Chicago Diner

Stephanie and I recently went to Chicago for the wedding of our good friends Sara and Jack. Congratulations guys!! It was a great wedding for sure, but lately one of the highlights of my Chicago trips has been hitting up a little establishment called the Chicago Diner. Their motto is 'meat-free since '83', and the menu is almost entirely vegan. The great thing about this place is they have pretty traditional American -style diner food, but they've veganized it all without sacrificing any of the deliciousness. I may be vegan, but I still crave a nice meaty sandwich now and then, so this place always hits the spot. This time, I ordered the reuben with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Stephanie ordered the dagwood with some spicy corn chowder. Dang it was good. Oh, I almost forgot, for desert we shared a slice of chocolate "cheese" cake that was rich as can be and out of this world.
Even if you aren't vegan, I highly recommend this place if you're ever in Chicago.

Big shock - we hit traffic everywhere we went! Some day we'll wisen up and take the train.

surprise!

The doctors have discovered something growing inside my wife's belly. We are quite thrilled.

vegan food reviews

Between working on the house non-stop and working at school, life has been pretty busy for us the past 6 weeks. The cooking in our kitchen has really dropped off, unfortunately. There have been a few good meals here and there, but there have also been quite a few packaged meals. While I usually share good foods I've cooked on the blog, this time I thought I'd share some of the store bought vegan fare we've been munching on.


Amy's Quarter Pound Veggie Burgers- These are amazing! They are our new favorite veggie burgers. They are not so full of veggies like a garden burger, yet they are not trying too hard to meat like a Boca burger. So I suppose they are the perfect balance in my view. I highly recommend them. At over 5 bucks for a 4 pack, we try to make these a rare treat in our kitchen.


Smart Dog - veggie protein links - These are a great substitute for a hot dog, and WAY healthier. Once you dress it up with some ketchup, mustard, and relish or onions, it's very hard to tell any difference between these and a hot dog. My only complaint is that the texture gets really weird (mostly the skin) if you cook it wrong. It's been hit or miss for me.

Hormel Veggie Chili (99% fat free) - I think these were about a dollar per can at Meijer so I got a few. I'm not a big fan of canned Chili, but these do fine for a quick meal or snack. They are just as good as any canned Chili as far as I'm concerned. Textured vegetable protein (TVP) gives them a meaty consistency. Can't say I'd recommend them to most people.

Almond Breeze Chocolate Drink - This is a pretty delicious tasting chocolate milk. I love it, and I don't really see why anyone would go back to the dairy stuff after trying this. Do yourself a favor and pick some up. Shake well!


So Delicious Frozen Desert - I've found that different flavors are either great or not so good, so I'll speak to the three flavors I've tried. Mint marble fudge gets a 'D'. Stay away from it if you know what's good for you. I'll give neopolitan a 'B+'. It was very good, but I've had better. Oddly enough my favorite flavor has been creamy vanilla. I'm giving it an 'A'. Definitely give it a shot.

And I almost forgot these -- Newman-O's -- like Oreo's except healthier (a little) and vegan.