Update: One day after managers and staff at Hamburg Inn No. 2 confirmed the restaurant would be closing in January, an attorney for owner Michael Lee told KCRG, “There are no plans to close the restaurant.” The attorney’s statement said, “The Hamburg Inn has been operating at reduced hours the last few weeks and will […]
Food & Drink
Posted inCommunity/News
Vivian’s Soul Food, a Cedar Rapids favorite, has closed
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 […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Food truck owners have big choices to make once temperatures dip
As fallen leaves give way to fallen snow, patios get packed away, plants move indoors and sandals are shelved until next summer. The changing season also means it might be harder to find your favorite local food truck. It’s no secret that Iowa winters can be brutal. Temperatures dip well below freezing for weeks on […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Three restaurants that prove Cedar Rapids wins at pizza
Across this Iowan landscape there stands a little known hill. A hill that I would die upon. A hill called Cedar Rapids is the Best Pizza Town in the State. “Balderdash; [insert city here] has the best pizza!” you may have just exclaimed. But allow me to present three exemplary Cedar Rapidian pizzerias: Starting with […]
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 inCentral Iowa Community/News
Eat Greater Des Moines’ food rescue app has attracted hundreds of volunteers — now it needs more food to move
Eat Greater Des Moines partnered with grocery stores, gas stations and the community to make sure unwanted food in Central Iowa doesn’t have to go to waste. Their food rescue app launched back in June, and in its first four months, has successfully helped increase food assistance while decreasing local food waste, Eat Greater Des […]
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 inCentral Iowa
Three Des Moines bakeries to patronize on National Donut Day this Saturday
Americans love donuts so much that two days of the year have been dedicated as National Donut Days; one in June and one on Nov. 5. So if celebrating National Donut Day again this year is something you didn’t know you needed, here are three Des Moines bakeries that will help you do it right. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fong’s Pizza in Cedar Rapids is closing
Fong’s Pizza in Cedar Rapids will serve its last customers next week. “It is with heavy hearts we are saying our goodbyes and closing permanently at the end of the day on 11/5/22,” the restaurant said in a post on its Facebook page on Thursday morning. “We love serving this great community. Unfortunately, our lease […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Horror-ble bites to eat this Halloween in Des Moines
It’s October, which can only mean one thing: time to make that list and check it twice. No, not that list. We’re talking about the horror movie list — the can’t-miss spooky season flicks that’ll have you employing the buddy system to walk down dark hallways; the ones that elicit jump scares from house creaks […]
Posted inStatewide
Recipe: Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
These are not your average meatballs. Adding more colorful vegetables to your meals doesn’t have to be complicated. These meatballs get a veggie boost with chopped spinach, bell peppers and onions and an infusion of flavor courtesy of feta cheese, olives and Italian herbs & spices. Plus, replacing breadcrumbs with oats ups the fiber content. […]
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 […]
