Restaurant Week - The Vegetarian View

By John DiGilio in Food on Feb 16, 2011 7:40PM

Sometimes being a vegetarian just ain't easy. It seems that many folks assume that all we need to be happy is a few leaves of lettuce and a handful of beans on which to graze. We essentially become the culinary version of an afterthought, while all the attention goes towards preparing plates full of flesh and innards for the meat-eating masses. But we vegetarians are a more complex people than that. We want in on the same dining fun that our carnivorous counterparts enjoy. So why do we often have to work harder to get it? It's not like veggie fare is that hard to come by. Take for instance the upcoming Chicago Restaurant Week.

For ten days, more than 200 of the city's food establishments are set to offer prix fixe menus to the masses. That's a lot of grub to be had. Some of it certainly has to be vegetarian. Yet when the Chicagoist food writers were asked to come up with some Restaurant Week picks, one of its voices was conspicuously absent - the vegetarian. Why? Because it was so needlessly difficult to figure out which of the restaurants was offering vegetarian dishes in their featured menus. Luckily, our vegetarians, like most, are a persistant group and we have some late-breaking veggie recommendations to carry you through the celebration.

Before we share some vegetarian insights into Restaurant Week, however, we'd like to lob a few friendly tomatoes at the event site. Visitors are invited to search participating establishments by either cuisine, neighborhood, or restaurant name. The drop-down list of cuisines covers ethnicities (Vietnamese, Indian, etc.), styles (barbeque, fusion, etc.), meals (breakfast, dinner) and even favorites (pizza and ribs, for example). So how is it that "vegetarian" is not on that list? Why, it might just lull meatless diners into thinking that there is nothing for them. Luckily, we knew better. Our vegetarians poured over the list of participating restaurants and weeded through the posted menus to come up with killer meatless recommendations for next week. Herbivores rejoice and try a few of these:

• Chicago Curry House - One of the South Loop's hidden gems, the Chicago Curry House has been filling vegetarian bellies for a few years now with its tasty Indian and Nepalese dishes. For Restaurant Week, they are offering both a lunch buffet and some signature vegetarian entrees for dinner. Try the Veggie Bhojan, a Nepalese smorgasbord of tareko aloo, bhuteko kauli, jhaneko dal, palaungo ko sag, bhat and roti.
• Osteria Via Stato - Known for its elegant Italian dishes, many of which include meat, this Lettuce Entertain You outpost is offering a special vegetable lasagna that sounds almost decadent. It is paired with a salad of mixed greens, toasted walnuts, and apples as well as a side of mashed sweet potatoes. It promises a taste of old world Italy for today's vegetarian eater.
• Zapatista - This popular Mexican restaurant with locations in the South Loop, Lincoln Park, and Northbrook is getting in on the Restaurant Week fun with some excellent vegetarian offerings. Diners can choose an appetizer, soup, or salad in addition to almost any entree and a dessert. We recommend the homemade guacamole to start. It is some of the city's finest. Main dishes for the meat-free include Zapatista's delicious vegetarian tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. The Enchiladas Vegetarianas, stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, wilted spinach, queso fresco and tomato-chipotle salsa are real standouts.