Just opened

PHOTO: MARTHA WILLIAMS

PASS THE MEATLESS MEAT, PLEASE The Dan Ryan is about to see a lot less traffic, especially in the form of those hybrid-driving vegans jetting to 75th Street for a dose of barbecue seitan and soy mac and cheese at stalwart Soul Vegetarian. Luetrice Curtis has more than 30 years of experience working at Soul Veg, its sibling restaurant in Jerusalem and a similar restaurant she ran in Ghana, West Africa. She’s putting her know-how of vegan soul food to the test by opening Life Vegan in Evanston, where diners can expect a menu similar to Soul Veg, with the signature barbecue “twist” sandwich, potatoes with mushroom gravy, greens, split pea soup and corn bread, and a breakfast roster that includes tofu scramble, a take on French toast, vegan pancakes and seitan sausage. A BYOB license is in the works, but for now you’ll have to stick to being 100 percent healthy with juice and water. 1601 Simpson St, Evanston (847-869-6379). 6am–9pm daily; closed for shabbat at 3pm Fridays to reopen at 6pm Saturdays.