Ring in Veganuary with the inaugural Raleigh Vegan Chef Challenge.
Move over, Dry January—there’s a new health-focused challenge helping us kick off the new year, and it has the potential to inspire a plant-astic lifestyle change.
Starting Jan. 1 and lasting through the end of the month, the Raleigh Vegan Chef Challenge invites both local chefs and residents to give vegan eats a try. Participating restaurants will showcase delicious plant-based dishes created specifically for the event, while diners in the community will show their support by eating out, sampling the options and voting for their faves online, with the winning dishes announced in early February.
“As a food justice activist, I was looking for ways to grow awareness in my city about the benefits of plant-based eating,” says local organizer Colleen Kane of Veganspired. “In my search for outreach opportunities, I came across the Vegan Chef Challenge. This now-national challenge began in Durham in 2010, when Eleni Vlachos noted the limited vegan options available. Her friend, a chef, encouraged her to come up with a contest to pique chefs’ interests.”
The concept eventually caught the attention of Sacramento, California-based nonprofit Vegan Outreach, which now supports and facilitates Vegan Chef Challenges in over 30 cities nationally, with more slated to debut in 2024.
The monthlong stretch coincides with international “Veganuary” campaigns, in which people across the globe take up 30-day vegan challenges, as well as the restaurant industry’s usual post-holiday sales slump.
“January is a popular month for people to try new things and take steps to improve their lives,” shares Roberta “Birdie” Celebrano, Vegan Outreach’s assistant Vegan Chef Challenge coordinator. “By featuring delicious vegan food, local businesses participating in the Raleigh VCC not only appeal to those seeking a lifestyle change, but also tap into the burgeoning plant-based market, which boosts their sales in a typically slow month. It’s a fantastic opportunity to entice both loyal patrons and curious foodies who might not have visited before.”
Local faves including Sassool, Gringo A Go Go and 13 Tacos & Taps have already signed on to compete in the buzzy challenge, with more restos expected to join in the creative fun (see the full list of participants here).
“Restaurants that already have at least some vegan and vegetarian options have been more inclined to participate, as they already carry ingredients to make simple swaps like a plant-based butter for dairy butter, or tofu for meat,” explains Kane. “Among those who can’t participate this year for logistical reasons, quite a few have already requested to be invited next year.” She adds, “as plant-based eating becomes more and more popular, restaurants that have no or very few options will realize they need to adapt to keep up with the competition.”
Both Celebrano and Kane are excited for what the next month holds for the City of Oaks. “People who are veg-curious, environmentalist or health-conscious will be delighted to see these new plant-based options debut at local restaurants,” Kane maintains. “Often, people think moving to a plant-based diet means giving something up. But with innovation that replicates the familiar texture and flavor of animal products or invites you to explore new foods, you don’t miss out on a thing, and can even enjoy expanding your culinary horizons.” Sounds like the perfect “veganning” to a healthy new year!
This past year was an interesting one for Raleigh’s food and bev scene. We saw many longtime faves shutter permanently (RIP Humble Pie and The Rockford, to name just a couple), making way for a bounty of new businesses to emerge (hey, Ajja, Madre and Peggy’s, among many others!). Plus, naturally, a cast of sup spots had us coming back again and again—namely our 25 Best Restaurants of 2023 (*wink wink*).
It’s safe to say the City of Oaks is a hotbed for hospitality covering all types of cuisine, budgets, trends, etc.—and we couldn’t have been more spoiled tasting and sipping our way through it all. Here, the bites and bevs that particularly wowed us this year.
“Lobster shumai at multicultural masterpieceM Test Kitchen—one of RM’s best burb restos of 2023 for a reason. The food that comes out of mastermind Michael Lee’s kitchens—never mind at the hands of master Michelin-pedigreed executive chef Connor Johnson—isn’t even food. It’s pure epicurean poetry. … For spirts, I’m a sucker for whatever marg spin Lily and company are concocting at Willco.” —Melissa Howsam, Editor-in-Chief, @mahowsam
“An octopus tostada dish from Stanbury was my fave dish from 2023—and hands-down the best octopus I’ve ever had! RM’s best resto of the year never disappoints. 😉 My fave drink probably came from Willco!” —Lauren Kruchten, Associate Editor, @laurenn_nicol
“The octopus from Madre is a clear winner for me!” —Anna Beth Adcock, Editorial Assistant, @_annabethadcock
“Rabbit ravioli this past spring at Cucciolo—and, to drink, the Adictivo tequila olive oil and rosemary margarita at RM’s The Cocktail Classic!” —Debby Serena, Account Executive
“Whipped sheep’s cheese from Barcelona Wine Bar! It’s so delicious with honey and nuts as a garnish.” —Cameron Rhinehardt, Account Executive, @camrht
“A Grandchamp Hospitality x Heights House dinner! Gorgeous setting, fascinating people and truly unbeatable food. I’ve had some great meals this year, but immediately point to this as my No. 1!” —Eric Ginsburg, Contributing Writer, @eric_ginsburg
“The burgers from Standard!” —Carlee Nilphai, Contributing Writer
“One of my favorite things I’ve drank this year has been the horchata at Chido Taco’s new location on Fayetteville Street! I live nearby, and it’s a delicious little afternoon treat.” —Rabekah Henderson, Contributing Writer
“East End Bistrot. My goodness, what incredible cuisine. So excited to have chef William & co. in Raleigh!” —Forrest Mason, Contributing Photographer, @fmasonmedia
“The gnocchi at Mulino! Best I’ve ever had.” —Sean Junqueira, Contributing Photographer
“(ish) Delicatessen’s Sloppy SPO is just killer. When it’s available, it’s not to be missed! And I love the familiar atmosphere there.” —Joshua Steadman, Contributing Photographer, Steady Film, @steadyfilm
Here to sprout an obsession, Raleigh restaurants’ spins on Brussels
I’m not gonna lie—I hated Brussels sprouts until my sophomore year of college. Like most of my peers, my childhood experiences with the cruciferous veg were not the best (think soft, overcooked and ~moist~). … Fast-forward to today, and I’m a sprouts superfan. Though I hate cooking them at home because I can never get the texture right, I will always order Brussels if I spot them on a local menu. Here, some standouts around town.
Wye Hill Who knew everything bagel seasoning would pair perfectly with Brussels?! After tasting these bad boys, you’ll never want sprouts another way—NTM the fromage blanc is to die for. wyehill.com
MOFU Shoppe If crispy sprouts are your love language, MOFU’s are gonna be your weakness. These are fried with tofu puffs, tossed in sweet chile sauce and served on a bed of creme fraiche. Talk about a well-balanced app. mofushoppe.com
Tazza Kitchen Everything’s better with bacon, and the bourbon bacon jam on Tazza’s crispy brick-oven sprouts are a total game changer. Try to have just one—I dare ya. tazzakitchen.com
ORO The hearty veg gets an Asian treatment with the likes of soy sauce, ginger and garlic—plus a fiery kick thanks to chile flakes. Spice, spice, baby! ororaleigh.com
Whiskey Kitchen Saucy (hey, pop glaze!) and oh-so-crispy, Whiskey’s Brussels are a real crowd-pleaser—easy to share and pairing perfectly with a bev. whiskey.kitchen
Bella Monica Sweet meets savory in this Italian resto’s fan-fave sprouts, tossed in balsamic brown butter and topped with pancetta. bellamonica.com
Coquette Brasserie The best way to eat your veggies? With bacon lardons, pearl onions, orange sherry vinaigrette and creme fraiche, natch. coquetteraleigh.com
What to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers, as recommended by local chefs.
There are two types of people when it comes to Thanksgiving leftovers: Those who can eat the same heated-up meal for a week on repeat, and those who need a remainders refresh. If you’re of the latter and looking for some fresh inspo for your food, well, refresh… we’ve gotcha covered. We tapped local chefs for their creative solutions for Thanksgiving #leftoverlife. Stay hungry!
“I really love soup, so that’s always a natural fit for me to put leftovers to good use. I take all of the carved-up turkey bones and drippings from the pan and make a nice, rich, roasted stock by covering the bones with water and tossing in whatever mirepoix veg has survived the holiday in my fridge. I make a soup with this stock and some remaining turkey meat, leftover braised greens (usually collards in our house on Thanksgiving), and a can of the Muir Glen organic diced fire-roasted tomatoes (juice and all). Super simple and really foolproof. You can also throw some beans or pasta into this to bulk it up into a heavier experience, but after the decadence of Thanksgiving, I prefer the lighter route.
Another idea: We always serve a delicious cornbread dressing at our Thanksgiving, based on my mom’s grandma’s recipe. It’s really delicious day-of on its own, but I like to flex it into a post-Thanksgiving baked oyster. I work it (from fridge temp) into a crumbled texture, and I mix in a little sausage or bacon with one egg. Then I spoon that onto freshly shucked oysters on the half-shell and bake them at 400 for about 8–10 minutes. It makes a great game-day snack for what is usually the post-Thanksgiving football showdown between UNC and my alma mater, NC State (GO PACK!!! 🐺).”
“My favorite Thanksgiving leftover hack is thanks to my mother-in-law. She always made these crusty little ‘balls’ from leftover dressing. I embellished them a little.
Take leftover dressing/stuffing and mix in one egg and a little melted butter. With a small scoop or a large spoon, flatten a little disc onto your palm, put a small piece of sharp cheese (cheddar or aged provolone etc) in the center and roll into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or a sprayed mini-muffin tin and bake at 350 until crusty on the outside and hot and set on the inside. Serve while still hot with cranberry sauce and some spiced nuts. So delicious!”
“Make green bean casserole risotto. This is a lot of fun because risotto is a lovely dish—and a perfect outlet for using your leftover green bean casserole, an otherwise unused leftover side dish. I have purposely omitted salt as most people use a can of cream of mushroom soup which can be salty. But, if you taste your risotto at the 25-minute mark and it needs seasoning, by all means, add a pinch of salt. You can also add other leftovers if you have some, such as asparagus, mushrooms, bacon or ham pieces, etc. Don’t forget to have fun and cook with your heart.
Start by cooking 2 cups of Arborio rice over medium-high heat in 1/4 cup olive oil for about 5 minutes. The edges of the rice should be translucent. Add 1 cup of white wine (whatever you have leftover from the night before will be fine). Allow most of the wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in warm water half a cup at a time (if you have vegetable or chicken stock left, use it up). Keep adding water/stock every couple of minutes and stir constantly. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly reduce heat to medium-low. After around 25 minutes, check the consistency of the rice. It should be al dente. Stir in 2 cups of your leftover green bean casserole. If you have less than that don’t worry, you’ll be just fine. Cook for another 5 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of Parmesan or pecorino gradually. There you go! Now you have a delicious risotto for dinner.
“I make a cranberry chutney with fresh ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and oranges for Thanksgiving, and my favorite thing to do is make turnovers with it the next morning for breakfast. Fill an all-butter puff pastry with whipped cream cheese and cranberry chutney, brush with egg wash, and bake at 410 degrees. Serve warm.”
“Make some turkey dumplings! Shred the leftover meat and mix with gravy—add some chopped veggies in there too if you have any. If you’re too lazy you can buy the dough already done and assemble at least 25. Pan-sear and finish them up with a flour wash in the bottom of the pan to create a crusty situation. Make a spicy cranberry dipping sauce and you’re ready to go!”
Raleigh has arrived. As the No. 3 best place to live in the country, our fine City of Oaks has certainly had a growth spurt in the last few years. People from all over come to visit—and live here—for our incredible food and beverage selects, vibrant arts and culture scene, fantastic parks, and more. And you know you’ve really made it when you’re surrounded by luxe offerings at a relatively high price point—and we’re not just talking real estate. Here, we round up some of the most expensive retail, F&B, and splurgeworthy ops in the city. While some might not choose to spend their money on these arguable luxuries, these top-dollar items are here if you want them. Or chalk one or two up in your “what I’d buy if I won the lottery” wish list. A girl/guy can dream, right?!
Aspire to live large a la the Rose family in Schitt’s Creek—before they lost everything, of course—via a $7 million home in Raleigh’s North Ridge neighborhood.
