Chicago Trip Day 1

For Day 24 of Vegan MoFo, I will be broadcasting from Chicago! I flew in today to attend the annual American Dietetics Association national conference, and I will be here through next Tuesday...so I will hopefully be able to go to lots of new and interesting restaurants! My mom came with me to visit some family up here, and of course go to lots of good eateries with me!! After all, we are all well aware that the only good reason to travel is to go new places to eat! :)

After flying in and getting all settled, we made our very first stop to one of my favorite restaurants on the planet: Chicago Diner!! I cannot say enough good things about this freaking place!! The atmosphere is amazing, the staff is super friendly, and the food will end your life with its deliciousness. Seriously.

Since it was noon and they were still serving brunch, my mom and I opted for some breakfast-ier items, as we had only been there for dinner. I had the Vegan Monte Cristo sandwich: two giant pieces of french toast, sandwiched with veggie ham and vegan cheese, with creole mustard and jam. This came with a side of delicious Homestyle Potatoes. Oh, and everything got a generous drizzle of maple syrup!!! Good God Almighty!! I thought I would never have this awesome sweet-salty combo sandwich again after going vegan, but I was oh so wrong! And now I am oh so happy :)

My mom had the Big Bang Breakfast: scrambled tofu, tempeh-potato hash, seitan sausage, tempeh bacon strips, and toast with delicious jam. This was big and beautiful, and had to be enjoyed by the best mother in the world!

Dessert, since we were so full, was a Snickerdoodle-Nut Cookie (even though I wish I had not been too full for cake!)...mild flavors, but absolutely amazing texture: nice and chewy, just how I like it!!Dinner was at the Earwax Cafe. I can't believe I was still hungry after that lunch, but I guess it had been a while. anyway...I had never been here before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I loved it! The decor was kind of vintage carnival-themed (think bearded lady posters and old sideshow signs) and the food was really good! Also wonderful people working here...I even had a vegan waitress! hooray!

My mom had the Tuscan Seitan Sandwich: marinated seitan with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, escarole, shaved onion, and pesto on a baguette, with a side of their Sesame Slaw. She loved it, and the bite I stole was really good! Seitan rules. I had the Chorizo Burrito (!): Seitan Chorizo, Roasted Potatoes, Refried Beans, Tomato, Onion, and Teese Cheese, with Salsa and Avocado all in a grilled tortilla. This was really hearty, but not too much so, and flavorful! I only wish it had been a little spicier, but I loved it!This time, we saved a little more room for dessert: Vegan Milkshakes! Earwax uses Chicago Soydairy products, so they had the incredible Temptation Ice Cream for their shakes! woohoo! I had Chocolate-Peanut Butter, and my mom had straight-up Chocolate. This was so rich and creamy and thick and good. I had to lie down afterward. I almost couldn't finish it, but I was a trooper! I am a good little vegan, after all!!Sorry the lighting was so dark in there...it's all about the mood I guess. They should have a special table for food bloggers... :)

Oh, and I want to leave you with this:

This was on the back of the dessert menu at Chicago Diner! I love it! Listen to this menu!

oh, and OBAMA (I am in his town, you know!!)