Latest Dining Stories

The Banshees of Ingersoll: Des Moines beer picks for St. Paddy’s Day
Been banished by your best mate and drinking buddy? Worried you’ll spend St. Patrick’s Day with none but yer sister and miniature donkey? Avoid a mental breakdown (and/or an Oscar nomination) and grab a pint at your neighborhood brewery, where […]

LV Recommends: Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant in Coralville has all the marks of excellence
For two years now, Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant has been serving delicious and nourishing food off 2nd Avenue in Coralville, in between Nailville Salon and Almost Paradise Tobacco & Vapor. Thai cuisine is known for its blend of sour, sweet, […]

Des Moines meals, sweets and experiences to indulge in this Valentine’s Day
No matter your relationship status or feelings surrounding Valentine’s Day, it’s a convenient excuse to indulge in a fancy meal, cocktail, dessert, or all three. Spend Tuesday, Feb. 14 in good spirits — and out of the waiting area — […]

A new gourmet cookie chain is opening in West Des Moines
A Utah-based gourmet cookie chain is dropping another crumb in Iowa. Crumbl Cookies will debut a new location in West Des Moines Friday — the second Crumbl Cookie location in the metro area, with the first opening in Ankeny in […]

Hamburg Inn No. 2 closes ‘for physical and spiritual repairs,’ will reopen by February
Hamburg Inn No. 2 has closed for maintenance, but should reopen next month, the restaurant’s new manager told Little Village on Monday. “We need to tear up the basement floor to fix a crushed sewer line,” Manager Joseph Mulvihill said. […]

Hamburg Inn No. 2 will close ‘indefinitely’ in January (Updated)
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, […]

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 […]

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 […]
The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Area’s Annual Dining Guide
BREAD & BUTTER
The sixth annual Bread & Butter dining guide contains something for everyone: great meals at every price point and for every diet, guidance for visitors looking to get beneath the surface and an exhaustive list of worthwhile breakfast, lunch, dinner and after dinner destinations to help even the most seasoned locals find something new to try.