Posted March 02, 2022in Lunch With...
Troy and Cody Trostel are the sons of my late friend Paul Trostel, who owned nine trendsetting central Iowa restaurants. Troy is currently the head chef at David’s Milwaukee Grill in Perry’s famous Hotel Pattee. Cody is a deep sea fisherman in Rhode Island. Cody was back in town recently
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Posted February 02, 2022in Lunch With...
Dr. Claudia Addy is a podiatrist who has also worked at the Great Ape Trust and run for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and the Iowa House. Currently she works for an auto salvage yard and for Wells Fargo Arena. We asked her to lunch recently, and she chose Manhattan Deli,
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Posted January 05, 2022in Lunch With...
Mike Whalen, a developer, restaurateur and pundit, once spoke to the Iowa Restaurant Association suggesting that a restaurant, as well as any institution, personifies our collective humanity. That was a romantic notion that has intrigued me for decades. Small bars and diners, where everybody knows your name, represent that idea
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Posted December 01, 2021in Lunch With...
Former owner of Johnny’s Vets Club, Winston’s and Chef’s Kitchen chose to meet at Cosi Cucina. Chef Steve Little owned Johnny’s Vets Club, Winston’s and Chef’s Kitchen. He sold the latter a couple years ago and “retired” as a restaurateur but still caters, consults with younger restaurateurs, and represents an
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Posted November 03, 2021in Lunch With...
Restauranteur talks about COVID, family, creative geniuses and a dream house. Tony Lemmo owns Aposto at Café di Scala and is a partner in Gusto, Juniper Moon, El Guapo, Breakfast Club and Anna Dolce. We asked him to lunch recently, and he chose Breakfast Club in East Village. Fifty years
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Posted October 06, 2021in Lunch With...
Des Moines Performing Arts president and CEO shares thoughts about his personal background, travel, and COVID impacts to the industry. Jeff Chelesvig is the president and CEO of Des Moines Performing Arts and last year celebrated his 25th anniversary at the Civic Center. He is Iowa’s only Tony Awards’ voter,
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Posted September 01, 2021in Lunch With...
Unique business plan links a profitable business with a nonprofit. Nick Kuhn is owner of The Hall and founder of The Justice League for Food. The Hall has come out of nowhere to become Iowa’s top retailer of beer for bars. Its food revenue supports the Justice League, a nonprofit
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Posted August 04, 2021in Lunch With...
Blues, glatt and life lessons Steve Vasquez is a corporate chef for Hy-Vee and prominent member of the Iowa Blues Society. We asked him to lunch recently, and he chose Maccabee’s Glatt Kosher Deli. That café is celebrating its 30th anniversary of uncommon hospitality provided by Rabbi Yossi Jacobson. “I
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Posted June 30, 2021in Lunch With...
Owner of Olson-Larsen adds new gallery to keep young artists in the area. Susan Watts recently passed her personal 10th anniversary as owner of Olson-Larsen Galleries, which was the galleries’ 46th year and Watts’ 17th overall. We asked her to lunch, and she chose St. Kilda Collective (SKC) in Valley
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Posted June 02, 2021in Lunch With...
Catch Des Moines CEO says we have a chance to experience another “Roaring Twenties” decade. Greg Edwards is president and CEO of Catch Des Moines, the organization previously known as the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. With the metro finally beginning to emerge from the viral sleep of stagnation,
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