lifestyle – Smile Without Cheese

My Travel Bucket List 2019

I love to travel. My boyfriend and I love traveling and taking trips together. We created this bucket list together. We have been lucky and traveled a lot of places. These are the upcoming trips that I will be taking throughout my life. When traveling I love my trips to be near a beach, beautiful scenery, hiking and good food.

Domestic

Disney World, Sea World
New Orleans
Hawaii
Grand Canyon
Oregon
Utah

International

Bermuda
Bahamas
Mayan Ruins
Japan
Italy
England
Greece
Dubi
Croatia
Bora Bora
Manchu Pichu
Peru
Panama
Iceland

Of course when I plan these trips they will be dairy free. I can’t wait to share the trip with you afterwards. Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

2018 A Year in Review

First blog post of 2019!

First, Happy New Year!!! Second, I want to say thank you to my followers and readers reading this post. When I thought about starting to blog I was worried about putting myself out there. I was afraid that no one would want to read my blog. Luckily, my blog has completely surpassed my expectations, I feel like I have dedicated readers and a positive community. Thank you for allowing me to share my dairy free experiences with you.

2018 has been a great year. I would like to share 2018’s successes and goals for 2019.

2018 Highlights:

Started Smile Without Cheese blog
Went completely dairy free
Traveled to Texas, Arizona, Costa Rica, Missouri, Washington, Washington D.C.
My brother graduated from college
Attended Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo; Vegandale; Texas Veggie Fair; The Dallas Veg Fest
Moved to Dallas, Texas
Completed Invisaglin treatment
Wrote a guest blog post for allergycloud.com
Completed Power Yoga 200 Hour Teacher Training
Discovered my love for sorbet

My Goals for 2019:

Try new dairy free/ vegan recipes
Explore more Dallas vegan restaurants
Travel to Austin, Texas and out of the United States
Explore hiking and trails in Texas
Attend Vegandale 2019 in Chicago and Houston
Continue self care routines
Stay consistent with planning and goals

I attended a yoga class on New Year’s Eve and the instructor shared a quote from the Tibetan Proverb. “The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.” (Image taken from google) This quote really resonated with me, I think these are great words to live by. 2018 has been a great year filled with friends, family, love, travel and dairy free food. I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store. I hope you have the best 2019 too!

Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

Review of Vegan Nail Polish Manicure

Previously, I didn’t know that vegan nail polish existed. My old local gym normally does freebies at their spa. Typically they are held during the day, luckily I was able to attend this time. The spa was giving out free vegan nail polish changes. I asked some questions like “do I need to have the vegan nail polish on previously?” The answer was no. I signed up and waited happily for the day of my vegan nail polish manicure.

Fortunately, I finished my workout, was able to shower and bring my gym bag to my car before my appointment. I checked in and waited in the cafe area. Finally, it was my turn! The manicurist happily took off my previous nail polish, let me pick out my vegan nail polish color. I picked a bright pink color. I asked the manicurist several questions about the nail polish. Sadly, she wasn’t able to answer my questions. I guess no one else asked these questions or are vegan. She was however able to tell me about the Dazzle dry manicure process, there is a 1 layer base coat, the color is 2 layers and the top coat is 2 layers. All these layers help the polish last longer. She said some of her client’s nail polish last 2 weeks. She also informed me that the polish helps your nails become stronger. I did some research afterwards to find more answers. Below I will sure the information I learned from the Dazzle Dry Nail System website.

What makes the nail polish vegan?

The nail polish is made from vegan ingredients and not tested on animals.

What are the benefits of vegan nail polish?

Nontoxic, hypoallergenic, vegan ingredients, not tested on animals, no harsh chemicals and long lasting.

Other information about Dazzle Dry Vegan Nail Polish.

The nail polish is fast drying. I was able to wait under 5 minutes and my nails were completely dry. It was unbelievable. The polish lasts 7 to 14 days.

For more frequently asked questions, click here. For more information about Dazzle Dry, click here. To locate a salon near you that has Dazzle Dry nail polish, click here.

The manicurist was very pleasant and nice, she did a fine job with painting my nails. They could have been better painted on the edges to allow for the polish to last even longer. Overall, I am happy with my vegan nail polish manicure. The polish wore very good. Normally, nail polish doesn’t last more than a week on my nails. But the Dazzle Dry lasted a week and a half. I noticed that my nails felt stronger and healthier. My nails are usually quick to break and frail. I am in no way a nail polish or manicure expert. I paint my nails myself. I rarely ever get my nails done. I was impressed by Dazzle Dry.

I am happy with my experience with Dazzle Dry, I am seriously considering buying their nail polish. Their nail polish was unique and I like how it looked, felt and lasted. Check it out and see for yourself. Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

The Dallas Veg Fest- Sunday, September 23, 2018

I came across the Dallas Veg Fest event on Facebook. I was excited to attend because it was a local festival all about healthy living. Plus I love going to festivals that have vegan and dairy free food. Plus the event is free! I got the impression that the festival is on the smaller scale.

According to The Dallas Veg Fest Facebook event page, “Dallas VegFest is a free, full-featured indoor-outdoor celebration of nutritious food and healthy living. Dallas VegFest will feature knowledgeable speakers, delicious food, local and area vendors, professional cooking demonstrations, nutrition education, fun exercise classes, lots of free samples and vegan desserts!”

It was a cloudy Sunday but perfect for the Dallas Veg Fest. The event was located at Kiest Park Recreation Center in South Dallas. Walking up there were various stands set up outside and food trucks outside. They had designated healthy and active stands set up, also they were leading work out classes outside. The fest was set up in the gym was various tables around the gym. There was everything from food, grocery stores, essential oils, hospitals and organizations.

Some stands I stopped at were Radix, Ann’s Health Food Center & Market, Plant Based Grocery, Cedar’s, an essential oil stand, Plant Based Grocery and Coconutz Soft Serve & Smoothies. At the Radix stand I tried vegan cheese, it was homemade and amazing. If I could get my hands on more of that vegan cheese, I would be so happy. At Ann’s Health Food Center & Market stand I ate zucchini muffins. It was so tasty, it makes me want to bake some zucchini muffins ASAP. Cedar’s was handing out hummus packets, I haven’t tried it yet but I’m sure it’s good. I stopped at an essential oil stand, I got a free sample of lavender. I love essential oils, the scents are so calming and relaxing. Plant Based Grocery has an all vegan online based grocery store in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They had products for sale. I bought Smoky Chedd’r Dip and Vegg. I tasted the dip and it was too smoky for my liking. I haven’t tasted the vegan egg replacer yet but I can’t wait. Outside before leaving I stopped at the Coconutz Soft Serve & Smoothies food truck. I had a vanilla coconut soft serve with strawberries, it was outstanding. I don’t know what it is about coconuts and vegan soft serve but it’s always amazing and better than dairy ice cream.

The Dallas Veg Fest was short and sweet with everything I could ever imagine. I was thrilled by all the stands I stopped at, talked with and with everything I ate. I am happy that everything was dairy free and vegan. It was cool that everything was centered around healthy eating and lifestyle. I got an awesome swag bag and it was free entry. I am looking forward to next year!

1010497 — Cocobutz Soft Serve & Smoothies

For more information about the Radix, Ann’s Health Food Center & Market, Plant Based Grocery, Cedar’s food, and Coconutz Soft Serve & Smoothies, click on the embedded hyperlink. Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

My Favorite Dairy Free Airport Snacks 2018

I love travelling but, travelling dairy free can be difficult. Although there are many restaurants and quick stores in the airports, it is hard to find dairy free food. It is important to be prepared just in case there isn’t food that’s safe to eat.

My current favorite dairy free snacks to bring to the airport with me are:

Fruits- strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
Vegan cheese its
Carrots with peanut butter
Kind bar
Pretzels and dairy free cream cheese

These are my favorite dairy free snacks to bring to the airport, currently. I hope that in the future that airports are more dairy free friendly. It is always best to be prepared instead of being hungry. I will keep you updated as my snack preferences change.

Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

Dairy Free Guide to One Night in Cincinnati, Ohio

You will soon learn that I convince my boyfriend to take weekend road trips with me throughout the Midwest. In this case, we ended up in Cincinnati. We wanted to see a rapper at a concert and the nearest concert was Ohio. The concert we went to was The Weeknd. We bought our tickets and we went on our way. We also had time to stop at the Cincinnati Zoo that I went to as a child. We were in Cincinnati a short time but long enough to find some dairy free food.

Day One: We drove to Cincinnati. After a few hours we checked into our hotel. We had to get a quick dinner before the concert. We stopped at Wendy’s for some fast food. I ordered chicken nuggets and french fries, they are surprisingly dairy free. We ate on the drive to the concert. The concert was at the US Bank Arena. The wait for the concert provided beautiful views of downtown Cincinnati. The view almost convinced us to stay another night in Cincinnati. The concert was good and fun. The Weeknd was amazing in concert. He put on a great show. It was completely worth the drive.

Day Two: In the morning we checked out of our hotel and went to lunch at Chuy’s. This is my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant. Every time I eat here the staff is very helpful and kind towards my food preference. The chips are salted, very thin and crisp (extra tasty). I always order a burrito with rice, beans and chicken with the tomatillo sauce. (I always make sure there’s no sour cream in addition to the normal no dairy) They’re chicken is amazing is juicy pull apart chicken. The burritos are giant and I typically have some to take home and eat later. I am so glad they have locations in Texas too. It is a great dairy free option. Afterwards, we went to the Cincinnati Zoo. I remember as a child going to the Cincinnati Zoo, I loved it. Going back to the zoo was so surreal. I didn’t remember it as clearly as I thought as a kid. In fact being there was better than I remembered. I had a blast!! I got to see a sloth in a tree, it was the closest I’ve ever gotten to a sloth. More importantly, I got to feed a giraffe, it was absolutely surreal. The best few dollars I spent. I recommend going to this zoo, it’s one of my favorites. After coming down from cloud nine, we headed back home.

Day one

Drive to Cincinnati, Ohio

Check into hotel

Dinner at Wendy’s

Concert

Day two

Check out of hotel

Lunch at Chuy’s

Cincinnati Zoo

Drive home

We stayed at the Cincinnati Marriott North in West Chester, Ohio. It was a nice hotel, that was in close proximity to downtown Cincinnati. I recommend staying here if you are in the Cincinnati area. It was a quick trip to Cincinnati but it was amazing. I enjoyed this quick trip. I was able to eat some great dairy free food, see a great concert and have a good time at a great zoo. It was great Cincinnati!

Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

Dairy Free Guide to a Weekend in Dallas, TX

My favorite show is Fixer Upper on HGTV. Since watching the show, I have been dying to go to Texas. As excited as I was to go to Texas, this trip was purely business. My boyfriend and I were in the process of relocating to a different state. So we were there for my boyfriend’s job interview and to look for a place to live. So we didn’t do any sight seeing, we strictly ate and looked at many different places. At first, I was very wary about going to the south, being dairy free. The south has a reputation for not being dairy free friendly. However, I found some great dairy free friendly restaurants in Dallas. Below I will discuss each place I ate at and at the very bottom I will include a weekend itinerary.

Pizza Lounge: Two words: vegan pizza!! I have never been to a restaurant with a full vegan pizza menu. I ordered the vegan classic flip. It was a vegan pizza with daiya cheese and pepperoni made of tofu. It was the best dairy free and vegan pizza I’ve ever eaten. They have pizza for both vegans and non vegans. I highly recommend eating here.
Sundown at Granada I ate a wonderful vegan breakfast. I ordered the big bend 2.0, it was a vegan Benedict. It came with potatoes too. It was a very good and filling. The location was very unique and interesting. Very dairy free friendly, I suggest dining here.
True Food Kitchen I was very impressed by this restaurant. They don’t serve soda and everything seems to be healthy. To drink I had a kale and coconut smoothie, it tasted pretty good. I ordered the Teriyaki Quinoa bowl and added tofu. This was amazing!! So good and so filling. Again another great dairy free meal. The location was great and the food was better.
RJ Mexican Cuisine Yum, yum, and yum!! The restaurant was located in the downtown area. I ordered the chicken fajitas, it came with rice and black beans. It was dairy free and delicious. The margaritas are strong and the food is great. This is a great downtown restaurant. For a great Mexican meal, stop here.
Company Cafe A completely gluten free restaurant with vegan options. I ended up ordering the veggie RX scramble with a side of vegan hash browns. It was really good scrambled eggs with black beans and salsa. Instead of having the toast I had fresh fruit instead. The fruit was strawberries, blueberries, pineapple and green apples. The waitress insured that the meal would be made without dairy. It was a great breakfast, so good it kept me full until dinner. I would suggest eating here, it was good and packed. Many people were waiting to eat there so you know it’s good.
The Porch: For the life of me, I almost couldn’t remember the name of this restaurant. We were taken out to dinner by a friend, we went to a restaurant they recommended. There was a lot of southern food on the menu, luckily there was a healthier dairy free option. I ate a vegetable stir fry, I asked them to make it without the cheese. It was pretty good, it had almonds in there that were so sweet and good. I couldn’t help but pick them out and eat them.
Grayson SocialWe ordered our breakfast for delivery and they delivered it to our hotel room. I ate a fruit plate. It came with melons, pineapples, blueberries and raspberries. I wasn’t very hungry but it was good fruit. It was quick and convenient.
Spiral diner and bakery I am so disappointed, I really wanted to eat here. Unfortunately, they are closed on Mondays and I tried to go on a Monday. I will be back and I will eat here! I can’t wait!!
Chuy’s: This is my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant. Every time I eat here the staff is very helpful and kind towards my food preference. The chips are salted, very thin and crisp (extra tasty). I always order a burrito with rice, beans and chicken with the tomatillo sauce. (I always make sure there’s no sour cream in addition to the normal no dairy) They’re chicken is amazing is juicy pull apart chicken. The burritos are giant and I typically have some to take home and eat later. I am so glad they have locations in Texas too. It is a great dairy free option.

Day one

Flight to Dallas

Check into hotel Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Dallas

Late dinner at Pizza Lounge

Day two

Breakfast reservation at Sundown at Granada

Lunch reservation at True Food Kitchen

Dinner reservation at RJ Mexican Cuisine

Day three

Breakfast at Company Cafe

Dinner at The Porch

Day four

Breakfast delivery from Grayson Social

Check out of hotel at noon

Lunch at Spiral diner and bakery (closed on Mondays!)

Lunch at Chuy’s

Fly home

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Dallas. It was very nice and had a convenient location to the city center. We had a beautiful view of Downtown. There was no complementary breakfast but the pool was spectacular. The pool over looks the city and is a perfect way to spend a hot day. They were very accommodating, I recommend staying here if you are in downtown Dallas.

I enjoyed my trip to Dallas. I had a great food weekend in Dallas. I’m glad that there are more dairy free options than I thought. I am looking forward to further finding more dairy free finds. Also I am looking forward to doing more exploring of Dallas. Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

Review of Acai Bowl from Jamba Juice

Ever since I found Berry Divine Acai Bowl, I have been on the hunt for acai near the Chicago suburbs. Let me tell you, this has not been an easy task! I received an ad on facebook for Jamba Juice’s acai bowl. At first, I was hesitant about going to Jamba Juice. I hadn’t gone to Jamba in a while because I knew majority of their smoothies contain milk or yogurt. Additionally, I was worried about cross contamination with the smoothie blenders. I mean I know they wash the blenders after each use but, how well do they really wash them? After looking at their acai bowl ingredients on Jamba Juice’s website, I saw there was no dairy included in the acai bowl. I decided to take a chance and try the acai bowl from Jamba Juice.

Screenshot_20180328-085057_Chrome — Screenshot taken from Jamba Juice’s website on my smart phone

I pulled up to Jamba Juice with a great outfit and high hopes. I ordered the Acai bowl at the counter. I asked the girl at the counter if there is anyway there would be cross contamination with dairy. She said no, so I believed her. I waited a short time for my bowl; I watched as they carefully put together the bowl. First they blended then they added the finishing touches on the top.

The overall presentation of the acai bowl was good. It was the pretty purple color with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, granola, coconut pieces and honey. It was a little small. After all the pictures, drive home and by the time I got settled (probably a good 30 minutes before I ate it) it was mostly melted. From what I tasted, I thought the acai bowl was OK. I wasn’t blown away by it. I didn’t care for the coconut pieces (I love coconut just not like that in the bowl) and the granola (the granola was average).

I am uncertain with acai when it’s made with a blender. I feel like it’s not as think from a blender and can get melted quick. The thing I loved most about my first acai bowl from Berry Divine Acai Bowl was that it was so think like soft serve ice cream. However, I am determined to try the acai bowl again at the store so I can taste it again with the most freshness, before it can melt. I am happy however that Jamba Juice jumped on the acai bandwagon and is offering a menu item that is dairy free.

Thank you for reading my reading my review of Jamba Juice’s acai bowl. The acai bowl is dairy free. My opinion of the acai bowl is that it tasted OK, I plan to try it again but eat it sooner. I hope next time will be better since it won’t be as melted. I love the direction Jamba Juice is going, it is hard to find acai these days. I look forward to seeing the acai bowl pop up in more places since it’s such a delicious dairy free treat.

Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

Review of Yoga Six’s Willis Tower Yoga

I have been practicing yoga for about four and a half years. It has completely changed my life. It has positively impacted my life. Yoga for me started as just a way to get a really good stretch. Now it’s so much more, it’s a place for me to work on myself, inner peace, set an intention, clear my head mentally, work on my flexibility and strength. So naturally I jumped at the chance at doing yoga in the Willis Tower. (Even though heights aren’t my favorite). In case you didn’t know, the Willis Tower is the tallest building in Chicago, IL, formerly known as the Sears Tower.

I found the Yoga Six’s Willis Tower: Get Elevated event on Facebook. I signed up on Yoga Six’s website. It cost $40, it included yoga, mimosas and brunch. The schedule was:

7:30 AM Arrive at Willis Tower
7:30- 8 AM Pictures and Private access on Skydeck
8- 9 AM Vinyasa Flow (yoga) on the 99th floor
9- 10 AM Mimosas and brunch

All that I was required to bring was my yoga mat. I showed up in my work out attire ready for a great morning of yoga. It was really unique to be able to be at the Willis Tower before it opened. I had been there before as a visitor but this time was different. I was a little nervous, I got to ride up the elevator with a worker for the event. I decided to ride up the elevator right away instead of loosing my nerve and getting too nervous. Once I got off the elevator it was really beautiful. Surprisingly, I was steady and excited because I felt I would be very balanced (I was originally nervous because I was worried I would be motion sick because of the height and unable to balance). But, this was certainly not the case. Up at the top you have a complete view of Chicago, it really is beautiful. You get to see high above the city and see Lake Michigan. It’s the best view of Chicago.

Next on the agenda was the pictures and private access on the Skydeck. I have not previously been on the Skydeck, it is relatively newer. The Skydeck is a glass ledge that allows you to be able to have the sensation that you are next to and standing above Chicago. It was very cool and terrifying being on the Skydeck. I refused to look down or do any pose that would have me be upside down. It’s something that you have to do once. My friend and I were able to take a lot of good photos on the Skydeck doing various different yoga poses.

Vinyasa flow is a type of yoga that is based on flow. Meaning, the yoga poses flow together and it follows a particular and repetitive pattern. This yoga moves faster than typical yoga classes. I enjoy it because it involves less thinking because there is a pattern of movements you are following. You follow the instructors instruction and there’s no room for internal thoughts because you just flow. I enjoyed the vinyasa flow yoga hour. It was different than any other yoga class I’ve been to before. One, I had a front row spot in front of the window and a beautiful view of the city. Two, it was crowded. I have never seen so many people and mats in a place for yoga. If I reached both my arms out I would have hit the people next to me. Three, the music was amazing! There was a DJ playing music for the class. Really neat! Four, there was one instructor verbally instructing everyone but not doing the poses. There were separate platforms spread out with workers doing the yoga poses so that we could visually see what we were doing. It was all very cool, I enjoyed it a lot.

The brunch and mimosas portion of the event was the most disappointing. To start you were only allowed one mimosa per person. Also none of the brunch items were dairy free. There were pin wheels and other items with cheese all over them. So I did not eat the brunch. I don’t feel like it’s hard to provide fruit like an apple or banana or even some sort of bread or a bagel. Something that everyone can eat. If I had known, I would have brought my own food for breakfast.

Overall, I liked the Yoga Six’s Willis Tower: Get Elevated event. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was an experience I will never forget. Now I can say that I did yoga on the 99th floor of the Willis Tower. The Willis Tower, Skydeck and the vinyasa yoga was all great. I was only let down by the brunch and mimosas portion, they weren’t dairy free friendly. I am happy I have this experience but I don’t think I will do this event again. Perhaps another event through Yoga Six at another amazing location. The experience was really one of a kind. If you love yoga and enjoy city views, try this event.

Thank you for visiting and reading! Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post! Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese New posts every Monday!

My Favorite Dairy Free Friendly Chicago, IL Restaurants

Many restaurants in Chicago, IL are dairy free or vegan friendly. Since becoming dairy free, I’ve tried to eat my way happily through Chicago. Being in the midwest, it is hard to find restaurants that are dairy free or vegan friendly. I am glad that Chicago has more and more dairy free or vegan restaurants popping up. I have complied a list of restaurants that I have successfully eaten at, in the Chicago area. I have shared my experience and what I learned and ordered.

Mahalo: I have eaten at this restaurant before and was dying to go back. The restaurant is located in Wicker Park. It is a Hawaiian restaurant with a beachy interior. I love the decorations (there was a fun swing inside) and the menu options. Last time, I ate their I had the big island burger plain. It was very good. The most recent time, I had a daily daiquiri, coconut shrimp, veggie poke bowl with sticky rice and togarashi fries. This meal was delicious and filling. Everything was completely dairy free too. Definitely worth it if you are in the Wicker Park area.
Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen: Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen is a completely vegan restaurant in the northern part of Chicago, IL. I ate the Kung Pao Ding Tofu with brown rice and cheese fries. They were both really good! I liked the Kung Pao Ding Tofu, it was full of veggies, very tasty. I loved the cheese fries, I haven’t had cheese on fries for so long. I need more of these vegan cheese fries in my life! For dessert, I had the Chocolate Chip Cookie Soy Ice Cream, it was great very creamy! I am very happy with my first dessert out at a restaurant since being dairy free. I am very pleased with my experience at Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen. The staff was all nice and friendly, the food was good. If you are in the Chicago area and are looking to cut back on dairy, dairy free, vegan or vegetarian I recommend you stop by for a meal.
Hampton Social: I have seen photos on Instagram about the Hampton Social in Chicago. They intrigued me so I decided to check out the restaurant for myself. The opportunity presented itself one night I was in Chicago. This Hampton Social in Chicago is located in the River North area. The Hampton Social is very white, bright and nautical themed place. They are known for this theme and for having rosé (pink) wine. To dine here I recommend making reservations. Luckily when I went I got seated under the Rosé All Day sign. I ordered the Steak Fites and a Frosé drink. I was able to get the Steak Fites dairy free. I really enjoyed the french fries! The Frosé drink was pink, very sweet and strong. If you are 21 years old or older I recommend having an alcoholic beverage here. They are strong and very good. I enjoyed my experience here and would like to return soon. If you are in Chicago near River North, I suggest you check it out. I have tried other dairy free menu items at the Burr Ridge location see my Review of Hampton Social blog post for more information.
Yard House: I love Yard House. It is located in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. The restaurant is great and extremely allergy friendly. I noticed that they have dairy free cheese on their menu so I asked them to make me a dairy free cheese pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. It was really good. I recently learned that they cannot guarantee that their fried foods are free of dairy cross contamination because everything shares the same fryer. They can accommodate people who are dairy free and vegetarian. They have vegan items on the menu and gardein chicken! They have many locations across the United States.
Veggie Grill: It has been a long wait to finally make it to this restaurant. It was worth the wait. I learned the entire menu is vegan!! I tried a beyond burger with french fries. It was completely dairy free and really good. The burger tasted just like meat, I was amazed. I was blown away by my experience and I can’t wait to go back. It is both dairy free and vegetarian approved!
The Chicago House of Za: Vegan pizza restaurant! It was amazing. I ordered the stuffed vegan pizza with pepperoni. It was outstanding!! They recently opened, check this place out. Best vegan pizza in Chicago. It is both dairy free and vegetarian approved! Just a heads up they use cashew cheese for their cheese, just in case you have an allergy.
Eataly: If you have never experienced Eataly, you need to go! It’s an Italian grocery store with different counters to order food from. It’s almost overwhelming with all the different food choices. I have eaten from the La Pizza & La Pasta restaurant. I ordered the marinara pizza, it’s completely vegan. It was pretty tasty! I recommend eating here. Preview the menus online before going so you have a better idea of what you can and want to eat. Click here to see the restaurant menus. Click here for the counter menus.
Chicago Diner: I was very excited to eat here because I have gotten so many recommendations to the Chicago Diner. The Chicago Diner is an all vegetarian diner in Chicago. I was assured that everything was vegan unless I wanted it to contain dairy. There are 2 locations in Chicago, one on Halsted and one on Milwaukee. I ordered the chocolate chip cookie dough milkshake, mac and tease and sweet potato fries. Everything was vegan. Unfortunately, the food didn’t sit well with me, it upset my stomach and I’m not sure why. Their milkshakes were as good as everyone said they were. I would like to return to drink them once more but, I don’t think I’ll be eating anything.
Pasta Palazzo: I loved eating here. It’s located in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. They have every pasta imaginable! They even have a healthy pasta section served with no butter or cheese! It is dairy free friendly restaurant. I have ordered the healthy chicken before, it was really good! I recommend eating here! I can’t wait to go back!
Ruth’s Chris Steak House: I have eaten here many times. I learned that their french fries are fried in the same fryer with calamari that’s soaked in buttermilk in one restaurant location. That’s how I learned the hard way that I am sensitive to cross contamination, I ended up getting sick after that meal. Through that experience and after talking with the servers I found out that you can request they use a separate fryer or have them drain the fryer. Once I uncovered this, I have had very positive experiences eating at this restaurant every time. When I dine here I order a petite filet mignon without butter and shoestring sides. I always make sure to sure that I have a dairy allergy each visit. This is a very upscale and expensive restaurant but if you are looking for a really well prepared steak and a giant pile of french fries, I recommend eating here.
Butcher & The Burger: I have eaten here twice. It is located in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. I ate a plain burger and french fries. The burger was very tasty! I believe my meal was dairy free. I read online that the french fries can be made vegan if you ask for them. If you are in the area and looking for a great burger stop here for a bite.
Signature Room at the 95th: (Restaurant in the Hancock building on the 95th floor). It really is a beautiful view of the city. I ordered a steak and Au Gratin Potatoes both I asked them to make them dairy free. They were able to accommodate my dairy free preferences. The restaurant was very fancy and requires reservations. It was the fanciest restaurant I have ever eaten at (we saved this place for our 2 year anniversary dinner). It is very pricey but if you are looking for that sort of thing you will find it here. Also if you are afraid of heights I would recommend just stopping at the bar for a drink. I felt a little wobbly at the top and had to try to calm myself and try not to be dizzy. Or get motion sick easily I would suggest taking your trusted motion sickness pill prior to going up.

Thanks for reading my favorite Chicago, IL restaurants lists. I included the ones I have had luck with while being dairy free. I hope this list helps you or someone you know eat out in Chicago, IL. I am happy that there are many dairy free restaurant options. I keep finding more and more options. I look forward to the day where more restaurants are dairy free or vegan friendly. I have high expectations for you Chicago!

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