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Best Bites Chicago

2012 Best Bite #16: Ensalada Azteca, Native Foods Café

Each day in December, I’m celebrating my best bites (and sips) in 2012, posted in chronological order.

Ensalada Azteca
Ensalada Azteca

Why it’s a Best Bite: This is my idea of a salad: a bowl packed with bright, healthy ingredients – jicama, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, currants, and avocado, to name a few – that add diverse textures in addition to their flavors, and a punchy dressing – mango-lime vinaigrette – that brings it all together. The second time I ate this salad over the summer was after a beach volleyball game, and it was just the right way to refuel. View the recipe on the restaurant’s blog.

The details: Native Foods Café, 1484 N Milwaukee Ave. and 1023 W Belmont Ave., Chicago.

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2012 Best Bite #3: Peanut butter cookie dough vegan shake, The Chicago Diner

Each day in December, I’m celebrating my best bites (and sips) in 2012, posted in chronological order.

Peanut butter cookie dough vegan shake

Why it’s a Best Bite: I never thought I would count an entirely vegan shake among the best shakes I’ve ever had, but the veggie masters at The Chicago Diner really know what they’re doing. I can’t tell you how many times this year I’ve mentioned how amazing this shake is, and pulled up this photo on my phone as visual evidence. The texture is spot-on, and getting cookie dough and peanut butter in the same shake makes it that much more indulgent. Luckily for me, The Chicago Diner happened to open a second location last week right here in my neighborhood, so there will likely be a lot more of these shakes in my future.

The details: The Chicago Diner, 3411 N Halsted Ave. and 2333 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.