Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) is delighted to announce the 2021 Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge! The challenge brings over 1,000 diners to restaurants and more than 20 new and classic vegan dishes to diners throughout the month of August.

What is the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge?

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Chefs and restaurants create one or more vegan main dishes or share featured classics for diners to purchase, enjoy, and rate online throughout August. Some restaurants provide new vegan sides and desserts as well!

Participating restaurants will be promoted via our Vegan Chef Challenge website, printed literature, social media boosting of the challenge, individuals posting about their meals on social media, and press releases to newspapers and television stations.

At the end of the challenge, a champion and other winners are selected based on the votes received. All restaurants receive awards, and the Vegan Chef Challenge Champion gets $150 cash!

Participating restaurants can be found around the metro area. This year’s Vegan Chef Challenge dishes can be tried at the following locations. We’ll be updating dish names and photos as they’re received.

Diners are invited to visit participating restaurants throughout August, purchase the challenge dishes, enjoy, and then rate their experience online.

Diners can publicly post photos of meals they enjoy on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #tcveganchef and be entered to win a prize from participating restaurants! We’ll choose a new winner each week and announce the winners on our social media channels.

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Invite friends and family to join you in trying out all-vegan specials created for the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge. That’s right—you can help animals just by eating out with friends. If you or your friends want to try a full veg lifestyle, you can also take the fun and free 21-day Explore Veg Challenge to get a free downloadable recipe and shopping guide, daily tips by email, and an online support group!

Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge in the News

• Fox 9 The Buzz, August 2021
• The Star Tribune in July 2021
• On MPR’s Appetites – New vegan options show growing interests at restaurants
• Kare 11 News – Namaste Cafe on the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge
• Restaurants Get Creative in the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge | Twin Cities Magazine
• Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge and Root To Rise on WCCO 4 News
• The Plant-Based Beard dines at Shish
• Bite-Sized Beet on the 2020 Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge
• The Jason Show – New restaurant Avocadish promotes #tcveganchef and their luscious Sweet N’ Spicy Bowl
• Mistress Ginger dines at Namaste Cafe
• Kare 11 – The Naughty Greek shares favalafel secrets and the scoop on #tcveganchef
• Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine – The Feed | July 31, 2020 and July 30, 2021
• Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge on Fox 9 News
• The St. Paul Pioneer Press in January 2020 and October 2019
• The Growler
• Twin Cities Chamber of Commerce Blog
• The Bite-Sized Beet
• Food Service News
• Mistress Ginger
• Keeping Up with Coco & Lala

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Here’s what we heard from voters in past challenges:

• “I love this vegan chef challenge and appreciate all who participate!”
• “The Vegan Chef Challenge dish was the only vegan item on the menu. We live in the neighborhood but always have to drive to a vegan destination. We’d frequent this restaurant if they added a few vegan options.” 
• “It’s the best thing I ever had there. Very satisfying and balanced and colorful and just great.” 
• “Might have been the best thing I’ve eaten all year. Amazing.”
• “By far the best vegan food I have ever put in my mouth!”