Ideal Bite

Wanna eat less meat but looking for something occult above wheat gluten (aka seitan) and other protein substitutes? Let’s talk tofurky - or not: Grab a dish of devilishly tasty vegetables instead of faux meat at Mana Food Bar, Wicker Park’s new casual vegetarian restaurant that opened last week, from the peeps behind De Cero. Grab a seat at a booth or the bar for global tastes such as mushroom skewers on polenta, miso-glazed Japanese eggplant, asparagus ravioli, and raw vegetable maki rolls wrapped with collard greens. Skipping meat saves water (it takes 1,300 gallons to produce a pound of beef), preserves topsoil, and limits carbon emissions. For a snack, swing by Mana’s outdoor pick-up window for fresh-squeezed juices or delish smoothies (try the carrot-ginger-cinnamon). Wiccan good.