KINDRED

While most vegan restaurants soften the edges—calling dishes "plant-based" and leaning on bowls and wraps—KINDRED does the opposite. This is unapologetically vegan cooking with technique to back it up: seitan that's made in-house, not sourced from a distributor, plated like you're at a proper dinner spot, soundtracked by Converge or Obituary. It's the only place on the South Park walkabout where the Spotify playlist might make your grandmother uncomfortable.

The Heart & Soul and Eggroll & Burger show up most often in what locals actually order. The former is seitan-based and borderline architectural in its plating; the latter wraps burger components in an eggroll wrapper, which sounds gimmicky until you taste it. Skip the skewers if you're here for a first visit—they're good, but they don't explain why this place has a two-week wait for weekend reservations.

The interior leans ornate-gothic-thrift-store: taxidermy, vintage frames, chandeliers that look like they survived an estate sale. It's a lot, but it works because the food isn't trying to match the decor—it's doing its own thing. Outdoor seating on 30th Street is quieter if the death metal isn't your Sunday ritual.

Practical notes: Reservations are necessary for dinner unless you're willing to eat at 5 PM or gamble on bar seating. The non-alcoholic drink list is thin (a recurring complaint), so plan accordingly. Parking on the street is easier mid-week; weekends mean walking a few blocks or using the lot behind Fern Street. This is date-night territory or the spot you take visiting friends who think vegan food means salad—it's South Park's proof that plant-based cooking can be as serious as any kitchen in the neighborhood.