Karyn's Cooked

738 N. Wells
Chicago, IL
312.587.1050

Type: Vegan
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 3.5/5
Price: Entrees range from $9 to $15
Quality for Price: 3.5/5 (you know, for vegan food)
Ambiance: Upscale casual, small, intimate
Other: Vegan friendly, many gluten-free options
Neighborhood: Near North

I got ribs! Well, not exactly. But at Karyn's Cooked, it's about as close as you can get. Being a couple of hardcore carnivores, we were not quite sure what to expect from this strictly vegan establishment. Kristen's friend Michelle was in town for her birthday and, being educated and enlightened about what she consumes, is a strict vegan. For those of us that choose to remain blissfully ignorant about where that medium-rare steak comes from or that fried chicken and bacon sandwich's origins, entering a vegan restaurant almost seems like stepping into another world. In this other world, animals are revered and not eaten; bean curds are a staple cooking ingredient; one can order a side of 'enzymes' and somewhat ironically, the closer you can get to something tasting like meat, the better. It's true, in an attempt to win over skeptical meat lovers, most items on the menu are actually attempts at re-creating meat-inspired dishes. You can start off with an appetizer of 'buffalo wings', order a 'meatball' sandwich to go or, in my case, go right for the BBQ 'slab of ribs' for dinner on a Thursday night out on the town. When the meals came, we all had to try each others selections and it became almost a pass-and-serve family style dining experience. Kristen's taco salad with grilled seitan was outstanding, Michelle's 'stuffed chicken' special was great, BJ's 'meatloaf' made you forget you were at a vegan restaurant, Haylee's 'sloppy jo' was spicy and satisfying and finally, my 'slab of ribs' was a pleasant surprise. The portion was almost too much, but that could be because I wasn't exactly sure what I was consuming. The side of corn on the cob was fairly dry and bland, but the BBQ sauce was spicy and tasted better than I'd expected. For dessert, Michelle got a surprise piece of vegan chocolate cake with, of course, a birthday candle. The cake was...interesting. Everyone decided it smelled like something different: from dirty feet to other things that I won't get into. I have to say, overall I was very impressed by the food and while I'm not about to give up real BBQ ribs, Karyn's is a great place to have a vegan-friendly substitute once in a while.

As far as a date restaurant goes, Karyn's has an atmosphere that is inviting, comfortable, warm and modernly classic. They have a small selection of organic wine, mead, beer and cocktails. It's reasonably priced and close to several clubs and bars downtown that you can head to and dance off that slice of vegan cheesecake. If you happen to find out that your date is a vegan, then obviously this place is a no-brainer. He or she will be impressed for being so open and if you really want to get in good, mention that you have been there before, but didn't even realize it was vegan! "Wow, I had no idea. I just suggested it because they have great food..." If neither of you are vegan, but maybe want to try something other than that new bar down the street or the latest Asian/Hawaiian/African/Latin/Antarctic Fusion place, Karyn's is a surprising treat and something you might not expect from a group of people that wouldn't ask a chicken to lay an egg for an omelet or milk a cow for ice cream.