Nourish Health Bar and Cafe

One of the best things about having vegan Facebook friends is that when a new restaurant with vegan options opens anywhere in the area, I'm likely to start seeing posts about it in my news feed. That's how I found out about Nourish Health Bar and Café, which recently opened in Citrus Heights. I drove over there for lunch last week. It was a little hard to find, since there's no signage yet. If you find the tables and chairs on the sidewalk near Life Foods, though, you've come to the right place.


The menu at Nourish is very short -- they have a veggie burger, quinoa bowl, kombucha, herbal tea, and coffee. Everything on the menu is organic, vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. Life Foods makes the burgers, buns, condiments, and dressings, which are available at Nourish as packaged products if you want to incorporate them into your meal preparation at home.


I was told that the bun used for the veggie burger is very nutrient-dense, and I wanted something lighter for lunch, so I opted for the quinoa bowl. It consisted of a scoop of quinoa topped with salad greens and a cut-up veggie burger. I requested that avocado and pineapple be added to the dish as well. Normally, this would involve an additional cost, but since the restaurant was still in its soft-opening phase, I wasn't charged for the additional ingredients. I guess the tomato slices must have been thrown in for good measure. It was a tasty and very hearty lunch.

The quinoa bowl also came with a side dish, so I chose the mixed vegetables. They were cooked just the way I like them -- still a little crunchy -- and the seasonings brought out their flavors nicely.

I'm a big kombucha fan, so I had to give their house-made kombucha a try. The masala chai ginger flavor was excellent.

Nourish Health Bar and Café is located at 7433 Greenback Lane, and their phone number is 916-740-6034. The Life Foods website can be found at http://www.lifefoodsinc.com/, and the Nourish Health Bar and Café Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Nourish-Health-Bar-and-Cafe-NorCal-172153096520567/. The café is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan is taking the week off

Fish Face Poke Bar

Recently, I had lunch at Fish Face Poke Bar with Bethany Davis, the mastermind behind the annual Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge. She introduced me to the poke bowls at Fish Face -- a fun create-your-own meal that includes vegan options.


Each poke bowl includes green and white onions, seaweed, sesame seeds, protein, and sauce. The only vegan protein available is the tofu and cucumber option. The only vegan sauce option isn't listed on their online menu, but it involves sea salt and oil. There are also several ingredients you can add for an extra cost. Make sure to let the cashier know you're vegan when you're ordering your bowl and they'll help you navigate the choices.


During this visit, the restaurant was out of cucumber, so they let us substitute mango along with our tofu. I got the Small Fish combo, which includes a side dish and a drink. I ordered sushi rice for my side dish, and had it split between my bowl and Bethany's. I had them leave out the onions and the seaweed, but I added rice crisps for a little extra crunch. I thought the mango gave a nice fresh flavor to the bowl, and I really enjoyed it. Bethany had pretty much the same thing, except that she kept the seaweed and onions in hers.

I went back to Fish Face for lunch last week. This time, cucumbers were available, so I had the Small Fish combo with tofu and cucumbers. I omitted the onions but left in the seaweed, and added rice crisps and avocado. For my side dish, I ordered brown rice. This turned out to be a very satisfying lunch.

Fish Face is located inside the WAL building at 1104 R Street, and their phone number is 916-706-0605. Their website address is http://www.fishfacepokebar.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Fish-Face-Poke-Bar-659933180803974/?fref=ts. The restaurant is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Adamo's Kitchen

I had lunch with my friend Cathy last week at Adamo's Kitchen in midtown. This lovely little restaurant has been open for about two years, but this was my first visit.


The lunch menu includes two vegan sandwiches. I opted for Destini's Sandwich, a roll filled with tomatoes, caramelized onions, piquillo peppers, roasted garlic, avocado, spinach, chili flakes, and olive oil. It was a very flavorful and satisfying lunch!

The other sandwich on the lunch menu sounds good too. It's a grilled balsamic-marinated Portobello with avocado, pickled red onion, and arugula.


These sandwiches aren't on Adamo's dinner menu. However, there is a mushroom risotto with seasonal vegetables that can be made vegan.


Adamo's Kitchen is located at 2107 P Street, and their phone number is 916-440-9611. Their website address is http://www.adamoskitchen.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/adamoskitchen/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf&qsefr=1. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Food Discoveries at the International Food Bloggers Conference

I spent the last few days at the International Food Bloggers Conference. It was held in Sacramento this year, and I guess the attendees must have loved it, because they've decided to hold it in Sacramento next year too. Who can blame them? With 1.5 million acres of farmland in the region producing an amazing variety of crops year-round, Sacramento is a food lover's paradise.


I enjoyed excursions to the Capay Valley Ranches to learn about how olive oil is produced, the California Endive Farms in Rio Vista, where thousands of endive plants grow out of chicory roots in darkened rooms, and Stillwater Orchards in Courtland, where pear season is in full swing. It was inspiring to see the beautiful produce that comes from this region and to hear the passion in the voices of the farmers as they talked about their work.

The conference also included a culinary marketplace, where grocery stores, food manufacturers, and restaurants gave out samples of their products. Here are a few items that caught my attention.


Lilly's Hummus from Portland, Oregon, is making its way into the California market. They already sell their products at Whole Foods, and they're hoping to begin selling at Nugget Markets soon. Lilly's Hummus is vegan, gluten-free, kosher, and non-GMO. It comes in ten different flavors, including chocolate. This red pepper hummus and cracker duo was a very tasty and satisfying snack!

Lots of almond products were offered throughout the conference -- almond bars, almond gazpacho, flavored almonds -- you name it. I'm fine with plain roasted almonds, but tried a few flavored varieties too. I opened a can of these toasted coconut almonds from Blue Diamond, and now I just can't stop eating them. I don't know if they're available in grocery stores or not, so I'm glad the Blue Diamond gift shop is conveniently located at 17th and C.

When I found a jar of Bloody Mary mix in my goody bag, I assumed I'd have to give it to a non-vegan friend. I haven't had a Bloody Mary in years, since they're always made with Worcestershire sauce, which almost always contains anchovies. Fortunately, I checked the ingredients before I did anything rash, and was thrilled to find no mention of anchovies in the Worcestershire sauce. This spicy mix, made by Sacramento's own Preservation and Co., makes a mean Bloody Mary!

The International Food Bloggers Conference was a great event, and I met so many interesting bloggers. I can't wait to see how the organizers are going to top this year's conference in 2017!