Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
Fans of Cosmic Cafe (of which there are many) might have wrecked driving down Oak Lawn Avenue this week. Two “soft opening” signs outside bring a pulse back to this once iconic vegetarian mainstay. The unpretentious, eclectic space was for all. When it closed in 2021 after 24 years in business, many were heartbroken.
The restaurant was originally founded by Kumar Pallana, who went on to have a career in pictures as Mr. Pagoda in Wes Anderson films, including Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore. Pallana bequeathed Cosmic Cafe to Praveen Sachdev after he left for Hollywood. Sachdev taught meditation upstairs, while vibrant vegetarian dishes and chai rolled out of the kitchen.
Five years ago, we reported that Cosmic Cafe had exhaled its last woosah.
The Old Chef Steps Up
Depak Chalise was Cosmic Cafe’s main chef for 27 years. He’s been working different jobs for the past five years and trying to buy it from the original owner. He was finally able to.
“Same,” Chalise says quickly when asked if the restaurant will be any different. “No different,” he adds defiantly. This includes the upstairs space, which will host yoga and large groups.
He plans on opening full throttle on Monday, March 30. For now, they’re working off a limited menu, cleaning different parts of the space and training new staff.
