During my time interning in Chicago, I’ve been keeping a keen eye on my surroundings and doing a bit of web searching to find new (to me), nutritious places to try. One of the great things about larger cities is the great variety of dining options. Everyone can find at least a place or two that suits their tastes—literally! (One of the not so great things: how long it takes to get to these restaurants in traffic ;) )

This weekend, I had an outing to The Chicago Diner: “Meat-Free Since ‘83.” You have seen that I am not a vegetarian or vegan, based on some of my previous restaurant orders and recipes. However, “flexitarian” seems to be a pretty accurate term to describe my diet. I usually eat meat a few times each week or so. But I’m game to try any dining establishment that will serve healthful and tasty meals, vegetarian or not!

Upon entering the bustling and slightly cramped dining room—even in the middle of the afternoon!—I perused the menu filled with many tempting choices. If I eat at The Diner in the future, I may order the Grilled Potstickers, Pasta with “Meat”balls, Black Bean Burger or the Hummus Wrap. This time, I opted for the Chili Fandango because of the nice macronutrient balance and the awesome name!

Chili Fandango is “rustic three bean chili” served with a side of brown rice. The just-right portion of perfectly cooked rice tasted wonderful broken into bites of the chili. Speaking of the bowl of red, it was packed with tomatoes, corn, beans, lentils, bulgar wheat and spices. My only complaint: I would have loved for the chili to be a touch warmer temperature-wise, but I do enjoy my soups/stews pretty hot.

Protein, fiber, whole grains and a little heat. What more could you ask for?

Well, since you asked, a cornbread muffin, which this meal came served with! Some blue cornmeal and some yellow cornmeal make this a fun tie-dye muffin. The sweet bread was a perfect addition to the heat from the chili.

If you are a vegetarian, or are willing to eat like one for a meal, this could be a good place for you to try when in Chicago! There are many traditionally meat-filled dishes that are transformed for the herbivore population, making The Chicago Diner a place that can please a group with some carnivores and some from the veg set. 

I’d love to hear from you about vegetarianism: is your meat-eating identity an important part of who you are? If so or if not, please share why in the comments!