Tower Bridge Bistro 2012

My friend Marcia and I went to dinner last night at Tower Bridge Bistro. Marcia isn't vegan, but when she saw the creative menu that Chef Clay Purcell had put together for the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge, she decided to join me in ordering from the vegan menu.

Chef Clay is offering a three-course vegan prix fixe menu during the month of October, with two different options for each course. The two appetizers on the menu are Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk, Forbidden Rice and Almond Gremolada or Toy Box Mushroom Spring Roll with Arugula and Sprout Salad, served with a Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette. While Marcia and I should probably have ordered both appetizers to share so that I could describe them for this blog, we both really wanted that soup. So that's what we ordered, and we were glad we did. It was creamy and flavorful, and the chewy forbidden rice provided a nice contrast to the smooth texture of the soup.

The first entrée choice was Buckwheat Soba Noodle with Wasabi Miso Sauce, Tofu, Bok Choy, Spinach, Red Pepper Scallions and Bean Sprouts. But Marcia and I both wanted the second entrée, which was a Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Quinoa Cake with Roasted Roma Tomato Compote and Habanero Chili Oil. The cakes were crispy and delicious, and the compote that topped them was a perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

When we got to the dessert choices, we finally ordered one of each. I'm a chocoholic, so I ordered the Chocolate Lover's Decadence Cake with Toasted Pistachios, and Marcia ordered the Honey Crisp Apple Cake with Salted Caramel (no, it doesn't contain honey -- the type of apple used in the dessert is a Honeycrisp apple). My cake was really good, but I have to say that Marcia's dessert was melt-in-your-mouth fabulous. At this point, it's tied with the banana waffle at the Porch as my favorite dessert for this year's Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge.

Tower Bridge Bistro is located inside the Embassy Suites Hotel in Old Sacramento at 100 Capitol Mall, and their telephone number is 916-326-5050. Their website address is http://www.towerbridgebistro.com/ and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/#!/towerbridgebistro. The Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu is available only for dinner, which is served Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.