Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2013 - Brunch Roundup!

Fall is definitely my favorite season, in part because the change in the weather means it's time to bust out the scarves and sweaters (even if it's only for no more than a handful of days here in Los Angeles), but the primary reason I look forward to Fall is the food--whether I'm cooking it or eating it, there's just so much good stuff this time of year!

Included in this good stuff is the annual Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge. It's an event in Sacramento in which various restaurants (typically non-vegan) agree to come up with a special vegan menu for the month. There's a list online of who's participating and what they're serving, and you can hop around from place to place trying each offering before voting on your favorite dishes in a number of categories (brunch, appetizer, entree, dessert, etc).

This was its third year and I swear every year it gets better. It runs through the month of October (this year, it's through October 20th... so only only weekend left!). I can usually only make it up for a weekend, which of course means I spend that weekend partaking in an overindulgent eating marathon.

This year was no exception! I met up with a few friends and together we ate our hearts out in the span of only a day and a half. This is the first of three posts... I'll have appetizers and entrees next and then a post dedicated to desserts.

Like what you see? Visit Sacramento for the Challenge before October 20th, or plan a trip for next year! (If you live in Sac, what are you waiting for?!)

Breakfast and Brunch

Very few places serve breakfast/brunch, but the ones that have it do a great job with it. One of my absolute favorite places to eat every year is Evan's Kitchen. The people working there are always incredibly nice, and the food... oh, the food!

I'm sorry to say I've never been for their dinner courses, only breakfast, but their breakfasts never ever fail to impress. I love to hit up this restaurant first. This year we had their french toast--they offered two varieties: rice crispy french toast with strawberry compote and regular french toast. So yummy!

Vegan Rice Crispy French Toast with Strawberry Compote from Evan's Kitchen

Vegan French Toast from Evan's Kitchen - Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2013

Next year I'm going to try to make it for their lunch or dinner menu for sure!

I hit up Capitol Garage for brunch on the second morning. I'd never been here for brunch and when I originally read the vegan chef challenge item on the menu, I wasn't too excited. However, the Butternut Barley Hash was deliciously surprising! It was tasty and made me feel like I was starting my day off right. I didn't get to make it back for the lunch and dinner menu, but they always have a particularly fantastic dessert, so it's definitely something worth checking out.

Vegan Butternut Barley Hash from Capitol Garage in Sacramento

Taking a step back, I went to The Porch for brunch on the first morning (this was after Evan's... it was a very filling day). They didn't have brunch items on the challenge menu this year, but I tried their vegan banana waffle from the regular menu with a scoop of their vegan cinnamon sage ice cream--which is on the dessert challenge menu. It was superb. The Porch is one of my favorite participants every year. I went back again later on Saturday... twice.

Here's the waffle (ice cream will be in the desserts post)--

Vegan Banana Waffle from The Porch

That was it for the brunch. All of it was great. If I had to pick a favorite, which is REALLY difficult to do, I'd have to give it to Evan's. It's unforgettable.

More posts to come covering appetizers and entrees, then a post on just desserts! Stay tuned.

Vegan Chef Challenge is an annual event in Sacramento that runs through the month of October. Learn more at the Vegan Chef Challenge website and Facebook page.

Check out my other 2013 Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge Posts:

- Appetizers and Entrees
- Desserts (Too Many and Not Enough)