MIDDLETOWN — Chef Steve Tenneson”s father was a Norwegian farm boy and a heavy meat eater.
“We are on two different ends of the spectrum; my goal was to create a place and an environment in which we could both sit down and have a meal together,” Tenneson said.
Working toward that goal, Tenneson opened Chef Steve”s and The Kings Table, both of which are vegan restaurants. The two share a location in an older Victorian-style house, located at 21278 Calistoga Road in Middletown.
The Kings Table, open Sunday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., features a relaxed atmosphere. Upon entering, guests merely order their lunch through a service window separating the dining area and kitchen, then sit back and enjoy themselves. From there, lunch is cooked and brought by a server. This distinctive service plan aids in a quicker meal which benefits guests, as the majority are on a lunch hour and therefore have a time constraint.
Lunch items include air fries, hand salads and the Western Fakon Cheeseburger. Air fries are cooked with hot air as opposed to grease. The burger is made up of vegetables, oats and seeds and topped with tofu as opposed to bacon, Tenneson said. Hand salads are merely salads wrapped in raw rice paper or spring roll wrapper.
Chef Steve”s, open Sunday to Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., boasts a concept new to Lake County.
Fifth-dimensional dining is the focus for this formal dinner setting. Tenneson explains that the majority of restaurants work on the theory of three-dimensional dining. Three-dimensional dining focuses on flavor, aroma and texture. Although these are the basics, he adds presentation and nutrition to create the fifth-dimensional concept.
A popular dinner item is the Lasagna Poblano, Tenneson said. The poblano was created as a version of a chili relleno. The twist on the classic dish is that it is made in layers.
Sometimes it really is the little things that count. For instance, there is no black pepper in house. Black pepper is a digestive irritant; therefore cayenne pepper is used in its place. The pepper has the ability to prevent ulcers and also effectively open and drain congested nasal passages.
Whole grain, wheat bread is baked in house, with the option of gluten-free as well. In fact, from sauces and salsa to raw vegan cheesecake, almost everything is made in house, Tenneson said.
In place of coffee, the restaurant serves Bueno, a coffee substitute made with garbanzo beans that has no caffeine or harmful additives.
Tenneson”s goal is to develop the restaurant to house a cooking school and seminars focusing on nutrition.
Not only does Tenneson have the sole vegan restaurant in Lake County, but as of April, he owns the only CreekClipper in the county as well. A CreekClipper is an electric vehicle charging station. The station is on the restaurant”s property, free-of-charge and available to the public.
For information or to make reservations call 809-7060 or visit www.ktvegan.com. For dinner parties of three or more, reservations are recommended.
