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 […]
Food & Drink
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Review: Walleye, poutine and decadent s’mores help make Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster in WDM a superb supper club experience
Food, like all cultural exchange, is relative. One person’s adventurous meal out of their comfort zone is another person’s daily staple. An example: even though I’m born-and-raised Iowan, I had never heard of a supper club before dining at West Des Moines’ Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster. “Oh, is it like a book club for foodies?” […]
Posted inEastern Iowa Arts & Entertainment
The Black Rose will continue as an online bookstore after closing its West Branch location
The Black Rose, the West Branch bookstore and cocktail lounge that opened earlier this year, has closed its brick-and-mortar location, owner Ashley Kofoed announced on Sunday on social media. “This isn’t a goodbye,” she said. “It’s a page turn.” Even without the Main Street store, “the story continues online, where so many of you have […]
Posted inFood & Drink
An Iowa State grad co-invented the Rice Krispie Treat (then never made them again)
Marshmallows, Rice Krispies, a little butter and your mom’s best 9”-by-13” Pyrex baking dish — the only ingredients needed for that ubiquitous, always-welcome fixture of the Midwestern potluck, the Rice Krispie Treat. The alchemist who helped turn Rice Krispies from a mediocre, snap-crackle-popping milk-sponge cereal into a dessert icon was Iowa State University grad Mildred […]
Posted inCommunity/News
SpareMe, beloved bowling and pinball destination in downtown Iowa City, is shutting down
SpareMe Bowl & Arcade is closing. The downtown Iowa City bowling alley will shut its door for the last time on Wednesday night, SpareMe announced Friday on social media. It will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. until then. Heather Soseman, SpareMe’s general manager, told Little Village she was told informally last […]
