Dining Out in Chicago - Chicago Raw

Spaghetti + "Meatballs" - Chicago Raw

I've only visited a few all raw vegan restaurants, but am beginning to see more raw dishes show up on menus at vegan-friendly spots. I would like to eat more raw meals to freshen up and liven up my diet, but when the temperature begins to drop outside it's difficult to feel as satisfied eating cold veggies. It doesn't help that buying prepared raw meals puts a dent in your wallet. I was still eager to give Chicago Raw a shot earlier this month. I escaped the office for a quick lunch pick-up at the W. Huron Street location. The great thing about Chicago Raw is that everything is prepared and pre-packaged so there is no wait when you grab a meal here. There is something a little off-putting about selecting a cold meal from the fridge in a plastic container, but at least I knew the ingredients were fresh and healthy. 

Signature Sampler Platter - Chicago Raw

I would only have one chance to try the food here during my stay, so I grabbed the Signature Sampler Platter for $13 to get the most variety and try out the most popular menu items. It comes with Spaghetti and a "Meatball," Ravioli, Garden Burger, and a small dessert sample. I also picked up a couple of other dessert samples at the checkout counter - Apple Pie and Carrot Cake. Raw food can really fill you up and I was stuffed after devouring this large sample box. Starting with the Ravioli, these were small and fragile, filled with cashew cheese and wrapped up with turnip rounds. They were served with a shared side of Marinara (also for the Spaghetti) and Parsley Relish. They were a little too plain on their own so I enjoyed the mix of sauces with them. I could have eaten a bowl of these. Next I dove into the Garden Burger, a thick, hearty patty with a variety of seeds and vegetables - no nuts or oil! This came with Red Pepper Ketchup and Mustard smothered on top. I enjoyed this one a lot, but kept thinking how good it would be served warm with a bun and some fixings! Lastly was the Spaghetti and Meatball, a bowl of fresh zucchini shreds, a seed-based meatball that was similar to the Garden Burger, and a chunky basil and green olive Marinara sauce. I expected the noodles to taste watery and plain, but they didn't. I liked it. My favorite out of the three was the Garden Burger. They also threw in a mini dessert which I believe was the My Lucky Truffle, a minty chocolate ball. The two sampler desserts on the side were the Apple Pie - gala apples, dates, raisins, cinnamon, and the Carrot Cake - carrot, apricot, nuts blended with cinnamon. They reminded me of Larabars in their simplicity and were a nice way to finish off a satiating meal.

Dessert Samples - Chicago Raw

In the refrigerated cases you can also find condiments and sauces to purchase and incorporate into your meals at home. They also sell other packaged dry snacks and smoothies. Overall it's an overwhelming variety of healthy, raw, vegan foods to choose from in a grab-and-go style store. I appreciate the passion and focus that the two women who opened Chicago Raw share and I will likely be back when I return to Chicago and need to stay far away from any vegan deep dish pizzas (surprisingly I still have yet to find this by the way...)!

Mock Tuna Pate Sandwich - Chicago Raw

Chicago Raw

51 W Huron Street

Chicago, IL 60654
Chicago Raw Website

Dining Out in Chicago - Native Foods Café

Twister Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries - Native Foods Café

I was so excited to try Native Foods Café because the menu immediately reminded me of Veggie Grill, a vegan chain I fell in love with in Portland, OR. They describe themselves as "the premier chef-crafted vegan restaurant." The large menu spanning from salads, to wraps, to burgers, and desserts should satisfy any craving. The interior and setup also reminded me of Veggie Grill in that it's casual quick service dining for eating in or taking out. I tried it both ways. 

Glossary of Mock (Native) Meats - Native Foods Café

Side of Vegan Ranch Dressing!

I arrived in Chicago for my first of two business trips this month and grabbed a co-worker to join me for lunch at the Native Foods Café on S Clark Street. I went with the popular choices for my first try - Twister Wrap with Crispy Native Chicken and Sweet Potato Fries with Ranch Dressing on the side - I ignored the diet for this meal! The wrap has fresh greens, avocado, cucumber salsa, creamy chipotle sauce and crispy Native Chicken wrapped in a whole wheat wrap. The beloved Sweet Potato Fries were unique in that they had more seasoning and were less fried and crispy than you might find at other chain restaurants, but nonetheless yummy. The wrap was delicious, not too spicy, lots of flavor and a bonus that I opted for crispy Native Chicken (I didn't hold back this time!). The mock meat was very close to the real thing, especially in texture. 


During my second trip to Chicago, I checked into my hotel and went straight out to pick up lunch at Native. I opted for a healthier, gluten-free meal this time and ordered the Rockin' Moroccan Earth Bowl with marinated tofu, grilled vegetables, steamed quinoa, raisins, and almonds served with a red Moroccan sauce. I couldn't stop there, so I decided to reward myself for my healthy entreé choice with a Peanut Butter Parfait. Sadly I was underwhelmed by the Rockin' Moroccan dish. It could have been because I ate it luke warm, a takeout order that got too cold, but it just tasted like steamed veggies, plain quinoa, plain tofu, and a sauce that somewhat saved it. I hardly noticed the raisins and almonds until the end, they were too sparse. It was a huge portion and certainly filling.

Rockin' Moroccan Earth Bowl - Native Foods Café

Peanut Butter Parfait - Native Foods Café

The Peanut Butter Parfait was a winner. It's a cup of whipped peanut butter filling layered between banana bread crumbs and mini chocolate chips. I'm a huge fan of these flavor combos. Anything with peanut butter and chocolate and/or banana - Yes yes yes! The filling was smooth and creamy and not too sweet. I wish there was more of the banana bread. As a cake lover over ice cream I needed more of a dessert that I could "chew" on. I would still recommend it though, especially if you're going gluten-free!

You can only find a Native Foods Café in California, Oregon, Colorado, DC, and Illinois, but I'm sure they will expand just as Veggie Grill is!

A Delicious, Vegan Meal in Chicago!

Native Foods Café

218 S Clark Street

Chicago, IL
Native Foods Cafe Website

Dining Out in Chicago - LYFE Kitchen

Art's Unfried Chick'n - LYFE Kitchen

I visited Chicago on a last minute trip for work this month and unlike my usual trips, for work or pleasure, I tend to research vegan spots beforehand. I didn't have much time to plan for this one, but I still found a couple places I was interested in mainly for the convenience of where I was for the evening. LYFE Kitchen happened to be next to the bar I was going to and although I could have and did have enough appetizers to count as dinner, I still walked over after for a full vegan meal. The interior of LYFE - Love Your Food Everday - is modern, trendy, and clean. It's quick and casual dining, but you can certainly sit and enjoy your meal here and pick from vegan, gluten-free or non-vegan menu items, which span from smoothies, salads, breakfast entrees, vegetable sides, desserts and a kid's menu. I didn't realize until later that this restaurant is a chain with additional locations in Texas, Colorado, and California. It's not an all-vegan eatery, but reminds me of Veggie Grill from the coloring of it's logo and menu to it's use of Gardein and Daiya to turn things vegan while maintaining the flavor.

*Pardon the photos on this post - Had to use my iPhone to get these shots!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie - LYFE Kitchen

Going off of Yelp reviews, as I usually do, I ordered Art's Unfried Chicken (or Chick'n for vegans) served with roasted brussels sprouts, butternut squash and dried cranberries served with a cashew cream dijon vinaigrette. I really enjoyed this dish. The breaded Gardein patty was crispy and yummy and the sauce served with it was amazing.

When presented with the option, I have to get dessert, so I brought home a chocolate chip cookie. It was hands down the best vegan chocolate chip I've ever had. Even after two years of knowing vegan food can be as good, if not better than non-vegan versions, I questioned if it was really vegan because of how buttery it tasted. Thankfully all of the desserts listed on the menu were vegan. 

A pro and con of their menu is that they list out calorie count and sodium - I appreciate it for the most part, but sometimes ignorance makes the food taste better! They have an eco-friendly focus and the interior space even looks and feels that way. For takeout, the food was packaged in compostable containers. They also offer catering and the option to order online.

If there was a LYFE Kitchen near me in New York City I would frequent it. The prices were very reasonable and the food seemed healthier than some vegan fast food spots in city. 

LYFE Kitchen

413 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60654

LYFE Kitchen Website 

Dining Out in Chicago - Karyn's Cooked

Jerk Tofu Wrap - Karyn's Cooked

I was in Chicago for a short time, but made every effort to find a couple vegan spots to try out. This one was a recommendation from a co-worker. I knew I would already be having dinner at another restaurant, but I was eager to try Karyn's Cooked and still made a visit after my "first" dinner. I somehow managed to make room for almost an entire second meal once I saw my options here (I do not endorse this type of gluttonous behavior! I admit it was too much food for one evening, vegan or not). The restaurant is casual with small tables for dining in with lots of pre-made packaged goods for sale like veggie chips, raw bars, juices, and even beauty and skincare items all part of Karyn's line of products. 


For my takeout meal, I went with the popular Jerk Tofu Wrap served with large potato wedges and coleslaw. The wrap contained spicy grilled tofu with a creamy garlic sauce, lettuce, and tomato, served on a tomato tortilla with jerk sauce on the side. It was definitely on the spicy side, but the sweet jerk sauce and creamy dressing helped cool it down a tad. You can see it was overflowing with fresh lettuce. I might order it again, but the large menu tempts me to try other entrees. 

Coleslaw served with Jerk Tofu Wrap

No room left for coleslaw!

Peanut Butter Cake
Karyn's Cooked 

Dessert was a very tough choice because I wanted to try everything and there was a huge selection! I even asked for a sample of the pastries because I knew they were about to close up and would likely throw them out anyways. I taste-tested the Cinnamon Roll and the Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish. I preferred the Cinnamon Roll, but it wasn't ooey and gooey like Chloe's Kitchen recipe, instead the dough was drier and more airy. The icing probably had a soy base to it, but it was sweet and delicious. I ordered the mouthwatering Peanut Butter Cake . It was heavy with dense, vanilla cake and a rich peanut butter frosting with chocolate drizzle along the sides. The slice was huge so I didn't finish it all. I would have this again, knowing it's better for sharing. What I enjoyed about the menu at Karyn's Cooked is that there are plenty of healthier options if you're in the mood for a clean, green, light meal, but when you want to indulge there is plenty to satisfy the junk food craving in a vegan way. 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish
Karyn's Cooked

Cinnamon Roll
Karyn's Cooked

After learning more about the owner of this delicious eatery I am even more impressed. Karyn is 66 years old and beautiful - she looks like she is in her early 40's! She credits this to changing her diet and lifestyle; after being vegetarian for 12 years, she switched to a raw diet. Her other restaurants include a raw café, a fine dining restaurant similar to Pure Food & Wine here in New York City. I can't wait to go back and hopefully meet the master behind these tasty treats!

Way too much food for any one person to eat!

Karyn's Cooked

738 North Wells Street

Chicago, IL 60654

Karyn's Cooked Website