Reveling in vegan gluttony in Arizona

I never imagined using any of those words in the same sentence. But, oh, what a gastronomic experience!

It's challenging being vegan in Iowa, which isn’t surprising given that Iowa is the top U.S. hog “producer” and fourth in beef cattle.

When dining out with friends, I can usually find something I can eat—like a salad or a veggie burger or an entré the chef is kind enough to modify, though once it’s stripped of butter, cheese, eggs, meat, and/or fish, the result is edible, but unsatisfying. I have more choices at Asian and Ethiopian restaurants, with Thai Flavors and Gursha being my Des Moines favorites, while farmers markets often yield some great and unexpected discoveries.

Caribbean Kitchen food truck at the Iowa City Farmers market. The vegan version of the Sunshine Wrap was unexpectedly delicious.

Sure, there are some all-vegan options sprinkled throughout Iowa, such as Veggie Thumper and Cinnaholic in Des Moines, Trumpet Blossom Cafe in Iowa City, and the Maharishi International University dining hall or Mira’s Café or Big Acai Bowl in Fairfield, but it’s tiresome to always have to search and check out restaurants and menus online to find places that don’t just have something I can eat, but something I want to eat.

I didn't realize how unexciting eating out had become until my recent trip to Arizona. Until I stumbled upon what felt like an endless number of options—numerous restaurants where I could walk in and order anything and everything on the menu.

I felt excitement and hunger rumble in my stomach.

Here are some options that even non-vegans will love, along with a great new bookstore—thanks to a recommendation by Doug Burns of “The Iowa Mercury”—and, of course, a book.

Nana's Kitchen

I miss soul food restaurants, whose menus now overflow with nothing I can eat. Imagine my delight when my family took me to Nana's Kitchen in Chandler, AZ. Should I get the Katfish & Grits, deep-fried mushrooms with creamy grits? Or the Hood Rolls, egg rolls filled with yams, collard greens and mac and cheese?

I opted for Nana's Soul, a sampler designed to satisfy my cravings for all the foods I can't have—BBQ (fried cauliflower), baked beans, mac & cheese, collard greens and cornbread.

Nana’s Soul sampler plate, with BBQ cauliflower, greens, mac & cheese, and baked beans at Nana’s Kitchen in Chandler, AZ.

The cauliflower was the perfect combination of a crispy and crunchy outside and a cooked, yet firm, veggie inside—something I have yet to master in my kitchen. Everything was de-li-cious, though I would have preferred my greens with a little dried chile peppers, plus Liquid Smoke to provide the flavor of a smoked ham hock.

But I was so caught up in epicurean bliss, I only managed to capture one photo of something my family ordered—the loaded fries, which I even forgot to taste.

Loaded Fries—I think the Buffalo Chick’N Fries—at Nana’s Kitchen.

The Nile Coffee Shop

Breakfast, a smorgasbord of eggs and cheese and meat, is another meal that provides little enjoyment as I resign myself to eating dry toast, oatmeal, or hash browns in the typical restaurant. Coffee shops and cafés, with their display cases overflowing with butter- and milk-laden pastries, usually result in me being limited to a latte (thank God for oat milk!).

But at The Nile Coffee Shop in Mesa, AZ, I had the choice of more than 10 breakfast options. I was so enamored with actual breakfast foods, I totally ignored the vegan pastries.

After considerable contemplation, I ordered the “Steak” and Potato Burrito, though I'm wary of tofu. To increase the healthy-food-choice option, I opted for the side salad, expecting the usual pile of leafy greens topped with a thimble-sized amount of shredded carrot and a halved cherry tomato, drizzled with a minuscule amount of a bland vinaigrette.

Instead, the perfectly-seasoned tofu scramble could have been eggs, the steak was reminiscent of Beyond Steak®, and the thin, crispy potato was the perfect complement. Plus, the salad was fresh, loaded with vegetables, and tossed with lemony goodness.

“Steak” and Potato Burrito at The Nile Coffee Shop.

Oh, did I mention the special coffee drinks? Like, the purple yam latte? Or the pumpkin latte with real pumpkin?

My caffeine-rush lasted long enough for me to finish last week’s column, a review of The End of Love: Racism, Sexism, and the Death of Romance.

Early Bird Vegan

After perusing the menu online, I couldn’t wait to visit Early Bird Vegan in Tempe, AZ. After a brief—okay, it wasn’t actually brief—chat with Krystal Harris, owner and chef, I learned a bit about her heavenly-sounding creations.

Krystal Harris, owner and chef, of Early Bird Vegan at the register, was friendly, patient, helpful, and still smiling after my numerous questions.

Since traditional breakfast sandwiches are no longer an option for me, I selected The Famous Dr. J, an English muffin filled with tofu egg, a “sausage” patty, avocado, organic arugala, cheez sauce, and tomato with southwest aioli.

No, wait. Maybe the Buffalo Chic’N Mac N Cheez Bowl.

No, I think I want the Nacho Taco Salad Bowl.

Unable to decide what to order, my rumbling stomach finally made the decision for me:

BBQ Jackfruit Rib Mac and Cheez Bowl, Sweet Potato Cake, and Hibiscus Cherry Iced Tea at Early Bird Vegan.

Chef Krystal miraculously transformed the jackfruit into boneless BBQ ribs—from the well-seasoned brown crust to the meaty texture to the melt-in-your mouth tenderness. The heaping mound of mac and cheez made with homemade—or should that be housemade?—cheez was yummy. The Hibiscus Cherry Iced Tea was light and refreshing, wonderfully lacking the bitterness of a traditional iced tea.

And that sweet potato cake was heavenly, not to mention exceptionally moist and flavorful.

Picazzos Italian Kitchen

After communicating via email and Zoom for nearly a year, I was thrilled to finally meet Sarah Heeter, owner of Podfox Media and host of Troup Leader Experience and Big Brave Business podcasts, in person.

Podcast guru, and founder of Podfox Media, Sarah Heeter, interviewing me with Amanda Nelson on her podcast, Big Brave Business.

Not only is Sarah helping me with my new podcast (coming in November 2024!), she had me on Big Brave Business for a hilarious interview, where I answered “rapid-fire” questions about everything from my favorite sport to dating and relationships:

When Sarah suggested Picazzos Italian Kitchen in Gilbert, AZ, for dinner, I was overly excited. Other than veggie pasta tossed in olive oil, cheese-less or vegan-cheez-topped pizza, I’d never had tasty vegan Italian options, nor been given a vegan Italian menu! So I jumped at the chance to have gourmet vegan Italian:

Vegan Adobo Baked Chick’N at Picazzos Italian Kitchen.

The Vegan Adobo Baked Chick’N featured Daring™ chick’n, vegan adobo butter-baste, roasted jalapeño white bean purée, fresno chile, micro greens, and vegan garlic butter sautéed French green beans with almonds was mouth-watering good. It was well worth the $26.

The pièce de résistance: Changing Hands Bookstore

No mini-vacation is complete without books and Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ didn’t disappoint. With both a large selection of books along with a plethora of unique gifts, it was easy to overspend.

Changing Hands Bookstore and I cookbook I couldn't resist, Black Rican Vegan.

I bought three books, then had to buy a pretty tote made from recycled rice bags, in order to take them home on the plane.

Eating out in the Phoenix area was fantastic but I always enjoy cooking vegan food at home. Stay tuned for a future column featuring the fruits of my labor from Black Rican Vegan by Lyana Blount.

---

The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

I’m a proud member of the 60+ professional writers from across Iowa that make up The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Subscribe to the weekly roundup to get highlights of the newest articles written by members.

I’m over my word count, so I’ll recommend specific articles next time.