Vegocracy: Dining Out in Chicago

Wrap and Fries at Native Foods Cafe Chicago - Veega Vegan

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!