Iowa has farmland in abundance, but astonishingly little of that land is used to grow food for humans — especially not food for Iowans. It’s too bad, because the state is full of folks with the skills and desire to nourish their community, and support their family in the process. Many of these would-be farmers […]
Food & Drink
Posted inFood & Drink
How a Des Moines inventor made the modern American hot dog possible
A little over 100 years ago, hot dogs were just cheap sausages stuffed into buns and sold for a few cents on street corners, at fairs and sporting events. By the 1970s, hot dogs, still cheap sausages stuffed into buns, were such an iconically American food that a leading car company invoked them to give its […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Review: Que Chimba is a fast, family-run Colombian restaurant out of the Old Capitol mall
One of Iowa City’s newest restaurants is so great, they put it in the name. Que Chimba Colombian Street Food opened in the Old Capitol Town Center in March. Que Chimba is a colloquialism that translates to “That’s great” or “That’s awesome,” and the restaurant lives up to its name in more ways than one. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
International produce you might find at the farmers market
Incubator farms are a sandbox — if that sandbox was full of fertile soil and eager pollinators. Refugee and immigrant farmers grow many fruits, veggies and flowers beloved by Iowans, including tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, microgreens, watermelon, peaches, sunflowers, onions, radishes, beets, zucchini, squash, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers and hot peppers. Other crops favored […]
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Her parents’ kung pao chicken had Des Moines obsessed. With Heavenly Asian Cuisine, Nhina Chau brought back the recipe — and explored her Vietnamese roots
Nhina Chau, owner of Heavenly Asian Cuisine, will never put freezer-burned veggies in her egg drop soup. She crinkles her nose at the thought of it. “I personally hate the smell of frozen peas and carrots,” Chau said, squirming in her chair. Egg drop soup is a Chinese restaurant classic. The people of West Des […]
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Restaurant owner Alfonso Medina continues to feed a pro-decency movement in Marshalltown, six years after ‘No Love, No Tacos’ went viral
Inside La Carreta Mexican Grill in Marshalltown is a bulletin board with letters from supporters all over the world. A sticker on a server stand reads, “Racism and outside food not allowed.” The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day but Sunday, serving everything from huevos rancheros and a vegan al pastor […]
Posted inFood & Drink
With Merle Hay’s food court set for closure, the owner of Vietnam Cafe is fighting for a life beyond the mall
For over 15 years, Brenda Tran’s cafe has served Vietnamese and Chinese staples to the Merle Hay patron. But as developers plan to close the food court, Tran now awaits an inevitable 60-day notice to vacate the premises — and an uncertain future. “If I give up,” she said, “I feel like I’m betraying myself.”
Posted inFood & Drink
Review: Bar Martinez boasts thoughtful cocktails, an intimate space and a bathroom fit for the pope
I’m in a bathroom in Highland Park at 11 p.m. on a Friday night. The walls are painted deep red, and the room is lit almost exclusively by prayer candles. Pictures of Jesus line the walls, including one shadowbox image backlit by a single bulb. A black toilet looms in the corner, directly opposite a […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Iowa is home to a colorful variety of THC beverage and candy brands. They could all disappear come November.
Last year, after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Congress finally passed a stopgap funding bill — and ignited a ticking timebomb for the billion-dollar THC beverage industry. A provision slipped into the bill at the last minute changes federal law to effectively ban hemp-derived cannabis (delta-9) products starting Nov. 12, 2026. Even the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Czech Village’s new, women-owned bookstores bring two different vibes to the neighborhood
Most Iowans are lucky to have a single bookstore in their neighborhood. As of December, Cedar Rapids’ Czech Village has two. Sisters Books and Nooks debuted in September, founded by friends Jamie Sharar and Sarah Danielson, who call themselves “sisters by choice.” Three months later, sisters-by-birth Lindsay and Jaymie McGrath opened I’ll Meet You There […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Linzi Murray and her West Des Moines bookstore/cafe are hitting their stride
Linzi Murray, owner of Reading in Public Bookstore and Cafe, lifted her pants leg, pointing to a tattoo on her left ankle. Although her dad, Keith, died of lung cancer 10 years ago, “he still jokes with me,” she said with a chuckle. They had a special bond, despite his drinking, her trauma as an […]
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Review: Unroll some injera at Habesha Ethiopian & Eritrean Restaurant, serving multi-sensory banquets in Des Moines
I finish the last bite of lentils I can manage, scooped up with a piece of fresh injera. My friend remarks at my “tumeric-stained lips,” so I get up to head to the washroom. “Do you want to try some Ethiopian coffee?” our server Asmeret asks me. Asmeret B. Ayele, along with Bashatu Gutama and her […]
