The Red Avocado Brings Vegan Back in Iowa City, Iowa

You crave a nip, a nosh, a centerpiece to an evening out. Something so desirably succulent that while enjoyed will gift not only a meal, but also a collection of moments where the focus briefly is not on bills, babies, or bosses, but on the company, the food, and life. And oh yes - it must be vegetarian.

The Red Avocado in Iowa City is a vegetarians dream. If you have not yet been, you surely will make a repeat visit for any meal of the day. Located on Washington Street, it is kitty-corner from the New Pioneer Co-Op (another one of those 'if you haven't yet you must' destinations for vegetarians in Eastern Iowa). Not only are all ingredients organic and most locally procured, but the menu is entirely vegan in design and the dining area sticks quite nicely to its roots (enjoy an iced coffee in a mason jar, if you please).

From the bar you can enjoy a traditional red or more unique white sangria as you wait for your meal to arrive, which will come to you from a nestled kitchen, brought to your table as if it were a throne. Pair the white sangria with the Queens Salad to start (the keynote ingredient is the Quinoa), and then indulge in one of the many specialty entrée's. Crimini Lombardy is a local favorite with sautéed temph, roasted garlic polenta and the season's best vegetables, all in a tomato sauce even your Italian grandmother would admire. There are two outdoor seating area's for the warmer months, however reservations are recommended. Dinner is served between five and nine Monday thru Saturday.