Near North is so full of pricey steak houses these days that it’s become a home on the range for conventioneers, Gold Coast fat cats, and other aging carnivores. But head west and you’ll find plenty of people on a very different diet. It isn’t just a matter of finances: the older set may have just found out that they don’t have to pay attention to cholesterol counts if they can make it to the age of 70, but younger gourmets can’t think that far ahead. And belonging as they do to the first generation to grow up with yogurt in their lunch boxes, they’re accustomed to deprivation. So while their elders are still into heavy leather, they’re emptying out their naturally shed oak-bark wallets for organic produce from Fresh Fields and Whole Foods. They’re going for the mostly vegetarian Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food at Cousin’s and the global cuisine at Eat Your Hearts Out!, whose produce is organic and whose meat is free-range. And they’re jamming Jane’s, the six-month-old vegetarian place in Bucktown that calls its food a combination of “clean” (chemical-free) and “indulgent.”
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
As for the entrees, go for the beautifully green, artichoke-stuffed spinach ravioli special ($9.95). The rich, creamy Gorgonzola sauce surprises your palate with a hint of lemon. Wild mushroom risotto ($8.95) made with brown rice reminded me of the “classic” Caesar salad: though it’s a good dish in its own right, it doesn’t taste like risotto because it isn’t made with Arborio rice. The regulars at the next table raved about Tony’s black beans, brown rice, and grilled vegetables ($7.95) sauteed with fresh oregano. We liked it too, although we couldn’t detect the oregano. But blandness wasn’t a problem with the corn spaghetti frutti de mare ($10.95), chock-full of plump scallops, shrimp, and sliced calamari in a peppery tomato basil sauce.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/Nathan Mandell.
