Vivian’s Soul Food, a much loved fixture on the Cedar Rapids restaurant scene, has closed. Owners Jerome and Briana Smallwood announced the closure in a post on the restaurant’s Facebook Page signed Team Viv. It’s been a great run. In the last 6 years we’ve learned so much, made lifetime connections, have seen the lowest […]
Eastern Iowa Food & Drink
Posted inCommunity/News
Willie Ray’s Q Shack is starting Thanksgiving early by giving away free meals on Tuesday
Willie Fairley became nationally famous for his generosity and barbecue following the August 2020 derecho. In the aftermath, he fed his fellow Cedar Rapidians who found themselves without power, and some cases, suddenly without a home. Since then, Fairley has continued his charitable work, as his Cedar Rapids drive-thru restaurant, Willie Ray’s Q Shack, has […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
LV Recommends: Encounter Café, an Iowa City living room serving well-crafted classics
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the Encounter Café was the feeling of calm. Coffee shops are typically bustling, noisy places where orders are being called out and people are squeezing past each other to get to tables, the counter, the bathroom. The Encounter is as lively and full of customers as […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Six exceptional bar programs in the CRANDIC
The difference between a good restaurant and a great restaurant largely comes down to staffing and knowledge. A good restaurant purchases ingredients and has cooks that follow a recipe to produce a plate of food. A great restaurant hires chefs who understand what those ingredients are, and how they work with other ingredients to create […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Local bartenders are serving creative NA cocktails to keep the party going, without the buzz
As a Midwest college town, Iowa City has historically been a heavy-drinking community within a heavy-drinking region. “The University of Iowa has long been known as one of the top party schools,” said Dr. Paul Gilbert, a professor in the College of Public Health who studies alcohol-related disparities. “But it doesn’t have to dominate anymore. […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
This wine maven from Cedar Rapids is shaking up the industry, one bottle of sparkling sauv at a time
“I’m the fish that likes to swim upstream.” Chris Christensen used this phrase over and over again to describe his journey from a middle-class upbringing in Iowa to attending Stanford University to starting his own winery in Sonoma County. Christensen’s unlikely breakthrough into the wine business is underscored by his identification with and affinity for […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Three local hummus masters on what makes the perfect dip (and what doesn’t)
The origin of hummus is obscure. The earliest recorded recipe is found in a 13th century Syrian cookbook with the phenomenal title Winning the Beloved’s Heart with Delectable Dishes and Perfumes: boil chickpeas, then mash them together with tahini, olive oil, salt, spices and vinegar. Sometime later, lemon replaced vinegar and garlic was added, but […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Five CRANDIC taverns that feel like a home away from home
They’ve outlasted recessions, floods and indoor smoking bans. Every other customer through the doors is a regular. Longtime employees dispense beer, life advice and local legends in equal measure. Some are nestled into neighborhoods, aging alongside generations of residents who find it hard to imagine their hometown without “the bar.” Every nicked table, specific smell […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Herbivore hangouts in the CRANDIC
Iowa is home to the fifth highest number of organic farms in the United States, so it’s no surprise that the first place to look when seeking out vegetarian fare in the Hawkeye State is at your local farmers market. There you can find fresh, local produce of a bewildering variety sold alongside Amish pies, […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
LV Recommends: Baked goods, made from scratch in Eastern Iowa
If you’re on the hunt for an award-winning bread program, a neighborhood gem or the most satisfying cookies, these bakers have what you’re looking for. Deluxe Cakes & Pastries 812 S Summit St, Iowa City 319-338-5000 View Website Walking in the front door of this neighborhood bakery is an immediate mood-lifter and hits reset on […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Tired of sports bars? The Green House owner Emily Salmonson wants to offer a ‘calming’ alternative
Emily Salmonson thinks the pandemic brought plant fanatics out of the woodworks. After months of quarantine, people dove into recreation, emerging as hikers or bikers, or they brought the outdoor indoors, becoming plant parents. “I have just huge love of plants. I’ve always had plants just around me growing up. My mother had tons of […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Six days a week, 52 weeks a year, Iowa City’s Free Lunch Program continues to meet hungry neighbors where they are
An open door, a full plate, no questions asked. It’s a simple, humble mission, but for everyone involved with the Free Lunch Program (FLP), from the diners to the directors, it is less about charity than collaboration, enriching the life of both server and guest. This is a truth strongly felt by Diane Platte, one […]
