Wednesday night, my daughter and I headed out to a soft opening of Unimpaired, the newest and perhaps most unique bar in town. You read that right: my 11-year-old gladly came along with me for a “fancy ladies night” to Iowa City’s only dry bar. I’ve been stalking the Unimpaired – Iowa City Facebook page […]
Food & Drink
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The other, other, other white meat: Why you should consider adding rabbit to your diet
My pandemic project ended up being more unconventional than most. (I tried sourdough at the beginning, but forgot the starter in the fridge until last week.) As an anti-factory-farming activist, I found myself drawn to alternative food sources. I began raising and processing rabbits for meat and fur. Rabbits are a rare meat here in […]
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A lean guide to local meat
You don’t have to give up your favorite fleshy entrees in order to eat ethically — but it won’t be as easy as swinging by Walmart for a $6 pound of ground beef, either. Cutting out the middlemen in the food supply chain takes some legwork on the part of farmers and consumers, but has […]
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The Takeaway: Valérie’s French Cooking is très délicieux
I have been a Francophile for so long that I don’t quite remember when it started. At some point in my tweens, I grew fascinated with French culture. I took French through all four years of high school, listened to French pop music, watched French films and tried gamely to read French Vogue. I associated […]
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Anvil Meat Market & Deli in Czech Village is closing
Anvil Meat Market & Deli in Cedar Rapids’ Czech Village will close its doors for the last time on Thursday, owner Steven Prochaska announced in a post on Facebook. “It is with regret that we are announcing Anvil’s closure as of Sept 30th,” Prochaska wrote. “There’s reasons, and I won’t bore you with all the […]
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Beer, caves and medieval fantasy in Maquoketa
“Said Gawain, gay of cheer, ‘Whether fate be foul or fair, Why falter I or fear? What should man do but dare?’” —‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,’ late 14th century poem “The green girdle stays on during sex.” —Sir Gawain (paraphrased), ‘The Green Knight,’ 2021 film When I was a 10-year-old Girl Scout on […]
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Insomnia Cookies in Iowa City is now open
Warm cookies, cookie sandwiches and cookie cakes await anyone with a late-night or early-morning craving. It’s never too early or too late for cookies, right? Insomnia Cookies in Iowa City had its grand opening this past weekend. The late-night bakery is located at 125 E Washington St, which used to be Mama’s Deli & Catering. […]
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Tee’s Liberian Dish brings West African cuisine to Cedar Rapids
Teepeu Pewu had been thinking about opening a restaurant for a few years — and made that dream a reality earlier this summer. Pewu is the owner of Tee’s Liberian Dish at 1271 1st Ave SE, the space that used to house Brewed Awakenings coffee shop. It is the only Liberian restaurant in the area, […]
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‘It all feels like a dream’: Cookies & Dreams opens location in Coralville
Stephanie Sellers didn’t sugarcoat the reality of starting a business in 2020. “It was definitely terrifying,” she said. But the pandemic also inspired people to try and brighten their loved ones’ days — and cookies were a sweet way to do that. “[People] would drop cookies off on their friend’s doorstep if they were having […]
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LV Recommends: Mammita’s Coffee serves up Latin-infused cafe items (and floral arrangements)
Mammita’s Coffee and Flowers by Jacqueline in Iowa City may have mastered the art of multitasking. It is part flower shop, part coffee study spot and part lunch destination; all of them are good. The many-roomed shop is located on S Linn Street, right next to Mailboxes of Iowa City and near the downtown public […]
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Bites, fries, fluff and a squealer: Iowa State Fair food previewed
I’m what you might call a “fair-foodie”: an aficionado of the gastrointestinally punishing caloric arms race one can only experience at the Iowa State Fair. With the 2020 Iowa State Fair canceled due to COVID-19, I missed out on my annual survey of the creative dishes it has to offer. So on Monday afternoon, when […]
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Cooking on hot coals: A recipe for fire-roasted naan, vegetables and labneh
One of the more memorable diversions from last year was socially distanced outdoor gatherings with family members and “pod” friends, hanging around the most primitive of cooking stations: a fire pit. No need to clean the house or lay out a fancy spread — it’s the pandemic after all; we’re just trying to survive. My […]
