America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities

#10 Chicago, Illinois

Sure, Chicago was built on the slaughter industry, but we try not to let sordid pasts get in the way of bright futures. After all, the Windy City has come a long way since Upton Sinclair's bloody butcherfest, The Jungle. These days, Chi-town boasts more than 20 vegetarian restaurants, including the famous "Meat-Free Since '83" Chicago Diner, perhaps the best homestyle-vegetarian restaurant in North America. You'll have to go there more than once, because there's no way you can miss the Bayou Tofish, BBQ Seitan Wings, or Lentil-Tempeh Shepherd's Pie. Read more about the famous diner and Chef Jo Kaucher.

For vegetables gone ultra-gourmet, we hear that Charlie Trotter's $115-a-person vegetarian menu is a tantalizing experience—if you can handle the price tag. The Green Zebra was rated one of Chicago's best new restaurants and called "the hottest reservation in town" by The New York Times. If you're looking for something that's lighter on the pocketbook, Irazu's is the best place for a $5 lunch Costa Rican-style—try the veggie burrito or vegetarian plate, which changes daily, with a side of tostones. The thick, rich chocolate soy milkshake at Earwax Café is delicious, as are the vegan sloppy joes, Reubens, and cakes.

Soul Vegetarian East features super-savory choices, such as barbecued seitan, veggie burgers, vegan gyros, and a fantastic macaroni and "cheese." Try the breaded, fried seitan with corn and mashed potatoes and gravy. Karyn's Raw offers an exotic array of upscale, uncooked dishes. Its sister restaurant, Karyn's Cooked, offers jerk tofu, seitan steak, and the very popular "Slab of Ribs," which is 100 percent pig-free but doesn't taste like it. Although many mock meats are made with soy or wheat protein, Karyn's tasty "meatball" sandwich is made using lentils, one of the healthiest foods around.

For the full scoop on vegetarian eating in Chicago, grab a copy of Veg Out! Vegetarian Guide to Chicago. If you prefer to stick to the Internet, visit VegGuide.org or VegChicago.com.

Top Tip: It's worth taking a road trip to the Windy City just for the Chicago Diner. And if you have some spare time, buy some extra Diner food and drive it down to PETA's office in Virginia!

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