Iowa City: A True Gem in the Heartland

What I love most about Iowa City is that it is always evolving.  Perhaps it’s a product of being a college town.  Like the youth who appear there every fall, it grows with the times.  While one may think that we want our beloved places to stay the same, I love Iowa City because it changes, because it is revitalized, because when I visit I have something new to discover.

A liberal anomaly in the middle of farm country, Iowa City maintains bustling bookstores, coffee shops where friends mingle over hot beverages, and the smell of curry wafts out of Masala Indian Vegetarian Restaurant.  The downtown pedestrian mall, which bustles with students and locals in the spring, was rather empty on the frigid December day when I visited.

While on holiday I had the pleasure of dining at The Red Avocado, the state’s lone vegan restaurant.  In the daytime the restaurant is earthy and comfortable; at night with candles lit and a fire burning, it becomes moody and romantic.  We were there for happy hour, and they were serving a limited menu, in addition to wine, hot teas, tisanes, and coffee.

A cup of Lentil & Tomato Soup: $3.75

A cup of Coconut Corn Soup: $3.75

We ordered a deliciously creamy soy latte and cup of tea to thaw the chill of winter in our bones and followed that with a hot cup of soup for good measure.  I had the soup of the day, which was a lentil and tomato soup.  A cup of soup is $3.75 and a bowl is $6.50.  The spices were reminiscent of chili with just the right amount of seasoning.  Usually at home I make chili with several kinds of beans, but I’ll definitely be making my own lentil chili in the future after trying Red Avocado’s.

David had the Thai-inspired, Red Avocado-original, Coconut Corn Soup.  This sweet and creamy soup had bites of heat as it blended rich coconut milk with sweet corn, hot sauce, and tamari.

Iowa Barley and Black Bean Salad: $9.00

We then shared the Iowa Barley and Black Bean Salad.  A small salad is $5.00, and the full salad is $9.00.  On a bed of salad greens rested black beans, corn, tomatoes, and onions spiced with cumin and garlic, lime juice and jalepeno.   The salad was delicious, but on that icy day it would have been even better if the toppings had been warm over the salad greens.

After our bellies were satiated and spirits revived, we meandered across the street to the New Pioneer Co-op, the town’s natural foods store.  (Isn’t it telling that we call these types of places “natural foods stores”?  I think we should start calling conventional grocery stores selling products laden in high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, and hydrogenated oils their more appropriate name instead:  unnatural foods stores.)

The Co-op has a small deli counter in the back with both vegan and non-vegan options.  At their Coralville location they have a full seating area as well.  The Co-op sells freshly baked bread, fresh produce, a wide array of hummus, dolmas, dry and frozen goods, alcohol, and vegan specialty products.

I’d heard online about Vegan Cow cheeses, which are cashew-based cheeses made locally and sold at the Co-op, and I was eager to try their brie.   The brie is reminiscent of the Real Food Daily cheese in their cookbook.  Because of the agar-agar used as a coagulant it has a slightly gelatinous look, but the texture is creamy, especially when served warm.  The cheese is fairly mild on its own, and I think it would be best served with caramelized onions and thinly sliced apple or persimmon in a quesadilla or covered in preserves and warmed in a puff pastry.    (Vegan Cow cheeses are made at Fair Grounds Coffee, where they also serve vegan pastries.  Unfortunately, they were closed while we were in town, but I look forward to visiting them next time.)

Vegan Cow brie is also available on the pizza at The Wedge, which has two Iowa City locations, and they deliver.  We ordered from the The Wedge for dinner and were told on the phone that both of their crusts are vegan.  I was impressed by the variety of toppings offered, and we opted for a cheeseless pizza with artichoke hearts, red bell peppers, fresh garlic, tomato slices, and extra sauce.  The crust was chewy and the toppings tasted fresh.

No visit to Iowa City is complete without hitting the Iowa Artisans Gallery.  They sell handmade goods made by regional and national artists.  In a time when so many cities are cookie cutters of each other, the Artisans Gallery feels special and unique.  It’s a great place for buying handmade gifts, supporting artists, and finding something unusual.  While there I purchased a wooden salad serving set that will serve as a lovely reminder of a cold December day in a small town with a metropolitan air.

Tags: cashew cheese, fair grounds coffee, iowa artisans gallery, iowa city, new pioneer co-op, ped mall, restaurants, the red avocado, vegan, vegan cow cheese, veganism, vegetarian