Chef Juan Ramirez had a couple “food needs” to address while living in Chicago.
First, he missed the fare from his native Guanajuato, Mexico. Second, he’s a vegan.
So Ramirez and his wife met both those needs with Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria, which now has two locations in Chicago.
“That’s one of the reasons we started this concept,” Ramirez said on the WGN Weekend Morning News Sunday Brunch (fittingly, on Cinco de Mayo).
“Because I miss it. I miss my culture.”
Take the ceviche, for example.
Ramirez says every town in Mexico has its own version of ceviche, each with its own mix of ingredients and seasonings. With Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria, Ramirez brings that special flavor from his hometown to Chicago, with a vegan twist.
“I’m bringing the flavor from my little town and making it vegan,” he says.
But Ramirez also says you don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy his food. He calls it “fresh, true, organic.”
“We’re proud of it,” Ramirez said.
“… The flavor is there. Non-vegan people are going to enjoy it.”
Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria has a location in Andersonville, at 5204 North Clark Street, and a location in River North, at 230 West Chicago Avenue.
Additionally, Ramirez and his wife just opened a coffee shop in Lincoln Square called Cafe Mas, located at 2310 West Foster Avenue.
Visit penelopesvegantaqueria.com for hours and more information on Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria.
