Tres Hermanas

At a fundraiser for Alchemist Community Development Corporation earlier this month, I won a gift certificate for Tres Hermanas, a Mexican restaurant in Midtown. This was a particularly welcome prize because I'd never blogged about Tres Hermanas before. So my husband Phil and I headed over there for dinner Saturday night.

As a vegan, I always find the menus at Mexican restaurants to be especially difficult to navigate, since there are so many opportunities for non-vegan ingredients to find their way into dishes that seem like they ought to be vegan. With that in mind, I emailed the restaurant's staff ahead of time to ask a few questions in order to streamline the ordering process.

The dinner menu included a few items that could easily be made vegan, including Veggie Fajitas (order without sour cream), the Ensalada Nortena (but stay away from the cilantro dressing), and the item I ordered, the Achiote Grill. This delicious dish consisted of grilled chayote squash, zucchini, onions, and red and green bell peppers, seasoned with garlic and achiote seasoning (a spice made from the red seed of the annatto tree). It was served with guacamole and tortillas, and I asked that the sour cream that usually accompanies it be omitted. It also came with a choice of soup or salad, a choice of three different types of beans, and rice. The beans are all vegan, but you'll want to ask for the vegetarian rice. The soup served Saturday night was not vegan, so I opted for the salad instead. As nearly as I can tell, only the Italian dressing is vegan.

The lunch menu includes a couple of other options that can be made vegan: the Burrito de Vegetales, if ordered without the cheese or crema, or the Tostada Vegetal, which doesn't appear to include any non-vegan ingredients. I find that it's always best to specify that I don't want cheese on anything, just in case it's used as a garnish.

Tres Hermanas is located at 2416 K Street, and their phone number is 916-443-6919. The restaurant's website address is http://www.treshermanasonk.com/ and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tres-Hermanas/168945283149901?ref=br_tf. Tres Hermanas 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., Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Road Trip! Savor Oakland Chinatown Food Tour

About a year and a half ago, my family and I took a Savor Oakland food tour of Jack London Square. We had a great time, so when my sister suggested taking the Savor Oakland Chinatown food tour, I jumped at the chance.


I made sure to specify that I'm vegan when I purchased my ticket. Carlo, our wonderful guide and one of the owners of Savor Oakland, made sure there was a vegan option for me at all but a couple of the stops on this tour.


This past weekend, we gathered at Lincoln Park, where Carlo gave us a brief history of Oakland's Chinatown, and then we headed to Classic Guilin Rice Noodles. The menu consisted entirely of dishes made with -- you guessed it -- Guilin rice noodles, a specialty of the city of Guilin in southern China. These fat noodles are usually served with a bowl of broth, but since the broth served to the rest of the tour participants contained beef, my noodles were topped with vegetables and served with a side of soy sauce. Among the vegetables included with this dish were mushrooms, peppers, garlic, bok choy, and pickled longbeans. The portion size was generous, and this dish was a very satisfying way to begin the tour.

Our next stop was a fortune cookie factory. Unfortunately, fortune cookies contain egg, so I didn't partake. We went from there to a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant, Banh Cuon Tay Ho. The first item we were served was completely unexpected, at least to me -- sweet potato fritters. We wrapped them in lettuce and dipped them in soy sauce. They were excellent!

After we finished the fritters, the rest of the group ate non-vegan things, while I had delicious spring rolls filled with noodles, bean sprouts, tofu, and cilantro, and served with peanut sauce.

Our visit to Banh Cuon Tay Ho ended with tiny cups of iced coffee from a local roaster called Bicycle Coffee Co., so named because they deliver their coffee beans by bicycle. The coffee was served Vietnamese-style with condensed milk to the other tour participants, but sugar was added to mine instead of milk. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I enjoyed this small taste.

The next stop on the tour was my favorite: Nature Vegetarian Restaurant, where we had quite a feast. Plates of fantastic sesame "chicken," "pork"-fried rice, braised tofu with vegetables, and braised eggplant with spicy sauce were served family-style. I was in a food coma by the time we left the restaurant, and the tour wasn't even over yet.

Since I was already so full, I was glad the next stop involved food that I couldn't eat (pork bao), and then we browsed for awhile in a shop called King of Ginseng Co. Our final stop on the tour was a Zagat-rated Cambodian restaurant called Battambang. Instead of whatever non-vegan things the rest of the tour participants ate, I had avocado rolls with peanut sauce, and my dessert was a cold refreshing coconut.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tour, and would definitely recommend it if you're planning to be in the Bay Area. Be sure to let them know you're vegan when you sign up, something you should do any time you book a food tour. Otherwise, some of the restaurants may not be prepared to serve anything you can eat. More information about Savor Oakland Food Tours is available on their website at www.savoroaklandfoodtours.com or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SavorOaktownFoodTours.

Road Trip! Nectar Cafe in Auburn

I rarely venture very far up I-80, but needing a restaurant to blog about this week, I decided to follow the advice of a fellow vegan and visit Nectar Cafe in Auburn. It was definitely worth the trip!


Nectar Cafe is all vegetarian, with a great selection of vegan items. In fact, all of the menu choices I considered were vegan, and I didn't even have to make any substitutions or ask for anything to be left out.


I started with a cup of excellent split pea soup. Apparently, the soup selections change daily, so split pea may not be an option when you go. The other soup the day I was there was called "Gazpacho with Gusto" and was a very chunky version of gazpacho.

I had a tough time deciding which wrap to order for my main course. The Southwestern Wrap filled with black beans, brown rice, salsa, and cashew chipotle sauce sounded good, as did the Thai Wrap filled with cabbage, spiced nuts, veggies, avocado, and Asian almond sauce. But since I love cauliflower, I chose the Curry Tempeh Wrap, which was stuffed with roasted cauliflower, tempeh, carrots, cabbage, and raisins, then dressed with a coconut curry sauce. So good!

There are several other vegan options at Nectar Cafe as well. You can build your own grain bowl, salad, or wrap using a choice of items from the salad bar. There are a variety of juices available, and there's a whole menu section devoted to "Nibbles & Noshes." They also offer oatmeal or teff muesli for breakfast, which is served until 11:00 daily.

Since I was there to gather material for a blog post, I thought I'd better order a dessert too, so I had the chocolate raspberry tart. This frozen treat was the perfect end to a delicious meal.

Nectar Cafe is located at 948A Lincoln Way in downtown Auburn, and their phone number is 530-820-3314. Their website address is http://nectar-cafe.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/nectarcafeauburn. The restaurant is open Monday through Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Coriander

Coriander, a new Vietnamese restaurant, opened in Midtown recently. I looked at their online menu and saw they had two items that appeared to be vegan. Naturally, I had to check them out.


The first dish I tried was the Tofu Noodle Soup, a huge bowl of vegetarian broth filled with noodles, carrots, mushrooms, and a very generous helping of tofu. It was flavorful and satisfying, and I found myself wishing we weren't already experiencing temperatures in the eighties and nineties, since this soup will be perfect for fall and winter.

On my next visit, I had the perfect spring and summer dish: the Tofu Salad. It consisted of walnuts, cranberries, and lots of tofu, served on a bed of greens and tossed with the house vinaigrette. I enjoyed it immensely.

I emailed the restaurant staff to make sure there were no hidden non-vegan ingredients in either of these two dishes. The response I received was that they "are completely free of animal products. We fry the tofu in separate pans, soups are simmered in an exclusive pot, and all noodles are strictly rice noodles, no eggs or dairy products."


I also want to mention the Chrysanthemum Jasmine Iced Tea, which I had during my first trip to Coriander. It was delicious and I had hoped to have it again on my next visit, but they were out of it. If you have a chance to try it, I would certainly recommend it.


Coriander is located at 1899 Alhambra Boulevard, and their phone number is 916-456-0888. Their website address is http://www.savorycoriander.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/savorycoriander. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

SactoMoFo 7 Wrap-up

I had such a great time at SactoMoFo 7 over the weekend, where several mobile food trucks offered delicious vegan options. I couldn't possibly try them all, but I visited a few of them and took food containers with me so I could bring the leftovers home.


As far as I'm concerned, the star of the show was Hella Vegan Eats, an all-vegan food truck from the Bay Area. That was my first stop of the day, and I was happy to see a long line of people eagerly waiting to try it out.

I ordered the Southern Fried "Chicken" Sandwich, which consisted of a crispy fried "chicken" patty on a house-made knot roll, topped with apple, fennel, and jalapeño slaw and dressed with a pickled mustard seed aioli. It was so good!

It seemed like a shame to have access to an all-vegan food truck and only get one thing to eat, so I went back later and ordered the Fried "Chicken" & Waffle Mini Bite. It was just as fabulous as its description on the menu board: crispy fried "chicken," fluffy waffle, sage-lavender butter, and Maker's Mark Bourbon-infused maple syrup. Wow...

I also got one of their Crack Cookies to take home. What's in a Crack Cookie, you ask? Caramel potato chips, chocolate chips, and Anchor Steam Porter, among other things. Wish I'd taken home more than one!

Another food truck with great vegan options was Curry Up Now, also from the Bay Area, serving Indian street food. I ordered the Hella Vegan Burrito (do you get the feeling that "Hella Vegan" is a popular phrase in the Bay Area?), and it was excellent. The picture below doesn't do justice to this great burrito, stuffed with samosa, chana masala, rice, tofu, and chutney.

My next stop was Dusty Buns, a food truck from Fresno that serves organic sandwiches on fresh hand-made buns. I got their Vegan Joe, which featured roasted squash, mushrooms, and onions topped with almond vegan pesto on one of their delicious toasted buns.

Unable to eat another bite after all that, I went looking for snack and dessert items to take home. I picked up a bag of original kettle corn from Costa's Finest Kettle Corn, and an incredible assortment of DavePops.

I'm already looking forward to SactoMoFo 8!

Vegan Options at SactoMoFo 7

Mobile food trucks from Sacramento and other Northern California cities will gather under the freeway at Sixth and W on Saturday, April 26th, for SactoMoFo 7. Personally, I can't wait! I love having the opportunity to check out the vegan options offered at many of these food trucks. This year's lineup even includes an all-vegan food truck from the Bay Area, Hella Vegan Eats. I think there will be so many exciting vegan options at this year's festival that I'm planning to bring some empty containers with me so I can take food home with me.


I contacted the food truck operators participating in SactoMoFo 7 to find out if they were planning to offer any vegan menu items. Here's what I found out.


Dusty Buns: Ask for the Vegan Joe, which consists of seasonal roasted vegetables on a fresh toasted bun with almond vegan pesto. The Bistro Fries are also vegan, but you may want to ask for the vegan pesto as a dipping sauce, since the one that normally comes with the fries contains honey.


Hella Vegan Eats: According to the SactoMoFo 7 Healthy Choices page, this completely vegan food truck will be offering Southern Fried "Chicken" Sandwich, "Chicken" & Waffles, and Smoked Tempeh Salad.


The Chairman: The Chairman's vegan bun is not advertised but is always available on their food truck. It consists of their regular steamed bun with house-pickled carrots, cucumbers and daikon radish, along with bok choy and house-made tofu sauce.


Addy's Paella: There will be one or two pans of vegan paella with fresh vegetables, depending on demand.

Annie's Sno Biz: According to the operator, the shave ice, syrups, and slushies contain no animal products or ingredients. However, the optional cream topping, which is offered at an additional charge, is made with dry milk.


Ciao Chow: The operator told the organizers of SactoMoFo 7 that their Ciao Chow mein and their rice noodle salad are both vegan. Also, they can make their plum sauce and ginger-braised tofu vegan upon request by omitting the ciaochow sauce.


Costa's Kettle Corn: The original kettle corn is vegan, but beyond that, you'll have to ask. They have several different flavors that are made by adding a powdered flavor mix to the kettle corn, and the ones I inquired about contained powdered milk and/or whey. The ingredients in the original kettle corn are simply corn, corn oil, salt, and sugar. They'll also be serving fresh-squeezed lemonade.

Dave Pops: Dave will be selling both LukePops (all vegan) and DavePops. The only flavor of DavePops that is not vegan is the Vanilla Chocolate Toffee Chip.


Fuzion Eatz: The falafel wrap, grilled eggplant wrap, and Vadovan (a wrap made with zucchini, bell peppers, and onions grilled with a French India spice blend) are all vegan or can easily be made vegan by leaving out the feta cheese and the sauce that includes dairy products. Be sure to let them know you're vegan so they can make the appropriate changes to whatever you order. The naan used for the wraps is vegan. These fillings can be served over basmati rice or Romaine lettuce, rather than being served in a wrap. Fuzion Eatz also has a hummus dip that is served with naan.

Gameday Grill: Garlic grilled asparagus and Puerto Rican Style Rice and Beans will be available for vegans.


Green Papaya: According to SactoMoFo 7's Healthy Choices page, Green Papaya's Thai style papaya salad is vegan.


Gyro King: The falafel is vegan.


Happy Cow: Strawberry and mango smoothies made with 100% fruit puree and a little added sugar will be available.


Papa Dale's: A vegan asparagus and mushroom risotto will be available.


Rich's Ice Cream: There will be a vegan sorbet, either lemon or strawberry.


Slightly Skewed: The operator said that while they normally offer several vegan options, the menu for this event had to be narrowed, so their only vegan option will be the blistered shishito peppers.


Smoothie Patrol: The vegan smoothies offered by Smoothie Patrol are the Razzle Dazzle (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, and orange), Mango Madness (mango, pineapple, peach, and orange), Peach Lizard (strawberry and peach), and Tropical Lemonade (strawberry, pineapple, and lemonade).

Swabbie's: According to SactoMoFo 7's Healthy Choices page, Swabbie's plans to offer Boca Burger tacos.


Curry Up Now: I tried to contact Curry Up Now by email, Facebook, and Twitter, but I didn't receive a response from them. I'm including them on this list, however, because it appears from their website that they offer a special vegan menu.


Otherwise, if a food truck is participating but is not on this list, it means they either don't have anything vegan, or they didn't respond to my request for information about their menu. Even without them, vegans will have plenty of choices at this year's festival.


SactoMoFo 7 will take place on Saturday, April 26th, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. under the freeway at Sixth and W. Admission to the event is free, but parking is $5.00 unless you bring a canned good to donate to the Sacramento Food Bank. Valet bicycle parking will be provided free of charge by Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates.

Star Ginger Food Truck

For this week's blog article, I had intended to highlight another one of the food trucks that will be participating in SactoMoFo 7 on April 26th. But when I went to the River Walk in West Sacramento at lunchtime last week and tried to order a vegan meal at the truck in question, I was told they were out of tofu. So there went that blog post.


I was starting to worry about what else I could blog about when I stumbled upon a food truck that, unfortunately, will not be at SactoMoFo 7. The Star Ginger food truck operates on the UC Davis campus, and since I was there for Saturday's Picnic Day, I stopped by for lunch. This food truck is part of Mai Pham's restaurant group, along with Star Ginger Asian Grill & Noodle Bar and Lemon Grass Restaurant. I'm a huge fan of Mai Pham's restaurants, where there are always several fabulous vegan options.


The food truck menu was limited to bánh mi sandwiches, so I ordered the vegan Tofu & Veggies Bánh Mi. Served on a fresh Vietnamese baguette, this delicious sandwich included pan-seared tofu, cucumbers, carrots, daikon, cilantro, mushrooms, and a little jalapeno. Just what I needed to fuel my walk through that huge campus!

The Star Ginger food truck is located near the Silo, around the middle of the campus, and you should definitely check it out the next time you're at UC Davis. It doesn't have much of an Internet presence, but you can find a little more information at http://roaminghunger.com/star-ginger or at http://www.starginger.com/newspress/star-ginger-asian-grill-launches-mobile-food-truck-at-uc-davis-campus.