"Fabrik lets a vegetable be a vegetable. It’s a vegan restaurant that doesn’t rely on Franken-pseudo meats to try to convince you that soy protein is just as good as meat. Instead, they know that a skewer of oyster mushroom grilled over hot charcoal can, in fact, trigger the same dopamine rush as any piece of poultry or beef. Just know that by signing up for dinner here, you’ll be buckling in for an inventive seven-course tasting menu that feels a little bit like a plant-based roller coaster. And at less than $100 a person, it’s one of the more affordable tasting menus in town—and barely more than a ticket to Six Flags. There are no walk-ins and no bar to post up at for a last-minute dinner, so you’ll need to plan a meal at Fabrik ahead of time. Reservations for the 6pm seating tend to book up nearly three weeks in advance, but if you’re OK with the 8:30 slot, you can usually snag a table about a week out." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, raphael brion