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Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Dear Mr. McLain,
On Tuesday, May 18th, in the year of our Lord 2004, I had dinner at your new establishment: Green Zebra. The portions enabled me and my companion to sample as many of the menu items as would ordinarily be impossible outside of a party of 6 and the flavors were worthy of your esteemed reputation as one of the city''s finest chefs.
The prices were amazingly reasonable causing me to proclaim the dinner a success, place Green Zebra on my list of gastronomical triumphs and vow a quick return. We couldn''t wait for desert! Having been on a cheese-tasting campaign for the last few months, my accomplice and I were intrigued by your selections, many of which we had never had and decided to make them our desert! Them...
Can you imagine the crushing blow of reality when we discovered that 6 US dollars bought but one type of cheese? Based on the pricing structure, 24 US dollars would be required in order to sample every unique and tasty variety. I was mortified.
On May 18th, in the year of our Lord 2004, GOLD closed at 382 US$/oz or 13.474664456 US$/gram. Now I am not sure how many grams constitute a cheese course at Green Zebra but observing the size of previous portions, I can only hope that it is more than 1.781120418 grams. If it is not, Green Zebra values its collection of cheeses (average retail price of which is ~25 US$/lb.) more than gold.
I would hate to imagine the chaos that would ensue if word of such valuations got out. Markets would quickly feel the might of a powerful new commodity next to which precious metals are but a moon-cast shadow. Demand for cheese and other dairy products would skyrocket and roaming gangs of hoodlums would make cattle thievery a profitable profession once more. Amish cheese-producing communes would create a cartel and hold other cheese-industrialized faiths at the mercy of relentless cheese embargos. This is to say nothing of the black-market cheeses that would surface and potentially get eaten before being aged the requisite 60 days.
I can only hope that when asked about what started these horrors you have the decency to say: The Cheese Course at Green Zebra.
Love,
http://Mealschpeal.com
http://www.facebook.co...
This is a vegetarian wet dream!
The tasting menu is the route we followed, and very glad we did!
5 courses, 5 non-alcoholic pairings and we added one bonus course!
I have dined here before, this time was a lil disappointing... Frowns!!!
Last time was the best meal I have ever partaking in...
The food this time was truly off the hook, the service is where the disappointment resides!
we spent over 100 dollars a person with no alcohol, sooo I guess I expect prompt thorough service, which was certainly not the case, I felt like they took us for granted to say the least..
Enough of my rant...
The place is beautiful, the food is amazing!
We had 5 custom sodas paired with 5 amazing courses...
Dark rye topped with a sweet and savory fruit nut and cheese preparation... really good!
Mushroom consume... hmmm smooth nutty earthy rich!
Cauliflower 3 way, my personal favorite, lightly fried, raw, and pureed, freaking life changing!
Sea scallops with the most diverse mushroom presentation I have ever experienced both in preparation and variety, OH MY GAWD was this good! ( this was our add on course not part of the tasting)
A ridiculous pasta preparation with all types of classic italian flavors, I could have licked the bowl, fennel was amongst the menagerie, typically not a fennel fan, Green Zebra uses it in such a way that makes you fall in love! WOW!
The last course is dessert of course, Beignets stuffed with figs dressed with figs and paired with amazing custom ice cream and bits of toffee... This was crazy good!
The custom sodas ranged from blood orange to pink peppercorn and thyme, from lemon to root beer, we even had two tea selections hibiscus pomegranate iced and an herbal chai preparation served warm with dessert, all were freaking amazing, creative at a level that is unmatched anywhere and perfectly paired!
If not for the disappointing service this would with out a doubt be a five star establishment, hopefully next time they earn their fifth star back!
I am still passionately in love with The Green Zebra!
Vegetarian food so creative and so unique and flavorful you will not be missing your meats.
The portions are more like tastings (they recommend 3 selections per customer) but we shared three between two of us and were nicely sated. The ingredients were incredibly fresh and presented on square dishes that made everything look as good as it tasted.
The decor is clean elegant making for unpretentious and comfortable surroundings.
The tiny bar (with no seating) offers small batch booze mostly local labels and a nice wine selection.
The food here made me feel so damn healthy afterwards that I would be an idiot to deprive myself of this dining experience again and again.
Green Zebra proves that veggies can be a extraordinary meal for even the most carnivorous pessimists!
Ahnold Schvartzenegger vould even say "I'll be back....."
I just realized that I haven't reviewed this place, but I did a tasting there about three years ago, so any comments wouldn't be fair, but the place was pretty decent when I went then. Not blow away, but decent.
what the?!
Seriously, this dinner was so hit and miss that it was comical. Like, the mister and I were laughing hysterically by the time we got dessert. So it was worth the 100 i guess. But, next time I'll choose to spend the money elsewhere.
Now, i can see how the place gets and average of 4 stars - all of these people must have ordered the good dishes!!
I visited a few years ago and remember liking my meal, so we returned for my birthday dinner. I got the udon soup with chestnuts and veggies. it was really really good!!! He got the the thai spiced sweet potato-coconut soup. Holy shit, they make more imaginative and better spiced soup at soup bowl. and you pay a lot less for a lot more. We laughed at the two (i'm talking two TINY) rice noodles that were almost completely immersed and dissolved by the time the soup got to the table.
Next: Sunchoke ravioli, grilled leeks, medjool dates w/ lemon and quail egg. ummm, bland??? two big ravioli's and a quail egg. that had no balance flavor or texture-wise. that was a big miss.
Parsley Root Tart w/ roasted shallot, creme fraiche, parsley puree, walnut and sherry : pretty good. really rich with nice flavor, i dunno if we liked it a lot because it was actually really good or because it followed the ravioli.
Warm Braised Artichoke and Bread Salad, olives w/ preserved lemon : pretty darn good, a little salty and overcooked but i really liked it and so did the mister, hallelujah!
We had a nice bottle of wine and the service was good. The server was attentive and helpful. Where I feel like deducting stars for service are the suggestions. I don't know if this guy genuinely thought the food was stellar or if he was just going through the motions. After dessert i got the feeling he was just telling us what we wanted to hear. Not what i expect in a fine dining atmosphere. If there is an outstanding dish, tell me. If there is a better choice over what i am making, let me hear it. If the dessert i am ordering SUCKS, steer me to something else.
so, the dessert, i almost fussed about this and it almost made it a one star experience.
We ordered caramel corn with cheese. For the price and atmosphere, i am expecting artisinal corn with cheese. something obviously homemade and different tasting. I guess i was expecting yummy rich caramel corn that was still warm or something with caramelized or drizzled cheese. sounds good right?
well, we got cold stale caramel corn in a bowl. with two spoons. i have no idea where the cheese was, i didn't even taste powdered cheese. something out of a cracker jack box would've been better.
let me tell you, after the irritation we laughed. like really laughed! i was going to send the thing back but the boy didn't want me to go through all that, because after all, it was my birthday dinner and at the very least we laughed.
yea, we will laugh for a lot less somewhere else next time. veggies, come on, have higher standards.
extra star for ambiance. finer dining but not at all stuffy. comfortable seating and attentive service.
My dinner at Green Zebra was one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. There were two of us and we went for one special mushroom tasting menu with wine pairings. I chose two items from the regular menu and had our server fill in the blanks so that we would both get dishes at the same time. It was a perfect decision because I barely had to think.
And we drank. And ate. A lot. Most memorable were the burata cheese salad, the mushroom soup, and our waiters wine pairings. Jeremy rules. I will DEFINITELY come back. I wish I would have finished this review right after I went so I would remember specifics and be able to write a bible like some of these other folks.
That said, the decor is kinda tired and the playlist was like straight off the Pitchfork top 100 or something, which was a little, meh, but whatev.
Hmmm this review is tough for me, so I think I am gonna break it down...
Food: 5 Stars! We went with the tasting menu which was 5 courses along with an additional scallop and mushroom dish. Each course was unique, inventive, and the meat was not missed at all. I was especially blown away by the fresh pasta with mushroom and all of the spices that are usually in Italian sausage. I also love, love, loved the dessert. Fig beingets with a delightful ice cream accompaniment.
Drink: 6 Stars at least!! We opted for the non-alcoholic pairings which included fresh made sodas and teas ranging from pink peppercorn and thyme, to house made rootbeer, to an herbal chai teas with the equally amazing dessert course.
Decor: 5 Stars, I even mentioned that I have been thinking about painting my apartment the exact color of the dining room. It is sleek and classy without being pretentious and overdone.
Service: This was really the downfall of my experience. I would rate it at about 2.5-3 stars. When spending this kind of money on a vegetarian meal in which each course involves preparations I have never experienced before the service needs to be on par. They had one waiter for the entire restaurant, as well as a host who also seemed to be the bartender, and fill in waiter at times. Not once did our drink pairings arrive at the same time as the dish. Also several times we saw the food runner come out with a tray containing our food and set it 6 feet from our table so we could watch it get cold while the waiter was chatting it up on the other side of the dining room. I think the food runner noticed how long it was sitting because a couple of times he brought it himself but set it down with no explanation. Finally the waiter would arrive to give us the lowdown on these unique and unexpected dishes but this needed to be done in sync.
Overall I was extremely impressed with the culinary aspects of the Green Zebra, and while it wouldn't keep me from returning in the future they really need to get their acts in gear when it comes to the service that a restaurant with this concept and prices demands.
This restaurant is consistently good and one of my favorites in Chicago. I have eaten at Green Zebra ten times and have loved it every time. I highly recommend it.
Decent food, skillfully produced, but incredibly overpriced. They serve very small portions, so either come when you are not very hungry, or expect to eat at least 4-5 items of the menu and spend at least $55 dollars per person. For reference, I'm an average-sized woman...so I eat an average amount of food. I'm no football player...they may have to eat 8 menu items.
The service, however, was TERRIBLE. I am so sick and tired of being treated poorly when I go out with my female friends. The waiter did not mention any of the specials, nor did he mention the 6-course tasting menu or any other "specialty" items for the evening. It was as if he looked at us and said, they won't spend that much....blah, blah, blah. Little does he know that we are both working professionals making considerable more money than him (that is for sure) and most other American citizens based on the most current income statistics. Stupid waiter, he could have actually gotten a good tip. (I'm not dissing waiters...just THIS one.) Every time something like this happens....the 2 second classist judgment call....this is reason for me to never return. I won't be returning to this restaurant. But, seriously, I probably wouldn't return anyway. It wasn't that great. I won't pay that much money for mediocre food.
Ambiance?.....like a dentist's office.
My friend who is a vegan took me to Green Zebra for a special occasion. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the food - and as a non-vegan I was particularly impressed with how much I enjoyed everything.
I felt completely satisfied after dinner. Originally I was planning to hit a taco joint on my way home - but no way did i want to erase the awesome food we had at Green Zebra.
I was very pleasantly surprised. The service was outstanding - This is definitely on my recommended list
I am not a vegetarian but this is the best restaurant that I have been to in Chicago. Simple, fresh, perfectly executed.
Even my meat-loving. not-too-adventurous dad and grandma loved this place.
The meal starts with a nice amuse bush and fresh bread. They feature 1 fish dish on the menu - the scallops are perfectly done. They switch up the menu frequently. Some great dishes are the fresh picked herb salad, udon noodles, and the lovely soups.
I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years and of all of the restaurants I have been too this is by far the absolute best. I have now been here numerous times and even had my small wedding dinner party in their private room. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike that have joined me here have LOVED the food, service and ambiance.
INSPIRED FOOD: The food is creative, but not over the top, and is absolutely delicious. I love that the menu has tasting portions (not tapas) so that you can easily try 3 or 4 dishes per person. Believe me, with so many awesome choices, I would feel let down if I could only select one entrée. I love that the food focuses on vegetables (not seitan, tofu and other meat substitutes). The vegetables are the highlights of each unique dish - this is not one of the lackluster vegetarian restaurants that seeks to imitate meat dishes. Another feature that I like is that the menu changes regularly so you can always come back to try something new. Also, the wine list is small but carefully selected to match the food and often times they even offer a prix fixe menu paired with wine.
GREAT SERVICE: The service is first-class. The waiters are very knowledgeable about the menu, check in with you when needed but not too much, and let you take your time trying all of these wonderful dishes. I have never felt rushed and I have never had bad service here.
ZEN ATMOSPHERE: The interior space, which is small, has a sophisticated zen atmosphere creating a serene ambiance. Noise is not a problem here - you can definitely hear the conversation you are having with your fellow diners without a problem.
I can't wait to go back again!
I've dined here twice before and the amuse bouche for both times were memorable. Once was a papaya salad sitting nicely on huge silver spoon and the other time was a miso soup concoction. Albeit, the portions are indeed small, but if you order food here like tapas, you will surely leave full. The unlimited bread servings help too. Green Zebra is actually a tiny restaurant but the architecture of the place (high ceilings and back to back booth tables doesn't give you a cramped feeling whatsoever. I had creamy grits and poached egg on my 1st and 2nd visit respectively and both had so much flavor in it...considering grits comes with zero flavoring. Easy parking on Chicago Ave. too!
My wife and I went here for her birthday dinner and had a great experience. The ambiance and staff were wonderful. We opted to select 4 courses from the menu instead of the tasting menu. We figured we could try 8 different dishes instead of 5.
We started off with the Soft Boiled Farm Egg Salad, brioche, tarragon, fingerling potato chips & the Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Terrine, hazelnuts, brown butter vinaigrette. Both dishes were wonderful although the soft boiled egg was cold.
Second course was the Thai Spiced Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup, crispy rice noodles & Sunchoke Ravioli, grilled leeks, medjool dates, preserved lemon, quail egg. I thought the soup was delicious and lighter than I thought it would be. The ravioli was another nice dish, but neither of us were sure we would order it again. Unfortunately the meal turned a little south at this point.
The Farro Risotto, sage gremolada, roasted crab apples, golden raisins, mascarpone was fabulous and I am not a big fan of farro, so that says something. The Boston Baked Beans, braised collard greens, mustard, brown bread on the other hand was disappointing. It had an off flavor that I didn't enjoy and wound up switching with my wife. There was something in it that I couldn't put my finger on. We asked our waitress about the ingredients, and she asked the kitchen, but we couldn't figure out what it was (we did when desert came).
I would come back for the Spence Farm Poached Egg, smoked potato puree, country sourdough. As a meat eater I commented on how the smoked potato puree tasted like it had bacon in it, which was a huge plus for me. My wife's Warm Braised Artichoke and Bread Salad, olives, preserved lemon was another dish that wasn't as well explained on the menu as it should have been. There was an obvious Indian influence in the dish and neither of us are big Indian food/Indian curry fans.
For desert we had the ice cream tasting which consisted of chocolate malt, vanilla and lavendar, rum raisin and fennel. One taste of the fennel ice cream and I knew what it was that put me off in the baked beans. Fennel!
Overall the meal was good, I just wish they were more descriptive on their menu so that I could have avoided the dishes I knew I wasn't going to like.
Loved this place! Took my vegetarian daughter there for a nice night out, since we were visiting Chicago. The place is fairly small and quiet; nice atmosphere. We had the tasting menu, which was really great. Enjoyed all of the dishes and pleasantly surprised by some of the more creative ones. Definitely worth a visit!
You can tell a good vegetarian restaurant when you take a meat-eater with you and there are no questions such as, "Why isn't there steak on the menu?"
It's so comforting to have an upscale, fancy place for us non meat-eaters. All to often do I get excited about eating someplace nice and there's nothing for me to eat.
Amazing service as well. There is never an overlap in your dishes. Since the menu is set up to offer "smaller, tasting sized portions" (as our waiter said it) since you are going to eat 3-4 dishes while you're there, you never feel rushed.
The portions are comically small and prices are high. Vegetarians expectations must be absurdly low.
As a meatarian i was full, that should tell you how much I actually enjoyed the food. My wife who is vegetarian also enjoyed the place. The service was a little slow, but our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu. Great vegan dishes with a lot of flavor and a very nice wine selection as well.
Upscale veggie...GREAT restaurant. I loved the vibe in here when we walked in. Its so "green" like, zen-ish. We sat at a table and ordered a bottle of wine. We decided on the chef's menu ($55 for 5 courses). The menu looked great, I just wasnt in the mood to decide what to order so figured the 5 course was a great pick. I dont really remember every course but I will say, there was something with a soft cheese, a soup, cauliflower grill thing, noodles and an amazing mousse dessert! It was a great night and great food. I will definitely be back to try some things on the menu. It is a little pricey but nothing too crazy...and the amount of food was just right.
I went here sometime in fall '09 and can't really remember what my friend and I ordered, but we split something like 5 dishes which was definitely more than enough food. I have to say that it was pretty hit or miss for me, mostly on the miss side. I like the idea of this place and the menu items listed, but the execution wasn't super tasty. Some things feel too raw/chewy when they seem like they should be cooked more, not enough flavors/sauces, things like that...
Always busy, so I'd recommend making a reservation. It's my goto restaurant when trying to impress vegetarian friends. Even though everything on the menu looks great, I always get the chef tasting, which is offered regularly, because it offers non-menu items.
As a omnivore, I didn't miss meat in the dishes, and completely forgot I was eating vegetarian fare halfway through, so they get a big kudos for that. I did leave a little hungry, which was kind of sad for dropping a lot of coin. Would recommend the nonalcoholic drink pairings--they have the best root beer!
So this was the #1 recommendation for me to take my veggie boyfriend for a fancy dinner while in Chicago.
It has an almost cold and detached vibe, paper table clothes, and we never got the same server twice for anything (ordering, drinks, water, food, check)
The portions were meant to be small but it's really spendy for how little you get with your little plate. I appreciate vegetarian food, I don't think you have to compromise on vibrant flavors just to be meat free.
It was good, eh, but definitely not worth the price.
12 hours after finishing dinner at Green Zebra, I am so full that I am almost revolted by the idea of breakfast. This is because I get the kind of out of town guests who demand to take me out for fabulous belated birthday dinners and then insist that we order half the menu...My life is sometimes just unbearably awful.
I've been longing to visit Green Zebra since I moved to Chicago, and it was worth the wait! (Though I hope it won't be another 14 months before I return!) From the start, the service was impeccable-- A gracious host, a friendly food runner who brought water at lightening speed, and a knowledgeable, personable, completely fabulous server named Jeremy. Attn: Green Zebra Management, this guy is really great at his job! (I went out of my way to ask his name so I could relay this message.)
The interior of the restaurant is minimal, dim, and soothing. We began with a cocktail and glass of wine while waiting for our table. The Bees Knees (Gin, Lavender Honey, Lemon) was the embodiment of exactly what I want when I want a nice appertivo-- simultaneously light and complex, not too sweet, a bit refreshing. The gruner by the glass was equally pleasing.
Once the lady K and I sat down, we realized that we'd need to make a list if we were going to not just go hog-wild and order the whole menu. So, as we munched our delicious, nutty whole wheat bread we made a list of 9 dishes on the back of a receipt, to the amusement of our server I'm sure...But, I recommend this strategy if you're having too much hunger and food lust to think straight and order. (This might have been too much food for two people as we're both still really full, but we ate every last bite of everything but the Spatzle which was just too rich at the end of the meal.)
The burrata with blueberries and a little something spicy was creamy and divine, the pear salad textured and delicate...Nicely paired with a little half glass of Reisling by the amazing Jeremy!
I switched to rose (nice, dry, not too much fruit) and we forged on through several more carefully paired and perfectly timed courses (The dishes emerged always two at a time, with a brief downtime between each course...perfect timing is so hard to find, and I was touched by the attention to detail.)-- carrot coconut soup, heirloom tomato salad with tiny accents of fried pickles, pumpkin seed succotash (this was the real winner, I guarantee you that I will spend the rest of the winter trying to recreate this perfect little dish), farro risotto (lemony!), garlic agnolotti (sp?) with morrocan eggplant, smoked spatzle, and an apple and onion tart with camembert which came in a close second to the succotash in terms of identifying the zenith of the meal!
This food was hearty, progressed from light to substantial, and each dish was distinct in flavor and texture. Unlike some small plates experiences where there isn't as much variation, this eating experience really reminded me of all the things I love about being a vegetarian, especially the sheer, bountiful variety of vegetables and grains and the ways they can be endlessly combined into deliciousness. There were no misses here.
By the time we were ready for dessert, we were becoming hesitant. But, we ordered two desserts anyway (and were brought a third in honor of my belated birthday). Dessert was lovely, but not nearly as good as the rest of the meal. The moscato and ice cream would probably have satisfied on their own, but the lemon pralines and olive oil cake with cinnamon beignets were both tasty.
In sum, be prepared to drop some cash not because the recommended 3 dishes per diner won't fill you up, but because you'll want more. If you know anyone who is skeptical about the possibilities of a meat free diet, this is certainly the place to stage a conversion, and if you know how I can make that pumpkin seed succotash, can you please get in touch immediately?! Otherwise I'll be a weekly visitor making a $30 dollar meal out of that delicious little plate and a Bees Knees...And, let's be honest, hedonism like that doesn't fit into a grad school budget.
I wish 4.5 stars was an option!
It was a Tuesday night and our four year anniversary, so we decided to choose one of the restaurants we'd been eager to try, (Green Zebra was one from our list of the many "that's probably going to be amazing but then we can't go out the rest of the month" restaurants that we reserve solely for special occasions).
To start, the host was friendly and accommodating both on the phone and in person, when we managed to arrive 45 minutes earlier than we had originally planned. When my boyfriend called to make the reservation, the host asked if it was to celebrate a special occasion, and then followed up this inquiry with two surprise glasses of Cava to toast our anniversary when we arrived. This attention to detail is much appreciated by us and set the tone for what turned into a very lovely evening.
Our server was very knowledgeable of the both the menu and the chef's tasting menu. We were a little concerned when we first were seated only because we could tell (from peeking at our neighbor's food) that we should anticipate smaller dishes, but we weren't sure how much would be too much. He made suggestions without being pushy or too sales-driven and the back-servers were fast and courteous, never leaving a finished glass or dish to sit longer than 30 seconds. I cannot say enough great things about the service, everyone was absolutely fantastic.
The food was almost as incredible. The amuse bouche was tasty and warm, a clear apple soup. My boyfriend decided to choose four items from the menu, whereas I decided to do the chef's tasting menu (I was excited, as a vegetarian, it's not often I can go to a restaurant and let the chef do their thing without the fear that the courses will include meat). We took tastes of everything so it was nice to share.
I started with a brown bread with warm Canterbury cheese (I am forgetting the other ingredients) and my boyfriend tried the Fig and Blue Cheese Tart. Both were phenomenal. The tart just sort of melted in your mouth and the cheese for my starter was the perfect temperature.
Our second course was the one that was both fantastic and a little disappointing for me. My boyfriend had ordered the Thai Spiced Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup, which was absolute heaven. Rich and flavorful. By contrast, my soup was much less exciting and the only dish I did not care for. The aroma was similar to that of Pho, and although there were only a few greens and small bits in my clear broth soup, it seemed like it would have potential. Instead, it was very bland. Made me wish I had ordered some of the sweet potato-coconut soup for myself.
For the third course, I had an amazing cauliflower steak. It was salty, but absolutely delicious. My boyfriend had the Sweet and Sour Eggplant Dumplings and said the dumplings were very good, but the broth again seemed to add very little to the dish.
For our main entrees, we were both pleasantly surprised. My boyfriend had selected the Rye Spatzle with stout foam. It was incredibly innovative and equally delicious. My entree included fat noodles (a kind like the noodles used in Pad See Ew) with fennel and sage seasoning, among other ingredients. Somehow it managed to taste exactly like Italian sausage (or at least, what I remember real Italian sausage to taste like). It was so, so good.
For dessert, I had bread pudding, served a la mode. My boyfriend tried the apple pie, which was served a la mode as well, and with a sharp cheddar. Absolutely tasty.
We left feeling satisfied, but not too full. We will absolutely be back again. I just hope the next time the soup is a little more exciting from the tasting menu because it was the only weak link in another wise completely fantastic experience.
This was tasty. I am not a vegetarian by any means (I love MEAT) but I came here with my vegan and vegetarian friends, and I really enjoyed it. It was nice to go somewhere that didn't struggle to serve them, as I generally sometimes drag them places that are not vegan/vegetarian super friendly.
The atmosphere is nice and relaxed; I didn't feel overly pressured to be fancy nor did I feel poor. The prices aren't terrible either, although it is suggested that you get more than one dish, so that could seem expensive for some people. However, if you are going to this restaurant, you know that you are in to spend some money, so it really shouldn't be an issue.
For my food, I got a roasted beet and goat cheese terrine, which was divine and quite possibly one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. As a beet lover, it was exciting to see it paired with goat cheese, another of my favorites. The flavor was strong in the best way possible. I also had the potato and leek soup, which was tasty, but not the best thing I've ever eaten. I also had the crepes, and I feel really awful about this, but I honestly can't remember what was in them, other than that there were mushrooms involved. They were good, but it wasn't awe inspiring, and I was a little disappointed with my choice. For dessert, I chose the apple bismarcks with caramel and thyme ice cream and the aged cheddar. I was upset with the bismarcks because they weren't hot when they came out, and the apple inside could have been more flavorful. It was a very light taste, but it seemed as though the apples were cooked a little too long before put into the bismarck. However, the caramel and thyme ice cream was outstanding, and I would have liked to eat bowls upon bowls of it, and not just the small scoop that I got. Caramel and thyme seemed like a very strange combination, but those flavors together were like a symphony in my mouth. Very delicious. Also, aged cheddar is always a plus in my book, and so I didn't have any complaints at the end of the dessert, as the ice cream and cheese saved it.
My dining companions all enjoyed their meal, although they were a bit disappointed with the way the baked beans were cooked-the flavor was good, but they didn't fully enjoy the texture of the beans, which they claimed was inconsistent and at times, too dry. I wish I could say that I tried their dishes, but I didn't really try anyone's because of the fact that they all ordered vegan and I ordered regular vegetarian, and I felt bad about trying their food when they couldn't try mine.
I would go back to this place, as it is tasty, but I won't be here often. However, when I know that I have vegetarian friends that would love somewhere to eat that is directly catered to them, I will always suggest Green Zebra.
Visited with my daughter, who always manages to find me interesting veg places. I would liken the menu to Tapas for vegetarians. Everything we ordered was wonderful, and so flavorful. We split each course so we could sample more things.
The Roasted Beet & Brussel Sprout Salad, with green garlic, orange, sherry vinaigrette was wonderful, and would make anyone appreciate brussel sprouts. We followed it with Fig & Blue Cheese Tart, with orange, candied almonds, wildflower honey vinaigrette. I hated having to split this with my daughter. Next up Anson Mills Farm Creamy Grits, with pumpkin seed succotash, clilantro, fennel, Thai chili. Our desert was such a rich chocolate mousse that I only wanted a taste.
The only detractor from the evening was that as it grew later, so did the noise level. Because it is so minimalist in its decoration, sound just magnifies. By the end of our meal we were shouting at each other to be heard over the noise of the room.
If only I could give 3 and a half! This time our service was much better, and that made a big difference. The food was still quite salty at times- one dish almost unpalatable, but most were very tasty and all were very creative. We were the last table in there and still we felt unrushed and welcome. Lots of emphasis on mushrooms and lots of different flavors. The dishes were artsy and inovative. Definately an experience.
And I am being generous here. It was a very busy restaurant, and all the tables were filled but I… Read more »
Finally, a place where I don't have to whip out a magnifying glass for that one random veggie dish. Their menu was veggie for the most part! Don't forget to try the Fig and Blue Cheese Tart - heaven on a plate indeed.
The place has a lovely ambience, is cozy, and boasts great service and great food. It is really pricey though given the fact that everything is a taste-size portion. I guess you pay for the fancy plating and the innovative dishes, and the fact that the menu changes every other week(!)..
If you'd like a special place for a special celebration like an anniversary or something, head out here for sure.
Amazing. Cocktail menu alone is worth the visit.
Great creativity on the menu but not always greatly executed. We ordered about 14 plates and enjoyed about 8 of them. The highlights were the buratta cheese and the thai spiced sweet potato and coconut soup. The only course that was inedible was the ice cream course we had. Flavors were ok but textures on the ice creams/gelatos left much to be desired. Also, the menu items we had seemed to have an over-abundance of thai curry/kaffir lime. These same flavors popped up numerous times throughout then night though we only ordered one thai dish. Our server was sufficient. He was a bit annoying but got the job done. Not a bad restaurant, but could be much better.
After years of gazing in the windows, I finally got to dine at the Green Zebra. Delicious.
The best part of eating there was the choices. As a vegetarian, I am often intimidated by fine dining menus. There is usually one veg option, and it usually has nuts of some kind, and then I am that girl - the one who is a picky pain in the ass. Not so here - I could eat pretty much anything on their diverse menu.
The wine list is extensive and has lots of tasty but reasonably priced wines. The menu is also extensive, with lots of salads, soups and small plates to choose from as well as a chef's tasting menu.
I went with a large group for my sister's birthday, so there were a variety of dishes on the table. They all smelled great but I didn't get a run down on what they all were. The amuse was a hot celery soup and it was perfect. Slightly spicy, not too creamy - a great start. I had the shitake, cabbage and potato which was like a mushroom spring roll of sorts. The flavors were well balanced and the mushrooms were firm but still cooked well. I also had the poached egg and sourdough. The egg was just right - not too runny but runny enough to soak the bread.
My sister had the tasting menu - she cleaned all her plates, so I am guessing she liked everything she had.
For dessert, I had the cookies and caramel hot chocolate with chantilly cream. The hot chocolate was awesome. Caramel can get lost under chocolate flavoring - it does at Hot Chocolate, for instance. Not so here. The cookies were nothing to write home about. I left wishing I had the apple, caramel and thyme bismark.
One of the special, cute things about Green Zebra was their music selection. They played lots of Magnetic Fields and Postal Service, which really added to the meal. The service was friendly and fast.
My one critique is that everything I had was rather salty. I love salt, but it might be too much for others.
If you are dating a vegetarian, take them here. It is the cutest date joint. I can't wait to not be single so I can have a sweet night out with someone at Green Zebra!
i hate to do this because it is one of the few places around that a girl can still get a bougie brunch on sundays without having to go at 10am or wait it out. but, i just can't keep it a secret anymore. GREEN ZEBRA DOES BRUNCH ON SUNDAYS AND IT'S AWESOME (REASONABLE TOO)!
like dinner, brunch is small plates so i think it best to start with a sweet dish to split and then get two savories. the smoked mushrooms with grits and poached eggs is creamy heaven and the egg sandwich with avocado and homemade hot sauce is always killer (they do a good job on the accompanying chips too). the bloody mary is made with delicious north shore vodka, but it's not for the faint of heart. there's little garnish (a single olive) to obscure its bold worcestershire-ness.
Green Zebra is Shawn McClain's foray into a pure vegetarian and vegan restaurant, and he hit the mark pretty darn well, as usual. The dishes are small, tend to be fairly light (though not all!), and are fresh, unusual, and innovative flavor profiles, as is his trademark. (Note: I haven't been since Molly Kipp took over as Chef de Cuisine.) It is a true joy and change of pace to go from steakhouses and purveyors of heavy fare to this.
They have a wonderful tasting menu that has another neat feature: an optional non-alcoholic specialty drink pairing! You get all sorts of neat homemade teas, sodas, and other drinks that keep with the lightness and flavor of the tasting menu.
Portions are small, especially for the price: you're definitely paying for the freshness and many other factors besides food quantity. If you are one of those people who has to feel "well fed for the money," you'll want to skip, because there are no bargains here.
Also, as is the case with avant-garde fare, sometimes it just fails - a certain dish may be inedible for you. No worries; just comment on it and they should do something about it. Customer service is, after all, one of the priorities of all of Chef McClain's restaurants.
If you are a vegetarian, you owe it to yourself to go at least once, as a haven of what really upscale vegetarian can be. If you're not, you should consider trying it for a change of pace. If you have the resources, you might just find yourself being hooked. Otherwise, you've found a potential infrequent splurge for yourself!
Not a vegetarian but loved breakfast there this Sunday. I mean, I think I'd pick the Publican if I had to choose, but really I did not even miss the meat. Great biscuits and gravy, great space. I did not even mind the dour waiter.
This is a great restaurant, and like many have said. You will not miss the meat here. However, for a fine dining restaurant I am knocking off a star for the following reasons:
1. Lack of explanation/consistency. Being at a restaurant where just about every dish is extremely creative, and far from ordinary, I had no idea what I was eating. The first two courses went by, then magically at course #3, the waiter stopped by to "review" what I was eating. That just made me even more annoyed because I didn't know what I had ingested for the two previous courses. Then course 4 came by without an explanation either, which leads to
1a. Food runner. He could have been the one to explain dishes, or at least name them as he dropped them off in front of us. Rather, he nervously placed our dishes in front of us, and left without a single word.
2. Horrible dessert. I know this isn't always true, but the dessert I got with my 5-course tasting menu was horrendous. What I remember was a mountain of canned peaches, topped with a bland scone, and some creme fresche ice cream on the side. In size, it was bigger than all the other four courses; it taste it was the biggest disappointment of the night. We also got the ice cream tasting, which lacked horribly in presentation. Not good for those who don't like their flavors melting together.
3. Lack of ambience. In a fine dining restaurant, it is the little things that make the experience worth it. For my birthday dinner, I was seated at a table facing -- of all things -- the bathroom. Sexy... I am assuming that the rest of the dining room is ok, but I wouldn't be able to tell you. Also, my table was so oddly positioned, that neither me nor my boyfriend had enough leg room. And back to 1a. we also had a clear view of the the location the foodrunner chose to place his tray, and were able to see how confused he seemed. Again, not something I want to see in a fine dining restaurant.
Again, these are all minor things, but at these prices, these are things I expect.
P.S. Whoever my back-waiter/busser was at the table, however, was amazing.
I ate at Green Zebra on a Friday night with two girlfriends. Overall it was a very pleasant experience. We each ordered three plates (one soup and two small plates), and it was more than enough food. Here are the highlights and a couple things I think could be improved:
Highlights:
* The menu: It's pretty rare where I could seriously be happy with every single thing on the menu. I can't remember the last time I had so many delicious-sounding options to choose from. Thank goodness for small plates and sharing -- I never could have just picked one or two.
* The food: Delicious! I am not a vegetarian, but I did not miss meat at this dinner. Everything was really, really tasty.
* The service: Both of our waiters were very friendly and informative. The timing of the food was a little off, but, dining in good company and with good wine, I did not mind.
* The ambiance: The decor of this restaurant is really cool. I loved the style -- it was very relaxing.
Things that could be improved:
* The price: I felt the small plates were a little overpriced for what they were.
* The parking: This place could really use valet parking! It took us a long time to find a spot, and every restaurant on the block besides Green Zebra offered valet.
Loved it.
- Creative, delicious food.
- Clean, bright, unpretentious atmosphere.
- Attentive, knowledgeable, and thorough service.
- Thoughtful responses to all of our questions.
I am so happy with our evening.
We each got three courses, and ended up sharing a fourth, which was a LOT of food. We were expecting small plates, but they were actually quite filling.
My favorite dish was a salad with cucumber, dill, blueberries, shallots, and frozen creme fraiche. This was so unique and delicious, and was a combination of flavors I had never had before.
I also got the shallot tart and the barbequed eggplant. The tart was sweet and salty and multitextured and came with half cooked baby zucchini. I would definitely recommend this dish.
The barbequed eggplant was my least favorite part of the meal, and is the reason Green Zebra gets only four stars. I disliked it; it tasted funky, like those premixed spice mixes you get at the Indian grocery store. There was definitely an Indian inspiration behind this dish, and I would not recommend it (even though we're Indian and I love Indian food). The texture of the eggplant was great, so kudos for that, because that's not easy. But the seasoning was so completely off and overly done, and completely lacked restraint. There was no clean finish.
My mother, had she been a yelper, would have given it five stars. And her dishes were all wonderful. She got the Werp salad ( I thought it was average but she loved it), the shittake mushrooms with potato and cabbage, and the thai curry. I would recommend all of them, particularly the shittake mushrooms, which were rolled in a thin slice of potato and pan fried. This is a vegetarian version of a famous dish at Le Cirque in New York - the potato wrapped sea bass - and was pulled off perfectly. Of course, it's easier to pull off because the mushrooms were already roasted and the whole thing is smaller than a sea bass fillet (the hard part is cooking the sea bass without burning the potato, but still making sure the potato is crisp)
After my roasted eggplant, which was my last dish, I was quite full, but unwilling to end the night with that on my palate. I was sort of annoyed because the best part of my meal was at the beginning and the worst was at the end. So we ordered one more course. Upon our fabulous waiter's suggestion, we got the creamy grits with artichokes and tomato. This was absolutely delicious, and a wonderful way to end our meal. But there was so much butter in this dish that it was a little insane. I could feel tiny people marching through my bloodstream to stubbornly hang out in my arteries. If all of our dishes had been like the grits, the meal would have been too rich and too starchy, but combined with the freshness of the salads beforehand, it was perfect.
When each dish was served, our waiter came by and told us about the preparation of the course. He was comfortable and conversational, and didn't sound like he was reciting memorized lines. I can't find a single flaw with him. And he was cute.
And our bill was completely reasonable.
I can't wait to come back and try out their next seasonal menu.
This is a great place if you want to feel as if you are on Top Chef, eating things you'd normally not and speculating about what flavors were actually in the dish.
Everything is really amazingly tasty and fresh. I actually liked the sweet potato amuse bouche the best of anything we ate, but the pumpkin and corn succotash was also delicious. And the poached egg potato puree lived up to expectations. My girlfriend and I split 5 dishes and that was enough food for both of us.
It is pricey, so it's a good special occasions place and reservations are probably a good idea. I called on a Thursday for Saturday reservations and they had 5-6 or after 9 available.
Came here for my birthday dinner with my dearest. Pretty solid vegetarian for Chicago.
We were greeted warmly, the hostess checked our coats and we were seated. Service was pretty slow at first.. didn't meet our server until maybe ten minutes after being seated. Menu was confusing until our server came to sort it out.. then it all made perfect sense. He was very knowledgeable and shared his favorites on the menu.
The amuse bouche was a clear apple soup. It reminded me of the clear soups my aunt would make to have before or after dinner. If you're Chinese, you know what I'm talking about. Brought me home for a sec.
We ordered..
Bubblegum Pear Salad - great fresh, delicate flavors
Sweet and Sour Eggplant Dumplings - there was Chinese pickled cabbage in the dumplings.. the clear ginger broth was perfectly complimentary
Slow Roasted Shitaake Mushrooms and Mustard Greens - yes yes yes yes yes yes. If you love mushrooms, this dish is for you. It's warm and hearty.. though a tad greasy.. the crisp potato on the outside was fantastic.
Cripsy Soba Noodles with Sweet Potato - I do not recommend this dish. The noodles were over-seasoned and a bit cold and pasty. The sweet potato did not help the noodles out at all.. and was burnt.
Kona Kampachi - The only meat on the menu. This fish was absolutely fantastic. All of the elements in the dish worked beautifully together. Wasabi cream could have been a touch more spicy.. and the fish was half a second over cooked.. but I'm just picky.
Dessert..
Mini Apple Tart with Thyme Ice Cream - No one can do thyme ice cream like Bar Tartine in San Francisco, so I suggest everyone to stop trying. Ice cream was too sweet, but the hot cold element worked well. Tart was tasty.
Chef's Choice of Mini Desserts - I had a feeling they'd give me cookies. They did.
La Perla French Press Coffee - The first solid cup of coffee I've had in Chicago. Sorry, Intelligentsia has nothing on a properly made cup of french press. Still does not compare to Four Barrel in SF!!
They brought me a cute little plate of vegetarian gelees.. with a candle for me to blow out. It was a really sweet and kind gesture. The gelees, however, were sooooo sweet.. I choked on my second bite.
Portions are small. They recommend three plates per guest for dinner. I would come again to try the rest of their dishes.
Food good, but the seating has been beyond bad. The first time we were seated effectively in the server station, listening to silverware clank in and out of the station during the meal, and the second time effectively in the middle of the walkway -- so egregious that we left.
If you go, request a booth (for more than two people this is less of an issue, as you'll automatically get a better table.)
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Noble Square
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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