Index of All Restaurant Reviews, Food Finds, and Travel Stories
This index makes it easy to find something (or somewhere) to eat right now.
Readers asked, and here it is: an easily searchable index of all my reviews, food finds, and travel stories, plus a section of “opinions, advice, and random bites.”
If there’s a particular restaurant, destination, or food find you’re looking for, simply use your keyboard’s search function and a search bar will pop up. Otherwise, just peruse this list until you find something that intrigues you—and give it a click.
Always-Candid Restaurant Reviews
Something you should know: When dining out, I pay my own check—no freebies, no favors—so you can trust my recommendations. If that kind of independent food writing matters to you, please consider subscribing. Paid subscribers also get full access to my archives.
The 🌠 represents one of my favorite restaurants (at its price-point, of course; that is, a 🌠 for a bar-grill isn’t necessarily the same as a 🌠 for Harbinger, but I think you understand that).
The 🚗 emoji indicates an out-of-town spot that’s well worth a road trip!
The 💰💥 icons represent a place that provides a good bang for the buck.
Note: Just because a listing doesn’t have an icon doesn’t mean it’s not worth your attention! Icons are reserved for the best—many others are worthy.
Bar Nico 🌠
Brazen Open Kitchen (Dubuque) 🚗
Café Mir (Fertile, Iowa) No longer recommended.
Campbell’s Nutrition Center Café 🌠
The Ciderhouse Restaurant at Wilson’s Orchard 🌠
Cobble Hill Restaurant (Cedar Rapids) 🚗
Culinary Institute Bistro Lunch 💰💥 🌠
Filet Steakhouse (Ankeny)
Five Best Restaurants in Des Moines, 2024 Edition
The Food Life of Zach and Cody (Private Chefs) 🌠
The Green Olive 💰💥 🌠
Highland Underground (bar with limited fondue menu)
Istanbul Grill Café and Bakery 🌠
Jones’ Black Angus Supper Club (Prairie du Chien, WI) 🚗
Juniper’s Restaurant (Lanesboro, MN)
Lachele’s Fine Dining // The Fitz in Highland Park 🌠
Leaning Tower of Pizza (Ankeny)
Northwestern Steakhouse (Mason City) 🚗
Local Bites 💰💥
L.T. Organic Farm Restaurant 🌠
Mitzi’s 💰💥
Opa! Italian and Greek Restaurant 💰💥
Pho Viet 🌠
Roots 95 🌠
Tom Archer’s Poor Man’s Country Club
Twin Springs Supper Club (Decorah)
Wasabi Johnston (Capsule Review)
Great Food Finds
Singular finds, private chefs, and terrific items to go — along with the stories behind some of the folks who bring us great food in the area.
Americana's $9 Burger Night 💰💥 CLOSED
Bauder’s Ice Cream Treats to Go (at Tandem Brick)
Campbell’s Nutrition Center Sandwiches
Catering by Cyd (Preorder Kitchen Options)
Cake Studio DSM by Jackie Servellon
Chicken (Where to Find Good Chicken in This City!)
Dinner Delights (Meal-Prep Service)
Dinner Dispatch (Meal-Prep Service)
Dubai Chocolate from Chocolate Storybook
European Taste Bakery (Pavolva!)
A Farmers’ Market without the Frenzy (Global Greens Market)
Five Stellar Main-Dish Salads (No Burger-Envy!)
Grateful Chef (Pre-Order Kitchen)
Happy Hour Menus at Three High-End Steakhouses
Food-Forward Restaurants with Summer-Perfect Beers
Food Life of Zach and Cody (Private Chefs)
A Last-Minute Dessert Pickup That Will Make You a Hero
Layer Cakes at Main Street Bakery in Ankeny
Linda Donuts (Ankeny)
My Five Favorite Pre-Order Kitchens
New World Kitchen (Pre-Order Kitchen)
Noah’s Surprisingly Good Alaskan Salmon
Nomad Plate (Alyssa Burgett—Private Chef Services)
Nourished DSM (Pre-Order Kitchen)
Party Rooms at Restaurants: Django, Louie’s Wine Dive, Iowa Taproom
Pies from Micro Pie Bakers in Town
Private Chefs: The Food Life of Zach and Cody
Seven Nights of Stellar Takeout
Sweet Potato Pie at Chellie’s Sugar Shack
West Forty Market (Ankeny Meat Market)
Wildflower Artisan Bread and Bakery (Waukee)
Nearby Travel
As with my restaurant and food coverage, I don’t take freebies for my travel coverage, and neither do my contributors. Each story contains honest recommendations based on experiences we’ve paid for ourselves.
Ames: Three Restaurants Worth Driving to Ames For
Best Hotel Rooms with Kitchens
Clear Lake: Good Eats and Great Fun
Door County: Why Door County Is My New France
Hotel Manning / Village of Van Buren
Iowa City: A 36-Hour Itinerary for Food-Lovers
Itasca State Park, MN: Where a Veteran Travel Editor Goes for Summer Vacation
Kansas City Restaurants Worth Building a Trip Around (Plus What to Do Besides Eat)
Kansas City: Where to Stay
Minnesota’s North Shore: Carving Out the Best Vacation
Northeast Iowa Driftless/Mississippi (Dubuque, Marquette, Prairie du Chien): A Great Itinerary + Two Destination Restaurants
Omaha: Where to Eat + What to Do in this Epically Re-imagined City
Villages of Van Buren/Hotel Manning
Opinions, Advice, and Other Random Bites
Complaining in Restaurants (It Can Just Get Weird)
Fine Dining That Feels Right (An Interview with Three Prominent Midwestern Chefs)
Five Savvy Ways to Save Money When Dining Out
Great Finds and Candid Thoughts on the Dining Scene
Kids Serving Cocktails? What Could Go Wrong?
Love Is My Favorite Flavor: Announcing My Tell-All Book on Reviewing Restaurants
Tipping Survey Results: Should the Tip Depend on Quality of Service?
Thank you for this, Wini! Your Substack is the place I ALWAYS go for sound advice regarding the DSM dining situation. Today is a big birthday in our house, so you came to the rescue again for the perfect restaurant rec! xo!
Amazing Index! Wini!! 🤍