How can something so healthy taste so good?

The Trumpet Blossom Café, 310 E. Prentiss St., serves desserts, drinks, and sandwiches made entirely of vegan ingredients. It is the only exclusively vegan restaurant in Iowa City.
“Being a vegan myself, it’s nice to go somewhere and just know that everything on the menu is safe to order,” said owner Katy Meyer.

Meyer opened the restaurant in April 2012 after the Red Avocado, the vegan restaurant she was a part owner of, closed. She named her new business partially in its honor.

“When we found out the [Red Avocado] building was going to be torn down, one of the saddest parts was I thought about how all the plant life was going to be gone, especially the trumpet blossoms,” Meyer said.

The name also came from one of Meyer’s close friends, Bob Braverman, who passed away around the same time as Red Avocado’s closing.

“He was so supportive of what we did,” Meyer said. “I felt like he was kind of a trumpet blossom. I like the juxtaposition of something that’s loud and extroverted and then something that’s kind of soft and delicate.”

The menu, as well, combines bold and reserved, such as in its coconut bacon. This treat is made with dried pieces of coconut and a proprietary seasoning blend toasted in the oven with maple and spices until it becomes crispy.

“I’m definitely not trying to mimic bacon, but the smoky depth of flavor is what we’re looking for,” Meyer said.

More fun items on Trumpet Blossom’s menu include creamy tofu cheese, pineapple coconut curry, and tempeh reuben.

Trumpet Blossom also serves a variety of vegan desserts and bar drinks. The desserts include such favorites as chocolate cake and cookies, as well as bread pudding and gluten-free fruit crumble. These are often showcased on the feature menu.

“It’s a fun way to showcase things and also to experiment with new ideas,” Meyer said.

The bar incorporates organic citrus juices in cocktails and milk is not used in the coffee. Meyer likes to serve fresh produce in the bar drinks, which gives them a healthy twist, she said: asparagus is used in the Bloody Marys, there are herb drinks, and some drinks include muddled cherry tomatoes.

The restaurant doesn’t only sell food, it includes such items as bags and coasters, made by Meyer’s grandmother. She also makes the napkins used at Trumpet Blossom.

“She’s an amazing seamstress, and she has been my whole life,” Meyer said.