This charming vegetarian diner is famous enough to have its own cookbook and T-shirts. I hadn't heard of it prior to my visit to Chicago, but its delightful cuisine and cute waitresses have earned it a place in my heart. I will be sure to visit when I next return to Chicago on business.
The all-vegetarian menu is a bit pricy for a place that calls itself a diner, but the quality shows in the preparation and the taste. Even omnivores like ourselves rejoiced in the wide-ranging menu, and didn't miss the taste of meat one bit. For starters, we ordered the nachos, delightfully spicy with fresh guac and veggie chorizo. Then, we both ordered salads. My spinach and apple salad was topped by feta cheese, mandarin oranges, and an orange vinaigrette. The spinach was amazing fresh, and the apples were crispy. I wish I could bottle that salad dressing and take it home! My partner ordered a Santa Fe salad, topped with seitan rather than a meat product. Both salads were some of the best we've ever had, and so refreshing after much of the heavy cuisine we had had so far in Chicago.
The waitstaff here was super-friendly, checking on us just the right amount of times, and making us feel very welcome.
The restaurant is located in Boystown, on N. Halsted. It is very near the alternative shopping district of Belmont and Clark.