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Articles by Courtenay Bouvier

An Anthony Bourdain tribute dinner brings together St. Burch Tavern’s chef and IWP writers

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

Bourdain died by suicide on June 8 of this year, leaving us — his restaurant kin, writers, travelers, chefs and eaters — to celebrate him, and to continue to celebrate other cultures, with our own meals, travels and words. It is in this celebratory vein that Gabe Branch, chef de cuisine at St. Burch Tavern, will collaborate with four writers from the University of Iowa International Writing Program for a Parts Unknown tribute dinner, part of the lineup for this year’s Witching Hour festival. […]

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LV Recommends: Szechuan House

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

Maybe you were terrified, as I was, for those few weeks this summer when Szechuan House was suddenly closed, with no warning. How could we gird ourselves against the upcoming Iowa winter with none of the now-familiar comfort of our favorite delicacies? With what would we fend off fall’s hangovers if not with the delivery of spicy and sour garlic chicken? What on earth would we do? […]

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Farm Cycle 2018 continues the Rad Tour tradition

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

If the weekend forecast is accurate, this Sunday, September 16, will be a perfect day for a late-summer bike ride. Conveniently, Iowa City Bike Library Director Audrey Wiedemeier has already coordinated the local bicycling and culinary event of the season, Farm Cycle — formerly known as RadTour. […]

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Dumpling Darling, Banh Mi Amore take home Top Chef: Downtown 2018 top savory honors

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

Sponsored by the Iowa City Downtown District, the eighth annual Top Chef: Downtown event sold out quickly once again, packing the Hotel Vetro on Feb. 26 with revelers who relished food and drink from 24 Iowa City food and drink establishments. This year, there was balanced representation from food trucks, higher-end restaurants and smaller, more casual eateries, offering a spectrum of gustatory delights and creative cocktails. […]

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Iowa City RadTour heads out Sunday, Sept. 10 for 43 miles of culinary delight

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

Iowa City Rad Tour convenes at New Pioneer Co-Op — Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m. This year’s Iowa City RadTour, formerly known as the Iowa City Culinary Ride, will welcome riders Sunday, Sept. 10 for a 43-mile ride around area farms, featuring local chefs cooking even-more-local produce. RadTour promotes the local-food movement and celebrates […]

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LV Recommends: Caucho

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

Tacos are perfect, no matter what form they take: Whether hard shell or soft, spicy or mild, meaty or vegetarian, a taco’s deliciousness and convenience are peerless. I’d argue that, like sex, even a bad taco is still pretty damned good.

A margarita, on the other hand, is easy to ruin. Too often, the flavor of tequila is barely discernible in the too-sweet tang of frozen sour mix, and the whole thing amounts to nothing more than a mediocre Slurpee. A middling margarita can dull the shine of even the most stellar taco.

This is part of why Caucho is such a gem: Their margaritas are perfection. Whether delivered as a mixed-from-scratch top-shelf cocktail rimmed with smoked paprika salt, or as a frozen, blended house margarita straight from a machine, the drink combines perfectly with their fresh, farm-to-table, eclectic selection of Mexican favorites. […]

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Top Chef: Downtown Iowa City wows the crowd at Hotel Vetro

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] More than 350 foodies and bons vivants indulged in succulent fare and creative cocktails from 24 area bars, cafes and restaurants at Monday night, Feb. 27’s seventh annual Top Chef: Downtown event, hosted by the Iowa City Downtown District at the Hotel Vetro. Attendees sampled an array of tasty treats, most of which highlighted […]

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Kitchen witches: The Women on Fire weave culinary magic

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

On Monday, Sept. 26, Pullman Bar & Diner hosted Women on Fire, touted as a “farm-to-table dining experience designed and executed by local female chefs, growers, organizers and mixologists.” The event featured five courses of locally-sourced food, with beverage pairings, exclusively prepared by female artists and artisans from Pullman and Clinton Street Social Club. Also, […]

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Iowans to bike in RadTour Bike Ride for farm-to-table food

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

RadTour Bike Ride New Pioneer Co-op — Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8 a.m. On Sunday, Sept. 18, RadTour LLC will bring RadTour Bike Ride (formerly known as Culinary Ride) back to Iowa City for a 37-mile harvest bicycle ride that perfectly exemplifies what’s most magical about Iowa: community, bicycles and farm-to-table values. Riders will gather […]

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LV Recommends: Sauce Bar & Bistro

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier
Jordan Sellergren

When people ask me to recommend Italian food in Iowa, it prompts a string of questions that usually culminates in, “Do you mean real Italian, or, like, sickly sticky cream sauce and overcooked pasta like you’d get at a chain Italian restaurant?” Usually, thankfully, they mean the former, in which case, I often send them […]

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Cedar Rapids’ Cobble Hill visits Pullman for Corridor Mash-Up

Posted on by Courtenay Bouvier

On Monday, May 9, Pullman Bar & Diner hosted the first Cobble Hill + Pullman Corridor Mash-Up. The sold-out event featured meals and cocktails prepared by the staff at both restaurants, and, thankfully, this will not be the last time the two restaurants will work together. On Wednesday, May 25, Cobble Hill returns the hospitality, […]

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