Barnes & Noble Kitchen

Two of my very favorite things to do are to look for new vegan food and to shop for books. So you can imagine my delight when I found out that a new Barnes & Noble bookstore had opened in Folsom late last year, and it had a restaurant right there in the store.

My friend Michele and I drove up to Folsom last week to check it out. The café was hidden behind a coffee bar that we saw as soon as we walked in the door.

The menu wasn't extensive, but it had a few items that were either vegan or easily veganizable. Michele and I ordered the guacamole and chips appetizer to share. The guacamole was full of nice, big chunks of avocado, and it had enough spice to give it a little kick.

Next, I ordered the chopped vegetable salad, which needed a couple of modifications. I asked the server to omit the feta cheese, and substitute apple cider vinaigrette for the green goddess dressing listed on the menu. What the menu didn't say is that half of a hard-boiled egg also comes with the salad, so if you order this dish, you'll want to ask them to leave off the egg. The salad itself was delicious and very colorful. I loved the vegetables the chef chose -- purple cauliflower, beets, green beans, broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, avocado, and greens, with pepitas tossed in for garnish.

Barnes & Noble Kitchen is located at 280 Palladio Parkway, Building 913, and their phone number is 916-984-4407. Their website address is http://barnesandnoblekitchen.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/The-Kitchen-at-Barnes-Noble-1247165598670382/. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.