This morning I went to Fancy Plants Cafe, and felt great about eating a bagel with lox. The salmon is substituted for carrots. Other piled high veggies include onions, capers, cucumber and tomatoes. The cream cheese is made with cashews. On the side I had a frothy Dark Matter cappuccino made with soy milk.
This new cafe opened a few weeks ago in a Chicago neighborhood, Lakeview East. Its go-to items are an egg-free quiche, bagel and lox, pastry items like banana bread or cupcakes, a seasonal soup. And of course, coffee and assorted teas. The Valerian Dream Rishi tea is fantastic.
The owner, Kevin Schuder, hosts events at the restaurant and caters out to different clients. Yes, he’s a caterer. And yes, he creates 100% vegan food. But Kevin has a certain flair and passion for food that is both impressive and humble. The vegan community can sometimes come off as holier-than-thou if you don’t subscribe to a 0% animal bi-product lifestyle. However, when I sat down with Kevin to speak about food, this topic was not first on the menu. He talked instead about feeling like he can travel by cooking and sharing food originating from other parts of the world. Let’s cook some Japanese food and explore Japan, type of thing. He also mentioned that vegans and vegetarians will find the restaurant, so no need to market it as such. This laid back approach sat really well with me.
Lakeview East
613 W. Briar Place
(773) 857-1588.