Fairfield, Iowa: Vegan eats you don’t want to miss

Cadry posing by one of the sundials at the Maharishi Vedic Observatory

For a place with a population of 9,641 people, Fairfield, Iowa is surprisingly vegan-friendly!

In some ways it is a classic Midwestern community with a town square dotted with shops and restaurants, surrounded by farmland and dusty roads.

However, when Oprah visited in 2011, she called it America’s most unusual town. This eclectic place is known for its art scene, and a local college (Maharishi International University) that promotes the practice of transcendental meditation. Director David Lynch has a film school there.

The university draws many international visitors, which translates to a wealth of dining options in Fairfield – including many vegan options.

Mira’s Cafe is a fully vegan restaurant with a mixture of Indian dishes and pizza. (Be aware that pizza isn’t served on Sundays.)

All of the Indian dinner items are gluten-free by default, and the pizza can be made gluten-free upon request.

You order at the counter, and then your food is brought out to you.

The large, airy interior is great for groups. The brick walls dotted with paintings make for a cozy yet elegant vibe.

While we were there, a TV on the wall was playing vegan cooking videos.

In addition the standard chana masala and samosas, the menu includes many items that aren’t often available in small town Iowa, especially in vegan form.

(Next time I visit I’m excited to try the air fried malai kofta in a creamy cashew and tomato sauce.)

My friend ordered one of the Thali options.

I hadn’t seen Thali in a restaurant since I was in New York City. So what a treat to be in small town Iowa, sampling many little tastes all in one go. It’s like the joys of a buffet without any of the downfalls.

That yellow curried dish in the middle was so dreamy, my friend was passing out spoonfuls for all of us to try it.

For my order, I chose the dosa thali. Potatoes enveloped in a fermented rice & lentil crepe is my happy place. I was over the moon about it.

The dosa thali comes with three chutneys, sambar, and the dessert of the day. When I was there the dessert was a dairy-free rice pudding with a prominent floral flavor, which wasn’t my favorite, but my friend loved hers.

My husband ordered the saag tofu (not pictured here). It was also excellent with a beautiful balance of spices. He asked if he could get it with both tofu and chickpeas, and that was no problem.

We filled out our orders with samosas and veggie bites, which came with cilantro and tamarind chutneys.

Vegan restaurants are still uncommon in Iowa, and I’m so happy to have Mira’s Cafe on the list. It’s worthy of a drive!

Don’t miss the delicious vegan ramen at Due South (formerly known as the Broth Lab)!

They are open for lunch, dinner, and brunch on Sundays. However, their vegan options look most promising at dinner, when you can order ramen.

The menu has changed since I was there and ordered the above ramen, which was fabulous. It was made with cashew milk broth, wide noodles, braised mushrooms, garlic chili eggplant, and crispy tofu. (That eggplant stole the show!)

However, you can still order ramen #3 on their dinner menu. It comes with the aforementioned cashew milk broth, wavy ramen noodles, sweet potatoes, kale, pickled red onions. It’s finished with crispy tofu.

In addition to the ramen, there appear to be more potentially vegan options on their menus, including a tofu bánh mì and tofu bao. However, their menus aren’t marked online, and I haven’t heard back from them via email. So let me know if you go and find out about more vegan options.

By the way, they also have tasty cocktails & a heated patio, which is handy in cooler months.

If you’re looking to share a bottle of wine with friends, head to Veraison Wine Bar, where they have a vegan board on the menu.

The vegan board comes with hummus, dolmas, olives, and artichokes.  

Other vegan menu items include:

• Red lettuce salad with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, walnuts, artichokes, and herbed chickpeas
• Chickpea salad sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce on gluten-free bread
• Marinated olives

Located on the town square, Noble House is a kava bar with a small all-vegan menu that includes dairy-free grilled cheese sandwiches.

This bohemian space feels a bit like you’ve walked into someone’s college apartment with well-worn couches covered in blankets, a record player with vinyl to thumb through, shelves of books, and board games to play while you are there.

When I went, none of our group had ever been to a kava bar before.

The person working the counter was friendly & knowledgeable. He gave us the rundown on their products, what effects to expect from their botanical elixirs, and a free shot of kava for any interested newcomers.

I passed on the kava, and instead went for an Italian soda made with oat milk for creaminess. They offer a choice of flavors, and I opted for strawberry.

The milk diluted the fizziness of the water, so it wasn’t as bubbly as I expected. However, the mix of cream and strawberry reminded me of the non-vegan Creme Saver candies I used to eat as a child (before I went vegan).

I snagged a sip of my husband’s oat milk latte, which was exceptional. It was just the right balance of strong espresso and mellowing oat milk.

My friend chose one of the kava sodas, made in house with organic ingredients. (There are a variety of flavors to choose from, depending on the day.)

In addition to drinks, Noble House hosts many community events. Watch their Facebook page for notices about karaoke, trivia, open mics, bingo, and tarot readings.

Of course, you’ll need something to do between all of those meals and snacks.

If you like cider, the Fishback & Stephenson Cider House is worth a visit, and the location is beautiful.

Here are a few more things to do while you’re there:

This 1 ½ acre open-air observatory features several masonry sundials.

Walk around them, and try to figure out how to tell the time. (If all else fails, maybe try your watch?)

Okay, so the house that was the inspiration behind Grant Wood’s American Gothic painting isn’t in Fairfield. However, when you’re this close, why not take an extra 30 minutes to drive to nearby Eldon, where it is?

Take a stroll through the museum at the American Gothic House Center. If you like, dress up in the costumes and props of the farmer and daughter in the famous painting. And before you leave, visit the museum’s gift store.

(There’s a small fee to use the costumes and visit the museum, but seeing the house is free.)

For kids, they also have something similar to a Little Library called a Little Free Art House.

Instead of books, when we were there it was filled with art supplies and coloring pages of the American Gothic House. So cute!

For more plant-based options in the Hawkeye state, check out these posts: