Against my better judgement, I decided to take a trip to Chicago and Iowa at the end of December. For all you midwesterners out there, you know why I might have hesitated. Negative degree temperatures, wind chills that make your snot turn into icicles, and guaranteed frostbite. But I braved the weather, and ended up enjoying quite a bit of good midwestern food! Our journey began with flying into Chicago and driving to Iowa. Along the way, we stopped at the self-proclaimed “World’s Largest Truck Stop” along the Iowa 80.
Here there was plenty of food to come by, including the local delicacy taco pizza at the Kum & Go. Considering the time of night and the fact that was my stomach was churning due to bad food choices made earlier in the evening, I declined and we continued onto Ames, Iowa.
While in Ames, Iowa, I was surprised at the variety of vegan options in town. Our first stop was Fighting Burrito, a “revolutionary” local burrito joint! I think the “fighting” they are doing is against the man. I almost expected to hear a Rage Against the Machine song playing when I walked in. But instead I heard a Pixies song, which I enjoyed all the same. Onto the food! They have this option of creating your own burrito with your own fixings, and they also had Soyrizo! I created my own burrito on a garden wrap, with Soyrizo, avocado, a peach jalapeno salsa, wild rice, black beans, green onions, and jalapenos. It was delicious! So delicious I forgot to snap a photo cause I was too busy devouring it!
We also stopped by Wheatsfield Coop, where I partook of aforementioned local delicacy Taco Pizza, this time veganized!
I enjoyed the crisp from the chips, and Daiya cheese never disappoints. I think it might be an acquired taste for some, but it had this New Yorker sold! Wheatsfield also had a nice selection of vegan desserts, of which I bought a Mexican Chocolate cake. It was quite rich and decadent, and had a nice spicy kick to it as well.
After experiencing a 4-8 inch snow storm in Ames, we headed back to Chicago to explore some more. But on our way, we decided to have our last hurrah in Iowa in Des Moines, the capital.
Our first stop was Fong’s Pizza, an asian pizza joint that also serves tiki drinks. It struck me as a strange combination, and possibly really terrible, but it actually turned out to be great! I ordered the Bahama Mama and a create your own vegan pizza with daiya. The pizza was freshly made on whole wheat crust with ample portions.
And to add to your dining experience, you can wear motorcycle helmets they have lying around, which of course we didn’t pass the opportunity to!
Our lunch ended with a fortune cookie (of course?). “Stay close to your inner self. You will benefit in many ways.” Quite generic, but I still thought it was on the better end of the spectrum as far as cookie fortunes go.
All in all, Fong’s was a great experience. If I am ever in Des Moines again, I’m definitely coming back for the late night pizza!
Our final stop in Des Moines was the coffee shop across the street from Fong’s, called Java Joe’s, where we stopped for a quick refuel before we hit the road again. We bought some african beans to go, as well as a delicious hot apple cider. They also had an array of ice cream, including some vegan sorbets. The staff there is super friendly, and they had very cool beverage signs in the store:
And that was our Iowa journey. Chicago pics to come!
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