Ahmad Manci doesn’t believe in self-promotion or “propaganda,” as he calls it. So for almost 40 years, international students and Ames locals alike have found their way to Manci’s Pammel Grocery and Deli largely by word of mouth, be it a recommendation from a friend or the Iowa State University Reddit forums. Manci opened Pammel […]
Ames dining
Posted inFood & Drink
Excellent tacos from a ‘bad’ place, 30-inch pizzas and other food to wolf down in Ames and Des Moines
For the 2025 Bread & Butter dining guide, Little Village food reviewers visited and reviewed 10 locally owned central Iowa eateries. DES MOINES Clyde’s Fine Diner 111 E Grand Ave Suite 111, Des Moines, 515-243-3686 Clyde’s is one of my staples and legitimately one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. Truly putting the […]
Posted inRecreation
Bumper Crops: Ames is for pinball lovers
Valentine’s Day is here, and when I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of love. When I think of love, I think of pinball. The two aren’t that different, really. Both require good timing and the right amount of physical interaction: play too gently and your chances of scoring go down; play too hard and […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Iowa gastrology: Local restaurant recommendations based on your zodiac sign
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 […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
LV Recommends: 12 local restaurants to try in Des Moines & Ames
Chain and Spoke is half coffee shop, half bike shop. Cycling gear fills in the industrial décor, and walls of windows give the space natural light.
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: All-day breakfast spots in central and eastern Iowa
Sometimes you just want pancakes for dinner — specifically, a stack of hotcakes fresh off the seasoned griddle of a local diner, presented with a carafe of syrup, crispy hashbrowns, eggs any style and a cocktail or two. Whatever your dream brinner may be, there are plenty of restaurants in the Des Moines and Iowa […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Morning Bell Coffee Roasters, Iowa’s only worker-owned cafe, keeps Ames fresh and focused
“Take your time, let me know if I can help with some recommendations.” The barista with the circle-rimmed glasses and well-trimmed mustache who greets me at Morning Bell Coffee Roasters (111 Main St Suite 101, Ames) seems to clock my coffee novice immediately. Still, they’re patient and accommodating, which I appreciate more than they’ll ever […]
