Restaurant Review – Bloom Plant Based Kitchen

Our intention with Bloom is to focus on bringing flavorful, healthy, and affordable vegetarian food to the everyday family, while also being desirable and appealing to even the non-vegetarian. This way we can all do our part by being better to the planet and be healthier.”

The Owners of Bloom Plant Based Kitchen

Bloom Plant Based Kitchen began its life last year as a ghost vegetarian pop-up kitchen inside Amaru, a popular Latin restaurant in Wicker Park. The concept proved so popular, chef/owner Rodolfo Cuadros looked for its own space, finding it in the former Links Taproom. Since its opening in July, Bloom has earned perfect five-star ratings on Google nearly 30 times. That’s rare, especially for a new restaurant.

This kitchen specializes in unique vegetarian/vegan combinations, mixing Latin, Indian, and other international flavors that please the eye and the palate, and is staffed by knowledgeable servers. The airy, bright decor draws attention to a shelf where they grow their own microgreens. 

Most importantly, Bloom accomplishes what it sets out to do- serving vegetarian food that can appeal to a non-vegetarian audience. “We are not vegetarian or vegan,” wrote one Google reviewer. “But plenty of delicious dishes here to satisfy anyone and walk away full!” Another reviewer noted, “Most other vegan spots in Chicago are comfort food with meat substitutes. Bloom has very creative dishes like coffee carrots!”

Bloom’s coffee carrots are far from the only creative dish on their menu. All menu items are 100% vegan and gluten-free. Plates are served tapas-style and meant for sharing. Many reviewers raved about Bloom’s Cultured Cheese Board, festooned with almond goat cheese, aged truffle cheese, spirulina blue cheese, seasonal marmalade, flax seed crackers, and house pickles. ‘Quick Bites’ include Baja Tacos, made with banana blossom tempura, hemp seed tortilla, fermented cabbage, smoked chili oil, and cilantro. Beet Dumplings pairs a beet-coconut wrap with sunflower spinach filling, tahini, coconut ginger foam, and garlic chips. Or the flavorful Lottery Peppers, a combination of shishito peppers, lentil piquillo hummus, ginger tamari glaze, and mixed seeds.

Other enticing selections include a Thai Papaya Salad, a fruity, nutty mix of green papaya, cucumber, carrot, mint, serrano chili, sesame ginger coconut aminos, toasted sesame, and cashew. ‘Big Boys’ entrees include a Tamal Coloradito (trans., ‘infused with color,’) with ancho adobo banana blossom, macha beans, salsa verde, and mole coloradito. Bloom’s Lasagna has a pumpkin seed bolognese, sundried tomato marinara, celery root, heirloom tomatoes, and basil cashew béchamel. Other ‘don’t miss’ items under the ‘Del Horno’ (trans., ‘from the oven’) selections include Heirloom Tomato Flat Bread, with basil, crispy shallots, thyme, tamarind saba, white bean, and sprouts, or the Shroom & Chorizo Flat Bread. Chorizo? Isn’t that a sausage? Not when it’s made from sunflowers, served with San Marzano marinara, coconut mozzarella, and arugula!

Desserts are equally creative, featuring Avocado Key Lime- not a pie, but made with avocado key lime ice cream, almond ginger crumbles, cashew caramel, coconut texture. Coffee Break combines chocolate coffee mousse, aerated chocolate, toasted hazelnut, and a cashew caramel.

Bloom Plant Based Kitchen is located at 1559 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 5pm–9pm; Friday and Saturday, 5pm–9pm; and Sunday, 5pm-8pm. The restaurant is closed Tuesdays. For more information, click here

Alison Moran and Dean’s Team Chicago