Interested in seeing what our local chefs can do without any animal products? Two local women, Chef Shirlé Hale-Koslowski and Eleni Vlachos, contacted us to let us know about an interesting food challenge they are putting together for our dining scene. They are challenging several Durham restaurants to add a vegan appetizer, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert to their menus for the month of October, and then asking diners to try them out and vote for their favorite dishes online. A winner will be declared in early November, and perhaps some restaurants and chefs will see a benefit to adding vegan options to their menus.

The catch? Chefs must stay away from the fall-back dishes for these categories. No hummus and veggie platters, french fries, portabella or eggplant sandwiches and steaks, veggie burgers, or standard chocolate cakes will be allowed. I think that’s awesome, in no small part because I can’t stand mushrooms, and though not a vegan, I love trying experimental cuisine. I can’t wait to see what our chefs come up with. Participating restaurants thus far will be Toast, Rue Cler, Piedmont, Beyu Caffé, the Federal, Dos Perros, Nosh, and Alivia’s Bistro, but more participants are still being confirmed. If you are a restaurant owner or chef and interested in signing up, contact the organizers at bullcityveganchallenge@gmail.com.

I knew Chef Shirlé—who’s a personal chef, food blogger, and member of the band Free Electric State—had started the monthly vegan brunches at the Pinhook, which I posted about a few weeks ago, but I didn’t know that she’s not vegan, either, so I asked her why she’s so passionate about promoting vegan options in the area. She’s excited about it because she feels that our vegan population is underserved by the area’s restaurants, and she’d like to call attention to the demand that there is here for vegetarian and vegan fare. I also asked her to elaborate on why she likes to cook vegan meals. She said, “As a personal chef, I deal daily with my clients’ likes and dislikes, allergies and dietary restrictions, so making food taste like something it’s not is a specialty of mine. I like the challenge, and I like to make peoples tummies’ happy . . . Some might argue that they are not being true to themselves, as a chef, by cooking without foods that they feel at home with, but I truly believe that being a good chef is to be ABLE to prepare a meal for those that are diet- restricted, and that this should be expected, just like when you invite friends for dinner and have to omit something because someone is allergic. You’re not going to just slap down a salad for them while everyone else eats filet. That would be rude.”

Eleni is a vegan and she blogs on developing vegan versions of mainstream dishes. She’s been voted a Durham Neighborhood Hero in the past, is half of the indie-rock duo Beloved Binge, and is also a documentarian. Yes, this means that the Bull City Vegan Challenge is going to be made into a documentary, so keep an eye out for the woman with the camera when you’re trying the chefs’ creations! She just might want to record your reactions, if you’re willing.

For more information, you can check out their facebook page, follow them on twitter @BC_VC, or check out the challenge’s website, which is still under construction.

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