I was in Chicago this past weekend to see two Phish concerts (which were awesmazing, by the way), and, like always, my family looked for great and organic places to eat at while in the Windy City.
Although we didn’t have time to dine, since we had to be at Wrigley Field early 2 of the 3 nights, and were at Millenium Park for a free Maceo Parker concert the other night, we ate well on the road, as always! Besides packing lots of snacks from home, we relied on Whole Foods in Michigan for lunch, which was midway on our drive, and multiple visits while in the city. With my sister’s allergies, it’s often much easier to eat well going to a healthy supermarket. My mom is an expert at making hummus and spinach wraps or a roasted beet salad on the go!
We went to the farmers’ market in Lincoln Park on Saturday morning and I enjoyed vegan tamales made by an organic mushroom farmer, and my brother and sister loved this great green drink made with kale, raw honey and apple cider vinegar. We bought a few other local and organic products for home including an heirloom variety of organic popcorn, and some excellent salsa in glass jars made by an organic tomato farmer.
We did visit a few restaurants that were notable, listed with a few details about each below. I only write positive reviews! I look forward to returning to Chicago to try some farm-to-table spots we didn’t get to, and other healthy eats. I hope you enjoy and visit these restaurants if you are ever in Chicago:
- Native Foods – A restaurant we had eaten at during our trip to California in 2015 (review here), one of my sister’s all-time favourite restaurants that serves vegan fast-food style dishes as they can accommodate her allergies with confidence and a smile. I created my own veggie burger with avocado, lettuce, red onion, BBQ sauce, and jalapeños – my plate was clear in under five minutes and I ate plenty of jicama off my mother’s plate (my favourite veggie)!
- The Chicago Diner – We settled on eating here since it is walking distance from Wrigley Field, good to note if you are going to a concert or a baseball game. They serve classic diner food, vegan style (although they do have dairy options). Although it’s not exactly full of healthy food, it’s definitely healthier, and all plant-based which is great. My dad LOVED the Reuben sandwich, and ordered it both times we went! I enjoyed the Titanic BLT Burger which had their house patty, seitan bacon, french fried onions, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle sauce. As much as I don’t like to eat or support Heinz when it comes to ketchup, I was happy to see that it was organic. They don’t take reservations, and it’s not a huge space, and busy, but they are efficient and the food is solid.
- Hannah’s Bretzel – An awesmazing sandwich restaurant that we stumbled upon walking to dinner near Millennium Park – my dad saw a sign on the inside that said organic, and I saw the word sandwich, so decided that I must check it out. Since I couldn’t get it off my mind during dinner, I decided that I would likely have to have a sandwich from there for “dessert”. It’s my duty as a food blogger to try it and report back to you, right? I could actually use one or three of those sandwiches right now! Hannah’s Bretzel has a commitment to using organic and prove it by giving great detail about their ingredients. On their website, you can even find out the organic percentage of your sandwich before ordering. You should visit their website just to be impressed with their business and marketing! Whether you are vegan, eat meat, vegetarian, gluten-free or otherwise, there is something to eat for you here. Make your custom sandwich on either a baguette or a pretzel bun! Pretty cool, eh? Despite having just eaten a large meal at Native Foods, I got a pretzel bun with assorted grilled mushrooms, goat cheese, arugula, and roasted red pepper – it was awesmazing. Maybe they will come to Canada next since they are growing into multiple Chicago locations!
Chicago is a beautiful city with great architecture, and a lot of Phish fans. Have fun and eat well if you go!
