If astrology is a method of divination based on the positions of stars and planets used for predicting and explaining human events, then gastrology must be a method of divining dining destinations based on cosmic culinary cravings. Read on for your hunger horoscope.
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Oak Park, Des Moines
Energetic, influential, confident and competitive, Aries is adept at arranging an experience that won’t soon be forgotten. Dining at Oak Park in Des Moines easily aligns with Aries’ aspirations, boasting a “truly original dining experience … that starts long before entrees are served.” Aries can impress dining companions with the Chef’s Table Experience, an intimate behind-the-scenes look into Oak Park’s kitchen featuring a bespoke multi-course menu and custom-selected wines. Or perhaps treating your guests (or yourself) to the $100 banana split with foie gras ice cream, champagne mousse and gold leaf is more your speed to top off what is surely an exquisite and exceptional experience, Aries-style.
TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20)
Royceann’s Soul Food, Iowa City
Taurus is here to kick back and indulge in all manner of earthly delights and pleasures, and Royceann’s Soul Food is certainly a delightful pleasure. Located in Iowa City’s South District Market, Royceann’s dishes up Southern soul food classics like fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, mac and cheese, and Royceann’s homemade banana pudding. These are not merely meals; they are memories you can taste. Rooted in tradition and community, Royceann’s Soul Food evokes strong feelings of home, family and togetherness — all things a dependable and grounded Taurus holds dear.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21)
Fancy’s Pizza, Cedar Rapids
Spontaneous and charming yet elusive and enigmatic, Gemini is difficult to pin down and always wants to keep things exciting and fresh. Fancy’s Pizza is similar, and you’ve gotta know where and when to catch them if you truly desire what they provide: a selection of inventive and decadent pizza pies. Orders are placed via message/DM and picked up at scheduled times throughout the afternoon and evening from Fancy’s pop-up spot on Mt Vernon Road in SE Cedar Rapids. With a rotating menu each week featuring ingredients like smoked mozzarella, Iowa pepperoni, hot honey, local veggies and seasonal morel mushrooms, a pie (or several) from Fancy’s is certain to be the highlight of any gathering — just like Gemini.
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
Crab Attack Seafood Kitchen & Bar, Marion
For Cancer, the celestial crustacean of the zodiac, it’s only natural that Crab Attack Seafood Kitchen & Bar in Marion is your cosmic dining match. Not only is Cancer a water sign represented as an actual crab, but Cancer season ushers in summer and escorts us to its peak: the summer solstice, the Fourth of July, vacations and beaches and cookouts and fish fries and shrimp boils. With summertime seafood favorites like catfish and grits, shrimp po’ boys, corn on the cob and Cajun dishes like jambalaya and blackened salmon, Crab Attack serves up summer in a basket with a side of fries, sure to capture the heart of go-with-the-flow Cancer.
LEO (July 23-Aug 22)
Panka Peruvian Restaurant, Des Moines
The only thing hotter than feisty and dynamic Leo are the actual flames occasionally seen emanating from the bustling kitchen at Panka Peruvian Restaurant in Des Moines. Much like Leo themself, Panka is warm and inviting, bringing its heat in the form of bold and complex flavors sourced and spiced from Peru’s dramatic geography and rich cultural history. Confident, charismatic Leo will be drawn to Panka’s ambiance, including its mirror-lined wall. Flavorful Peruvian dishes like empanadas, ceviche, ají de gallina, arroz norteño, lomo saltado, tacu tacu and grilled octopus have enough sizzle to (briefly) distract from attention-seeking Leo’s fiery flair.
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22)
Mikhael’s Restaurant, Cedar Rapids
At Mikhael’s Restaurant, you know what you’re going to get. That’s a good thing for Virgo, who is drawn to what is reliable, what they can depend on, what can be trusted. A classic family restaurant standing steadfast on a corner in southwest Cedar Rapids, Mikhael’s has endured since 1983 as a beloved provider of both quality diner-style meals and warm service from folks who feel like family. Restaurants like Mikhael’s are dependable, familiar and reassuring — all qualities any Virgo worth their salt (you know, the kind you put on hashbrowns) serves up like a plate of country-fried steak and eggs.
Libra (Sept 23-Oct 23)
Baroncini Ristorante Italiano, Iowa City
Libras luxuriate in all that is elegant, romantic and beautiful. Baroncini Ristorante Italiano in downtown Iowa City is all this and more, making it Libra’s ideal culinary fantasy-turned-reality. Beyond the beautiful, Libras are drawn to finding balance, creating harmony, and cultivating a place where everyone feels included and everyone feels at home. Homemade Italian food has a way of bringing folks together, creating a common ground for all to experience a bit of culinary luxury in the heart of downtown Iowa City. Libra can trust that Baroncini appeals to all, from the most discerning of palates to folks who simply crave a gorgeous plate of pasta.
SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 21)
Cafe Beaudelaire, Ames
With a name like Cafe Beaudelaire one might expect to enter and find tortured poets, angsty artists, wry writers — any deep and intense Scorpio’s cup of tea. And indeed, this haunt is located directly across the street from the ISU campus and residence halls, offering sanctuary to the anguished, hungry soul, Scorpio and otherwise. This Brazilian fusion cafe feels a little bit mysterious but also inviting and alluring, offering something unusual, something different, something surprising — exactly what shadowy Scorpio craves.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21)
I Love FuFu, Davenport – original location in Iowa City
Independent and open-minded Sagittarius lives to explore: physically, mentally, spiritually, gastronomically. Why not let that sense of adventure guide you to the new I Love FuFu, which recently took over from the highly acclaimed kitchen of Taste of Ethiopia on Davenport’s historic riverfront? The Ethiopian staples of sambusa, stewed lentils and chickpeas, doro wot, gomen and injera are at once exotic and comforting. A lifelong learner and forever student, Sagittarius can make a day of it by indulging their unquenchable thirst for knowledge at the Figge Art Museum, which is basically right across the street, or at the nearby Putnam Museum and Science Center.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19)
Loosies, Cedar Rapids
Lowkey and down-home, Loosies is the kind of place where even the most disciplined and determined Capricorn can, you know, let loose. Loosies’ casual TV-free atmosphere and chill, cabin-esque vibe is certain to draw Capricorn’s hyper-focused attention away from their to-do list and redirect it to the nostalgic menu of classic (and homemade!) Midwestern comfort foods like loose meat sandwiches, chili dogs, potato salad, malts and pie. Industrious and goal-oriented Capricorn can appreciate all the gumption that’s gone into sustaining Loosies — the restaurant, food truck and catering service — as a family-owned and -operated business since 2019.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18)
Plated Table, Iowa City
Perhaps the most innovative and individualistic sign of the zodiac, Aquarius is obsessed with what is progressive and nonconforming. Plated Table in Iowa City is all this and more, putting it in perfect alignment with what Aquarius fancies. At once a wine shop, communal dining room, catering and meal kit service, and event venue, Plated Table’s elegant space can shapeshift to accommodate all manner of affairs, from pop-up wine bars and block parties to intimate concerts and readings. With an ever-changing menu and focus on supporting local women-owned businesses and small-scale producers, Plated Table cultivates the unique experience Aquarius envisions.
PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20)
Crêpes De Luxe Café, Iowa City
Once upon a time there was a Moroccan-born, French-raised chef who dreamed of opening a restaurant. Lucky for us all, Hicham Chehouani’s dream came true through Crêpes De Luxe Café, Iowa City’s one and only creperie. Drawn to other visionaries, idealistic Pisces will appreciate every pinch of culinary magic and creativity that goes into Crêpes De Luxe’s menu. Each plate is a delicate and intricate work of art illustrating that every crepe, sweet or savory, is indeed prepared with both imagination and love. Pisces, allow yourself to be transported by daydream to a quaint bistro in Paris or Marrakesh with each mouthwatering bite.
This article was originally published in the 2024 Bread & Butter Dining Special.
