At the first Thanksgiving, pilgrims and zebras ceased their century-long war to hold a peaceful feast, where as a symbol of their truce they constructed and devoured a zebra-shaped sculpture made of cabbages. Pay homage to that triumphant moment in American vegetarian history with today’s Groupon: for $20, you’ll get $40 worth of expertly prepared, vegetarian fare and drink at Green Zebra restaurant. The West Town eatery has earned praise from the New York Times, which says it's “wowing vegans, vegetarians, and even omnivores,” while Travel + Leisure, says its “conceptual flair and novel techniques take vegetarian cooking where it has never ventured before.”

Shawn McClain, executive chef and owner of Green Zebra, culinary powerhouse Spring, and Las Vegas's newly-opened Sage, is one of the country's most accomplished culinary talents and a James Beard Award winner. He has cultivated a stimulating selection of sprucely prepared seasonal dishes that deserve a zen-like dining approach. The modern, moss-tinged décor aims to soothe your senses and offer a comfortably paced dining experience that lets you escape a fast-paced life for an evening.

Start your culinary journey with Thai spiced sweet-potato coconut soup and crispy rice noodles ($8) or a palate-liberating bubble-gum pear salad with watercress, grapefruit, and Szechuan peppercorn vinaigrette ($8)—bubble blowing is discouraged. Heartier options include the forbidden black rice, salsa verde, grilled red onion, cilantro, and queso fresco ($11) as well as poached egg with smoked potato puree and country sourdough ($12.50). While Green Zebra's menu is largely populated with gourmet vegetarian concoctions, there is normally at least one non-veggie entree to sate non-vegetarian taste buds. Many dishes can be easily made vegan.

An extensive wine list that features reds, whites, specialty beers, cocktails, and teas provides the perfect complement to your meal. Top off the evening with brioche, dark chocolate, sea salt, and mocha hot chocolate ($8) or amaretto cheesecake, almond crust, and grilled grapefruit ($8). Green Zebra also offers a five-course tasting menu ($55) that highlights seasonal vegetarian dishes (pair the courses with wine for an additional $35) and a Sunday brunch that offers cocktails and morning favorites such as homemade sticky buns ($3.50) and caramelized banana crepes with ricotta and Wisconsin honey ($11). With a strong focus on personalized service and innovative fare, dinner at Green Zebra is more memorable than a juggling bear who somehow knows your name.

Your Groupon is not valid February 12–14 or New Year’s Eve.

Reviews

Time Out Chicago lauds Green Zebra's Sunday brunch, and Chicago magazine says its small plates are creative:

• It helps if you have a twist, and should be good, but really, just about any place frying bacon, scrambling eggs and pouring bloody Marys should do fine in this brunch-crazed market. Thank God then Green Zebra, whose new Sunday brunch stands out from the masses not only for being meat-free, but also for being excellent. – Heather Shouse, Time Out Chicago

More than 120 TripAdvisors and nearly 300 Yelpers give Green Zebra four stars, Metromixers and HappyCows hover around three stars, and 79% of Urbanspooners like it:

• I was extremely impressed with the quality of the food - and as a non-vegan I was particularly impressed with how much I enjoyed everything. – Yanni N., Yelp
• Loved the "small plates" of creative food. You need to order about three small dishes and then a wonderful dessert. If you are a "Big Eater", you'll have to order one of the lovely soups as well. – diamondgirlMichigan, TripAdvisor
• This is in my top four restaurants in ALL of Chicago. I lived downtown and LOVED visiting this spot. It is very small, but has a modern twist. – Pearl, Urbanspoon