Return to the Windy City; vegging out in Chicago!

Despite alarmingly cold single digit weather (which I've never experienced before), nothing could stop me from descending on Chicago for the 30th birthday of Natalie from Bake & Destroy! After all, we had delicious food to eat, late night chats to partake in, Julie Hasson's marshmallows to make, & matching tattoos to get! I was freezing, of course, but there's nothing better to do in cold weather than chill in restaurants & enjoy food.. except maybe huddle in front of a heat source!

One of the newest places on the vegan dining scene in Chicago is Dragonlady Lounge, a dive bar serving up Korean vegan & vegetarian food. While you can get kimchi veggie burgers any day of the week & the menu rotates based on what owner Sue feels like making, the real prize is the all you can eat vegan buffet on Thursdays! Julia from Snarky Vegan & I headed there for the $12 buffet, shortly after I landed, so I wouldn't miss out on the weekly event. It can be a bit confusing to figure out when to pay & how not to get scolded by sassy Sue, but one taste of the Korean goodness & you won't mind! Once the food is ready around 7pm, Sue will call you in to the kitchen, hand you a plate with rice, & set you free on the buffet, reminding you, "DON'T WASTE FOOD!". I loaded my plate up with a couple types of Kimchi, noodle salad, cucumber salad, fried Dumplings, & perfect crisp-tender vegetables like green beans, broccoli in sesame oil, & spinach. Everything was delicious & seriously wish we had a vegan Korean option in San Francisco. I will be back, Dragonlady!

The next day, I met up with Kelly from Vegan Cookies for lunch at Great Taste Cafe. Another new spot in Chicago, the owners of Great Taste used to run the Balanced Kitchen. Everything here is gluten free & vegan, although you'd never notice from the many flavors on the rotating menu of wraps, bowls, & salads. Kelly opted for the Organic Rice Bowl which included brown rice topped with Yams in a Coconut Chipotle Sauce, while I had the Chard & Kale with Roasted Root Vegetables. I didn't expect the greens to be raw, but luckily the dressing cut the bitterness of them & the perfectly roasted vegetables were tasty. We ended our meal with the fabulous, seasonal Pumpkin Temptation ice cream & a gluten free Sandwich Cookie from Bot Bakery. While I was waiting for my order, I was surprised by one of the awesome gals working there recognizing me! I didn't catch her name, but it was great to meet someone who reads my blog, so Hello & Thank You darling cafe gal! While Great Taste Cafe can be hard to find, it's inside a gym on a less traveled road, the fresh, healthy food is worth the search!

After hearing Natalie rave about Dawali, home of her favorite falafel in Chicago, we decided to check it out with Tony & Teno. Dawali has a range of vegan options, like most Mediterranean establishments, & they know what vegan means, so you don't have to worry. I started with a comforting lentil soup, which was perfect for the cold weather. Next, I had freshly made, crunchy falafel with perfect tangy hummus, drenched with olive oil. I can certainly see why Natalie loves this place, it was absolutely delicious!

A trip to Chicago isn't complete without a visit to famous veggie greasy spoon, the Chicago Diner! For Natalie's birthday, a group of us went to get our grub on in the place where she married her husband! Of course, I had to have a Radical Reuben, but I also branched out & split a Dagwood (Natalie's favorite) with Shannon from Slash & Dine. The Dagwood totes seitan roast, corned beef, bacon, & cheeze, with lettuce, tomato, onion, pepperoncini & spicy sauce on a hoagie roll. Damn, that's a serious sandwich! I followed it up with a Monster Cookie topped in Temptation Cookie Dough ice cream, peanut butter, & chocolate chips. Needless to say, I overindulged & found my head spinning from all the food! Oy. Did I mention I also had a Peanut Butter Strawberry Cookie Dough Shake after Dragonlady Lounge? Sure, the combination sounds odd, but the waiter assured me it would be good, or he'd bring me a different shake. Well, I liked it! I prefer the classic Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Shake, but I wouldn't kick the PB-S-CD shake out of bed!

Chicago is known for its deep dish pizza, of course, but rarely will you find a vegan option that includes a non-dairy cheese. Delisi's to the rescue! Over 40 vegans descended on Delisi's on a Sunday afternoon to get their fix of perfect buttery, crisp crust, flavorful toppings like Upton's Seitan layered high with crushed tomatoes on top, & either Teese or Daiya non-dairy cheese. My favorite was the Hawaiian with Teese, as I love pineapple on just about anything!  In addition to pizza, Delisi's also has vegan Panzarotti, a deep fried calzone. I was able to sample one filled with mozzarella Teese, tomato sauce, & Upton's Sausage, & hot damn, it was tasty! Did I mention Delisi's delivers? Of course, I also had my fill of Chicago Soy Dairy's Temptation ice cream, since they treated us to rare flavors Pineapple, Black Cherry, & Peppermint. Chicago vegans are lucky!

Full of pizza & ice cream, I headed over to Deluxe Tattoo to meet Natalie for our "bro tats" by Chris Smith! A long time plan sullied by illness last time I was in town, we finally were able to put the image of our choice on our arms for eternity.. bunnies! Yes, we opted for Cram Cream bunny chefs, due to our love for all things cute & Japanese, our kitchen skills, & bunnies being the symbol of cruelty free items, like us! Afterward, Natalie went all out & got her neck tattooed, while the next day, I spent all day in the chair working on my sleeve.

After a marathon session of tattooing, my hunger was in full force, so Natalie & I headed out to Pick Me Up Cafe for everyone's favorite vegan French Toast! We also shared a delicious Humboldt County scramble with tofu, onions, mushroom, spinach, garlic, crisp potato cubes. I'm not typically a tofu scramble kind of gal, but this was great. Pick Me Up is still a great late night spot with a fair amount of options for vegans, so I always seem to end up there!

My last stop before heading home was a trip to Karyn's Cooked. After my last trip, I wasn't the biggest fan of Karyn's, but after convincing from many fans of the restaurant, I made my return & was very happy I did! With Danielle & Julia by my side, we ordered up a range of dishes. I opted for the Green Enchiladas, which were fabulous  garlic mashed potato filled corn tortillas in a green tomatillo sauce & housemade soy cheese. On the side, was nicely spiced, vegetable flecked spanish brown rice & refried black beans. For dessert, we all opted for different types of pie; Coconut Cream, Chocolate Silk, & my choice, Lemon Meringue! All of the pies were tasty & topped with a thick, housemade whipped cream that we were trying to determine how to make for ourselves! The Lemon in my pie layer was thick, tangy, & very sweet, I struggled to finish it, but couldn't stop myself! I would certainly go back to Karyn's, it seems I ordered the wrong thing in the past, although I have heard it can be hit or miss.

As always, Chicago welcomed me with open arms, horrible weather, awesome people, & delicious food! If you have a reason to go to Chicago, be sure to check it out!

By the way, my birthday is in one week! Damn, time flies. My husband-guy bought me the best gift a gal with wanderlust could ask for, a trip to New York City! Yes, I'll be on the road again in January, so look out for that update, & as always, get in touch if you'd like to hang out! I love meeting & eating with people.