[vc_row class=”bb-row”][vc_column][vc_column_text] These pies are just what you’re looking for. Need Pizza 207 2nd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids Offering slices over lunch for office-dwellers and with late-night hours for bar-hoppers, this pizza place delivers what downtown Cedar Rapids was in search of. If you’re not on-the-go, grab a table and order a whole pizza to […]
Dining Recommendations
Posted inDining Recommendations, Features, Food & Drink
Rapid Creek brings farm-to-table food, special ciders
Chef Matt Steigerwald and owner Katie Goering bring a restaurant, cider-tasting room and event space to Wilson’s Orchard this spring with the opening of Rapid Creek Cidery. The cidery is housed in an antique barn, meticulously reconstructed by Wilson’s owner Paul Rasch (Goering’s father). The event space offers full-service catering for up to 250 people, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: BeerBurger
I love a restaurant that doesn’t need a gimmick: one where the food is good and you can hear the person you’re speaking with — and it’s always nice when you can get a good beer or a milkshake with whiskey in it. BeerBurger in North Liberty is just such a joint. No pretense, just […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Sugapeach
There is an evident void in local cuisine: While there are quite a few great barbeque joints in town, the selection is far more limited when it comes to dishing up homestyle soul food. Enter Sugapeach. Following the closure of Sweetiepie’s in Cedar Rapids, the Iowa Soul Food Company opened this new establishment in North […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Augusta’s turducken
If you’re at that phase of your life when you’re starting to branch out in your cooking (or you’re eating Totino’s pizza rolls while watching Food Network), you’ve noticed how good chefs team up several meats in one dish: jambalaya, paella (meat-lovers’ pizza, I see you) — and the autumnal variation: turducken. For those of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
LV Recommends: Millstream Bräu Haus
One of my favorite autumn activities in eastern Iowa is a visit to Amana. Quaint little shops, the down-home General Store, local theatre, Millstream Brewery and the village’s simple feel make for a great afternoon of shopping and relaxation, and, of course, eating. There are good options for dining in Amana, and the newest on […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Red Vespa
Brick walls, industrial piping and stamped metal bar backing greet you when you enter Red Vespa in Solon. The vibe of the place is chic, cozy rather than cramped, with an open kitchen that lends a comforting transparency to the inner workings of the pizzeria. The telltale aromas of tomato and mozzarella mingling with basil […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Baroncini
Baroncini, on Linn St. in downtown Iowa City, has always been known for its upscale Italian fare and superior wine list, which is maybe why I always thought of it as a date spot or the locale of a celebratory meal, the kind of splurge meal where you order appetizers and drinks and get an […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: The Pig & Porter
Though the flood of 2008 devastated sections of Cedar Rapids, the rebirth of the downtown, Czech Village and New Bohemia districts make the losses easier to take. Post-flood, a restaurant renaissance has occurred. Diners less than enthused by chain restaurants are now spoiled for choice with new eateries featuring creative menus and eclectic beverages. The […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Le Gourmet
By Ashley Chong I went over the phrases I would say in Korean, double-checking for any blatant errors in how I addressed the owner or how I pronounced the words. But when it was my turn to order, my carefully constructed phrases were instantly replaced with nostalgia when I suddenly noticed the row of pastries […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Dumpling Darling
Dumplings — adorably bite-sized pockets of dough packed with various fillings — excel in convenience. At Dumpling Darling on Dubuque Street in Iowa City (their brick and mortar location shared with Pops Old n’ New BBQ), an order of Korean-style dumplings is steamed and ready to eat in about five minutes or less. But the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Sauce Bar & Bistro
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 […]
