Vegan Vices July 7, 2008

i love how everyone always assumes that since i’m vegan, everything i eat is healthy. and also organic. for some reason, people equate vegan with organic. i’ve never understood why. perhaps because vegans are generally more environmentally conscious and understand the benefits of eating organic? could be.

anyway, my reason for this long-overdue post is to rave about my two new-found vegan vices: veggie bite and spicy sweet chili doritos. while they are unhealthy and somewhat random, i wholeheartedly adore them both.

veggie bite

ever since veggie bite has opened their wicker park location (finally!), i have been enamored with their delicious chili cheese fries. their entire menu is vegan fast food, so it’s far from healthy, but wonderful all the same. i suggest you try it immediately. you won’t regret it.

spicy sweet chili doritos

ever since i became vegan, i’ve mourned the loss of doritos in my life. while i generally eat pretty healthfully, doritos were my occasional junk food of choice. so when i heard from a friend that doritos came out with a vegan flavor, i was somewhat skeptical. but sure enough, they’re vegan, proving once again that veganism is becoming more and more mainstream.

Just a muffin May 1, 2008

when most people find out that i don’t eat honey because i’m a vegan, they’re shocked. while it’s not a difficult concept to grasp, it’s not as quickly understood as why i don’t eat meat.

so why isn’t honey vegan?

the simplest answer as to why honey is not vegan is because it is an animal byproduct. conventional knowledge tells us that honey comes from happy little bees living in a quaint forest somewhere, creating their magically delicious sweetener for all the world to enjoy.

what most people don’t know is honey actually comes from bee farmers who replace each colony’s queen frequently in order to stimulate production. because the colonies store their honey to eat during the winter, many of these farmers let their colonies die or kill them before the cold season hits. that way they can harvest the honey for themselves. if you want to learn more, here’s a great site that explains it all.

what do muffins have to do with it?

my inspiration for this post was fueled by a very disappointing experience I had at argo tea in lincoln park this weekend. argo used to be one of my favorite morning coffee shops because they served vegan muffins from the chicago diner. when they stopped carrying the diner’s muffins and started serving their own instead, my patronage slowly dwindled.

i decided to stop in this weekend to see if they still carried vegan muffins, as i was too lazy to cook my own breakfast. sure enough, they had a “vegan muffins” section in their bakery case. as i waited in line, i noticed some small type on the sign that read “*contains honey.” there was no asterisk attached to either flavor of muffin listed, so i thought perhaps there might be another kind containing honey that was not available.

when i got up to the register, i asked if all the “vegan muffins” contained honey and the guy behind the counter said yes. so i replied, “you realize they aren’t vegan muffins then, right?” he was visibly irritated at my insistence and stated, “everyone says that. so honey comes from bees, big deal.” obviously, he didn’t get it and i didn’t feel like wasting any more of my time trying to explain to him that a “vegan muffin” containing honey is just a muffin.

so i walked out of the store disappointed and hungry, and i will not be going back.

ethical eating March 25, 2008

here are some of my favorite places to get vegan food in chicago – everything from fast food to fancy.

alice and friends→

a cozy little place, alice and friends serves mostly asian vegan food. everything is vegetarian and i believe there are only one or two items on the menu that aren’t vegan. i personally love the curry.

amitabul→

this all-vegan korean restaurant has amazing, healthy dishes and friendly service. the soothing atmosphere instantly puts you in a good mood. here’s the menu – it’s not listed on their site

burger king→

i know, i know – but their french fries are vegan and delicious. there are lots of reasons not to eat there, but we all have our guilty pleasures.

the chicago diner→

if you’re craving the stuff you used to eat before you went vegan, the diner is the place to go. even non-vegans love it and usually can’t tell the difference between this faux food and the real deal.

chipotle→

when i want something quick and delicious, i go for the veggie burrito bol. everything is vegan except the pinto beans and the obvious choices like meat and cheese.

ethiopian diamond→

this place is great if you’re in the mood for delicious ethnic food. it’s best to go with a group of people and sample a little bit of everything. they have a whole section of vegan options on their menu.

flat top grill→

while they still have many vegan sauces, i used to love flat top for their outstanding peanut sauce. however, i dined there recently with my family and discovered that they started using a new recipe that contains fish :(. their website still lists it as vegan, so it might be vegan in some locations. either way, i thought i’d take this opportunity to express my disappointment.

karyn’s→

although the original karyn’s is raw food only, i prefer the cooked restaurant. it’s beautifully decorated and is a great place to bring family/friends who are suspicious of the vegan diet.

lincoln park’s noodle house→

this little thai place is great for dine-in or carry-out. many of their dishes can be made vegan as long as you ask for no fish sauce.

panera→

many of panera’s breads and bagels are vegan, not to mention 2 soups (black bean and garden vegetable) and several salads (some ingredients need to be left off). their website lists every item’s ingredients including dressings and everything. some of their bakery items do contain l-cysteine, but it is plant-derived.

pick me up cafe→

the pick me up is a hip, late-night hangout serving regular food as well as vegan options. they even have vegan mac and cheese!

quizno’s→

there is only one sandwich option, as far as i know, that’s vegan here: the vegetarian sub. make sure to ask for it without cheese and with balsamic vinaigrette instead of red wine (<- not vegan). their bread does not contain l-cysteine.

siam country→

this is hands down the best thai food i’ve ever had. many items can be made vegan by asking for no fish sauce or meat broth. the owner is very friendly and accommodating.

soul vegetarian→

although a bit of a trip from the city, this restaurant has great vegan soul food. all of the servers are volunteers, which sometimes makes for a long wait, but they’re always friendly and helpful. their mac and cheese is phenomenal, although i’ve never actually eaten it in the restaurant. ethical planet in evanston carries it along with lots of other great vegan products (definitely worth checking out).

veggie bite→

vegan fast food. chili cheese fries. need i say more? their second location in wicker park is now open! it’s just as delicious and much closer to me :)

there are tons of other great places to get vegan vittles in chicago that i have yet to visit – these are just my recommendations.