Vegan in Italian Beef City, aka Deep Dish Pizza Town, aka Pickle, Cheese and Peppers on your Hot Dog Metropolis, aka Chicago.
The smells are overwhelming. Signs on every corner of meats and cheeses. I’m constantly rehydrating to replace fluids from salivating. Can you be vegan in Chicago? You can. It’s hard, but you can.
Want Italian? Politely ask the waiter to challenge the chef with a vegan dish. Maybe egg free pasta with grilled mushrooms and a sweet marinara sauce. Yep. That’s a winner.
Want Mexican? How about a quinoa, tofu, avocado, rice and salsa burrito? Tasty, filling and healthy. That’s a trifecta. Or a simple but delicious potato and onion soft taco with guacamole and salsa to top it off. A beautiful Chicago night doesn’t hurt.
Salads, or mustard drenched French fries always make a great light snack and of course a craft beer and smoky mezcal margarita distract well when the smells of everything non vegan in Chicago waft it’s way up your nostrils.