Goodbye, Sacramento

It's been a pleasure and a privilege to serve the Sacramento vegan community these past eight years by sharing information about vegan options at local restaurants. Now, however, I'm leaving the city. My husband Phil and I will be splitting our time between the San Francisco Bay Area, where we have several family members, and Medellin, Colombia, where our son and his family live.

I will leave this blog online, but I won't be adding any more posts to it. There are so many vegans in Sacramento these days that I know you will all keep each other updated on social media about where to find great vegan food. I've enjoyed getting to know many of you, either in person or through your online presence, and I know I will miss this wonderful community.

I'll be sorry to miss this year's fabulous Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge, but as it turns out, Contra Costa County, my new home, will be having their first-ever Vegan Chef Challenge next month too. I'm looking forward to checking out all the vegan food in both Contra Costa County and Medellin, Colombia.

Thank you for following Sacramento Vegan. I've appreciated all your comments, questions, and suggestions. I wish you all the best.

Pam

Dubplate Kitchen and Jamaican Cuisine

Have you been to Dubplate Kitchen and Jamaican Cuisine yet? It's a small restaurant tucked away on El Camino Avenue near Watt. When it opened late last year, I noticed that there were a couple of vegan options on the menu, and I've been meaning to try it ever since. Finally, I had lunch there today with my friend Greta.

The vegan options on the menu, which looks like it changes regularly, were the soup of the day -- split pea and pumpkin -- ital stew, and vegan curry chicken. The ital stew made with cauliflower and garbanzo beans sounded good, but both Greta and I wanted the curry chicken.

Great choice! The curry sauce was delicious, and there was a generous serving of vegan chicken, even though we both ordered the small plate. It came with soup, rice and beans, cabbage, and fried plantains, which were especially tasty. I would definitely go back again for this dish.

Dubplate is located at 3419 El Camino Avenue, and their phone number is 916-339-6978. Their website address is https://www.dubplatekitchen.com, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/dubplatekitchen/?epa=SEARCH_BOX. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and closed on Sunday.

Solomon's Delicatessen

The long-awaited Solomon’s Delicatessen opened last week in downtown Sacramento. It is named after the founder of the iconic Tower Records, Russ Solomon, and it is housed in the space formerly occupied by Tower Records on K Street.

My husband Phil and I stopped in for lunch on Monday. I was happy to see a few vegan items clearly marked on the menu. The Vegan Portabella Reuben caught my eye – slices of smoked portobello mushroom, shredded vegan cheese, sauerkraut, and sauce, served on rye bread. I enjoyed the mix of flavors, and the horseradish in the sauce gave it a nice little kick. The sandwich was accompanied by bagel chips and a dill pickle spear.

I went back again the next day to try the remaining vegan items. I ordered a bowl of hearty mushroom barley soup, which was very flavorful and will be especially welcome in the fall and winter.

I also asked for an “Everything” bagel after confirming that all the bagels are vegan. The vegan schmear I ordered with it turned out to be an excellent vegan cream cheese.

Solomon’s Delicatessen is located at 730 K Street, and their phone number is 916-857-8200. Their website address is https://www.solomonsdelicatessen.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/solomonsdelicatessen/?ref=br_rs. Currently, they are open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but they are planning to be open for dinner beginning this Friday, July 12^th.

There is also a Solomon’s Delicatessen in Davis at 500 First Street, Suite 9. Their phone number is 530-792-7015, and they are open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Burger Patch

Long before Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco jumped on the Beyond Meat bandwagon, Sacramento area vegans were introduced to the Beyond Burger by the owners of Burger Patch, Phillip and Danea Horn. They held a one-day pop-up event two years ago to gauge local interest in their vegan fast food concept, and later opened a concession stand at the Golden 1 Center. They’ve been working hard the past two years to find a good location for a brick-and-mortar Burger Patch restaurant, and last Saturday, their dream came to fruition.

Burger Patch has been welcomed into the community with open arms. There have been lines out the door and down the block in the days since the restaurant opened near the corner of 23^rd and K. I missed the grand opening Saturday, but stopped in for lunch yesterday, and there were probably fifteen or twenty people in front of me. The line moved quickly, though, and after I ordered, the food came out of the kitchen in a matter of minutes.

Everything served at Burger Patch is 100 percent plant-based, so you never have to worry about whether some animal product or another has accidentally found its way into your order. Most people in line yesterday seemed to be there for the delicious burgers, but since I’d had their burger before at the pop-up and at the Golden 1 Center, I opted to try their chick’n sandwich. “The Ranch” consists of grilled chick’n, hickory smoked strips, lettuce, and tomato, served on a toasted bun spread with a ranch sauce. It was really good, and I’ll definitely go back for another. I liked the fries too, listed on the menu as a “Shovel of Spuds.”

I also had a chocolate “Earth Quake Shake,” made from a blend of cashew, almond, soy, agave, and, of course, chocolate. It was fabulous!

Burger Patch is located at 2301 K Street, and their phone number is 916-750-4200. Their website address is https://www.theburgerpatch.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/TheBurgerPatch/. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

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.

Suzie Burger

I think one of the best things about the new plant-based burgers that are showing up in restaurants these days is that they've made it easier for restaurants that don't usually cater to vegans to offer something we can eat after all. Impossible Burgers are popping up everywhere, and even some fast food restaurants are getting into the act. Carl's Jr. recently began offering a Beyond Burger, which they are promoting heavily in television commercials.

In checking the Impossible Foods website the other day to see which Sacramento restaurants are serving Impossible "meat," I was interested to see that Suzie Burger now offers an Impossible Burger. Back when 33rd Street Bistro and Wildwood Kitchen, which are owned by the same people who own Suzie Burger, first began serving the Impossible Burger, I sent a message to Suzie Burger asking if they had plans to do the same. At the time, they did not because the product was too expensive for their menu. But they're offering it now!

I stopped by Suzie Burger with my husband Phil for lunch the other day. The Impossible Burger doesn't show up on the restaurant's online menu or on the menu posted behind the counter. But it's advertised on a sign by the cash register, shown with nonvegan items like thousand island dressing and what appears to be cheddar or American cheese. But if you tell them you want it vegan-style, they'll substitute vegan mayo and get this -- vegan cheese -- for the nonvegan items.

I gave it a try and it was excellent! Most restaurants in town that do serve the Impossible Burger don't take the extra step of offering vegan cheese, so it was a real treat to have that option. I also like the fact that Suzie Burger is basically a fast food restaurant, so I can pick up my burger and be eating in the comfort of my own home a few minutes later.

Suzie Burger is located at 2820 P Street, and their phone number is 916-455-3500. The website address is https://www.suzieburger.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/suzieburgersac/?epa=SEARCH_BOX. The restaurant is open Sunday through Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

La Venadita

La Venadita has been serving Mexican food in the Oak Park neighborhood for a few years now. Until recently, though, I'd never been there because their menu didn't appear to be very vegan-friendly. That has changed, however, with the addition of an Impossible meat option to a couple of the restaurant's menu items.

I was at La Venadita yesterday for lunch with my husband Phil. I thought about getting the Impossible tacos, but since I was really hungry, I opted for a burrito. It was filled with Impossible meat, black beans, rice, tomatoes, avocado salsa, and cilantro, and I made sure to have them omit the cheese. It was really good, and I will happily go back to La Venadita in the future.

La Venadita is located at 3501 Third Avenue, and their phone number is 916-400-4676. Their website address is http://www.lavenaditasac.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/lavenaditasac/. The restaurant is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

T H A I at Sacramento: The House of Authentic Ingredients

A new restaurant opened in East Sacramento recently. The House of Authentic Ingredients has the convenient acronym of  T H A I, which is the type of cuisine served there.

My friend Deborah and I had lunch at T H A I earlier this week. I was happy to see several vegan or veganizable items on the menu. Since I have a weakness for fried food, I started with an appetizer of paupia, crispy spring rolls served with sweet and sour sauce. Those tasty little rolls were a great start to my meal. 

I wanted a noodle dish for my entrée, so I ordered the pad kee mao, wide rice noodles stir-fried with bell pepper, green beans, onions, kaffir leaf, basil, Thai chili, and my choice of protein -- tofu, of course. It was delicious.

The menu has a (V) next to many items, but I think that basically means the item can be made vegan, not that it's necessarily vegan already. To be on the safe side, you should let your server know that you are vegan and don't want any non-vegan ingredients in your food.

T H A I is located at 4701 H Street, and their phone number is 916-942-9008. Their website address is http://www.thaiatsac.com, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/thaiatsac/. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Westside

I don't know how I missed hearing about the opening of Westside, the new café by Identity Coffees, a couple of months ago. But as soon as I saw a picture of their vegan waffle on an Instagram post by Conscious Creamery, I was there.

Westside is a bright and spacious coffee house in West Sacramento. They serve breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, and bagels, in addition to coffee, tea, beer, wine, and other assorted drinks. And did I mention they have vegan waffles? I'm sure you can guess what I ordered when I stopped by today. Their waffle batter is vegan, but you'll need to ask for vegan butter. Other vegan toppings include maple syrup or strawberry preserves. I don't remember the last time I'd had a waffle, and this one was every bit as good as I had hoped it would be.

The menu at Westside clearly marks the items that are vegan or can be made vegan, including avocado toast, bagel and spread, hummus bagel, and mixed green salad. They have a sandwich on the menu called "The Herbivore," that looks like it should be vegan, but isn't marked as such. I asked the woman at the counter, however, and she confirmed that it is vegan.

Westside is located at 289 Third Street in West Sacramento, and their phone number is 916-465-0272. They don't appear to have their own webpage yet, but their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/identitycoffeesswestside/. Westside is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Tea Bar & Fusion Cafe

When the B Street Theatre opened at its new location, the Sofia, a new café was included in the complex. Tea Bar & Fusion Café has quickly become a midtown favorite, offering bowls, wraps, toasts, and lots of different tea-based beverages.

I stopped in for lunch today to see what they had in the way of vegan options. I was happy to see both grilled ginger tofu and fireroast veggies on the list of choices for their bowls and wraps. I decided to try a bowl, which included my choice of topping (grilled ginger tofu), grain, salad, or combo (I chose the quinoa rice blend), and dressing. The menu doesn't say which dressings are vegan, but the man at the counter checked his binder and told me my dressing options were wasabi ginger or oil and vinegar. I opted for the wasabi ginger. The bowls also include avocado, cucumber, carrots, and sesame seeds. This was a very satisfying meal, with the wasabi ginger dressing giving it just the extra little kick it needed.

Be cautious when you order at Tea Bar, however, and if you're not sure whether something is vegan or not, ask. Some items that seem like they should be vegan, such as the avocado or hummus toast, are not.

There were so many drinks I wanted to try, but I finally chose the pomegranate lemonade. It was excellent.

Tea Bar & Fusion Café is located at 2700 Capitol Avenue, and the phone number is 916-444-8227. Their website address is http://ilovetbar.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ILoveTBar/. The café is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Mendocino Farms

Mendocino Farms, a California-based restaurant chain, is opening a location at the Ice Blocks on R Street tomorrow. Offering a "chef-driven, seasonal farm-to-table menu," Mendocino Farms has lots of great options for vegans.

I attended a preview event there last week, and tried every vegan dish they were passing around. Some of the dishes, such as the tofu skewers and the crudités with three different vegan sauces, are available only on their catering menu. However, they were also serving two items from their regular menu that I know will be popular with local vegans.

The banh mi sandwich, served on Mendocino Farms’ excellent ciabatta, is filled with baked tofu, pickled daikon and carrots, cucumbers, jalapeños, cilantro, vegan aioli, and sweet chili sauce. I’m not usually a big fan of banh mi sandwiches, but I would definitely eat this again.

They were also serving the Impossible taco salad, which, as its name suggests, is made with Impossible Burger meat to which chorizo seasonings have been added. This salad also includes romaine, curly kale, succotash made from black beans, corn, and jicama, red onions, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. The dressing is a house vegan chipotle ranch. This salad was a hit even with the non-vegans.

Last night, I went back with my husband Phil for a staff training dinner, which was also a fundraiser for three local elementary schools. In lieu of paying for an entrée and a drink, diners were asked to donate to one of the three schools. I ordered Mendo’s smokehouse tempeh sandwich, consisting of barbecue house-smoked tempeh, mustard pickle slaw, tomatoes, red onions, and vegan aioli, served on toasted ciabatta. I really liked the flavor of the tempeh in this sandwich.

They were also offering samples of their side dishes, so I ordered the two that were vegan. The one on the left in the picture below is a mix of julienned raw beets and carrots, kale, golden raisins, and I don’t know what all. The one on the right is curried couscous and cauliflower. Both were very good.

Other vegan items at Mendocino Farms include a falafel wrap, and a Chinese chicken salad that can be made vegan with a couple of substitutions. They also have an avocado and quinoa superfood ensalada that, if it can be made without the cojita cheese, seems like it would be fabulous.

Mendocino Farms is located at 1610 R Street, and their phone number is 916-368-5400. Their website address is https://www.mendocinofarms.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/MendocinoFarms/. The restaurant will be open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

SVCC 2018 -- Wild Rooster Bistro

We’re in the home stretch for this year’s Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge, and there are still several restaurants I haven’t visited. So this afternoon, my husband Phil and I took a drive to Fair Oaks Village for lunch at the always vegan-friendly Wild Rooster Bistro.

There are six fabulous-sounding dishes on Wild Rooster Bistro’s special menu, which made deciding among them very difficult. Sopes, chile relleno, cochinita pibil, chile verde, tacos, mole – what to choose, what to choose? So far during this year’s challenge, I’ve had chile relleno at El Papagayo, tacos at Golden Road Brewing and Crocker Café, and mole at Mayahuel, so I decided to try the sopes de picadillo at Wild Rooster Bistro.

Sopes are very thick corn tortillas that serve as the base for various toppings. In this case, the toppings were shredded soy in a house-made marinade, potatoes in red sauce, refried beans, lettuce, vegan sour cream and queso fresco, and pico de gallo. I loved the flavors in this creative dish, which was served with rice and refried beans.

I was much too full for dessert, but couldn’t say no to the walnut pudding everyone has been talking about on Facebook and Instagram. I don’t even know how to describe this delicious pudding, which was sweet, but not too sweet, had the texture of gelatin, but obviously wasn’t gelatin, and was completely full of walnuts. It was a very large helping, so Phil and I shared it, and we both really liked it.

Wild Rooster is located at 7984 California Boulevard in Fair Oaks Village, and their phone number is 916-966-6384. Their website address is http://wildrooster.eat247.menu/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/wildroosterbistro/. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

SVCC 2018 -- Tower Bridge Bistro

Last night, my friend Marcia and I had dinner at Tower Bridge Bistro at the Embassy Suites. For the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge, Chef Clay Purcell has created a three-course fixed price menu, and we knew from past experience that it would be excellent.

The menu offers choices in four different courses – soups, appetizers, entrées, and desserts – and you can pick three items all together. Marcia and I both started our meal with butternut squash soup, topped with cashew cream and chives. It was excellent, and we were both very happy with our choice.

Marcia ordered the bruschetta appetizer and we shared it. The toasted bread was covered with smashed avocado, then topped with tomatoes, microgreens, and a balsamic drizzle. This dish could have been a meal in itself, so we were glad we were sharing it, since we still had entrées and dessert to enjoy.

For my entrée, I chose the linguini, an array of roasted rainbow cauliflower atop a bed of linguini with house-made alfredo sauce. I love cauliflower, and the beautiful multi-color cauliflower florets were cooked to perfection.

It was Marcia’s entrée that was the star, though. She ordered the stuffed gypsy pepper, and the few bites I tried were fantastic. The pepper was stuffed with quinoa and spinach, served on polenta cakes, and topped with a toasted almond sauce. Amazing!

I ordered the chocolate ganache cake for dessert, which we shared. This lovely, moist cake was topped with fresh strawberries and finished with an agave nectar drizzle. It was the perfect way to end a lovely meal.

Tower Bridge Bistro is located inside the Embassy Suites Hotel at 100 Capitol Mall, and their phone 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/. Their Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu is available only during dinner, which is served nightly from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

SVCC 2018 -- Pho Fresh

Last night, my friend Melissa and I attended Dine-Out at Pho Fresh, an event organized by Bethany Davis, the mastermind behind the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge. More than two dozen people gathered to enjoy appetizers provided especially for the Dine-Out and to order other vegan dishes from both the Pho Fresh Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu and their regular menu, which includes two whole pages of vegan options.

The first appetizer that came out of the kitchen was the chik’n satay. Skewers of grilled mock chicken meat in a spicy peanut sauce were passed around to all the guests, and they were excellent. In fact, the chik’n skewers were my favorite dish. I was sad to see they aren’t on the regular menu at Pho Fresh.

Next, we had bao tacos, steamed white buns filled with seasoned and shredded mushrooms, cucumbers, pickled carrots, pickled daikon, cilantro, and sriracha. These were a big hit with the Dine-Out crowd.

These two appetizers were followed by a bowl of very spicy lemongrass pho. Filled with mushrooms, glass noodles, and lots of chili pepper flakes, it had a great flavor, but the heat level of the chili peppers was too much for several of the diners.

After that, the dishes we ordered on our own began to arrive. Melissa and I had wanted to try the boneless BBQ ribs from the special challenge menu. These ribs were made from king oyster mushrooms cooked in barbecue sauce, and they did not disappoint.

Since we’d apparently not had enough bao tacos during the appetizer course, we ordered the tofu belly tacos from the regular menu. They were the same as the mushroom bao tacos we’d had earlier, except that instead of a mushroom filling, these bao tacos contained tofu seasoned in a spicy garlic sauce.

Finally, we decided to try a noodle dish from the regular menu. The vegan chow fun consisted of thick rice noodles stir-fried with bean sprouts, onions, and tofu. It was a simple, but satisfying, dish.

I really wished we’d saved room for dessert, since I wanted to try the cinnamon apple eggrolls on the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu. Alas, I was too full to seriously consider dessert.

Pho Fresh is located at 10673 Coloma Road in Rancho Cordova, and their phone number is 916-706-2523. They don’t appear to have a website, but their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/phofresh2u/. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Knobs-n-Knockers

I must not make it down to Old Sacramento very often, because I had a Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge lunch today at a restaurant on Front Street that I didn't even know was there.

Knobs-n-Knockers, which has been open since last December, serves sausages, beer, and other German delights. The sandwich board in front of the restaurant lists the dishes they’re offering for the challenge, but they also have vegan options on their regular menu.

I thought about ordering the beet burger, but since it’s available all the time, I’ll have other opportunities to try it. Instead, I ordered the currywurst. This was a hearty vegan sausage covered with a tangy barbecue-type sauce and then topped with curry powder. You’ll definitely want to check out this restaurant the next time you’re in Old Sacramento!

Knobs-n-Knockers is located at 1023 Front Street, and their phone number is 916-321-9480. They don’t appear to have a website, but their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/knobsknockersoldsac/. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

SVCC 2018 -- Thai Basil

I was out of town all weekend, but before I left on Friday, my husband Phil and I stopped in for a quick lunch at Thai Basil. I really wanted to try everything on their Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu, but I only had time for one dish.

After much deliberation, I ordered the Impossible Spicy Larb salad. This dish consists of Impossible meat cooked in a special blend of Thai larb spices and served on a bed of mixed greens, along with tomatoes, cucumber, and shredded carrots. A tamarind dressing provided the finishing touch. Normally, this salad includes fried onions, but I had them omitted from mine. The spicy Impossible meat was a nice contrast to the salad’s vegetables.

Thai Basil is located at 2431 J Street, and their phone number is 916-442-7690. Their website address is https://www.thaibasilrestaurant.com, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/thaibasilrestaurant/. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. In addition to their all-day Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu, they’re also offering a special brunch menu this month on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

SVCC 2018 -- Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op

I have a lot going on during the next few days, so I didn’t have time for a long lunch today. Instead, I stopped in at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op to see what yummy things they’re offering for the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge.

There were two signs on their deli counter advertising their special vegan items. One was a vegan oyster mushroom burrito, described as grilled oyster mushrooms in banh mi sauce, cilantro brown rice, sriracha Veganaise, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, pickled red onions, fresh mint, sliced jalapeños,  and fresh cilantro, all rolled up in a spinach wrap.

That sounded good, but I wanted the other item – the Vegan Fakin BLTA. Served on a Pugliese baguette, this sandwich is spread with tofu mayo and filled with Lightlife Fakin Bacon, avocado, tomato, and lettuce. It was just what I needed!

I also bought one of the vegan donuts they’re offering this month. It was a house-made ginger spice donut topped with chocolate icing and candied ginger. It was great, but my favorite co-op donut this month was the unicorn donut they were selling a couple of weeks ago. 

This is the co-op’s first year participating in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge, and I think they’ve done a great job. I hope they’ll participate again next year!

The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is located at 2820 R Street, and their phone number is 916-455-2667. Their website address is https://sac.coop/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sacfoodcoop/. They are open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

SVCC 2018 -- VEG

My friend Genevieve and I had lunch at VEG today. I always love going to VEG, since almost every item on the menu is vegan. This month, they also have special dishes for the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge, so I was really excited to try their new creations.

There were many things to choose from, but the dish that sounded the best to me was the October VegFest, a “Beyond” bratwurst soaked in porter and then grilled. It was covered with maple mustard grain sauce, served over a bed of pan-fried new potatoes and thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, and topped with pickled cabbage. This dish usually includes onions, but I asked that they be omitted. I loved the mixture of flavors, and I really liked the sausage, even though I’m not usually a fan of vegan sausages. 

Genevieve and I shared a dessert – the pumpkin spice cheese cake, made from raw cashews. It was drizzled with fruit syrups, and it was very good. Always a great meal at VEG!

VEG is located at 2431 J Street, upstairs from Thai Basil, and their phone number is 916-448-8768. Their website address is https://www.vegmidtown.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/vegsacramento/. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

SVCC 2018 -- Mayahuel

My friend Bonnie and I got together for lunch today at Mayahuel, a downtown restaurant offering particularly creative vegan dishes for the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge. Before I even began deciding what to order, I had to laugh at these words of wisdom printed at the top of the menu:

                                  Vegans are like your parents,

                                  First you hate them

                                  Then you become them

                                  and realise they were

                                  right all along :)

Having had a good chuckle, I turned my attention to the food. I thought about ordering just the two appetizers – potato tacos and spicy lentil soup – but thought I should try something a little more unusual. They were out of the huitlacoche enchiladas, which sounded really good (mushrooms, black beans, and corn wrapped in blue corn tortillas and served in a huitlacoche sauce), so the server recommended the pistacio spicy mole sauce. I love pistachios, so I decided to give it a try. This dish consisted of sliced portobello mushrooms sautéed in a pistachio mole sauce, with just a touch of serrano pepper. It was served with a pyramid of white rice. I had never had anything like this before, and I really enjoyed this rich, creamy entrée.

Since we were celebrating a birthday, the server brought out a small piece of their vegan chocolate ganache cake, topped with a birthday sparkler. It was delectable – everything you could want in a chocolate cake!

Mayahuel is located at 1200 K Street, and their phone number is 916-441-7200. Their website address is http://experiencemayahuel.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/MayahuelSacramento/. The restaurant is open Monday through Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

SVCC 2018 -- Golden Road Brewing

I met up with a vegan friend, Amanda, for lunch today. Many of the restaurants participating in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge are closed on Monday, so we were happy to discover that Golden Road Brewing was open.

Unfortunately, they were out of most of their vegetables, and the produce truck wasn’t due to arrive until mid-afternoon. This meant they were out of the ingredients they needed for all of their salads, the avocado fries, and the dish they had created specifically for the challenge – artichoke buffalo wings.

Not to worry, though – Golden Road Brewing has several vegan options on their regular menu, and Amanda and I had no trouble choosing a few dishes to share. The veganized asada fries were topped with soyrizo, Heidi Ho cheese, guacamole, and pico de gallo. If you order this, bring a big appetite: it is a huge plate of fries, and even with two of us working on it, we couldn’t finish the whole thing. 

The drunken zucchini tacos may have been my favorite of the three dishes we ordered. Small corn tortillas were filled with beer-battered fried zucchini, grilled corn, roasted pimientos, cilantro, and salsa. Loved the fried zucchini!

The buffalo cauliflower was also fried in a beer batter and served with a dill ranch sauce. These spicy cauliflower bites were very tasty.

Golden Road Brewing is located at 1830 L Street, and their phone number is 916-382-9445. Their website address is http://goldenroad.la/sacramentopub, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/goldenroadsacramento/. They are open Sunday through Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to midnight.