Soul Vegetarian East

Chicago Foodies:

Chicago is popularly known as a hot dogs and pizza kind of town, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. But there comes a time in every closet-hippie's life where one feels the itch to listen to Enya, free Tibet, and stuff one's face with a tempeh reuben sandwich. In other words, it was time to take a trip to a vegetarian restaurant.

I'd tried a few places around town, and unfortunately hadn't been particularly taken with any of them. Then there was the legendary Soul Vegetarian. The rumors started innocently enough. Soul Vegetarian, the whispers murmured, you won't regret it. But it's on 75th, I said, that's such a long trek! Do it, the whispers insisted, or else you will drown in a pool of tahini-ginger-flavored regret. And so I found myself and a few adventurous compadres biking down to 75th St on a warm summer evening.

Soul Vegetarian certainly occupies a niche in the Chicago restaurant ecosystem, as I cannot readily think of another restaurant serving vegetarian soul food. For added cult appeal, the restaurant is run by Black Hebrew Israelites, whose influence is seen in menu names like Hebrew toast and Jerusalem steak. You can order a number of traditional soul dishes, sandwiches, and other classic entrees like lasagna. All items are vegan, other than the use of honey in a few dishes, and our server was also very accommodating when we mentioned that one person had a nut allergy.

Though the dining room is fairly small, we were able to snag a table without a wait on this weekend evening. The room was decorated with framed prints of jazz greats such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The rest of the furnishings seemed to be a motley collection of assorted chairs and tables. All in all, an unpolished but cozy atmosphere.

Our neighborhood establishments are getting attention. That much is for certain.