Flautas Dinner from Karyn’s Cooked
Item Purchased: Flautas Entree
Location Purchased: Karyn’s Cooked / 738 N. Wells St. / Chicago, IL
Price: $11.95 + tax
Purchased on: 12/02/08
Review: I love a well prepared hunk of animal flesh as much as the next red-blooded American, but my fat-clogged heart also has a wide green pasture that holds a field of love for vegetarian food. Raw or cooked, it really doesn’t matter as long as the ingredients are used well and taste good. Vegetarian food, though, should be just that…Vegetarian food! Don’t give me fake-steak or a tofu mold that looks like a chicken.
Having heard and read nothing but rave reviews about Karyn’s Cooked online, I wasn’t too worried that I would be getting a tofu-dog. After eating in the much lauded restaurant, however, I’m beginning to wonder what is wrong with the vegans and vegetarians in my city. Karyn Calabrese has made a miniature empire of clean living and natural foods here in Chicago. Her story is inspiring, but as far as I can tell, that doesn’t carry over to her food.
Visually, the presentation of my flauta plate was as pretty as could be expected of Mexican themed comfort food. The delicate fried corn tortillas cradled a texturally pleasing mixture of tofu and carrots, but lacked flavor of any sort. It was like eating futuristic food-product-paste from a young adult science fiction book. To top it all off, the soy version of sour cream drizzled on top of each flauta was neither sour or creamy. Instead, it had an equally tasteless quality to it and an almost sandy texture. The highlight of the plate had to be the tortilla chips and their accompanying sides. Though a bit rough, the soy sauce soaked refried beans had the most flavor which, by virtue of being an actual flavor, provided a welcome contrast to the rest of the plate.
Really, internet veggies, what do you see in Karyn’s Cooked? I realize that Chicago is not the most veggie friendly town, but comfort food (as KC advertises itself) needs flavor, and Karyn’s has little to none.
It’s sad to say that I have come to expect bland food from vegetarian restaurants and would much rather tackle the vast cuisine myself at home. Don’t let the texture and presentation make you feel like you are getting your money’s worth. You’re not.
Rating: 1.75 / 5
December 9th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Without resorting to regional food snobbery, I don’t think my area could hold a candle to Chicago when it comes to a good steak. Wouldn’t know what dairy’s capable of compared to Wisconsin…but seriously.
Southern California retains an upper hand when it comes to Mexican food.
Granted, I am not sure that it’s a cuisine well-suited for vegan fare, but first up, stop futzing with the ingredients. You can approximate refried beans with vegetable shortening in place of any lard, but stick with tried and true flavors like chili and lime. This is not the place for Shoyu. Seriously.
The flautas could probably keep the filling base of tofu and carrots for volume, but would it kill anyone to add in some sauteed onions and peppers? I know, we’d be teetering dangerously into fajita country, but when I think flauta, I don’t think carrot. And when I think flavor, I don’t think tofu.
I’ve not tried soy sour cream, nor have I tried soy yogurt, but I’d bet that the latter probably has a bit more of the texture and the tang that you were looking for. Complete speculation on my part.
I am not a vegan, rather a confirmed omnivore. I take the opinion that we should eat less meat seriously, and I would probably fail at strict veganism (What? No Jell-o?), and while I’m glad that there’s a movement to break veganism from the “Can I interest you in another bowl of bulgar wheat and steamed kelp?” stereotype, presentation can’t be everything.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:59 am
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