The name may say “week,” but Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week is a 10-day-long celebration of the city’s breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The “Cedar Rapids” part isn’t strictly accurate either, since Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery in Swisher and the hip-stir in Marion are among the 19 restaurants participating this year. The week expanded to […]
Eastern Iowa Food & Drink
Posted inCommunity/News
Mosley’s is closing its second and final location, ending an eight-year run in the Iowa City area
Mosley’s, one of the best places to eat barbecue in eastern Iowa, is closing. If that sounds familiar, it’s because this is the second time “Mosley’s is closing” has made the news in two months. Mosley’s original location on S Gilbert Street in Iowa City closed on Aug. 26. “We’re moving our operation completely to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
LV Recommends: Harry’s Bar & Grill is an old-school diner with distinctly Iowa City DNA
Like its seasonal student population, Iowa City is constantly in a state of change. Brand-new downtown diner Harry’s Bar & Grill (116 E Washington St) is offering a chance to step back in time to Iowa City in the ’60s and ’70s, when a beloved and campy landmark bookstore called Epstein’s Books still existed. The […]
Posted inCommunity/News
The 148-year-old building that’s home to Pagliai’s Pizza is up for sale; Iowa City officials to consider granting it landmark status
The address 302 E Bloomington St may not sound familiar to many, but almost everyone living in Iowa City, and generations of students and visitors, know Pagliai’s Pizza. The 19th century building in Iowa City’s Northside Neighborhood has been home to the iconic pizzeria since the ’70s, and its future is a topic for discussion […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Six meals out in Fairfield
Fairfield is so much more than transcendental meditation (although there is a lot of that). The town has an abundance of food options, including plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. For the biggest range of choices, schedule your day trip to Fairfield for late-week; Thursday through Saturday is optimal. Many restaurants only have weekday […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cindy Smith, ICCSD’s liege of lunch, strives to put locally grown food on students’ trays
Have you ever wondered what really goes into making a school lunch? Feeding an area the size of the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) requires balancing students’ nutritional needs, dietary restrictions and preferences under a limited budget and federal regulations. I had the opportunity to speak to Cindy Smith, the purchasing and procurement director […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Hamburg Inn No. 2 will reopen later this year under new ownership
Hamburg Inn No. 2, a fixture of Iowa City’s Northside for 75 years, will reopen this fall, the restaurant’s new owners said on Monday. Hamburg Inn closed suddenly in July. It was the second time it shut down this year. “The Burg needs some fixing up,” Nate Kaeding of Gold Cap Hospitality said in a […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
With La Wine Bar, ShanShan Kong has turned an unlucky block into a downtown IC oasis
ShanShan Kong has been making hard-to-come-by Korean and Chinese dishes available in downtown Iowa City for three years. She opened La Wine Bar & Restaurant in fall 2019 at 180 E Burlington — the short-lived home of a Zombie Burger and a BeerBurger franchise — and mustered through the pandemic. She now operates several other […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Eastern Iowa restaurant insiders dish on their go-to meals, best food memories and tips for diners
What are you looking for in a meal off the clock? Anthony Green: Something very different than what I just spent the last 14-16 hours cooking. Oftentimes if it’s simple, delicious and prepared by someone else, that will hit the spot. Aaron Hall: I have certain places along my delivery route that I know I […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Meet Alex Smith, Iowa City’s newest chef, recipe developer and restaurateur
Meet Alex Smith, Iowa City’s newest foodie transplant from Bloomington, Indiana. She’s the driving force behind Plated Table, a business specializing in small event catering, weekly meal deliveries and dreamy, intimate dinner parties. Smith takes on a variety of events and clients, cooking and creating menus for weddings and celebratory brunches, hosting ticketed multi-course seasonal […]
Posted inEastern Iowa Food & Drink
LV Recommends: Raise a slice to Leonardo’s, Cedar Rapids’ 70-year-old time capsule
Cedar Rapids — the city of five seasons/smells, and home of Iowa’s best pizza scene. To celebrate the foundational piece of CR pizza that is Leonardo’s (2228 16th Ave SW) let’s take a look at its origins. The story begins in the early 1950s when Tony and Leo Naso opened Cedar Rapids’ first pizzeria, Naso’s […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘They’re devastated. I’m shocked’: Iowa River Power Restaurant is closing
Iowa River Power Restaurant is closing its doors in November. And while it’s possible the restaurant may reopen after the owner of its building finishes a major renovation project of the property, the restaurant’s owners, staff and Sunday brunch beloved by local diners over the past three decades will never be the same. Iowa River […]
