Bread & Butter Dining Guide

Surrounded by farms as far as the eye can see, it was only a matter of time before this local brewery, the area’s rich farming history and Amish and Mennonite communities collided. Haymaker’s Punch, a traditional beverage for thirsty hay farmers working the fields, is now on tap at the brewery.

Owner Patti O’Neill partners with artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico to produce beautiful collections of home goods that marry traditional techniques with modern aesthetics. O’Neill travels regularly to Mexico to collaborate with her artisans and share the process, and brings back fresh goodies multiple times

Wait… a brewery on a list of kid-friendly establishments? You bet. The casual atmosphere of Big Grove lends itself well to dining out with kids in tow. The menu of international street food offers choices for both adventurous and discerning eaters and the brewery is known for their great selection of brewed-on-site

Known for their burger-centric menu through which you can travel the world, owners Mitch and Christina Springman make sure their culinary creativity is accessible to all diners by crafting a housemade veggie burger that can be used as a vehicle to sample their international delights. Packed with veggies, lentils

The sour, spicy flavors in the saozi noodle soup at JiangHu are addictive. Try it once and you’ll find countless reasons to order it again and again. When you need a warm up on a chilly day: saozi noodles. When you’re feeling the beginnings of a head cold: saozi. When you’re too lazy to pack your lunch

Travel and wine enthusiast Traci Weber took her husband’s dream of one day owning a wine shop and turned it into her reality. She purchased an old home on First Avenue and converted it into a retail outlet, using the rooms (three floors!) of the old house to showcase boutique wines of both domestic

This longtime downtown Iowa City establishment is well known for classics like the Conglomerate sandwich. Their egg rolls pass the test, too. Oh, and did you know Mickey’s offers a full breakfast menu on the weekends? They have some very tasty and unique menu items for egg lovers. Ever have a day

All over the country, debates over what makes the best barbecue rage. Cities and entire states are known for their barbecue fare, but the treatment of the meat—how it is smoked, dry-rubbed, or sauced—is what defines barbecue in that area (though what accompanies the meat is important, too)

When enjoying the easy-going fine-dining atmosphere at Ruthie’s, be sure to order appetizers. More specifically, order the oysters. They offer perfectly fried oysters for you to enjoy before your plates of lobster tails, beautiful steaks, prime ribs and more of the chef’s creations hit your table

A full-fledged space to call their own! Jessica LaFayette and her husband Tony have expanded what was originally a deli counter in the back of a retail operation into a restaurant that occupies the whole space. Everything on the menu is raw, vegan and gluten-free, but don’t think for a second that means