About the Restaurants

Iowa’s restaurants continue to surprise, with ethnic, big-city twists cropping up in small-town cafés. Many chefs sharpen their culinary skills on either of the coasts or abroad and return home ready to wow diners. Yet even in the fanciest of eateries there is a nod to regional cuisine, including buttery corn on the cob, pork tenderloin, juicy melons, and farm-fresh greens topped with crumbles of Maytag blue cheese. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are popping up on more menus than a decade ago. Sourcing culinary ingredients from within the region is emphasized, and not difficult to achieve, since even Des Moines is a mere 30-minute drive from family-run farms. Attire everywhere is decidedly casual: blue jeans, a clean shirt, and comfortable shoes (boots or sandals, depending on the season). Friendly service is a hallmark of Iowa’s restaurants, and perhaps the best example of residents’ pride in their state.