Happy 2024, everyone! I’m on a mission to check out all the vegan spots in Chicago! On my latest foodventure, I traveled to The Chicago Diner in the Lakeview/Boystown neighborhood on Halsted street before going to see the long awaited Black Panther movie ñ

The Chicago Diner has been around since 1983 despite the naysayers informing Mickey Hornick and "Chef Jo" Kaucher that a meat free restaurant would never work. The duo ignored the scoffers and decided to go for a vintage theme mirroring classic diners of past decades and the rest is history. The menu features meatless delights from seitan burgers to vegan pancakes and even has gluten free options on certain dishes. 

The Truffle Mushroom Lentil Loaf plus a side of Sweet Potato Fries. Great meal and finely seasoned. I'm a big lover of mushrooms and since I've been on my vegetarian turned vegan journey, I've always wanted to have a bite of mushroom loaf in remembrance of my meatloaf eating days. 

Chile. This dish broke the mold! When I was a meat eater, I never checked for steak like that, unless it was chopped into a taco. So with that stated, I definitely didn't care for Country Fried Steak. This beautiful dish here is Country Fried Steak made from seitan and my goodness, it was delicious! Drenched in gravy with a side of sauteed veggies and mashed potatoes, this has got to be one of the best vegan dishes (other than my own food!) that I've tasted in months. 

I sat at the bar for my dinner, so it definitely gave me a genuine old school feel. Next time, and yes there will be a next time, I definitely want to try some of the desserts! 

There are two TCD locations