If you can make it in Des Moines, you can make it anywhere
Experts say Iowa’s capital city is one of the best test markets. Mark Twain said, “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it.” In this [...]
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Posted July 31, 2019in The Dish
Posted July 03, 2019in The Dish
Fake meat, the ginseng problem, cannabis-infused cocktails and more
Late spring was a time of revolution and consternation in the food world. Meatless meat thrived on. Best known to the general public as Beyond Meat, the genre is now [...]
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Posted June 05, 2019in The Dish
Laws, damned laws and statistics
Thank the gods of lunch meats Lawyers had a huge quarter challenging long-established food brands and free-speech rights. Last year, much of Hawaii was outraged to learn a Chicago restaurant [...]
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Posted May 01, 2019in The Dish
Early spring is full of bad news
No one has thought to extend the definition of endangered species to include small family farmers. During a time when astronomers and physicists celebrated a photograph of an “unphotographable” black [...]
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Posted April 03, 2019in The Dish
Bad times for pigs, good times for Farm Bureau
Travel industry trade magazine predicts visitors will spend $8.5 billion this summer in Iowa. A new “ag gag” bill was signed into Iowa law making it a crime for journalists [...]
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Posted March 06, 2019in The Dish
Good times keep rollin’
International Chili Society World Championship beginning this fall in Ankeny. The last month was as good for food economies as it was for the stock market. Beef prices were way [...]
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Posted February 06, 2019in The Dish
The year of oblivious volatility
The year 2019 began with a big bang of volatility. The rate of restaurant openings in the metro increased almost 50 percent in the second half of 2018 compared to [...]
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Posted January 02, 2019in The Dish
A roar to the end of 2018
The impending demolition of the Kaleidoscope building displaced many a longtime lunch spot. December went out with a roar, as usual in the food business. It seems there are tax [...]
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Posted December 05, 2018in The Dish
Economies and their enemies
November was a weird and scary month for Iowa. U.S. farm debt climbed, sitting just 8 percent below the peak in 1980 when adjusted for inflation. The strength of farmland [...]
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Posted October 31, 2018in The Dish
Disrespect and burger mania
Steve and Kristy Little have sold the popular Beaverdale cafe Chef’s Kitchen. The last night for Chef’s and the Littles will be New Year’s Eve. Chef’s began in the skywalk [...]
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