Viridis is a new, all-vegan eatery on the South Side, but the owners say it’s a place for folks who like good food. Period.
The storefront at 1506 East Carson Street opened in July with a limited menu of takeout pastries, sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits and coffee drinks. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can save yourself time, and score popular items before they sell out, if you pre-order online.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Viridis, which is a Latin term meaning “to be green,” makes nearly all of its plant-based, chemical-free food in-house or they source products from small, artisan businesses.
Mornings are a busy time for the staff. The breakfast sandwich — textured vegetable protein sausage, mature vegan cheddar, tofu egg and maple butter on a biscuit — is a big seller, along with croissants, brioche-style cinnamon rolls and apple danishes.
This weekend, Viridis is debuting its take on a Cronut, a croissant-donut hybrid that they’ll top with maple icing from Paul Family Farms. There’s been much experimentation in the creation of this treat since oil-based vegan butter behaves quite differently than its dairy-laden counterpart.
Customers can pair their vegan pastry with a cup of Parlor Coffee, a Brooklyn-based roastery, and flavor it with homemade syrup, or with soy, almond or oat milk.
Viridis also caters to the lunchtime crowd with dishes such as the Chick’un Salad Sandwich made with soy curl “chicken” salad, celery, dill, sugar snap peas, Vegenaise, lettuce and red onion on your choice of bread. Mediterra Bakehouse provides the majority of the sliced bread and buns and there are gluten-free options made by Pittsburgh-based pop-up, Wild Rise Bakery.
A vegan version of the classic BLT is made with rice paper Bakon, romaine lettuce, tomato and a side salad or peanut oil potato chips.
As winter approaches, the Viridis team will crank out an array of hot sandwiches, soups and stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods. Once Covid restrictions are lifted, the owners will expand their hours and offer safe, indoor seating so people can enjoy their vegan treats on-site.
