When Black Sheep Social Club recommends reservations, they aren’t kidding. The new Cedar Rapids restaurant hummed over the lunch hour on a recent Tuesday. Located in the former Great Furniture Mart building on First Street downtown, the social club opened for business Apr. 19 and has generated plenty of conversation among the city’s foodies. The […]
Bread & Butter Dining Guide
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Wild Culture Kombucha
Iowa poet Cole Highnam muses upon Wild Culture’s fermented teas in the form of a lyric essay, “I will not spoil my health with lesser brightness.” [dropcap]H[/dropcap]ow long have you been in the kombucha game? It wasn’t that long ago that this mysterious bevy went mainstream. Example: the word is a spelling error according […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Trumpet Blossom Café
If you’re anything like me, you know there is no greater tradition than brunch. It’s the perfect midday gathering of friends to top off your weekend. You get a satisfying meal, drink(s) and above all: bacon. My friends and I were a perfect example one recent weekend. After visiting Trumpet Blossom Café and trying an […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations
Must-visit restaurants, bars and breweries within a day’s drive of Iowa City
There are many quirky, surprising and downright delicious dining opportunities within a day’s beautiful drive of Iowa City. Here’s a guide to get you started. [vc_text_separator title=”Grinnell” title_align=”separator_align_center” align=”align_center” color=”orange” el_class=”bb-separator”] “The jewel of the prairie,” Grinnell’s small but mighty liberal arts college campus is well known for sating the fiendish needs of area cultural […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations
LV Recommends: 9 places in the Iowa City area that combine good eats with great music
[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Good eats, lively tunes; two birds, one stone. From oysters and jazz, to blues and beer, there’s something for everyone at these live music venues. [vc_separator color=”orange” align=”align_center” border_width=”4″][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=”” el_id=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text el_class=”bb-image”] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Feelin’ Jazzy: Clinton Street Social Club 18 1/2 S. Clinton […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations
LV Recommends: 5 places to get delicious, authentic pho in the Iowa City area
[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] What could be better? A bowlful of slurpy rice noodles, deliciously seasoned broth, and a personal buffet of vegetables and herbs to customize it just to your liking. Visit these local restaurants for the real deal. [vc_separator color=”orange” align=”align_center” border_width=”4″][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Pho Zaika / I <3 Pho Old Capitol Mall (201 […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Features
Spotlight: These chefs and proprietors are breaking the culinary gender barrier—and making fantastic food while they do it
[vc_separator color=”orange” align=”align_center” border_width=”4″] Cooking, teaching and writing poetry have this in common: All are considered “women’s work” until the elite tier of each is reached. Then? It’s a man’s world, baby. Gender disparity skyrockets. Far more published poets are men, as are college professors, and the same is true amongst chefs and restaurateurs. But […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations
LV Recommends: 9 places to find premium pizza in the Iowa City area
[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Maybe it’s 2 a.m. and you need pizza more than you’ve ever needed anything. Maybe it’s a weekday evening and you’re in the mood for locally foraged mushrooms. Or, maybe you eat pizza only when it’s accompanied by videogames. For each and all of the above, the local area’s pizza […]
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LV Recommends: 4 spots that prove you don’t have to leave Iowa for great seafood
[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Turns out landlocked Iowa can do seafood. These four area spots are proof that there’s fabulous fish to be had without hopping a plane. [vc_separator color=”orange” align=”align_center” border_width=”4″][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Oyama Sushi 1853 Lower Muscatine Rd., Iowa City 5350 Council St. NE, Cedar Rapids Oyama is an authentic Japanese restaurant. It’s Iowa […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations
LV Recommends: 3 homegrown coffee roasters that’ll have you buzzing
Meet three local roasting outfits delivering unique brews to fuel your caffeine addiction [vc_text_separator title=”Wake Up Iowa” title_align=”separator_align_center” align=”align_center” color=”orange” el_class=”bb-separator”] What began in 2011 for owner Jarrett Mitchell as a charming coffee cart in a parking lot, has transformed over the years into a full-fledged roasting operation. With previous iterations as both a small […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations
LV Recommends: 4 spots in the Iowa City area where brunch reigns supreme
[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Save your last-minute, behind-schedule morning routine for the weekdays. Slow your roll and linger over your breakfast plate at one of these area institutions. [vc_separator color=”orange” align=”align_center” border_width=”4″][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Pullman Bar & Diner 17 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City So you’re headed to brunch, and you want some deeply comforting food. […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations
LV Recommends: 5 places with must-have sandwiches in the Iowa City area
[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] You’d be hard-pressed to visit the area and not find a sandwich you love. But there are a few noteworthy places where the humble sandwich—something we’ve been eating since we were kids—moves from a tasty and convenient way to deliver nourishment, to a next level meal you can’t stop thinking […]
