By Jordan Sellergren, Little Village publisher This magazine has not published a campaign endorsement in 25 years, but given our history of reporting on Iowa’s water quality crisis, it should come as no surprise that Little Village is standing squarely behind one candidate in 2026. Chris Jones’ campaign for Secretary of Agriculture has raised the […]
Jordan Sellergren
Posted inCommunity/News
Photos: ‘Hate Week’ stoopidity abounds in Iowa City, Ames
Welcome to the Red Zone, the three months overlapping fall semester and football season during which the majority of sexual assaults on college campuses occur. The fourth week of the Red Zone this year is “Hate Week” in Ames and Iowa City, when students embrace their rivalry by trash-talking on bedsheets draped from their windows, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Review: Annie’s is all about crunchy bánh mì and lunchbreak-friendly service in downtown IC
Bánh mì became a street food staple in Vietnam in the 1950s, about a century after French imperialism brought the baguette to the country. The sandwich took off in the states in the 1980s and you can find them in several places around Iowa — Pho Real Kitchen and Bar, Zavy Kitchen, TNT Vietnamese Restaurant and […]
Posted inLetters
Letter from the publisher: Why I bought Little Village
To love Iowa, you must maintain a balance of hope and grief. To stay or to return here, to deepen your roots, to be here at all, you must operate from a place of unconditional love. A lot has changed in this state since I started working at Little Village in 2014. Public school funding […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Peak Iowa: What’s the secret to the perfect dill spread? Ask Elijah Wood.
Years ago, Cedar Rapids was a real deli town. You could pop out of work or school to grab a good sandwich at any number of locally owned shops peppered throughout the quadrants. But the city looks different after decades of restaurant closures — Cork ‘n Fork in 2014, Sub City and Emil’s Delicatessen in […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Crossing the Reub-icon: Seven Iowa-made sandwiches, reviewed
From this year’s Reuben pageant sprung an unexpected star — a deviation, a meatless challenger from the sidelines. In the spirit of progress, we allowed its ascension; perhaps to set up 2025’s review, when the kitchen at Octopus in Cedar Falls should be in full service (owner Dave Diebler describes his tempeh Reuben as “off […]
Posted inCommunity/News
The University of Iowa’s anechoic chamber — where soundwaves go to die
Deep within (OK, down a flight of stairs beneath) the University of Iowa’s Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center is an anechoic chamber. The antithesis of an echoey cave, the ultra-soundproofed space prevents sound waves from bouncing off the wall or floor, creating a useful environment for audio research. The chamber, built during construction of […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Iowa runners on running
Since the pandemic began, more people are running than ever. It is one of the most popular, and for many, accessible forms of exercise there is. Little Village asked a range of runners from Des Moines, the CRANDIC and the Quad Cities areas to comment on their experiences: advice for beginners, motivations to move, injury […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The kraut-er in the rye: Five (more) local Reubens, graded
After publishing the original Reuben review in Little Village’s March 2021 issue, I received a few comments aghast that I had not featured a Reuben from downtown Iowa City’s popular Irish pub, Micky’s. I regret my error!! I’m here to attempt to make good and have rounded up a few others for a new class […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Best of the CRANDIC Spotlight: Iowa Running Company helps joggers face winter head on
Best of the CRANDIC 2021 winner: Best Shoe Store Iowa Running Company, tucked between a pizza restaurant and donut shop in Cedar Rapids’ New Bohemia neighborhood, stocks a solid variety of running shoes and practical activewear and even features a couple of treadmills for checking your gait to find the best possible pair of sneakers. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Best of the CRANDIC Spotlight: The Webster, new to the IC restaurant scene, has already made a big splash
The Webster (202 N Linn St, Iowa City, 319-800-0720) is the winningest Best of the CRANDIC competitor this year, taking home Best Appetizers/Small Plates, Best Atmosphere, Best Chef (Sam Gelman), Best Food Scene Game Changer, Best Restaurant, Best Restaurant for a First Date, Best Restaurant Staff, Best Restaurant to Take Your Parents To (tie), Best […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Press Coffee debuts in its new location on North Dodge Street
Residents of Iowa City’s far northside have a new hangout. Press Coffee opened this week at 1120 N Dodge St, adjacent to Hy-Vee and St. Joseph’s Cemetery and within staggering distance of Hilltop Tavern. Press Coffee, originally opened in Coralville by friends Chad Andrews, Ryan From, Sam Thibodeaux and Swen Larson in 2013, and was […]
