Plant-based family-friendly eats in NorCal

The Flowerchild at Jack’s Urban Eats arugula, superfood greens, farro, spiced chickpeas, sweet potato, pickled onion, and caramelized seeds, oranges and cilantro lime vinaigrette. --CONTRIBUTED

On our recent trip to Northern California (NorCal), my kids and I were excited to explore the region’s vegan offerings. Our food trip began on our Philippine Airlines flight to San Francisco, where we pre-ordered vegan meals, including a nut-free one for my peanut-allergic son. Perk: When you choose vegan meals, you get served first. Standout: adlai champorado. Fail: our Manila-bound flight meal had salmon.

We were spoiled for choice with the fresh bounty of NorCal produce, especially the strawberries in season. Here’s our list of hits and misses for plant-based travelers headed the same way:

Vegan restos

San Francisco: We had breakfast of oatmeal and avocado huevos rancheros at Brothers Cafe. A must-stop was Dandelion Chocolate, where I picked up a few of their top-quality bars plus their only vegan pastry, carrot cake. It was extraordinary, with flavors deep and complex.

Fair Oaks: We had the best affordable options at Sunflower Drive-In, where the non-vegans among us enjoyed the vegetarian offerings at this iconic restaurant (established in 1978). Most famous for its nut burger, a nutmeat patty served on a whole wheat bun with sauce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, romaine, and sprouts, it was also available junior-sized on the kids’ menu. I loved how their kids’ offerings were healthy, tasty and flexible with the sides: vegan cookies, veggie sticks or fruit, unsweetened juices or alt milks.

Rocklin: At Zest Kitchen, nachos are huge: organic corn chips, nut-free nacho cheez, seasoned black beans, bell pepper, lettuce, cashew lime sour creme and jalapeños. The veggie burger was a flavorful patty of sprouted beans and veggies, cashew cheddar, grilled onions, tomato and lettuce on a sesame bun, with a mint chip cookie and a chai tea coconut shake. The chipotle tacos were tasty: three organic corn tortillas with chipotle garbanzos, lime-cilantro cabbage slaw, cashew lime sour cream and cilantro.

Palo Alto: We lunched al fresco at Local Union 271. We ate roasted Brussels sprouts with carrots and candied walnuts, turmeric-roasted “Cali-Flower” with Calabrian chili oil, Green Goddess dressing, pumpkin seeds and lime, a Buddha bowl with Coke Farms asparagus, avocado, organic kale, tricolor quinoa, edamame, garbanzos, pickled red onion, cauliflower and turmeric-dill coulis, and a vegan lemongrass curry with local vegetables, carrots, broccoli and brown rice, all worth the splurge.

At Salt & Straw ice cream, the strawberry coconut water sorbet was refreshing, while vegan flavors freckled mint Tcho chocolate chip and peanut butter chocolate were rich and creamy.

Davis: The kids enjoyed the bottomless chip and salsa bar at Guads; the “soyrizo” quesadillas were memorable.

Folsom: BAD Bakers sells Filipino baked goods. Their vegan donuts are cake-like, not yeast-based. The cherry was just sweet, the glazed was okay and the chocolate tasted best.

Buddha bowl with Coke Farms asparagus, avocado, organic kale, tricolor quinoa, edamame, garbanzos, pickled red onion, cauliflower and turmeric-dill coulis at Local Union 271.

At Mendocino Farms, we veganized Mama Chen’s Chinese Tofu Salad by substituting the chicken with organic marinated baked tofu, Napa cabbage and kale slaw with carrots and bean sprouts, baby spinach, chopped romaine, scallions, cilantro, toasted cashews, crispy wontons with miso mustard sesame dressing.

We enjoyed vegan versions of tandoor roti, chai tea, dosa, pakora and tikka masala at Sanskrit New Age Indian restaurant.

The vegan pizza we had at Slice House by 13-time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani was the best we had in the US. It’s also the most expensive, at almost P2,000 a pie.

I loved The Flowerchild at Jack’s Urban Eats: arugula, superfood greens, farro, spiced chickpeas, sweet potato, pickled onion, and caramelized seeds. Subbed the avocado with oranges and the hot honey harissa with cilantro lime vinaigrette instead.

When the non-vegans wanted an all-American diner experience, we trooped to Mel’s Diner, where we had the sole vegan option: a burger, which wasn’t bad.

Handel’s ice cream also carried decent vegan flavors: strawberry, mango and chocolate.

At Taiko Sushi, we had agedashi tofu, edamame, and vegan rock-‘n’-roll sushi: rice rolls stuffed with vegan cream cheese, avocado, vegan spicy mayo, tofu and sesame seeds.

Not much to expect at Folsom Thai Cuisine, where we had a complimentary salad, a noodle dish that masqueraded as pad thai, and overpriced fried tofu.

Vegan ‘pasalubong’

These items are great to eat during your stay or to take back home:

Costco: Stock up on Impossible chick’n nuggets, burger patties, almond butter, Nuttzo, maple syrup and Royal Asia vegetable spring rolls with edamame and soy ginger sauce.

Grocery Outlet: Discovered this gem that sells soon-to-expire items from food to toiletries. Found stuff that’s out of stock in official stores, like Miyoko’s liquid mozzarella (featured in Netflix’s “You Are What You Eat”). Good for a few months were Nestle Toll House plant-based chocolate chips, Nuttzo organic chocolate nut and seed butter, and chocolate brands like Hu, all reasonably priced. Divvie’s vegan and nut-free cookies, Daiya frozen pizza and pasta, and many ice cream bars were a week away from expiry and were deeply discounted.

Michael’s: Lindt’s oat milk bars are bland, but its Lindor version retains the experience of its non-vegan counterpart, and this craft store was the only place we found it. Pop a piece of this creamy chocolate ball half filled with ganache in your mouth and wait for the hollow membrane to collapse and explode on your tongue.

Target: This place has an extensive plant-based frozen section with Gardein ultimate plant-based chick’n fillets, pasta, and Be’f and Broccoli in ginger tamari sauce bowls, Morning Star Farms chick’n patties, and So Delicious vegan ice cream (cashew or coconut milk in salted caramel cluster, mint chip and dark chocolate truffle).

Trader Joe’s: Love their frozen vegan items like Japanese-style fried rice with edamame, tofu and hijiki seaweed, Korean bulgogi, stir-fried vegetables (fresh and frozen) and riced cauliflower stir-fry with green peas, red peppers, grilled corn, tamari, spring onions, sesame oil and ginger. Also yummy: the instant boba kit (microwave a pouch of frozen boba, add plant milk and ice; straw included). Allergic to peanuts? Dark chocolate sunflower seed butter cups are a great alternative to Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Whole Foods: Expensive but has unique items like safer floss, Jack’s Bakery fudgy brownie bites and vegan chocolate chip cookies. Carries many vegan items like mallows and chocolates like Tcho creamy oat milk chocolate with plant-based toffee and sea salt (does not disappoint!).

WinCo: Oddly, the only grocery in the area with soy milk, this is where we bought Silk, Beyond alt meats, Earth Balance and Miyoko’s spreads. Lots of nuts and seeds in bulk bins.