Four area restaurants that beg you to leave room for dessert Big Grove Brewery 101 Main St, Solon Big Grove Brewery has made itself indispensable as the only brew pub in Solon and Iowa City and one of the most popular local breweries to carry on tap across the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor. While many […]
Iowa City Dining
2018 Grocer guide for the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids area
Eight local grocers and markets that are well-worth the trip. Aldi 760 Ruppert Rd, Iowa City 2750 Heartland Dr, Coralville 1860 Edgewood Rd SW, Cedar Rapids 5425 Blairs Forest Blvd NE, Cedar Rapids Aldi is an affordable and environmentally conscious grocery store option. They take their corporate responsibility seriously and strive to support local communities […]
2018 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) guide for the Iowa City area
Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, allows community members to purchase shares, or memberships, with area farms. Community contribution early in the season lets farmers properly gauge the community’s needs for the coming season, and community members receive CSA shares of farm-fresh product, without paying the overhead required by retail sales. If you might be interested […]
LV Recommends: Where to go for a magnificent matcha latte in the Iowa City area
The matchas at these local cafes are the perfect swap for coffee. Cortado 26 S Clinton St, Iowa City This modern streamlined coffee shop across from the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City has plenty of seating as well as a sidewalk patio in warmer months. Beyond just a winning atmosphere, Cortado succeeds with delightful drinks […]
Pucker up: Local sour beers take brewing to a whole new level
“Infected” is rarely a word you want associated with your food or drink. But for hundreds of years, from Belgium to Iowa City, brewers have been cultivating the perfect cocktail of microbes to infect their beers and serve an ever-growing fan base. Characterized by an acidic or tart flavor, sour beers can taste like everything […]
LV Recommends: The most decadent dishes in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids area
When you’re feeling fancy, these four local eateries are the place to indulge yourself. Sushiya 745 Community Dr, Ste A, North Liberty Sushiya has been serving up delicious sushi in its intimate corner of North Liberty since 2014. The delicious hand rolls and excellent service have made it a local favorite, but a new addition […]
LV Recommends: Five area restaurants that have stood the test of time
Five tried and true restaurants with a history and reputation as impressive as their offerings. Pagliai’s Pizza 302 E Bloomington St, Iowa City This Northside Iowa City landmark has a hefty fanbase of regular diners. The restaurant’s front windows display the kitchen at work and on the inside, the big booths provide a prime seat […]
Mercy Hospital Chef Ron Hall serves some of Iowa City’s best food
Mise en place. That’s the term that comes to mind when Jeff Donar thinks about Chef Ron Hall. It’s a French phrase Donar learned in culinary school; it means “everything in its place.” Donar, a cook, has worked for Hall in the Mercy Iowa City kitchen for nearly four years. “You can tell when [Chef […]
Local producer Agri-Cultured Foods heals customers with fermented foods
We tend to think of our food as something we put into our bodies, as something totally separate from our bodies. But what if our food was actually alive? And what if our food became a part of our bodies after eating?
LV Recommends: Standout Eastern Iowa sandwiches
Sandwich: noun, an item of food consisting of pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, or more generally any dish wherein two or more pieces of bread serve as a container or wrapper for another food type. These standout sammies deserve your attention. Oasis Falafel 206 N Linn St, Iowa City […]
How Pig & Porter Chef Matt Melone makes time for family dinner
Matt Melone worked all day in the kitchen, and he’ll work more tomorrow. It’s December, an especially busy time of year at Pig & Porter, the downtown Cedar Rapids restaurant Matt co-founded with his business partner, Will Monk. Outside, the temperature sits below freezing. “I see people I work with more than I see my […]
LV Recommends: Bingeworthy shows and food pairings from area restaurants
Nothing goes better with an evening in than Netflix and takeout. You don’t have to default to the nearest pizza chain or Chinese restaurant, though; pair these tasty local offerings with your favorite Netflix original for a satisfying binge experience.

