Anchorage Vegan Chef Challenge

The Anchorage Vegfest and Vegan Outreach kicked off the Anchorage Vegan Chef Challenge on March 1. Restaurants across the Anchorage and Girdwood area are taking part in the challenge.

The Anchorage Vegan Chef Challenge is a month-long event where restaurants feature new vegan options that anyone can order. Patrons can submit photos of the foods to the challenge website for a chance to win a prize along with being able to vote for your favorite vegan meal.

As a nonvegan, I wanted to try some of the meals to see if the food would live up to its praise, and if these options, typically considered to be satisfying “alternatives,” should be mainstays on the menu.

I set out on my food journey where they all start in Anchorage — Bear Tooth. I went to the grill side because of my interest in their Black Bean Burger. After eating it, I can say with 100% confidence that it should stay on the menu. 

While the first bite was slightly dry, the rest of the burger was full of flavor and texture. The ciabatta bun was soft and delicious. The chipotle cashew crema added a nice heat to the burger, and the black bean burger patty had a great texture and a flavor that blended well with everything else on the burger.

The avocado slices accompanied the burger with rich flavor, providing texture and taste — along with fats — that you’re used to in a “traditional” meat hamburger. All together, the burger was incredibly delicious.

I followed the Black Bean Burger burger with their dessert option, the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Torte. It’s hard to make something with ice cream that tastes bad.  This is certainly no exception to that rule.

The blend of flavors between chocolate, salted caramel cashew and coffee go together  quite well. The layers of ice cream and crust make it a tasty dessert. 

Wild Scoops had a fantastic dessert option; the Brownie à la Mode and vegan fudge topping. I ordered the dessert with a chocolate and coffee flavored vegan ice cream, which helped cut through the richness of the brownie.

With the combination of hot desserts and cold ice cream being unbeaten, the Brownie à la Mode is a must-try option. Wild Scoops also has the vegan Vanilla Dreamwich, a vegan ice cream sandwich.

If you want a delicious vegan pastry option, look no further than The Flaky Pastry pop-up. One option is their  decadent Lamington Cronut — a vegan croissant donut dipped in chocolate. The Bakewell Tart bar consists of a raspberry jam, shortbread and almond frangipane. Finally, their almond and blueberry stuffed Galette des Rois is heavenly, making it hard not to devour these pastries.

I am a sucker for a good rice bowl, and I found one at Spenard Roadhouse. Their Crispy Tofu Power Bowl was packed full of tofu, assorted vegetables — including kale and shaved brussels sprouts — along with an abundance of jasmine rice. 

This meal is enough food to serve two, but it’s hard to stop eating it when you’re halfway through. Each bite features a perfectly balanced mix of textures and spices. This makes putting down the fork feel impossible — even when you’re full. 

If you’re looking for a coffee-and-meal combination, swing by Dark Horse Coffee Company off F Street. Their Biscoff Oatmeal Latte has thick oats, a house-made Biscoff syrup and all the makings of a delicious hot latte mixed into a single cup, topped with a Biscoff pecan crumble.

Finally, 49th State Brewing is where everyone should go for tacos and gyros. Their yam tacos are full of spice, encased in a crunchy shell. Their gyro features jackfruit and tzatziki flavors in every bite. Both are nice options because they aren’t too heavy and leave room to enjoy one of the many in-house beverages at the brewery.

If I had to pick one meal as my favorite during this challenge, it would be the Black Bean Burger at Bear Tooth Grill. I would also have to go for the Brownie à la Mode for dessert at Wild Scoops. 

All the dishes and drinks on this list were exquisite. I look forward to seeing what foods win the voting for the official challenge. I’m already looking forward to trying next year’s selection of foods.