So, the latest in our reviews section is the River North, non-raw foods branch of Karyn Calabrese’s restaurants, Karyn’s Cooked.
First note: make reservations! Although we went kind of late at night, there was still a 15-minute wait because the restaurant itself is quite small. The wait is worth it, but you can avoid it altogether by making a reservation.
Although the space is small, it’s cleverly decorated (the copper-topped tables were a particular favorite!) and gives off a warm, cozy ambiance. The service was amazing—incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, too.
If you’re in the mood for good drinks, the wine list is extensive—all wines are organic and a good portion of the wine list is vegan as well. I decided to try the Osoti Tinto Riojo, which was a really nice dry vegan red. There was also an abundance of organic beer—and a selection of suprisingly good mead, which my dining buddy Melissa ordered.
Being an omnivore, I was intrigued by the wide array of fake meat on the menu, but ended up going for the Falafel, which was really, really good. There was plenty of falafel for a meal and it was served on a warm whole wheat pita with lettuce, cucumber, chopped tomatoes, and the most amazing cucumber sauce I have ever eaten.
Melissa had a (large!) bowl of their vegetarian chili, which was tasty and quite spicy from chunks of jalapeños in it, and garlic bread. Although the garlic bread could have had a bit more garlic in it for our tastes, the chili definitely rates in the top tier of Melissa’s Chicago Vegetarian Chili list.
And since we were going all-out, we decided to check out the desserts, too. I had heard a lot about the Raw Apple Pie, but it wasn’t on the menu that night, so I decided to go with the Lemon Meringue pie. It may be the fact that I’ve never had vegan desserts before, but it tasted less like lemons and more like—I know, this is odd—sugar cookies. Although it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, it was still good, and the whipped topping had my tastebuds fooled. Melissa had the Tiramisù which looks nothing like the non-vegan version but still tasted great for being ‘health food!’
And for the young Veggies out there, our resident kid-tester approved of Karyn’s Macaroni & Cheese!
FINAL VERDICT: 
