Nadia Corwell

I figured this would be one of those quick roadside stops. Walk in, look around for half an…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 20

Warm sugar and fresh coffee do a pretty convincing job of ruining sensible breakfast plans. Add a donut…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 20

The first genuinely chilly evening of fall always changes my dinner plans. Suddenly, the light meal I was…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 19

I thought I had reached the back of the shop twice. Both times, another doorway proved me wrong.…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 19

The road had already turned to gravel when I reached the part that made me wonder whether my…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 18

My first mistake was grabbing a plate too quickly. I had barely made it past the first station…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 18

Sunday morning in this little Iowa town looks surprisingly busy for a place you could drive through in…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 17

I knew this Iowa lake town was small. I did not expect to find a wooden roller coaster…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 17

I have learned not to judge an Iowa bakery by its storefront. Some of the best apple fritters…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 16

There is something wonderfully unreasonable about planning an Iowa road trip around a sandwich that barely fits on…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 16

By 6:15 in the morning, the pickup trucks are already lining the curb and the coffee mugs are…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 15

I planned to grab one pastry and be back on the road. Then I saw the case, smelled…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 15

I have made plenty of questionable decisions before breakfast, but standing in line for a two-dollar donut is…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 14

Somewhere east of Des Moines, past cornfields and grain bins, there is a little Iowa bar where the…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 14

I have learned not to judge an Iowa breakfast stop by the building, the parking lot, or how…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 13

Iowa is not the first place that comes to mind when I think about great seafood, which is…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 12

I have nothing against a drive-thru, but four house salsas landing on the table before I even order…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 12

Gravel roads become much more convincing when there is a warm cinnamon roll waiting somewhere at the end.…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 11

Cool mornings make me much more willing to plan an Iowa road trip around breakfast. A small-town diner…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 11

I went looking for fresh dairy and somehow ended up eating apple ice cream while cows watched from…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 10

I knew this was more than a normal grocery run when my cart held cheese, bulk spices, quilting…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 10

I usually do not expect much from a café inside a public garden, which is exactly why this…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 9

I have driven through plenty of tiny Iowa towns where blinking feels optional, but very few have rewarded…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 9

I have learned that the most dangerous words on an Iowa road trip are “let’s just stop for…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 8

I take steak rankings far more seriously than any reasonable person probably should. Once Iowa puts a sizzling…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 8

I have learned that the best Iowa road trips usually start with a full tank and end with…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 7

I walked in expecting a quick look at a few old race cars. Two hours later, I was…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 7

If September in Iowa has a smell, it might be warm cinnamon drifting out of a farm bakery…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 6

I thought two hours would be more than enough time for dinner. Then I sat down at a…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 6

A good bookstore bends time. You walk in for one book, spot the wrong shelf in the best…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 5

The fruit filling usually gives the first clue. Apples bubble under flaky crust, cherries stain the slice bright…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 5

A plain Friday night feels very different when dinner includes as much snow crab and slow-roasted prime rib…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 4

Oh, Iowa, you charming, understated darling of the Midwest. You are often thought of for cornfields and friendly…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 4

The best fish plate in Iowa usually announces itself before it reaches the table. You hear the crunch.…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 3

The street parking gives the secret away first. Cars line up along a tiny Iowa main street, the…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 3

I planned to spend a couple of hours at this Iowa orchard. Eight hours later, I still had…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 2

Breakfast tastes a little different when the Mississippi is moving past the windows or morning light is spreading…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 2

I drove past cornfields and gravel side roads in southern Iowa expecting a sleepy fishing dock, and instead…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 1

Something magical happens when you leave the highway behind and follow a gravel road toward an Amish store…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 1