It's blog update day, sitting around bummed after watching Germany's World Cup defeat.
I'll be honest, my expectations for vegan eats were low the first time I played Iowa City, and it was only by chance that I popped into an unassuming place called
Fair Grounds Coffeehouse after my iPhone Maps app showed it in a search I did for the word "vegan". I thought maybe I'd get a soy chai or MAYBE a muffin, but instead I walked into vegan paradise! This place specializes in vegan waffles AND french toast, and makes possibly the greatest soft vegan cheese ever, which I HOPE they start shipping and/or marketing to retail chains like Whole Foods so more people can taste their genius. They also have a case of beautiful baked goods, and even though they have a sign stating it's all vegan, I still had to ask because it looked so good! I'm that annoying vegan, sorry. So this time around, I had to have a redo of my first meal, but after realizing I could have dinner there AND brunch the next day, my friend advised me to try something different first so if it failed to impress I could have my favourite the next day. I love eating with another foodie, who can help me eat strategically! Haha!
SO, I ordered from their brilliantly all-day breakfast menu so I could try their waffles, and was not disappointed in ordering the Cheesy Apple Walnut waffle. It arrived on a no-frills plate, with a pat of vegan butter and maple syrup, but the excitement was hidden inside, with chunks of yummy apple and their in-house Mockstarella cheese distributed evenly throughout. Then I bought two cupcakes to go, the amazingly moist and delicious Red Velvet "Waldorf Astoria" and the S'More cupcake, which was supposed to "taste like camping", but trust me, was way better than smokey weenies!
The next day I ordered probably the best brunch dish ever, the Vegan Monte Cristo! The picture says so much, it's a beautifully presented dish, with two slices of homemade bread hugging yummy grilled tempeh, 'bacon' and their house brand of Swizz cheese, covered in soy butter, syrup and powdered sugar. It's the perfect combo of sweet and savory and I'm drooling at the very thought! It's food so good that you get angry and yell. Can't wait to go back to Iowa City.
photographer's studio, called Rush, where they happened to make my favourite snack, power bowls! For the uninitiated, these are bowls with a super thick and yummy smoothie on the bottom - my favourite flavour being something with açai berries - and then granola and fresh fruit on top. I was first introduced to them when I was on tour in Hawaii a few years ago, and fell in love with them! They are popping up on menus across the west coast lately, but I don't see them inland like this generally, so I was amazed! Impressed by the eco-friendly nature of the shop, I ran out to the RV to grab my ceramic bowl so they wouldn't have to use a paper bowl, and ate my delicious Beach Bowl (make sure to ask for it without honey if you aren't Bee-gan like me!). My tourmates Bonnie Voyage and Lil' Miss Firefly were so intrigued that they ran in to get their own flavours, and while sitting and eating the super nice owner came over and asked us how we liked the food, and then went in a
nd brought out a few of their really yummy travel packs for us to sample later on the road! What an absolute doll! There is no better way to woo traveling performers than through our stomachs. I saved mine for a few days later, but when I finally tried the vegan Yoga Bowl, I was impressed! No blender needed, just thaw and eat! Luckily for those not in Boulder they sell them at Whole Foods in other Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Kansas cities so check them out!
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