Here in Iowa, farm to table isn’t just a trend – it’s our way life. Restaurants and chefs across the state are harnessing the ingredients that are produced right in our backyard. These eateries boast menus packed with farm-fresh and elevated flavors that will wow your taste buds.
Taste - Osage
Merging her passion for community and health-centric foods, Chef Jessica Baldus owns four Osage-based businesses that show off the best of Iowa’s flavors. Taste is the largest of the four and operates as a full-service restaurant whose gourmet menu is sourced from local farms. Meanwhile, The Bakery expanded Jessica’s original cheesecake business; Piggyback Smoke Shack is a “ghost kitchen” that serves pop-ups and stationary food truck style dishes; and The Market offers an “eat local” shop that sells the locally sourced produce, herbs and meat used for Piggyback’s and Taste’s menus, plus a daily selection of grab-and-go individual and family-style meals. No matter where or how you decide to sample Jessica’s flavors, you’re supporting dozens of local farmers and enjoying nutrient-dense and delicious food.
Read more about Jessica's restaurateur pursuits and passion for farm to table here.
Primrose - Corning
Located inside a 100-year-old building on Corning’s Historic Main Street, Primrose expanded its farmers’ market operations into a full-service restaurant that prioritizes locally sourced produce. Their menu changes weekly depending on what they can source on the owners’ family farm. For example, an excess of chiles and tomatoes results in a menu that includes items like tomato salads, BLTs, flatbreads and more. Primrose also boasts delicious desserts and a full bar with specialty drinks. Locals especially love the margaritas, which are crafted with fresh lime juice.
Big Grove Brewery - Solon, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City & Des Moines
An Iowa staple that’s known for its carefully crafted beers and diverse menus, Big Grove Brewery shows off the best of Iowa’s flavors at each of its three locations. Though the Solon Brewpub and Iowa City, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids taprooms feature different menus, each unique item is crafted with local ingredients to maintain the business’s emphasis on creating healthy meals that pair well with beer. So, it’s no surprise that Big Grove is an award-winning restaurant alongside with the many awards its brews have garnered.
Brazen Open Kitchen & Bar - Dubuque
After training as a chef throughout the country and competing on Bravo’s Top Chef, Kevin Scharpf returned to Iowa with a mission of putting the state on the map as a culinary destination. This goal led him to opening Brazen Open Kitchen & Bar in Dubuque, which focuses on transforming Iowa’s highest quality ingredients into elevated and innovative cuisine. The Brazen team works closely with local farmers that make daily deliveries – their kitchen isn’t even equipped with freezers. Every element of every dish is handpicked and prepared from scratch, from the produce to the pasta. Pair your meal with a drink selection from the full bar, which also includes freshly prepared ingredients, signature scratch cocktails and a beer and wine list that’s chosen by the craftsmen bartenders.
HOQ - Des Moines
Using produce from local farms, HoQ’s constantly evolving menu invites diners to sample global flavors inside an elegant dining space. The Des Moines restaurant carefully selected their suppliers, who provide over 90% of their ingredients using sustainable practices. The menu includes classic favorites with a twist, such as grass-fed beef burgers and steaks, free-range chicken burritos, locally raised lamb shanks, grilled cheese and a seasonal soup and a variety of unique vegetarian and vegan options like hummus and naan, rice and lentil crepes and more.
La Rana Bistro - Decorah
With a mission of serving quality food and creating an authentic connection to local flavors, La Rana Bistro partners with Decorah area farms to source its scratch kitchen. Each plate is crafted with produce from Patchwork Green Farm, Canoe Creek Produce, Rock Cedar Ranch and more, and intricately plated to enhance the big-city vibes while being served in a casual bistro. The seasonal menu ensures you experience something different with each visit and includes everything from homemade quiche and fresh salads to lamb meatballs and duck confit. While open year-round, the restaurant has limited seating, so reservations are strongly recommended.
Milk & Honey - Harlan
This charming breakfast and lunch spot boasts a delicious collection of menu items that feature local produce and made-from-scratch flavors. Located on Harlan’s historic square, Milk & Honey serves freshly roasted coffee from Pammel Park Coffee; homemade bakery items; burgers crafted from beef from nearby Rosmann Family Farms; omelets made with Pin Oak Place eggs; and more classic breakfast and lunch dishes. Support this small-town eatery and its partnered farms by purchasing Milk & Honey merchandise.
Juniper & Olive - Jewell
Designed to feel like a quaint European café, Juniper & Olive loves showing off the talent of Jewell's local growers. Their toasts are topped with jams from Garden Opas, the coffee is freshly roasted from Jewell Stuck Family Farm, the greens are sourced from the local farmers’ market and meat and dairy are locally sourced from a variety of farms. This fresh supply allows the eatery to refresh its menu every day and serve delicious paninis, charcuterie boards and sweet treats like carrot cake and macarons, plus elevated craft cocktails and zero-proof drinks.
Café Mir - Fertile
Photo Courtesy Café Mir Facebook
Czech for peace, Café Mir merges Iowa produce with Mediterranean flavors. Located in the small town of Fertile, Café Mir is so popular that a reservation is needed to claim one of the limited tables. The ever-changing menu includes a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options, alongside deliciously fresh items like quinoa salads, Mirian pork and beans and more, plus unique pizzas such as the caramelized onion and Ziggy stardust pizza. Everything is crafted with quality, locally sourced ingredients and feature rich flavors, ensuring you leave satisfied.
Lincoln Winebar - Mount Vernon
Photo Courtesy Lincoln Winebar Facebook
After a local chef purchased a historic building on Main Street Mount Vernon, he installed an Italian-made, wood-fired oven and started serving Neapolitan-style pizzas. Now, the Lincoln Winebar is one Iowa’s most popular pizza joints whose menu is driven by the seasonal produce provided by local farmers. From features classic recipes like Margherita and pepperoni, alongside new-age flavors like Korean BBQ and Iowa street corn, whatever you pick is sure to take you on a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure.
The Café - Ames
This fun and energetic café pairs Iowa products with Artisan-style breads, European pastries and creative desserts to offer a unique dining experience in Ames. They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and are always changing the menu based on supply, so you can enjoy everything from farm fresh eggs and Iowa sweet corn quiche to burgers, salads, stone-fired pizzas, steaks and more. Be sure to take some handmade bread home with you to extend the flavorful adventure.
