Get ready for the Yolo County Vegan Chef Challenge set for the full month of April 1st through 30th, 2023, with BRAND NEW vegan options all over Yolo County! Restaurants throughout the Yolo County area will feature special vegan menu items. Diners have the opportunity to go out, enjoy meals, vote, comment, and post photos of the delicious vegan meals they ordered. There are eight locations in Davis so far, one in Winters, and one in West Sacramento. This year’s challenge theme is Go Green, Yolo! Organizers will be encouraging diners to consider plant-based for the environment.

Visit the Yolo Vegan Chef Challenge webpage for updates!

COOL Cuisine Hosting VCC Meetups

COOL Cuisine is supporting the Vegan Chef Challenge (VCC) by hosting a Meetup on Monday, April 3, 6pm. RSVP and get details here: https://www.meetup.com/cool-cuisine/events/292227997/

Second Vegan Chef Challenge Meetup added!
Restaurant: Red Noodle 88 in Davis
Date: April 18, 2023
Time: 6:00pm
RSVP needed if you want us to save you a seat with the group.
You can RSVP on Meetup.com  or on the Facebook event.

Also, if you’ll be on campus for Picnic Day this weekend, several dining options are available (as listed on the Vegan Chef Challenge website). The food sounds really great! According to COOL Cuisine organizer Anya McCann, the Vegan Chef Challenge is like the Burger Battle held in Davis in 2019 when over 5000 plant based burgers were sold in one month (read more about the battle).

Anya hopes Yolo-ites can use this as an excuse to go out to eat!

COOL Cuisine is a Cool Davis working group, partner, and Coalition member.

 

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge in October

A Vegan Chef Challenge will be held in Sacramento this coming October, 2023. For more info: https://www.sacveganchefchallenge.com/

What is the Vegan Chef Challenge?

The Vegan Chef Challenge (VCC) is a month-long event showcasing new vegan menu items created by chefs at local restaurants. Typically, ten to thirty restaurants take part and the dining public is encouraged to vote for their favorite dishes. The majority of restaurants keep at least one popular vegan item on their regular menu after the challenge concludes.

The Vegan Chef Challenge began in 2010 when Eleni Vlachos sadly noted the limited vegan options in Durham, NC. Her omnivore friend, Chef Shirle, suggested, “Chefs love a contest. Make it a challenge.” The Vegan Chef Challenge was born. To read more about the first VCC in Durham, visit “How the “Bull City” Vegan Chef Challenge began.

On the west coast, Bethany Davis was so impressed with Eleni’s work in Durham that she brought the VCC to Sacramento, CA in 2011. Her yearly Sacramento VCCs caught the attention of Vegan Outreach, who saw the huge value of adding more vegan options to restaurants. Vegan Outreach now supports Vegan Chef Challenges across the nation. With the interest from other countries, we hope to soon have VCCs across the globe!

Where do I find participating restaurants and when are they serving vegan food?

This is a community event and it takes place at each participating restaurant throughout each city. There is no central event location. Visit the National Vegan Chef Challenge website and click on the links to visit the VCC in your town.

Don’t see your town on the list and want to organize your own Vegan Chef Challenge? Please visit Start a Challenge to find out how to be a VCC organizer.

How much does the event ticket cost?

You do not need to purchase a special event ticket to enjoy the VCC. Just go to participating VCC restaurants and ask for their Vegan Chef Challenge menu. After you enjoy it, vote!

Where do I vote?

Visit the national Vegan Chef Challenge website and scroll to the city you’re visiting. The link to vote will be on their website.