Cedar Rapids’ restaurant history is rather infamous. Prohibition began there five years before the rest of America. On the outskirts of town, supper clubs like the Lighthouse Inn and Ced-Rel flirted with the likes of Al Capone and John Dillinger. Cobble Hill came to fruition in 2013, when Carrie and Andy Schumacher took over the […]
Dining Reviews
Posted inFood & Drink
Chicken Little Reviews: Thai Spice
It’s no coincidence that people who live in hotter climates enjoy fiery cuisine year-round; it’s basic science: Spicy food makes you sweat; sweat makes you cool down. The aptly named Thai Spice has the best green curry in town, but I don’t find it to be unbearably spicy; the coconut milk cuts the heat with […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: Saturday Farmers Market
You know that first perfect spring day after the endless winter? That cloudless day of birdsong, bike rides and bunnies; of budding flowers offering up their sweet stink to bees and passersby? That’s the day that makes many people fall (back) in love with Iowa City, and it’s the day we know the Farmers Market […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: Mondo’s Saloon
When you’re allergic to gluten, going out to eat can be a giant pain in the pancreas. While pizza, sandwiches and pasta are clearly off limits for those that can’t eat wheat, the foe of those with this allergy, complex sauces and even the least suspicious salad dressings often contain gluten. I know what you […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: Szechuan House
If you’ve ever had a hangover and you live in Iowa City, there’s a good chance you’ve already eaten food from Szechuan House, which offers delivery service. Their hangover standbys like orange chicken, crab Rangoon and pork fried rice are all solidly comparable to those at other Americanized Chinese places in town; however, there are […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: India Cafe
When I first moved to Iowa City half a lifetime ago I had never eaten Indian food. The first time I fearlessly dove into the buffet at India Cafe would be the beginning of a lifelong love of Indian spices and preparations. I crave those crazy Indian pickles like other people do chocolate, and I’m […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: La Michoacana Taqueria
Tucked between a meat market and a physical therapy clinic in Paul’s Discount Strip stands La Michoacana Taqueria, quite a find amidst a typical splattering of businesses in Iowa City. A step inside is a step out of the rush of the day and into a different kind of rush—very friendly bilingual staff hustling around […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: Lincoln Cafe
It wasn’t long ago that a trip to the Lincoln Cafe also meant spending two hours noodling around Mt. Vernon while waiting for a table to become available. Waits were long and, after peeking into a kitschy shop or two, it wasn’t uncommon to end up down the street at the cafe’s wine bar where […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: The Mill
For the uninitiated, which I assume is none of you, The Mill is, according to a tweet from Menomena, “the most fun [you will have in a restaurant] in years, if not decades! great place, great peeps.” The “great peeps” during my Friday lunch at noon were just me and the waitress. She did not […]
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XIEcrets of a Restaurant Redemption
On August 27, XIE (pronounced “shay”) hosted a grand reopening after receiving a makeover from Restaurant Redemption, a yet to be aired program that will be showed on The Cooking Channel. There was promise of a “celebrity chef” and a free meal for up to 100 people. Chicken Little would like to go on record […]
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Chicken Little Reviews: Sutliff Cider Company Tasting Room
As a new semester approaches and Iowa City begins to fill with students again, leaving town can recoup and extend the blithe feelings of summer that seem to…
Posted inFood & Drink
Chicken Little Reviews: Brix Cheese Shop and Wine Bar
On a rare rain-free afternoon in early June, I was feeling peckish and decided to risk crossing the road for a bite at Brix, one of Iowa City’s newest Northside eateries. Brix is a place I often overlook for lunch, partly because it’s only been open since last December, and also because I have never […]
