings. Raters say service can be slow. Holly Greenhagen

Amitabul
6207 N. Milwaukee | 773-774-0276

F 7.3 | S 6.8 | A 6.4 | $ (5 reports)
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY, ASIAN | LUNCH, DINNER: TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY, MONDAY | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY | BYO

If you're looking to impress the vegan in your life, this is the place for you. Amitabul offers an eye-popping array of vegetarian and vegan maki, stir-fries, pancakes, and noodle soups prepared with organic vegetables, tofu, legumes, and minimal oil. Some Raters find the food bland, but dishes such as Dr. K's Cure-All (spicy noodle soup touted as, among other things, a hangover remedy), Chef Dave's Energy Nut (almonds, peanuts, and walnuts stir-fried with honey and plum sauce over noodles), and Nine Ways to Nirvana (whole wheat noodle soup with nine-grain miso beans) illustrate the belief of owner Bill Choi in the healing power of food. Martha Bayne

Arya Bhavan
2508 W. Devon | 773-274-5800

F 8.0 | S 7.7 | A 5.8 | $ (13 reports)
INDIAN/PAKISTANI, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH: SATURDAY, SUNDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS

Cheerful pink napkins decorate the tables and colorful Rajasthani crafts (which are for sale) brighten the walls at Arya Bhavan, which means "our home." But the main room is dominated by a 20-foot buffet, which on the weekends is laden with all-vegetarian curries, sweets, appetizers, rice, salad, and cooling raita. Along with traditional favorites like chana masala (spicy chickpeas) and mutter paneer (peas and cheese) are original creations by chef Jay Shef. One of his best is the addictive undhia, a complex curry of eggplant, sweet potatoes, and plantains. Appetizers include the always popular potato-stuffed samosas and spicy veggie cutlets. The satisfying uthappam, pancakes topped with tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, are made to order at one end of the buffet and disappear quickly. Ordering from the lengthy menu allows one to try Indian specialties ranging from a delightful south Indian avial (vegetables cooked with coconut, yogurt, and chiles) to Kashmiri curry and rice. There are also 15 types of bread, many of them tandoori-oven baked. Cara Jepsen

Blind Faith Cafe
525 Dempster, Evanston | 847-328-6875

F 7.7 | S 7.1 | A 6.8 | $$ (15 reports)
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS

"Vegetarian and Proud" is the motto at this Evanston establishment. While the menu is chock-full of favorites like tempeh, seitan, and tofu, the light seasoning tends to keep the food unfortunately true to its natural flavor; in other words, pass the hot sauce. There's self-service, with a case of tasty baked goods -- including a vegan cake -- and the dining area, adorned with handmade quilts and other colorful local art, is bright and cheerful. Breakfast is pricey but good, with innovative takes on standards like a tofu and egg scramble with potato, onion, and pepper hash; huge portions of fluffy French toast; and nondairy Mexican scramble with tofu, soy cheese, and salsa. If you're on a budget and can live without a hot breakfast, the homemade corn or blueberry muffins are a meal on their own, as is the granola, especially when topped with fresh berries. To drink there's freshly brewed coffee, tea, and a longish list of fruit smoothies. Reservations are accepted on weekdays only. Laura Levy Shatkin

Charlie Trotter's
816 W. Armitage | 773-248-6228

F 9.1 | S 8.6 | A 7.6 | $$$$$ (14 reports)
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY/REGIONAL, GLOBAL/FUSION/ECLECTIC | DINNER: TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY, MONDAY

When I last dined at this Lincoln Park landmark, the eight-course grand tasting menu started with salty-sweet Tasmanian ocean trout with spiky, even saltier hijiki; then came halibut served with tender, glowing baby asparagus on a bed of turnip puree. The vegetable tasting was even more attention grabbing, with an amuse gueule of morels and fiddlehead ferns and a caramelized Maui onion soup with a sweet-onion flan at the bottom that made our eyes roll back in our heads. All the desserts were astonishing, but so was the bread, based on various grains and in one case Carolina low-country rice. The wine degustation is what puts the average per-diner cost over $200, and it's well worth it. Our meal began with a pale Bellini, then moved on to a crisp Larmandier-Bernier blanc de blancs brut, a delicate Kruger-Rumpf Riesling Kabinett, a Movia pinot nero full of leather and smoke, and a Bodegas Catena Zapata "Alta" cabernet sauvignon. We ended with an Olivares "Dulce" Monastrell and a petal yellow honeysuckle-flavored Tokaji-Aszu "5 Puttonyos" Chateau Pajzos, and after five happy hours I walked into the evening with the scents of lavender, peas, and fennel still playing in my nose. Elizabeth M. Tamny

Chicago Diner
3411 N. Halsted | 773-935-6696

F 7.9 | S 6.8 | A 6.4 | $ (20 reports)
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH: MONDAY-FRIDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

"Vegetarian heaven -- so many choices, so little time," says one Rater of this north-side meatless mecca. Chicago Diner offers creative veggie and vegan dishes in a comfortable space lined with old-fashioned wooden booths. Dishes made with eggs and dairy are indicated on the menu, and vegan substitutions are available upon request. Weekend brunch, served till 3:30, is very popular, though Raters warn that the always laid-back service gets even more erratic as the place fills up. Martha Bayne

Cousin's Incredible Vitality
3038 W. Irving Park | 773-478-6868

$$
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY, SMALL PLATES | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

Last year chef Mehmet Ak traded his kebab grill in for two dehydrating cabinets, transforming Cousin's Turkish Cuisine into Cousin's Incredible Vitality, a vegan restaurant specializing in raw (or "living") foods. The menu still nods to his Turkish heritage: there's zucchini hummus and tabbouleh made from soaked and sprouted quinoa; samplers of "living mezes" feature stuffed grape leaves, shepherd's salad, and house-marinated olives alongside "not tuna" wraps and minipizzas with avocado, mushrooms, olives, and almond cheese on flaxseed flatbread. Mediterranean "pasta" has angel-hair made from zucchini, raw marinara, and "Parmesan" made from pine nuts. A delicious wild cherry cheesecake with a walnut crust contains cashews, dates, and raw agave nectar for sweetness. Susannah J. Felts

Dharma Garden Thai Restaurant
3109 W. Irving Park | 773-588-9140

F 8.7 | S 6.9 | A 7.6 | $$ (9 reports)
ASIAN, THAI, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH, DINNER: TUESDAY-SUNDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | BYO

Catering to a health-conscious crowd, all the dishes here are prepared without MSG, processed sugar, fish sauce, or artificial ingredients. Though there are chicken and beef offerings, menu items are mostly meatless versions of Thai classics: vegetable pot stickers, a "garden" roll filled with tofu and vegetables, an imitation duck curry (the "meat" is made with soy and wheat). Other dishes incorporate nuts for protein. Cold options include a tofu-and-oyster-mushroom salad and a tangy chilled seafood salad; a standout soup is the kow tom, seasoned with ginger, garlic, and lime and made substantial with a choice of seafood or tofu. Laura Levy Shatkin

Earwax
1561 N. Milwaukee | 773-772-4019

F 6.1 | S 5.4 | A 6.7 | $ (7 reports)
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY, GLOBAL/FUSION/ ECLECTIC | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

"It's great to walk past the 45-minute-to-an-hour wait at Bongo Room for a Sunday breakfast and right to a waiting table at Earwax," says one Rater. This pioneering Wicker Park cafe (with video rental) serves up a fairly consistent menu of vegetarian-friendly dishes at fittingly slack prices. Salads, sandwiches, and pizza anchor the menu while whoever's in the kitchen indulges an experimental urge with vegan stews and other specials. Service is erratic, but no one seems to mind. The laid-back attitude encourages patrons to linger, making Earwax one of few such oases left in the neighborhood. Martha Bayne

Ethiopian Diamond
6120 N. Broadway | 773-338-6100

F 7.7 | S 6.5 | A 6.7 | $$ (12 reports)
AFRICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

At this large, shabby-comfortable Edgewater storefront there are savory watts (stews) with beef, chicken, lamb, and fish, but vegetarians never need feel deprived. Vegan options include a spicy red lentil watt; yellow split pea watt; gomen (oniony collard greens); slightly sour tikil gomen (cabbage and carrots); and a mild watt made with potatoes and large chunks of carrot, all served on injera, the large, spongy pancake made with flour from teff, a tiny grain indigenous to Ethiopia. For appetizers there are sambusas, samosalike pastry triangles stuffed with meat or vegetables and served with lemon and a tamarind sauce. Meat dishes include the classic doro watt, chicken stewed in a spicy red sauce with a hard-boiled egg; kitfo, described on the menu as "Ethiopian steak tartare"; and tibs, cubes of various meats or seafood available in a range of preparations and spice levels. There are African beers, served in frosty mugs, and tej, Ethiopian honey wine; service too is honeyed -- the staff here couldn't be more genuinely welcoming. On Friday nights from 7 to 10 PM Chicago legend Kelan Phil Cohran, a cofounder of the AACM and a member of Sun Ra's band back in the day, dreamily plays jazz and ambient horn and harp to a synthesized backing. Kate Schmidt

Flying Saucer
1123 N. California | 773-342-9076

F 7.5 | S 6.2 | A 6.7 | $ (9 reports)
AMERICAN, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY, BREAKFAST | BREAKFAST, LUNCH: SEVEN DAYS | CASH ONLY | BYO

The owners gave an artistic makeover to an old diner with teal and pistachio walls and chairs upholstered in a patchwork of pastels. They've kept some of the more charming fixtures: the milk shake machine, a Kellogg's cereal rack. Weekend breakfast is the most popular meal here, though the menu offers mostly standards: eggs, pancakes, and sides, plus a few Mexican-influenced contenders like the huevos volando -- eggs with tortillas, black beans, cheese, guajillo sauce, and pico de gallo. Lunch brings salads, sandwiches, and several vegetarian and vegan options (the meat is hormone free, and they'll substitute tofu for meat in many dishes). Desserts change regularly, but they're always good. Laura Levy Shatkin

Green Zebra
1460 W. Chicago | 312-243-7100

F 9.0 | S 8.3 | A 7.3 | $$$ (23 reports)
SMALL PLATES, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY, AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY/REGIONAL | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS

It's been a couple years since chef Shawn McClain transformed a dilapidated East Village storefront known to me and my neighbors as the "pigeon palace" into a sleek haven for vegetarian dining, and I'm still impressed with the number he did on the space, all cool earth tones, warm low lights, and bursts of greenery. The seasonally changing menu is currently showcasing crispy sweet potato dumplings with bok choy and a dandelion-miso broth and a creamy sunchoke ravioli with goat cheese, hazelnuts, and fresh dates. Parmesan-caraway gnocchi come with brussels sprouts, mustard, and hedgehog mushrooms. Desserts include apple butter beignets with a Riesling reduction and caramel-thyme ice cream, and a dark chocolate bouchon with pecan turtles and vanilla malt ice cream. After-dinner options include French-press coffee and some wildly exotic teas, among them one that according to the menu was once harvested by monkeys. Martha Bayne

The Handlebar
2311 W. North | 773-384-9546

F 8.4 | S 7.4 | A 7.8 | $ (25 reports)
GLOBAL/FUSION/ECLECTIC, VEGETARIAN/ HEALTHY | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 1, OTHER NIGHTS TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

A dimly lit cyclist hangout -- the bar stools are made from chrome rims, vintage bikes hang from the ceiling, and there are specials for messengers on Mondays -- this is a theme restaurant that doesn't feel precious or pretentious in any way. The food is cheap and vegetarian friendly: most entrees are under $10, and the only meat option is fish. The chefs don't do anything flashy, but they do a little bit of everything and do it well. For appetizers the samosas with tamarind chutney are on par with any you'd find on Devon, and the stuffed mushroom caps -- roasted baby 'bellos filled with soysage, pine nuts, and rosemary -- are exceptional. The West African ground nut stew, a hearty mix of sweet potato, zucchini, and kale served over brown rice and garnished with peanuts and toasted coconut, is tailor-made for Chicago winters, as are the black beans maduro, served with mounds of fried plantain and a slow-burning chipotle-tomato sauce. They also do a bang-up job with comfort food: the short list of seitan and tofu sandwiches come with coleslaw and a variety of sides, including a respectable vegetarian version of southern collard greens and a totally addictive smoked Gouda mac 'n' cheese I'll crave on my deathbed. David Wilcox

Heartland Cafe
7000 N. Glenwood | 773-465-8005

F 6.7 | S 5.8 | A 6.7 | $ (25 reports)
AMERICAN, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY

"Unfortunately there are not many places to get a really good buffalo burger," quips one Rater. The Heartland, however, serves up a mean one, plus salads, sandwiches, and enough hearty vegetarian entrees to satisfy the pickiest eater, from veggie chili to tofu scrambles, barbecue seitan, and a macrobiotic plate. Fine dining it's not, but it is a north-side sanctuary for hungry bohemians of all stripes, with live music (funk, folk, and jazz) almost every night and a poetry open mike on Wednesday evenings. While service can be erratic, most who frequent the Heartland know what they're getting into. It also has a left-leaning general store. Martha Bayne

Karyn's Cooked
738 N. Wells | 312-587-1050

F 7.4 | S 8.3 | A 8.9 | $$ (8 reports)
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH: MONDAY-SATURDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SUNDAY BRUNCH

As at Karyn's Fresh Corner, the food here's all vegetarian -- the difference is that most of it isn't raw. Much of the raw side of the menu lacks flavor, a common problem with uncooked food, and the kitchen seems to be overcompensating for the lack of meat by dousing everything with salt. The spinach-and-tofu lasagna came out cold -- when we complained our server shocked us by sticking it in the microwave. Maybe they should call it Karyn's Nuked. Laura Levy Shatkin

Karyn's Fresh Corner
1901 N. Halsted | 312-255-1590

F 7.7 | S 5.7 | A 6.6 | $$ (7 reports)
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SUNDAY BRUNCH | BYO

When they yanked my rotten tooth a few years back I lived on beer and Potato Buds for a week; when I forgot where my house was and became dizzy with nausea, it seemed like a decent excuse to duck inside Karyn Calabrese's raw food restaurant. I scarfed down a slightly sweet, soft sea-lettuce-and-macadamia-filled crepe made from dehydrated young green coconut meat. It was strange and delicious, and after a few minutes I realized that I didn't have a stomachache and -- what ho? -- my hangover was gone! When I could chew I came back, curious about the firmer stuff on the menu. Nuts and legumes are soaked in water and pureed, sprouted, or fermented to make "cheeses," pastes, sauces, even a delicate cashew "sour cream"; grains are soaked, sometimes sprouted, and dried to make dense, cakelike bread products. Calabrese's pasta primavera with rich, savory nut sauce and mushrooms is a favorite among her waitstaff (the "pasta" is julienned vegetables). If you'd rather not gamble on the $11-$15 entrees at the sit-down restaurant, there's a take-out joint and juice bar on the side, offering organic salad for $8 a pound, sandwiches, and prepackaged meals that cost between $9 and $13. Ann Sterzinger

Lake Side Cafe
1418 W. Howard | 773-262-9503

$
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | BREAKFAST: SATURDAY, SUNDAY; LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED TUESDAY | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY

It's not likely Hot Doug's will ever pitch a sausage that tastes like brussels sprouts, but many of the dishes at vegetarian joint Lake Side Cafe seem to point to a case of meat envy. A veggie Reuben special is made out of seitan, sliced to ragged thinness and dyed with beet juice to give it the ruddy color of corned beef. A thin-crust pizza can be prepared vegan style, with soy cheeze and seitan; there's also a Chicago-style Polish made of wheat gluten and soy protein. Lake Side also offers changing weekly specials, soups and salads, and pastries, and despite its tie to yoga and meditation school Inner Metamorphosis University, the wall of windows, comfortable seating, and recycling bin right next to the trash can give it a relaxing neighborhood feel that attracts customers beyond the mystic set. Edward McClelland

Lula Cafe
2537 N. Kedzie | 773-489-9554

F 8.5 | S 7.3 | A 7.9 | $ (43 reports)
GLOBAL/FUSION/ECLECTIC, BREAKFAST | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY; SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH | CLOSED TUESDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

At this point I've taken dozens of people to Lula Cafe, and I don't say this lightly: it may be the best neighborhood restaurant in Chicago. One side of the menu is dedicated to cheap, surprising, delicious entrees in the $6-$12 range, like the Moroccan tagine: warm cinnamony chickpea stew with chunks of sweet potato over couscous, with fresh greens strewn on top. The Tineka sandwich is -- of all things -- a spicy peanut butter sandwich with cukes and red onion and lots of other veggies, plus something they call "Indonesian sweet soy sauce." There's beet bruschetta, and peanut sesame noodles, and a great roast turkey sandwich. Appetizers include a shiitake-spinach quesadilla and vegetarian maki. Then there's a more expensive menu ($12-$24), as if the owners just thought, "What the hell, this'll be fun too." These items change constantly but have included a scallops appetizer that makes vegetarians very sad to be vegetarians, a roast leg of lamb with sherry-braised mission figs and cippolini onions, and an ocean trout served with brandade-stuffed peppers. I brought a friend who's a professional chef in New York, and he stuck around for hours to order nearly everything on the menu. And then we came back the next night. Ira Glass

Mysore Woodland
2548 W. Devon | 773-338-8160

F 7.1 | S 6.8 | A 5.8 | $$ (8 reports)
INDIAN/PAKISTANI, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY | BYO

At Mysore Woodland there are no fewer than 14 types of the house specialty, dosa (thin light rice crepes), including a masala dosa, stuffed with potatoes, onions, and spicy chutney, and a massive paper dosa. Other specialties such as pongal, a sweet rice dish, and uppuma (savory cream of wheat with nuts and vegetables) are right on the money. But the best deal is the Mysore Royal Thali, a complete meal served on a large round stainless steel platter dominated by a pile of aromatic basmati rice, the staple of south Indian cuisine. The accompanying army of small dishes includes dal, sambar, vegetable curries, spicy pickled mango or lime, dessert, pappadam, chappati, and thick, creamy curd, which is traditionally eaten last. The dinner portion comes with soup (try the spicy lentil mulligatawny) and a trio of deep-fried appetizers. The Woodland's signature dessert is paysam, a comforting pudding made of vermicelli noodles, milk, honey, raisins, and cashews; there are also spicy masala chai and creamy Mysore-style coffee for after the meal. Service is decent, and Bollywood music plays softly in the background. Cara Jepsen

Soul Vegetarian East
205 E. 75th | 773-224-0104

F 8.0 | S 6.0 | A 6.3 | $ (7 reports)
SOUTHERN/SOUL FOOD, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | BREAKFAST, LUNCH: MONDAY-SATURDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SUNDAY BRUNCH | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

While the ambience is strictly functional, Raters agree that this unique restaurant -- in business more than 25 years -- is worth the trip. The menu offers vegan and vegetarian soul food -- barbecued wheat gluten, stir-fried meatless "steak," tofu tidbits, and many other unusual, reasonably priced dishes. Raters point out that while it is all vegetarian, it's not the best place for the health conscious, as much of the menu is fried. Laura Levy Shatkin

Udupi Palace
2543 W. Devon | 773-338-2152

F 6.7 | S 6.6 | A 6.8 | $ (11 reports)
INDIAN/PAKISTANI, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

From the outside, Udupi Palace is bright, spacious, and friendly, which is why the famously bad service inside is so puzzling. Ignore it: you'll get your food soon enough and it'll make you happy. (And the service isn't always bad: on a recent visit, the waitstaff thoughtfully moved us and our dozen bottles of booze to a larger table.) Udupi's menu is all-vegetarian and south Indian. Dig deep into the appetizer menu: the chaat papri, fried dough dosed with yogurt and tamarind chutney, is addictive, and the vadas, or lentil doughnuts, are great doused with chutney or sambar. The paper masala dosai could double as plumbing pipe: three feet long, the wafer-thin dough is rolled and filled with potatoes and onions. And remember those dozen bottles? Udupi is permanently BYO; bring a good wheat beer or a sparkling wine. Nicholas Day

Victory's Banner
2100 W. Roscoe | 773-665-0227

F 7.9 | S 7.8 | A 6.9 | $ (18 reports)
VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY, BREAKFAST | BREAKFAST, LUNCH: SUNDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED TUESDAY

Victory's Banner is one of the best breakfast houses in Chicago, period; the owner told me he learned how to make his omelets from the immortal Lou Mitchell. Satisfaction Promise is a scrambled-egg dish with spinach, sun-dried tomato, and feta. But the killer is the French toast, in a batter made with cream (not milk) and orange marmalade, served with peach butter and real maple syrup. There are also pancakes, waffles, and uppuma (an Indian hot cereal). Lunch items include homemade soups, salads, and wraps. The restaurant is owned by a student of meditation master Sri Chinmoy, and the menu says that it exists for one reason: to give joy. I think they've succeeded. Jeff Kolton, Rater

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