Cafe Connection Caribbean Cuisine

My husband Phil and I joined millions of people around the world on Saturday for the March for Science. The Sacramento march took us from Southside Park to the State Capitol, at which time I discovered that I had worked up quite an appetite. So we went and checked out Café Connection Caribbean Cuisine on L Street, across the street from the Capitol.


I was happy to see several items on the menu that appeared to be vegan or easily capable of being made vegan. Both the chickpea salad and the curry veggie salad looked as though they were probably vegan without having to make any alterations, and the only thing that would likely need to be changed in the chickpea wrap was to omit the ranch dressing. Since the restaurant was packed with other marchers, I didn't want to take the time to ask a lot of questions, so I ordered the one thing on the menu that was actually listed as vegan -- the vegetable curry plate. It turned out to be a very tasty dish, consisting of carrots, green beans, chickpeas, and peas in a spicy curry sauce, served over a bed of brown rice and beans. A side of mixed greens was served as well.

Café Connection Caribbean Cuisine is located at 1007 L Street, and their phone number is 916-447-8855. Their website address is http://www.cafeconnectionsacramento.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/cafeconnectioncaribbeancuisine/. According to their website, they're open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The website also says the restaurant is closed on Saturday and Sunday, but they were definitely open this past Saturday. I'll try to check with them within the next day or two to find out what their Saturday hours are, and I'll post the update here.

UPDATE: I called the restaurant, and they said their hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Which Wich

I was driving down 16th Street the other day and noticed that a new restaurant, Which Wich, had opened between K and J streets. I looked it up online and discovered that it's an international sandwich chain. More to the point, the word "vegan" appeared right on their home page, so it was clear that a visit was in order.


Walking in the door, I saw a row of racks on the wall with bags for the various types of sandwiches available. I grabbed the one that said "Vegetarian" across the top, took a marking pen out of the container on the counter, and began to fill out my order form.

The two sandwiches actually listed on the menu as vegan are the avocado and the black bean patty. I decided to keep it simple and ordered the avocado. I checked off the applicable boxes on the order form to indicate what type of sandwich, bread, vegetables, etc., I wanted, and then I took it to the cashier. I always worry that something will be included that I don't want, so I made sure to tell the cashier I was vegan. His response was to write "Vegan!!" at the top of my order form so the kitchen staff wouldn't miss it.

My sandwich, served on a warm wheat roll, was ready in just a few minutes. I'm already planning what I'll order the next time I go!

Which Wich is located at 1020 16th Street, and their phone number is 916-680-9424. The Which Wich website address is http://www.whichwich.com/, and the Sacramento location's Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Which-Wich-860648264037390/. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

This week's Sacramento Vegan post will be delayed.

I hope to have something posted Monday or Tuesday.

Road trip! Lemonade in Walnut Creek

A few days after returning from my trip to Colombia, I drove to the Bay Area for lunch with my parents. A new restaurant had recently opened in Walnut Creek, so we decided to check it out.

Lemonade is a California restaurant chain serving a "vegetable-centric menu" cafeteria-style. According to their website, their menu "draws from a variety of global influences and changes with the seasons several times per year."

Five vegan salads were listed on the menu: red quinoa & Fuji apple, avocado & cherry tomatoes, snap peas & edamame, Tuscan kale & kumquats, and curried cauliflower. They are served in small portions for $2.95 each, so I ordered three different ones. The red quinoa & Fuji apple salad was mixed with arugula, sunflower seeds, and miso vinaigrette, and was surprisingly filling. The curried cauliflower, with golden raisins and almonds, was listed as a chef's favorite. My favorite, though, was the simple avocado & cherry tomatoes, served with pine nuts and a lime cilantro vinaigrette.

Lemonade in Walnut Creek is located at 1348 Broadway Plaza, and their phone number is 925-231-0066. The restaurant is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Information about all the Lemonade locations is available on their website at http://www.lemonadela.com/, or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LemonadeLA.