The Chicago Diner By Tim McCanless Chicago Diner has been on Halsted Street as long as I can remember. With some trepidation, I went to eat there with some friends and wow, was I impressed. You see, you can get meat there! Well, not really meat it is called seitan, a 'meat' made from the protein part of wheat! Who knew? Meat eaters are often reluctant to give up their favorite source of protein. But science has been busting myths in modern times about nutrition. There is a growing understanding that less meat & more vegetables yields better health. As far as protein goes, the human body is very capable of extracting it from vegetable sources, without all the saturated fat, cholesterol, slaughtering & cruelty (foie grois anyone?) that comes along with meat. Also, going veggie is good for the environment too: animals eat a lot of calories to put on the pounds, which means deforestation & manure in large quantities, releasing greenhouses gases in the process. Chicago Diner breaks the stereotype of vegetarian food tasting bland & unfulfilling. Since 1983, co-owners Jo Kaucher & Mickey Hornick have been using creativity & emphasis on down home flavor to build an army of vegetarian believers. The cozy, unpretentious locale is a favored low profile destination of the hip & famous. The next time you get seated, Woody Harrelson, Claire Danes, Forest Whitaker, Erasure, Fallout Boy, Alkaline Trio, Stevie Wonder, AFI, Madonna, Indigo Girls, Kevin Bacon, Panic at the Disco, Melissa Etheridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Moby, Erykah Badu, Rise Against, Devendra Banhart or John C. Reilly, may be sitting in the next booth. Stop in for a tasty, healthy, award winning brunch, lunch or dinner with their friendly staff. The Chicago Diner is open 7 days with free parking evening & weekends. Browse the menus & weekly specials at www.veggiediner.com 3411 Halsted St. Chicago, IL