Other places you MUST get to in Chicago

1. Molly's Cupcakes. On our favorite stretch of N. Clark St. This place is named after a 3rd grade teacher who would always bring cupcakes whenever a student had a birthday.

The place is decked out in a mix of styles: bare, industrial (lots of brown cake and cupcake boxes are stacked against virtually every surface and wall of the place); retro pop (some vintage 70's and 80's lunch boxes are displayed behind the counter); and playful (brightly colored round tables, swingset-inspired seating at one counter, board games you can play with as you eat)

The cupcakes themselves are the real deal. We went twice-- trying out their Blueberry Cheesecake (my favorite of them all!), Peach Cobbler (could have been peachier), Mixed Berry (meh), Tiramisu (delicious, but I actually think mine from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World is *gasp* better!) and brought home a Cake Batter for the crazy cat-sitter (reportedly it was delicious).

Supercute place. I'd bypass the other gourmet cupcake joints in town since this one's a local original.

2. Dave's Records a couple blocks further up N. Clark St. (see? I told you it was our favorite street!)
They offer an eclectic array of new and old vinyl and even 45's. Go.

3. Europa Books 832 N. State St. A couple blocks off the north end of the Magnificent Mile. Europa Books carries almost exclusively foreign titles, most formidably, French books. From French publishers. In France. Zips loves this place. I just wander quietly through the children's books and pick out Harry Potter books in different languages.

4. Quimby's Bookstore way down on W. North Ave.

It's an independent bookstore that carries TONS of zines, graphic novels, and arty books. In the future, I hope to mass produce my own zine and send it there to sell.

5. Fox & Obel Fancy gourmet grocery. Like Dean & Deluca's Chicago cousin.

This is like a foodie paradise. (Or a foodie hell if you have limited funds and only delayed access to a hotel mini-refrigerator!) In addition to a variety of produce, dry goods, regional honey, deli, (and yes, butcher), they have an amazing array of in-house desserts, bakery goods, candies, olives, cheeses, coffees. Look: Spices!

and Mmmmmm, the dessert case. They used to carry a creme brulee, which I didn't see this time. But their Fruit Tart looks fantastic!

5. La Creperie back on N. Clark. I'm telling you, I should just set up a cot.

So it's located conveniently across the street from one of our favorite movie theatres (Landmark Century Cinema), and tragically a couple doors down from a Borders Bookstore that's closing (*sob*). They offer savory and sweet crepes, both of which we've enjoyed. But most recently, food euphoria was achieved with their Crepe Suzette a la Germain. I think we've ordered this before (Zips is a little obsessed with Grand Marnier), but I don't remember ever having had this delectable orange reduction before. A-mazing.

It brings a tear to my eye now. And looking at this pic makes me want to scour the internet for a recipe to try out on my own. If I have success, believe me, I'll share!

That's it for now. These are some of our favorite haunts, both before we moved to New Mexico, and especially now that we've gone back a couple times for conferences. We still visit these places, and when we do, we feel like we've never left.

New Fancy Veg Dining in Chicago

Since we visited Millennium in San Francisco, I've been looking for other fine dining opportunities for vegetarian foodies. Zips did a little research and found Karyn's on Green, an upscale vegan restaurant.

The place is a bit intimidatingly posh. Very nice neutral tones throughout the restaurant, brown craft paper with the restaurant's logo stamped on it cover all the tables.

To take the edge off, though, on the wall of the hallway leading to the restrooms, they've painted the names of famous vegans and vegetarians (misspelling at least a couple of famous names!). And Chicagoan rapper Common autographed around his name in Sharpie. And possibly Flea.

We got one of those flowering teapots of green tea, and it looked like this after the tea "bloomed."

The menu offered an appetizer of "chorizo sliders with portobello bacon, frisee, (soy) cheddar, chipotle aioli, and tomato pepper jam" , so of course we ordered it. The mini burgers (probably made with tvp) were a bit dry, perhaps overcooked and were served on mini ciabatta rolls (that were also a bit dry and tough). The portobello bacon is this crisp dark brown thing hovering on top. Eaten alone, it tasted like a burned bit of something. Eaten with the slider, it tasted like a burned bit. The chipotle aioli was delicious (served with the steak fries, which I'll get to in a sec), and the tomato pepper jam was also oddly tasty. It was sweet and tomatoe-y. I felt like it was something that would get concocted on Top Chef.

While the sliders were a bit disappointing, the side of steak fries was anything but. Amazing. Delicious. Piping hot. Just salty enough. Also served with the spicy chipotle aioli and bbq sauce (Zips didn't appreciate this at all. And it tasted exactly like something you'd get in the grocery store for a buck). But the FRIES. THE FRIES. Really gourmet fries. Totally worth it.

We shared an entree (since we mistakenly thought the sliders appetizer & side of fries would be the equivalent of the second entree) and went a bit more adventurous here. Zips had decided on the Seared Tofu Gumbo with red quinoa, radicchio saute, fried leeks, and spicy tomato broth.

The whole thing was quite tasty. We agreed that we might not exactly call it "gumbo"-- that such a name suggests more spice than the dish contained. The tofu was seared perfectly, marinated and crisp on the outside. The "fried leeks" tasted a bit pickled and not fried at all. Neither of us could discern the radicchio that was under the bed of red quinoa. I thought it might be pickled cabbage or even beets. It was tangy in a nice way-- a bite of everything together was really delicious. (and another perfect protein-eating experience!)

After the experience I had with dessert at Millennium, I was up to try the dessert menu here. Zips ordered some kind of mocha cheesecake (she found the texture a bit icy, as though it had been frozen)

And I thought I'd do something different and got poached pears with a citrus cream cheese

The pears tasted like they'd been cooked in mulling spices, but were cold and crispy. The citrus cream cheese had a sort of funny aftertaste (that I also tasted in the soy cheddar on the slider), but the cranberry coulis was fantastic. It was an interesting-- not lightning-y-- dining experience, but all in all, I'd definitely eat here again. I'd try different entrees and desserts, but ABSOLUTELY order a side of fries with anything I'd be eating!

Best Veg-Friendly Breakfasts in Chicago!

One of the best places I've ever been to for vegetarian dining is Victory's Banner-- a brightly lit, quaint spot in Roscoe Village in Chicago. Although they're an entirely vegetarian restaurant, they're actually one of the best breakfast places I've been to EVER. They serve breakfast all day (well, they close at 3), and also offer a lunch menu after 11am.

Their website will tell you that the restaurant stands as a "spiritual expression," and that everything they offer, down to the sugar packets, adds to its uplifting atmosphere. And it's all entirely true.

From the lunch menu I've had the Neatloaf Dinner, which is a lovely old-fashioned "meat"loaf and mashed potatoes platter. The gravy alone makes me want to get back in the car to drive across the country to eat there again.But the star attractions are in the breakfast menu. Their scrambled eggs are fresh and fluffy, their grilled potatoes inspired my own breakfast potatoes, and their vegetarian breakfast patties are AMAZING. Really. I can't figure them out. Sage-y and hand-formed. Fried to perfection on the flat top. Here's their breakfast bagel sandwich which offers all 3 at once.
And a side order of the patties on their own.
But what Zips and I return for time and again is their French Toast. I don't know what they do. They are light, airy, sweet-- served with butter laced with peach, and maple syrup. Again, I've used this as my inspiration when I've made French Toast at home, or when I fancy-up some pancake butter with orange zest (a great trick!). I'm just trying to get at how delicious and perfect breakfast at Victory's Banner is.

Look. Even looking at the dining room makes you feel happy.

They also have excellent coffee and chai (spring for the bottomless cup) that they also sell to take home with you. Do it.

Seriously. I'm having withdrawal shakes.