Allora

I could swear that when Allora first opened in East Sacramento last year, I checked the menu and didn’t see anything vegan. Recently, however, I was reading the free Inside newspaper that’s delivered to my mailbox each month, and I found an article about the mother of the chef/owner. She had moved to Sacramento at her son’s request to care for the restaurant’s garden, and the article mentioned that she ate a mostly vegan diet. I figured that if his mom was mostly vegan, the chef must have added some plant-based items to the menu, so I checked again. Sure enough, there are several dishes for vegans at Allora.

I had dinner there with my husband Phil last night, and asked for the vegan menu. It lists vegetarian and vegan items, but the vegan dishes are specifically indicated. I began with grilled focaccia, which is spread with olive tapenade and then topped with a mix of local vegetables, including arugula, asparagus, carrot ribbons, mushrooms, pickled onions, and artichoke hearts. It was very good, and I especially enjoyed the olive tapenade.

For my entrée, I had a tough time choosing between the bucatini and the mushroom risotto, but finally opted for the pasta. The bucatini was tossed with a pea and tarragon pesto, carrots, and asparagus, then topped with a few arugula leaves. I thought it was the perfect spring dish.

Allora is a very stylish and well-appointed restaurant that would be perfect for date night or a special occasion. You should definitely check it out!

Allora is located at 5215 Folsom Boulevard, and their phone number is 916-538-6434. Their website address is https://allorasacramento.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/allorasacramento/. The restaurant serves dinner only, and is open 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.