This fall, six restaurants in the Raleigh area will compete in the Oak City Vegan Challenge (OCVC). This three-week-long competition is designed to promote healthy eating and support locally restaurants while making more room for everyone at the table. From September 12 through October 1, Raleigh chefs will put their culinary talents to the test by appealing to the taste buds of the rapidly-growing vegan community.
Participating eating establishments include Parkside, Berkeley Café, Irregardless Café, Neomonde Bakery & Deli, ORO Restaurant & Lounge and Sitti Authentic Lebanese Restaurant. Each contestant will feature one vegan menu item. Restaurant-goers will enter to win prizes by patronizing the eateries who feature vegan dishes, and by sharing pictures via social media. Gourmet connoisseurs will hop from restaurant to restaurant and vote on their favorite dishes.
“For those of us committed to the plant-based lifestyle, the only option when eating out is often a salad or French fries,” says lead OCVC organizer Natasha McLean. “Many vegans are foodies, and we’re very active on social media. That’s why word spreads like wildfire when a local restaurant takes the initiative to create something delicious and vegan! When businesses make the effort to support our community, we band together to support them. We put this together to show local restaurants how easy it is to make room for everyone at the table.”
The OCVC comes in the wake of the popular and successful Bull City Vegan Challenge (BCVC) that took place in Durham this past April. The BCVC featured various Durham eateries, including challenge winner Guglhupf, Luna Rotisserie and Empanadas, and Rise Biscuits and Donuts among others. All three of these restaurants have expanded their vegan options since the challenge. Rise’s North Raleigh location is now featuring a vegan sausage biscuit.
Triangle Vegfest and The Fiction Kitchen have joined the OCVC as Community Partners. Winners will be announced at the third annual Triangle Vegfest, an plant-based festival, which will take place on October 15th and 16th with a projected attendance of 5,000. Updates will be posted on the Facebook page at Facebook.com/OakCityVegan. Event information can be found on the OCVC website at OakCityVeganChallenge.com.
