Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2014 -- Lou's Sushi

I had lunch with my friend Melissa today at Lou's Sushi, which is participating for the first time this year in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge. I was pleasantly surprised to see several different items offered on their Challenge menu.


We ordered the Tofu and Grilled Asparagus Salad to share, squares of soft tofu and perfectly cooked asparagus served in a slightly sweet sauce and then sprinkled with sesame seeds. It was a very simple salad, but we both really enjoyed it. I hope they keep it on the menu after the Challenge ends.

For my entrée, I ordered the Veggie OMFG roll, without onions and with a soy wrapper instead of seaweed. This delicious dish was a daikon and oyster mushroom roll with avocado and grilled asparagus, garnished with a spicy garlic "mayo." The flavors went well together, and I liked the slight spiciness. It also looked beautiful on the plate.

I'm not used to having dessert in sushi restaurants, but a special dessert of Tempura Strawberries had been created for the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge, so Melissa and I decided to give it a try. We loved it -- ripe strawberries in a sweet tempura batter with a mint-infused coconut milk dipping sauce. It was the perfect way to end a very satisfying lunch.

In addition to these items, the Challenge menu at Lou's Sushi includes two other salads, two appetizers, and three other types of rolls.


Lou's Sushi is located at 2801 P Street, and their phone number is 916-451-4700. Their website address is http://www.lousushi.com/ and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/LouSushi. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2014 -- Tower Bridge Bistro

My husband, son, and I had a wonderful dinner Saturday night at Tower Bridge Bistro. Chef Clay Purcell has participated in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge ever since it began, and his vegan creations never disappoint. What makes it even better is that he offers so many vegan options during the Challenge. This year, his menu includes three appetizers, three main courses, and two desserts.


For the first course, both the Watermelon Gazpacho and the Quinoa Tabbouleh sounded good, but the Roasted Beet Bruschetta was the dish I decided I couldn't live without. It was a beautifully presented plate of crostini topped with hummus, roasted beets, and basil. Some of the dishes I've enjoyed the most during this year's Challenge have involved beets, and this dish just got added to my list of favorites too.

The entrée selections were Vegan Cassoulet, Sweet and Spicy Cous Cous, and Vegetable Bibimbap. Tough choice, but I finally decided on the cassoulet, a flavorful mixture of white beans, chickpeas, kale, and spinach cooked in a vegetable broth and topped with bread crumbs. It was an excellent dish for a fall night.

Dessert was a choice between the Chocolate Shake, made with chocolate, sweet potato, and almond milk, and the Panna Cotta, a vanilla-flavored custard made from soy milk and topped with a fresh strawberry compote. I picked the Panna Cotta, which turned out to be just enough dessert to top off a fabulous 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. The Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu is available only during 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.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2014 -- The Porch Restaurant and Bar

When I saw that The Porch Restaurant and Bar was going to be offering a fried beets appetizer during this year's Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge like they did last year, I knew a trip to the Porch was going to be in my very near future.


My husband and I headed over there Sunday night, and I was broken-hearted to discover that they were already out of the Cajun Fried Beets. Clearly, I wasn't the only vegan who had been looking forward to those beets since last year. So I skipped straight to the main course, where I had a choice between Frito Pie and the Pulled Squash Sandwich. I had seen a picture of the Frito Pie on Facebook, and it looked really good, so that's what I chose. It was a delicious casserole of corn chips and black-eyed pea chili, with a garnish of avocado and vegan sour cream.

The special Challenge dessert that night was the Apple Pear Crisp, served with vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream. So good!

I couldn't get those fried beets out of my mind, though, so I went back for lunch Thursday and made sure they had them available before I even sat down. They did -- chunks of Cajun-seasoned and floured fried beets, served with a lemon garlic aioli. They were just as good as I'd remembered them.

I also had a small Charred Avocado Salad, consisting of mixed greens, charred avocado, sliced almonds, radish, fresh orange segments, and a burnt orange vinaigrette. It contrasted nicely with the fried beets.

A new Challenge dessert was being offered in place of the crisp I'd had before -- Banana Cake with chocolate "butter cream" frosting and pecans, served with a side of vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream. Just look at it! There was no way I could pass it up, and it was worth every single calorie.

The Porch Restaurant and Bar is located at 1815 K Street, and their phone number is 916-444-2423. Their website address is http://www.theporchsacramento.com/ and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ThePorchRestaurant. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Porch is serving their Challenge menu during both lunch and dinner. They are also offering a special Challenge brunch on the weekends.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2014 -- Blackbird Kitchen + Beer Gallery

I met a friend for lunch today at Blackbird Kitchen + Beer Gallery, which is participating in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge this year for the first time. They are expecting to offer different vegan items throughout the month, but at the moment, most of the vegan dishes they're serving are already on their regular menu.


The first course options were either the Pan Blistered Shishito Peppers or the Baby Beet + Brussel Sprout Salad. I'm not big on Brussels sprouts, but I love beets, so I opted for the salad. When the server brought it out, I was surprised to see that, instead of whole Brussels sprouts, there were individual leaves from the sprouts. I don't know how they prepared them, but they were crispy, as though they had been toasted briefly. The beets were diced and marinated, then served on a bed of lentils and some greens that I couldn't identify. As it turned out, those greens were shredded Brussels sprouts. This salad was excellent, and I'm so glad it's on their regular menu.

Next, I had the Risotto Burger, which has received rave reviews from many vegans I know. I liked it too -- a nice thick risotto patty topped with lettuce, tomatillo pico de gallo, and what the menu refers to as "vegan awesome sauce," served on a fresh bun. I can definitely see why it's so popular.

The only disappointment was that the vegan dessert created by Blackbird's chef specifically for the Challenge isn't available at lunchtime. Guess I'll have to head over for dinner some night so I can try that Poached D'anjou Pear with Sangria Sorbet.


Blackbird Kitchen + Beer Gallery is located at 1015 Ninth Street, and their phone number is 916-498-9224. Their website address is http://www.blackbird-kitchen.com/ and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/BlackbirdKitchenBar. The restaurant is open Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2014 -- Evan's Kitchen

I had a lovely lunch at Evan's Kitchen Tuesday afternoon. I know I'll go back there at least another time or two before the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge is over, especially since their breakfast is always so good. But rather than writing a big long blog post after I've tried more of Chef Evan's Challenge dishes, I thought I'd go ahead and blog about my lunch experience now, and write another blog post when I go back again.


There are always multiple items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Evan's Kitchen during the Challenge, so I had some choices to make for lunch. There were two soups: Minestrone or Sweet Potato, Leek and Ginger. Since my favorite minestrone soup is the one I make myself, I decided to have the sweet potato soup. It was so good that I wished I'd ordered a bowl instead of a cup.

The lunch choices were the Smokey Mushroom Burger, Grilled Eggplant Sandwich, or Eggplant Lasagna. I went with the lasagna, which was very light and quite delicious. The menu didn't list the ingredients, but there didn't seem to be any pasta in the dish. It had eggplant, tomato sauce, bread crumbs, I think, and vegan cheese. It was excellent.

I don't know whether Chef Evan has decided not to make a special vegan dessert for the Challenge, or if it's just not available for lunch. At any rate, the only vegan dessert available was a simple but refreshing raspberry sorbet.

Evan's Kitchen is located at 855 57th Street, in the 57th Street Antique Row, and their phone number is 916-452-3896. Their website address is http://www.chefevan.com/ and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/evanskitchen. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2014 -- Fahrenheit 250 BBQ

My husband Phil and I had dinner Saturday night at the already vegan-friendly Fahrenheit 250 BBQ. Since this restaurant just opened several months ago, this is its first time participating in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge.


I told the server I wanted one of everything on the Challenge menu. The first item was a Wedge Salad, two crisp wedges of iceberg lettuce with a "blue cheese" dressing made from silken tofu, then topped with cherry tomato halves and "bacon" made from roasted coconut. The dressing was excellent, with a texture and flavor very much like the real thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this salad.

The main course was Smoked Avocado Pesto, angel hair pasta in a sauce of smoked avocado, pine nuts, basil, and olive oil, tossed with chanterelle mushrooms. Very tasty!

The final course was the wonderful Quinoa and Coconut Parfait. Puffed quinoa, fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries were served in a glass that was filled the rest of the way with whipped coconut milk. The crunch from the puffed quinoa added interest to what was already a creative and delicious dessert.

Fahrenheit 250 BBQ is located at 7042 Folsom Boulevard, and their phone number is 916-476-4508. Their website address is http://fahrenheitbbq.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/fahrenheitBBQ?ref=br_tf. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8:00 p.m. The Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu is available for both lunch and dinner.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2014 -- Capitol Garage

I'm just back from eating every single item on the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu at Capitol Garage, and I'm so full I can barely breathe. I probably should have had some of the food boxed up to bring home, but I just couldn't stop eating it!


The first course was a pumpkin salad served on a bed of arugula. It was dressed with an allspice vanilla vinaigrette and topped with toasted pepitas. I don't usually care for arugula, but it worked beautifully in this salad.

Next up was the Blackened Cauliflower Steak, which consisted of char-grilled cauliflower and barbecue roasted beets with a coconut leek soubise. I had to look up "soubise," and it's apparently a type of Bechamel sauce with puréed onions. Since cauliflower and beets are two of my favorite vegetables, this spicy dish was perfect for me.

And then came the dessert. It looked like a candy bar, but inside the hard dark chocolate shell was almond cake, pear sauce, and a thin layer of caramel. Oh, my goodness...

Items on the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu at Capitol Garage are available for both lunch and dinner. The restaurant is located at 1500 K Street, and their phone number is 916-444-3633. Their website address is http://www.capitolgarage.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/capGarage. Capitol Garage is open Monday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to midnight, Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.