Chicago Vegan Chef Showdown Declares Champion

Last weekend, hundreds of people congregated at The Beauty Bar in Chicago for the second annual Vegan Chef Showdown, endorsed by animal-welfare organization Mercy For Animals and alternative meat company Upton’s Naturals. Battling for the title of Best Vegan Chef, which was ultimately won by Andrea’s Alternative Cuisine’s Andrea Cataldo, eight Chicago-based meat- and dairy-free chefs whipped up their best eats for a panel of judges and guests. Some of the food entries in the running included Enchilada Pizza, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Chinese Dumplings, and Maple-Marinated Seitan. Raffle prizes for the event included gifts from The Chicago Diner, Vega, Ethically Engineered, and Herbivore.