Either/Or is the latest venture from the restaurant group behind Lua Brewing in the Sherman Hill neighborhood of downtown Des Moines. “Lua is about craft beer and food, and it was our first so [it’ll] always [be] our baby, but it’s small,” said co-owner Scott Selix. “Either/Or is bigger on just about every scale. We […]
Food & Drink
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa’s loose-meat sandwiches go by several names (just don’t use the wrong one)
There’s no question that Iowa is the birthplace of the loose-meat sandwich — that beefy, slow-cooked and wonderfully messy American comfort food served on a hamburger bun. But which version of this sandwich is the definitive Iowa loose-meat sandwich is a debate that’s raged from river to river for nearly 100 years. Most Iowans call […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Sac City’s enormous popcorn ball watches over town from a climate-controlled temple
‘ Have you seen a popcorn ball? Have you seen a large popcorn ball? What about the world’s largest popcorn ball? If not, head to Sac City, in the heart of Iowa’s popcorn producing region. The popcorn ball in question is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 9,370 pounds. This nearly five tons of popcorn […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The ubiquitous ham balls of Iowa
It’s impossible to say when the first ham ball was formed in Iowa or who formed it. Some link ham balls to their Swedish heritage, others to their Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors, but everyone who loves this undeniably Iowa dish would agree it’s reliably present on the buffet table at most every church potluck, funeral luncheon, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Brandon’s thousand-pound pan (and thousand-person breakfasts)
Along I-380 between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, a sign beckons drivers to a town boasting the largest frying pan in the state. Anyone willing to spend a few minutes on a detour will not be disappointed. Heading into Brandon, Iowa, the promised frying pan cannot be missed. According to a sign explaining its existence, the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
The best invention, sliced bread, is owed to an Iowan
In 1928, an Iowa-born jeweler unveiled a revolutionary invention. The machine Otto Frederick Rohwedder had created was the best thing since… well, that cliche wasn’t available yet. Because what Rohwedder invented was the automatic bread slicer. Born in 1880, Rohwedder grew up in Davenport, where he attended school and apprenticed as a jeweler. After high […]
Posted inStatewide
Beer-makers on opposite sides of the state are spreading the word about vision cures brewed up at the University of Iowa
Plenty of Iowa breweries go out of their way to support charitable organizations, but only one, it seems, was founded with the express goal of supporting a humanitarian cause. That brewery is Blind Butcher Brewing, and that cause is the cure for hereditary blindness. In 2009, Rob Hage was diagnosed with a hereditary disease of […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
LV Recommends: Des Moines’ new Monsterama Arcade & Pizzeria gets two enormous, dismembered thumbs up
Wednesday, 6:11 pm. Of course I’m at Monsterama. Where the hell are you? Monsterama Arcade & Pizzeria (located at 3108 SW 9th St, next to Lucky Gal) on Des Moines’ south side serves pizza, calzones, hot dogs and mocktails adjacent to a gaggle of games. If the tantalizing eats and creative concoctions don’t endear you […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Mosley’s is closing its second and final location, ending an eight-year run in the Iowa City area
Mosley’s, one of the best places to eat barbecue in eastern Iowa, is closing. If that sounds familiar, it’s because this is the second time “Mosley’s is closing” has made the news in two months. Mosley’s original location on S Gilbert Street in Iowa City closed on Aug. 26. “We’re moving our operation completely to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
LV Recommends: Harry’s Bar & Grill is an old-school diner with distinctly Iowa City DNA
Like its seasonal student population, Iowa City is constantly in a state of change. Brand-new downtown diner Harry’s Bar & Grill (116 E Washington St) is offering a chance to step back in time to Iowa City in the ’60s and ’70s, when a beloved and campy landmark bookstore called Epstein’s Books still existed. The […]
Posted inCommunity/News
The 148-year-old building that’s home to Pagliai’s Pizza is up for sale; Iowa City officials to consider granting it landmark status
The address 302 E Bloomington St may not sound familiar to many, but almost everyone living in Iowa City, and generations of students and visitors, know Pagliai’s Pizza. The 19th century building in Iowa City’s Northside Neighborhood has been home to the iconic pizzeria since the ’70s, and its future is a topic for discussion […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Peace Tree — one of Iowa’s oldest breweries, with two locations — is up for sale
Peace Tree Brewing Co., one of the pillars of the Iowa craft beer scene, is up for sale. “Peace Tree is not closing its doors,” owner Megan McKay said in a news release on Thursday. “Normal operations will continue uninterrupted, and plans for 2024 are already in motion with some exciting new beers we think […]
