Green Bean ( 734 W. Fullerton Ave.; GreenBeanRestaurant.com ) advertises itself as an "alternative fast-food restaurant," and it certainly isdown to the music piping from the speakers ( songs from acts such as AWOLNATION, Foster the People and Cake, to name a few ).
Opened in 2015 by partners Aaron Bush and Chef Mike Watson, Green Bean offers fare that's, among other things, free of GMOs, gluten and even high-fructose corn syrup.
People can choose from items ( wrap, panini or salad ), ingredients ( chicken, steak or portabello mushroom ) and styles ( Casear, Asian, Caprese, Spanish, griller or Greek ).
And if you think the food might taste like cardboard ( which was my main fear ), think again. The steak panini griller and Spanish-style chicken salad my dining partner and I had were absolutely delightful. Sides include tempura-battered green beans, sweet potato fries ( possibly the best ones I've ever had, to be honest ), kale slaw and black-bean hummus. In addition, there are soups, breakfast items and even dessert options ( like the addictive gelato-filled cupcakes ).
By the way, don't worry if you can't make it to the charming restaurantGreen Bean has a huge delivery business. So, one way or another, you can have access to this delicious and, yes, alternative, cuisine.
Bistro Campagne keeps dishing
With a style called "French New Country," Lincoln Square restaurant Bistro Campagne ( 4518 N. Lincoln Ave.; BistroCampagne.com ) continues to bring in patrons.
A recent invite-only event at the eatery showed why. Out in the beautiful courtyard, Chef Lucas Creagan prepared items such as steak tartare, fromage et charcuterie, pork chop ( cote de porc ) and the ever-popular Amish chicken ( poulet roti forestiere ). Dessert offerings included pluot tart, profiteroles and pave au chocolat.