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Vapiano Chicago Review:

Last week I went to Vapiano on Clark in Chicago with a few girlfriends for dinner.  The inside was very modern and I loved all the fresh herbs growing on lighted shelves and as table centerpieces.  Unfortunately the bar isn’t open yet but its BYOB so we ran next door and grabbed a bottle of wine – there isn’t a corkage fee.  It’s set up Food Life style – if you’re familiar with that restaurant in the bottom of Water Tower Place – meaning you get a card, walk around to different stations and swipe then at the end you check out at the front desk and pay for everything on your card.  They make their pasta fresh daily – which is all vegan and they have plenty of vegan sauce options.  I believe I read that their pizza dough is not vegan, but that’s fine, there are plenty of pastas and salads.  Service was quick for the pasta, I stood there as they whipped it up.  I did the pasta primavera but changed to the arrabiata sauce all with wheat pasta.  There were barely any veggies and not enough sauce (and coming from me that definitely means something – I don’t like a lot of sauce or a lot of dressing on my salads).  Basically I had a ton of wheat fusilli that had an odd texture.  Almost seemed over-done, not sure how best to describe it but I wasn’t impressed.  The homeless man outside the door ended up with a big container full of wheat fusilli dusted with sauce and no veggies since I’d eaten the few I had started with.  Two girls split pizza and salad.  They got the salad immediately but the pizza took just over 20 minutes.  They seemed happy with their pizza but the salad toppings were sparse.  I think they each got one pinenut :)  My cousin also got pasta but in addition, had hoped to try the brushcetta.  After an hour she told them to forget it.  Not sure how pizza can take less time than bruschetta but whatever. 

All in all it was ok.  It would be a good place to take a large group of people or children as its easy for everyone in the party to get whatever they want and super easy to have split checks.  The food wasn’t anything exciting so I really don’t plan on going back.