1512 W Foster Ave., Chicago
(between Clark and Ashland Streets in Andersonville)
(773) 561-2224
I work on the far north side near Andersonville and the Middle East Bakery is my favorite spot for vegan lunch in the area. I usually get food for several days' worth of lunches in one trip, so a typical haul might include a falafel sandwich (usually 4 balls in a pita with a tahini sauce; I skip the tahini sauce because I don't like creamy stuff) or a dozen falafel balls and bread to make my own, a container of Tabouli salad (parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, onions, lemon), some Spinach Pies, a container of either yellow Lentil Soup or delicious Potato Soup, Zataar bread (pita with sumac and spices), etc. They also have a myriad of hummus flavors (Vanessa loves the Red Pepper Hummus), very tasty but VERY garlicky Fava Bean Salad and Fool Mudammas, Giant Beans in Tomato sauce, Baba Ganoush, Bruschetta, fresh breads, olives, juices in aseptic packages, canned goods, nuts and dried fruits (expensive), traditional desserts like Baklava and lots of midrange European chocolates (one or two are vegan).
Be sure to tip the deli person, you'll get it back in goodwill, especially if it's the old man. The woman at the register is a sweetheart but will almost always ask if you have the exact change if it's under about 50 cents, i.e. the total is $6.38, you give her $7, and she asks if you have 38 cents. Quizzical at first but endearing over time.
I should note that the Taste of Lebanon across the street also has good Falafel and great Fatoush Salad, and the guys who work in there are really, really nice, but they have issues with small space, fried food and ventilation, i.e. NO ventilation, so if you walk in for even 20 seconds around lunchtime you will smell like frying oil for the rest of the day, guaranteed. For this reason, I go there only rarely and get in and out as quickly as possible.
Sample Dishes from the Middle East Bakery
Middle East Bakery Fava bean salad. Very tasty but garlicky, so be careful. Fool Mudammas is similar.
Middle East Bakery Blurry photo of my "naked" Falafel sandwich (I don't like Tahini sauce) and a juice.
Middle East Bakery (Chicago) Tabouli salad. I like salads that have more bulgur wheat, and easy on the onions!
potato soup photo soon
Middle East Bakery Vegan Spinach Pies with no cheese. Very tasty stuff, and only a buck each!
lentil soup photo soon
Please note: My site is NOT any kind of official "Chicago Vegan" site. For a great restaurant guide from an excellent organization, visit VegChicago.com. With the proliferation of digital cameras and cheap web hosting, I encourage every vegan to document their own good-looking vegan food to share with the world...the more the scarier!
