Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) is delighted to announce the 2021 Twin Cities Vegan Comfort Food Challenge! The Comfort Food Challenge is part of the wildly successful Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge. This challenge brings new vegan diners to restaurants and new vegan dishes to diners throughout the month of February.
The challenge supports local restaurants and brings excitement to the Twin Cities takeout food scene. The focus is on comfort food — those dishes that stir our memories of the past or satisfy us when we need extra warmth and care.
What is the Twin Cities Vegan Comfort Food Challenge?
Chefs and Restaurants create one or more vegan main dishes or share featured classics for diners to purchase, enjoy, and rate online throughout February. Some restaurants provide new vegan sides and desserts as well!
Participating restaurants will be promoted via our Vegan Comfort Food 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. All restaurants receive awards, and the Vegan Comfort Food Challenge Champion gets $150 cash!
Discounts are provided for those who register by Dec. 31 as well as those who commit to developing new vegan dishes.
At the end of the challenge, a champion and other winners are selected based on the votes received, so the more restaurants encourage diners to share their experiences, the better for all!
Participating restaurants can be found around the metro area. This year’s Comfort Food Challenge dishes can be tried at the following locations. We’ll be updating dish names as they’re received, and photos will be added by Feb. 8
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Avocadish – Spicy Vegan Sandwich: Paprika mushrooms, spicy avocado hummus, red onion, spinach, cilantro, and cucumber on multigrain. |
| Birchwood Café – Green Curry |
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Black Dog Café |
| Curry In A Hurry – Dal Bowl aka Bangladeshi Soul Food |
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Hard Times – Chick’n Fried Tofu Sandwich |
| Hark! Café – Hot Dish Arancini-— A Sicilian comfort food with a Minnesota spin–deep fried saffron risotto balls stuffed with meaty mushrooms, peas, corn, and cheese. Served with cream of mushroom dipping sauce. |
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Keefer Court Bakery & Café – Kabocha Congee |
| Minneapolis Marinara Inc – Minneapolis Marinara Perfecto-squash filled with vegan meatballs cooked in the delectable Minneapolis Marinara sauce |
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Miss Garrett’s Vegan Soul – Soul Food Platter |
| Namaste Café – Vegan Masala Meatballs in Chili-Tomato Sauce |
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Nightingale – Winter Vegetable Stew with Celery Root-Black Truffle Broth |
| Parkway Pizza: St. Louis Park, Longfellow, NE, & Roseville – Vegavore Pizza and Vegan Artichoke Dip |
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Reverie – Breakfast Burrito, Long Haul Burger, Smoked Gouda Mac ‘n Cheese |
| Root to Rise Kitchen – Fettuccini Alfredo with King Trumpet Scallops, Broccolini and a Caesar Salad |
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Soul Bowl – Vegan Caribe Bowl- vegan hickory smoked chicken, yellow rice and fried plantains. Topped with grilled pineapple, green onions and cilantro. |
| The Naughty Greek– The Ultimate Vegan Pita-Grilled eggplant, zucchini, red bell peppers, oven roasted artichoke hearts, Greek marinated garbanzo beans, salacious eggplant spread, and kale salad wrapped in a garlic roasted grilled pita. Served with side Tabbouleh salad with red wine Vinaigrette dressing. |
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Diners are invited to visit participating restaurants throughout February, 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, below.
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
The Twin Cities Vegan Comfort Food Challenge is part of the wildly successful Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge.
- 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
- 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
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!”