The COVID-19 pandemic taught many of us how to switch gears and pivot. In March 2020, as the regular 9-to-5 ruptured, many people quit their desk and retail jobs and started doing the things they’d always wanted to do, either as a side hustle or completely new beginning. “As a person who works in the […]
Iowa City Dining
Posted inCommunity/News
Farewell, fried chicken: John’s Grocery is closing its kitchen
John’s Grocery began serving customers freshly prepared food in the 1950s, a few years after the family-owned store opened in 1948. John Alberhasky’s wife Erma “couldn’t stand seeing all of the junior high kids eating penny candy for lunch, so [she] started making nickel ham-salad sandwiches and [her] famous potato salad,” according to the store’s […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Best of the CRANDIC Spotlight: The Webster, new to the IC restaurant scene, has already made a big splash
The Webster (202 N Linn St, Iowa City, 319-800-0720) is the winningest Best of the CRANDIC competitor this year, taking home Best Appetizers/Small Plates, Best Atmosphere, Best Chef (Sam Gelman), Best Food Scene Game Changer, Best Restaurant, Best Restaurant for a First Date, Best Restaurant Staff, Best Restaurant to Take Your Parents To (tie), Best […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Takeaway: Deluxe welcomed me to the neighborhood with luxurious sweet and savory snacks
It’s a truth (nearly) universally acknowledged that buying a house you love is the cornerstone of the American dream. Often left out of that narrative is the fact that packing and moving all your belongings can be a nightmare. Rather than move all in one cortisol-drenched go, my boyfriend and I decided to spread our […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cocktails for the whole family! Inside Unimpaired, downtown Iowa City’s new dry bar
Wednesday night, my daughter and I headed out to a soft opening of Unimpaired, the newest and perhaps most unique bar in town. You read that right: my 11-year-old gladly came along with me for a “fancy ladies night” to Iowa City’s only dry bar. I’ve been stalking the Unimpaired – Iowa City Facebook page […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Press Coffee debuts in its new location on North Dodge Street
Residents of Iowa City’s far northside have a new hangout. Press Coffee opened this week at 1120 N Dodge St, adjacent to Hy-Vee and St. Joseph’s Cemetery and within staggering distance of Hilltop Tavern. Press Coffee, originally opened in Coralville by friends Chad Andrews, Ryan From, Sam Thibodeaux and Swen Larson in 2013, and was […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Oasis expands its hummus empire into seven states, Costco as ‘Oasis Street Food’
Oasis Falafel began as a conversation. In 2004, when co-founders Ofer Sivan and Naftaly Stramer were hanging out in the Iowa City Ped Mall and craving the Mediterranean food they had grown up eating, they decided to recreate it themselves. Using family recipes, they started small, selling falafel and hummus from a food cart. The […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Takeaway: Baroncini serves up carb-y Italian comfort food with flair
Food is a source of comfort. That’s why we incorporate it into so many events. We use food to smooth over the awkwardness of first dates or meeting our partners’ families for the first time. To celebrate birthdays, graduations, new babies and marriages. To mourn the losses of loved ones, relationships and jobs. To lull […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Goosetown Cafe
Does Iowa City really need another breakfast and brunch restaurant? If it’s as diverse in flavor and subtly inventive as Goosetown Cafe, then yes. What I’ve found after repeated trips to the brunch, lunch and dinner spot that opened in Iowa City’s Northside nearly a year ago is a place that’s hugely confident, a trait not many newer restaurants have. That confidence shows in a menu and a design with contrasting characteristics, but held together by quality.
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations, Food & Drink
LV Recommends: Superb noodle dishes in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area
Slurp up noodle-y goodness at these area restaurants
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations, Food & Drink
Where to find elusive ingredients in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids area
Local hiding spots for your favorite kitchen oddities…
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide, Dining Recommendations, Food & Drink
LV Recommends: Five restaurants successfully riding the toast trend in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area
It has arrived to the Corridor. Many local eateries offer more than one option, and often dedicate…
