I had lunch at Chipotle Mexican Grill in West Sacramento with my son Zack over the weekend. While the vegan options there are somewhat limited, it's still very easy to be a vegan at Chipotle.
I had a rice and bean burrito made with black beans, Chipotle's new brown rice option, and salsa. Other items that I could have had on my burrito were the cilantro-lime white rice, sautéed vegetables (onion and bell pepper), and guacamole. It's also possible to order a burrito bowl, which would include the same ingredients but would be served over a bed of lettuce instead of wrapped in a tortilla.
Here's the information for vegans that appears on the Chipotle website: "Vegan Options. You should avoid our pinto beans (they are cooked with a small amount of bacon), meats (obviously), cheese, sour cream, and chipotle-honey vinaigrette."
In addition to the nutritional information that appears on the restaurant's website, Chipotle also has a "Food with Integrity" section that discusses their efforts to use local organic produce grown on family farms to the extent possible. For example, forty percent of the beans they use are organically grown, and they actively seek out local produce suppliers.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is a national chain with several locations in the Sacramento area. More information about their locations or their menu is available at http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/Default.aspx?type=default.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Ruth's Chris Steak House
It may seem counterintuitive for a steak house to be vegan-friendly. But it's been my experience that I can eat well and with a minimum of fuss when I dine at Ruth's Chris.
I assume I must not be the only vegan or vegetarian that dines there, since the restaurant actually offers a Personalized Potato and Vegetable Selection as one of its entrées. This option allows you to choose three items from among the list of potato and side dishes on their menu. Most of those items are not vegan, but many can easily be made vegan. During my most recent visit, I ordered the baked potato, sautéed mushrooms, and asparagus as my three side dishes. I asked that the mushrooms be sautéed in olive oil rather than butter, and asked that no hollandaise sauce accompany my asparagus. Before I left home, I filled a small container with Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, and I used that on my baked potato and asparagus. When accompanied by a fabulous glass of Sonoma-Cutrer chardonnay, it was quite a feast!
Other side dish possibilities might include the broiled tomatoes, the sautéed spinach (if sautéed in oil rather than butter), or steamed broccoli. The sliced tomato and onion salad looks as though it could easily be made vegan as well by ordering it without the bleu cheese crumbles.
When it came time for dessert, the server told me that they had a wonderful raspberry sorbet, but I opted instead for the fresh seasonal berries, without the sweet cream sauce that usually accompanies them. It was the perfect way to end the meal.
Ruth's Chris has locations all over the world, but their two local restaurants are at 501 Pavilions Lane in Sacramento or at 1185 Galleria Boulevard, #P-120, in Roseville. More information is available on their website at http://www.ruthschris.com/.
I assume I must not be the only vegan or vegetarian that dines there, since the restaurant actually offers a Personalized Potato and Vegetable Selection as one of its entrées. This option allows you to choose three items from among the list of potato and side dishes on their menu. Most of those items are not vegan, but many can easily be made vegan. During my most recent visit, I ordered the baked potato, sautéed mushrooms, and asparagus as my three side dishes. I asked that the mushrooms be sautéed in olive oil rather than butter, and asked that no hollandaise sauce accompany my asparagus. Before I left home, I filled a small container with Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, and I used that on my baked potato and asparagus. When accompanied by a fabulous glass of Sonoma-Cutrer chardonnay, it was quite a feast!
Other side dish possibilities might include the broiled tomatoes, the sautéed spinach (if sautéed in oil rather than butter), or steamed broccoli. The sliced tomato and onion salad looks as though it could easily be made vegan as well by ordering it without the bleu cheese crumbles.
When it came time for dessert, the server told me that they had a wonderful raspberry sorbet, but I opted instead for the fresh seasonal berries, without the sweet cream sauce that usually accompanies them. It was the perfect way to end the meal.
Ruth's Chris has locations all over the world, but their two local restaurants are at 501 Pavilions Lane in Sacramento or at 1185 Galleria Boulevard, #P-120, in Roseville. More information is available on their website at http://www.ruthschris.com/.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Matteo's Pizza and Bistro
My son Zack and I had dinner recently at Matteo's Pizza and Bistro in Carmichael. I was expecting a basic pizza parlor, so I was amazed when I saw the restaurant's incredible wine selection. I ordered the weekly wine flight, which included two ounce pours of Rombauer chardonnay and two fabulous red wines, all for $12.00. That put me in a great mood while I looked over the menu for possible vegan options.
I ordered the hummus appetizer, which comes with garlic flatbread and olive tapenade. The flatbread was baked to perfection, and the hummus and olive tapenade were delicious. One caveat, however -- you'll need to ask that the parmesan garnish be omitted from the flatbread.
For my entree, I ordered the tasty Tree Hugger BLT, which consists of house-made vegetarian portobello "bacon", arugula, and tomato, served on whole wheat walnut sourdough bread. It normally includes white truffle aioli, so you'll want to ask your server to leave off that ingredient.
Other menu items that appear to be vegan or capable of being made vegan include:
Chop-chop Salad (romaine, radicchio, cucumber, carrots, cherry tomatoes, chick peas, and Dijon sherry shallot vinaigrette), if ordered without salami
Arugula Salad (roasted beet, oranges, pistachios, and hibiscus champagne vinaigrette), if ordered without goat cheese
Asian Noodle Salad (soba noodles, Napa cabbage, slaw, cashews, spicy sesame soy vinaigrette)
Spaghetti (vegetable marinara, sun dried tomatoes, and Kalamata olives), if ordered without feta cheese
Greek Vegetarian Pizza (roasted sweet peppers, kalamata olives, pesto, mixed greens), if ordered without mozzarella or feta cheese
Zack and I were fortunate that we arrived fairly early (before 6:00) for dinner, because people were waiting for tables by the time we left. We were happy to have discovered this lively neighborhood restaurant.
Matteo's is located at 5132 Arden Way in Carmichael. Their phone number is 916-779-0727, and their website address is http://www.pizzamatteo.com/. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m, and on Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Matteo's is closed on Monday.
I ordered the hummus appetizer, which comes with garlic flatbread and olive tapenade. The flatbread was baked to perfection, and the hummus and olive tapenade were delicious. One caveat, however -- you'll need to ask that the parmesan garnish be omitted from the flatbread.
For my entree, I ordered the tasty Tree Hugger BLT, which consists of house-made vegetarian portobello "bacon", arugula, and tomato, served on whole wheat walnut sourdough bread. It normally includes white truffle aioli, so you'll want to ask your server to leave off that ingredient.
Other menu items that appear to be vegan or capable of being made vegan include:
Chop-chop Salad (romaine, radicchio, cucumber, carrots, cherry tomatoes, chick peas, and Dijon sherry shallot vinaigrette), if ordered without salami
Arugula Salad (roasted beet, oranges, pistachios, and hibiscus champagne vinaigrette), if ordered without goat cheese
Asian Noodle Salad (soba noodles, Napa cabbage, slaw, cashews, spicy sesame soy vinaigrette)
Spaghetti (vegetable marinara, sun dried tomatoes, and Kalamata olives), if ordered without feta cheese
Greek Vegetarian Pizza (roasted sweet peppers, kalamata olives, pesto, mixed greens), if ordered without mozzarella or feta cheese
Zack and I were fortunate that we arrived fairly early (before 6:00) for dinner, because people were waiting for tables by the time we left. We were happy to have discovered this lively neighborhood restaurant.
Matteo's is located at 5132 Arden Way in Carmichael. Their phone number is 916-779-0727, and their website address is http://www.pizzamatteo.com/. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m, and on Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Matteo's is closed on Monday.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Lucca Restaurant and Bar
I heard last week that Lucca Restaurant and Bar had created a new "Vegan Options" menu, so my husband and I had dinner there Saturday night to give me a chance to check it out. When I looked at the menu and realized what they had done, I thought it was such a great idea that I don't know why more restaurants don't do the same thing.
What the kitchen staff at Lucca's had apparently done was to simply look at their existing menu to see what could be made vegan by removing certain ingredients. They didn't create any new dishes -- they just adapted some of their regular dishes and made them vegan.
For example, I ordered the Patchwork Salad to start (although it was a big salad and could practically have been a meal on its own). Both the regular and the vegan versions consist of romaine, radicchio, dried cherries, apple, sweet peppers, and toasted pistachios, tossed with a golden balsamic vinaigrette. The only difference between the regular and vegan Patchwork Salads is that the regular version also includes Northern Gold cheese.
For my main course, I ordered the Spicy Penne, a penne pasta dish that includes baby artichokes, olives, capers, roasted tomato, garlic, and chili flakes. The same ingredients are in the regular version, but it also includes seasoned bread crumbs. In the past, I've ordered the regular version and just asked that the bread crumbs be omitted, but I think it's a stroke of genius that the staff at Lucca's decided to make things easy on their vegan clientele, not to mention their servers, by just creating a separate listing of vegan options to take the guesswork out of ordering.
Since their vegan menu hasn't been posted on their website, I scribbled the items into my notebook while I was waiting for the server to take our order. Here are the items on Lucca's new "Vegan Options" menu:
Starters:
• Frites -- parsley, sea salt, spicy harissa sauce
• Lucca House Chop Salad -- romaine, radicchio, lemon oregano vinaigrette
• Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad -- mizuna, watercress, toasted pistachios, coriander citronette
• Patchwork Salad -- romaine, radicchio, dried cherries, apple, sweet peppers, toasted pistachios, golden balsamic vinaigrette
Sides:
• Sautéed Spinach with garlic and grilled lemon
• Sautéed Broccolini with fresh chili and garlic
• Grilled Asparagus with fresh lemon
Mains:
• Spicy Penne -- baby artichokes, olives, capers, roasted tomato, garlic, chili flakes
• Stuffed Sweet Peppers -- brown rice, canario beans, zucchini, spinach, basil marinara
• Pasta Marinara -- choice of spaghetti, linguini, fettucini, or penne pasta with sweet basil marinara
What a treat to have so many vegan options to choose from at a non-vegan restaurant! You'll need to ask for the vegan menu, though, as it is not part of the regular menu.
Lucca Restaurant and Bar is located at 1615 J Street. Their phone number is 916-669-5300, and their website address is http://www.luccarestaurant.com/. They are open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
What the kitchen staff at Lucca's had apparently done was to simply look at their existing menu to see what could be made vegan by removing certain ingredients. They didn't create any new dishes -- they just adapted some of their regular dishes and made them vegan.
For example, I ordered the Patchwork Salad to start (although it was a big salad and could practically have been a meal on its own). Both the regular and the vegan versions consist of romaine, radicchio, dried cherries, apple, sweet peppers, and toasted pistachios, tossed with a golden balsamic vinaigrette. The only difference between the regular and vegan Patchwork Salads is that the regular version also includes Northern Gold cheese.
For my main course, I ordered the Spicy Penne, a penne pasta dish that includes baby artichokes, olives, capers, roasted tomato, garlic, and chili flakes. The same ingredients are in the regular version, but it also includes seasoned bread crumbs. In the past, I've ordered the regular version and just asked that the bread crumbs be omitted, but I think it's a stroke of genius that the staff at Lucca's decided to make things easy on their vegan clientele, not to mention their servers, by just creating a separate listing of vegan options to take the guesswork out of ordering.
Since their vegan menu hasn't been posted on their website, I scribbled the items into my notebook while I was waiting for the server to take our order. Here are the items on Lucca's new "Vegan Options" menu:
Starters:
• Frites -- parsley, sea salt, spicy harissa sauce
• Lucca House Chop Salad -- romaine, radicchio, lemon oregano vinaigrette
• Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad -- mizuna, watercress, toasted pistachios, coriander citronette
• Patchwork Salad -- romaine, radicchio, dried cherries, apple, sweet peppers, toasted pistachios, golden balsamic vinaigrette
Sides:
• Sautéed Spinach with garlic and grilled lemon
• Sautéed Broccolini with fresh chili and garlic
• Grilled Asparagus with fresh lemon
Mains:
• Spicy Penne -- baby artichokes, olives, capers, roasted tomato, garlic, chili flakes
• Stuffed Sweet Peppers -- brown rice, canario beans, zucchini, spinach, basil marinara
• Pasta Marinara -- choice of spaghetti, linguini, fettucini, or penne pasta with sweet basil marinara
What a treat to have so many vegan options to choose from at a non-vegan restaurant! You'll need to ask for the vegan menu, though, as it is not part of the regular menu.
Lucca Restaurant and Bar is located at 1615 J Street. Their phone number is 916-669-5300, and their website address is http://www.luccarestaurant.com/. They are open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Boon Boon Cafe
I had lunch at Boon Boon Cafe with my son Zack yesterday, and I can't stop thinking about how much I enjoyed the food. The cuisine is mostly Thai, but they offer some items from other cultures too, such as Indian samosas, Korean chicken wings, and spaghetti and meatballs (really!).
On the Boon Boon Cafe website, there is a vegetarian menu, although they don't have a separate vegetarian menu in the actual restaurant. What their restaurant menu says is that vegetarian substitutes are available. If you know in advance that you'll be going to Boon Boon Cafe, you may want to print out the vegetarian menu and take it with you.
I asked about fish sauce in their curries and was told that all of them contain fish sauce except the yellow curry. So instead of curry, I decided to order the Prik Khing Chicken, with tofu substituted for the chicken. In addition to the tofu, this dish consisted of green beans, onions, bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli in a sauce of dry red chili paste, served with white rice. It was outstanding! The vegetables were fresh and the chili sauce was full of flavor and just spicy enough. The serving was huge, so I'm looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch soon. There are so many things I want to try on the Boon Boon Cafe menu that I'm sure it's destined to become one of my favorite restaurants.
Boon Boon Cafe is located at 3022 Stockton Boulevard, at the corner of Broadway and Stockton. Their phone number is 916-456-4647, and their website address is http://boonbooncafe.50webs.com/index.htm. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday from noon to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8:30 p.m. (Don't go today, though -- the restaurant is closed for Memorial Day.)
On the Boon Boon Cafe website, there is a vegetarian menu, although they don't have a separate vegetarian menu in the actual restaurant. What their restaurant menu says is that vegetarian substitutes are available. If you know in advance that you'll be going to Boon Boon Cafe, you may want to print out the vegetarian menu and take it with you.
I asked about fish sauce in their curries and was told that all of them contain fish sauce except the yellow curry. So instead of curry, I decided to order the Prik Khing Chicken, with tofu substituted for the chicken. In addition to the tofu, this dish consisted of green beans, onions, bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli in a sauce of dry red chili paste, served with white rice. It was outstanding! The vegetables were fresh and the chili sauce was full of flavor and just spicy enough. The serving was huge, so I'm looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch soon. There are so many things I want to try on the Boon Boon Cafe menu that I'm sure it's destined to become one of my favorite restaurants.
Boon Boon Cafe is located at 3022 Stockton Boulevard, at the corner of Broadway and Stockton. Their phone number is 916-456-4647, and their website address is http://boonbooncafe.50webs.com/index.htm. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday from noon to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8:30 p.m. (Don't go today, though -- the restaurant is closed for Memorial Day.)
Monday, May 21, 2012
Meatless Mondays at Wicked 'Wich
UPDATE: MEATLESS MONDAYS AT WICKED 'WICH HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED.
Vegans in Sacramento will be happy to know that Wicked 'Wich has begun parking its mobile food truck near 19th and P streets at lunchtime on Mondays. And in observance of Meatless Monday, all of their menu items that day are vegan. I stopped by last Monday and found the 'Wich on Wheels parked in a lot next to the building where Never Felt Better Vegan Shop is located. A crowd gathered quickly while the truck set up and while the day's menu was written on the whiteboard. The menu for the day included:
• Wicked Vegan Burger, served on a rosemary focaccia roll
• No Egg Salad Sandwich, served on sliced Italian
• Spring Rolls
• Mac & Cheese, topped with gluten-free bacon bits
• BBQ Tofu Burger
• Fried Tofu, with housemade peanut sauce
• Portabella 'wich
• BBQ Tofu 'wich
• Vegan Burger 'wich
I ordered the BBQ Tofu 'wich, served on sliced Italian bread and piled high with vegan Provolone cheese, slaw, and seasoned fries. I think Wicked 'Wich is the only food vendor I know of that puts the fries on the actual sandwich, rather than on the side, and it makes for a very interesting lunch. The sandwich is huge, so unless you're a big eater, you may want to share with a friend.
The 'Wich on Wheels will be parked near the Never Felt Better Vegan Shop at 1910 P Street on Mondays from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. for the foreseeable future. More information about Wicked 'Wich is available on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wichonwheels.
Of course, visiting Wicked 'Wich on Mondays gives you the perfect opportunity to stop in at the Never Felt Better Vegan Shop too, where you can find a variety of food items, as well as eco-friendly crafts and accessories. I usually pick up a package of delicious tamales from Mother Earth's Baked Goods when I'm there. I currently have a package of black bean, salsa, and potato tamales with nutritional yeast that I'm looking forward to trying. More information about Never Felt Better Vegan Shop is available on their website at http://neverfeltbettervegan.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=2.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Bows and Arrows Cafe
UPDATE: BOWS AND ARROWS CAFE HAS CLOSED.
Last week, I attended a blogger meet-up organized by Sacramento Connect, a blogger network created by the Sacramento Bee. It was held at Bows and Arrows, a small women's clothing boutique that has a cafe in the back of the store. Naturally, I checked the menu to see if there were any vegan items. Happily, there were a few.
There are three vegan appetizers on the current menu: Spiced Popcorn, Olive on Olive, which consists of green olives dressed in black tapenade, and Seasonal Salsa and Chips. The seasonal salsa was made with strawberries and jicama.
Two of the sandwiches can easily be made vegan by leaving off the cheese. The one I tried was the Mushroom Reuben, which consisted of sliced sautéed mushrooms, kraut, and sauce, served on a grilled walnut bread. It was very tasty, and I especially liked the bread. It came with a side of soup or salad, so I ordered the vegan Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup, which was spicy and quite good.
The other sandwich that can be made vegan if ordered without cheese is the Chili Cheese Carrot Dog, which is described on the menu as including a marinated carrot, veggie chili, pickled onion, and sweet potato chip bits. Quite an unusual combination!
Dessert at the Bows and Arrows Cafe is a variety of popsicles in such interesting flavors as kaffir lime and avocado or hibiscus mint grape. Most of the popsicles listed on the menu when I was there were vegan, but not all, so you'll want to check with the server.
I was impressed with the creativity of the menu, and will definitely go back again. They have a very nice patio, if you're looking to dine al fresco.
Bows and Arrows is located at 1815 19th Street. Their phone number is 916-822-5668, and their website address is http://www.bowscollective.com/cafe.html. The cafe is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Last week, I attended a blogger meet-up organized by Sacramento Connect, a blogger network created by the Sacramento Bee. It was held at Bows and Arrows, a small women's clothing boutique that has a cafe in the back of the store. Naturally, I checked the menu to see if there were any vegan items. Happily, there were a few.
There are three vegan appetizers on the current menu: Spiced Popcorn, Olive on Olive, which consists of green olives dressed in black tapenade, and Seasonal Salsa and Chips. The seasonal salsa was made with strawberries and jicama.
Two of the sandwiches can easily be made vegan by leaving off the cheese. The one I tried was the Mushroom Reuben, which consisted of sliced sautéed mushrooms, kraut, and sauce, served on a grilled walnut bread. It was very tasty, and I especially liked the bread. It came with a side of soup or salad, so I ordered the vegan Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup, which was spicy and quite good.
The other sandwich that can be made vegan if ordered without cheese is the Chili Cheese Carrot Dog, which is described on the menu as including a marinated carrot, veggie chili, pickled onion, and sweet potato chip bits. Quite an unusual combination!
Dessert at the Bows and Arrows Cafe is a variety of popsicles in such interesting flavors as kaffir lime and avocado or hibiscus mint grape. Most of the popsicles listed on the menu when I was there were vegan, but not all, so you'll want to check with the server.
I was impressed with the creativity of the menu, and will definitely go back again. They have a very nice patio, if you're looking to dine al fresco.
Bows and Arrows is located at 1815 19th Street. Their phone number is 916-822-5668, and their website address is http://www.bowscollective.com/cafe.html. The cafe is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
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