The irony is, I'm crazy about your great natural cholesterol-reducing foods. I love oatmeal. Oats weren't in the picture (or in the kitchen) when I was a kid. I came to this passion as an adult. They're so soothing, so filling, so energizing. We're not talking your wimpy instant oats.

Raichlen still makes your mouth water and nostrils flare, he's just doing it with dishes that give vegetables the grilled glory they deserve. Get used to it. "You'll see more people incorporating grilled vegetables into meat dishes in America," he predicts.

Since it began 12 years, South Beach Wine and Food Festival has always been about extravagance, excess and, for the most part, meat. And yet this time for the first year ever, SOBEWFF is offering meatless diners a seat at the table.

The large and varied menu has something for everyone, from the soul bowl for true veggie lovers to the vegan wingz for people who prefer meat alternatives that taste like meat. What Chicago Diner serves up "has a lot to do with the food we want to eat."