When we moved to Des Moines, I was initially skeptical about my chances of finding vegetarian-friendly restaurants. (I remember when a college friend from a small Iowa town said that it would be more shocking for her to come home and declare she was a vegetarian than to come home and declare she was a lesbian.) Contrary to my expectations, I've been pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is. Most of the Asian restaurants in town have entire menus of vegetarian food, and even some of the non-usual chains have been accommodating: Z'Marik's, Panchero's, HuHots, etc. As long as you don't go to a steakhouse, a barbecue joint or a McDonald's, I can almost always find something I can eat.
All that said, I've been absolutely delighted to discover two of the most vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Des Moines living side-by-side in Western Gateway Park: Ritual Cafe and Beggar's Banquet. We discovered Ritual Cafe a few months ago, when the new library opened. It's your classic funky coffee shop run by a team of happy hippie women, and the menu is all-vegetarian. I ordered a hummus sandwich minus the cheese, and they poked their heads up while making my sandwich to ask if I was a vegan. Needless to say, I happily nodded; I wasn't entirely sure any eating establishments in Des Moines even knew what 'vegan' meant. The hummus was amazing, as were their smoothies. They quickly replaced Gong Fu Tea as our regular post-library stop.
This weekend, during the Des Moines Art Festival, we eschewed the crowded food booths and headed to the Ritual Cafe for a plate of hummus and a smoothie. Sadly, they had locked up the grill to accommodate the Art Festival rush. They had pre-made wraps on hand, but all of them had cheese. The curly-headed barista remembered I ate vegan and promptly shuffled me off next door to Beggar's Banquet.
Beggar's Banquet reminds me of our favorite neighborhood deli in New Orleans. It's a no-frills sandwich shop staffed by friendly young people, and their vegan food is clearly marked as such (which nearly made me cry). I had a tempeh reuben with soy cheese, which was utterly divine. Needless to say, we'll be returning for future lunch engagements.
It so refreshing to discover such enlightened food in the middle of a traditionally meat-and-potatoes state. Anyone who thinks we're backward definitely needs to dive into these establishments. Tell 'em a happy vegan sent you their way.
