"Some things don’t look great on paper even if they actually are, like the nine-month gap in your employment history from when you were scrubbing oil-soaked wildlife. Althea, an expensive vegan restaurant in the men’s section of a department store, on its surface might seem unpromising at first, too. But this place has more upscale and interesting food than what you find at a lot of vegan restaurants, and that makes it worth your attention. So yes, Althea is inside Saks Fifth Avenue on Michigan Ave. And unless you have fond memories of family dinners at The Walnut Room, Althea’s location might be unappealing. It’s all the way up on the seventh floor, and depending on your seat you’ll either have a view of the Magnificent Mile or half-naked mannequins while you eat. Regardless, when the surprisingly attractive food arrives, you’ll forget you just walked by an underwear display next to the host stand. Althea’s menu is 100% vegan, and while it has some tasty dishes like kung pao cauliflower, you’ll want to focus on the more creative menu options. Like a delicious cacio e pepe made with kelp noodles in an intensely flavorful cashew sauce that’s way richer than any gluten-free raw dish has a right to be. The kimchi dumplings are also very good, with delicate wrappers made of dehydrated coconut that are chewy in an oddly satisfying, Fruit Roll-Up sort of way. And the spicy udon bowl is one of our favorite things here. It includes pieces of tempeh that add some funk and texture to a well-balanced sweet and spicy hoisin broth. But some dishes here are pretty boring and not very good. The flatbread pizza (topped with a macadamia ricotta and pesto) has a greasy and underbaked crust that’s terrible. The $14 avocado tikka is so simplistic that it feels both silly and expensive - it’s a plate of some sliced avocado on a spread of curried yogurt, with tough potato bread served on the side. And if you have questions about the menu, your server might not have answers. They’ll disappear for a while to ask the kitchen, but at least you can use the extra time to look at Hugo Boss shirts while you walk to the bathroom. Like an IUD, Althea doesn’t make sense for everyone. But if you need an upscale vegan restaurant that can accommodate a bunch of dietary restrictions, you’ll want to have Althea in your toolbox. This restaurant has creative plant-based food that will make you happy whether you’re vegan, gluten-free, or just in the market for a luxury bathrobe." - Adrian Kane
