The Chicago Diner

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly, VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland, VN Trade Show Manager Lyndsay Orwig

What: Dinner before the Big Event
Where: The Chicago Diner, Chicago, Ill.
When: August 6, 2010
Why: Because John Goodman says so.

The Scoop: Welcome mats emerged when VN landed where the Lollapalooza music festival, Northalsted Market Days, and the Veggie Fest Chicago —the main reason we were visiting the Midwest during the brutal dog days of August—were simultaneously scheduled on one glorious weekend in and around the Windy City.

Our 10-strong entourage hit the town's nearly three-decade old The Chicago Diner ("meat-free since '83") in the hip Wrigleyville neighborhood where vendors were already setting up for Saturday and Sunday's Northalsted Market Days. Veg musician Joan Jett was the headliner as thousands of people loved rock and roll while sampling the arts, crafts, and delicious food at the country's second largest street fair.

The Chicago Diner's Mickey Hornick with VN Publisher's Colleen Holland and Joseph Connelly

Actor John Goodman recently ranked the Diner number four in the "Darn Good Diners" episode of his The Learning Channel series "Best Food Ever." Yes, that's numero quatro of ALL DINERS in the US, including those with artery-clogging, cholesterol-laden, very non-vegetarian menus. The TLC show featured the famous Radical Reuben, which Lyndsay chose, while John Beske, co-producer of the upcoming Chicago Vegan Mania and recent winner of an ice cream eating contest ordered this behemoth named The Halfpipe:

A wide-open hoagie topped with country-fried seitan steak, lettuce, tomato, French-fried onions and Twisted Chili Sauce.

Diner co-founder and all around good guy Mickey Hornick stopped by to pay his respects to Beske, who somehow managed to finish this mountain of deliciousness. Hornick posed with his fave mag publishers (as seen above) before we ended our meal with another Diner must-have, the signature milk shake made with Chicago Soydairy Temptation Vegan Ice Cream. Taste this:

VegNews Special: Choc Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter milk shake.

OK, the cast of Seinfield we are not, but here is our entire dining party in front of the newly renovated soon-to-be-landmark Chicago Diner. Tune in tomorrow for a recap of the Veggie Fest Chicago, where you just might get to meet Lyndsay's parents, Randy and Bev.