Greatest hits: summer food in Central Iowa

Nanee’s Polenta Cakes with tomato and zucchini ragu at Aposto. (Photo: Aposto)

By Karla Walsh

Besides magnolias blooming and the fireworks erupting after Friday night I-Cubs games, another sure sign tells me “it’s gonna be May”: the Downtown Farmers Market season opener. Every year on the first Saturday of May, I grab my reusable bag, slide on my sunglasses, pop in my AirPods and walk over to Court Avenue, where I know I’ll find the early veggies, fresh pastries and countless cute dogs.

This tradition reminds me how much I anticipate other annual rituals. Summer always seems to fly by, but I refuse to let it pass without making a few pilgrimages for (what else?) good food and drinks. I think of these as summer’s “greatest hits” — as essential as any song of the season, like an “Espresso” that’s “Hot To Go!” and not “Too Sweet.”

Here’s my personal mixtape of 12 stops to hit before we fall back.

Now That’s What I Call Central Iowa Summer Dining: Volume 1

1. Grab a breakfast burrito from HoQ at the downtown farmers market.
2. Devour a kouign-amann pastry from Uncle Wendell’s stand, also at the farmers market.
3. Savor a soft-serve crunch cone at Snookies Malt Shop.
4. Share polenta cakes, a charcuterie board and a bottle of wine on Aposto’s petunia-lined porch.
5. Dig into a bit of baklava with vanilla ice cream at the Greek Food Fair, June 6-8.
6. On Taco Tuesday, bike down to the Cumming Tap.
7. Order from a food truck, lay out a blanket and take in a Thursday concert at Jasper Winery.
8. Order takeout from any local restaurant, take it to a park and declare it Picnic Day.
9. Enjoy a bright yellow scoop of lemon custard at Classic Frozen Custard.
10. Eat some Pizza on the Prairie at the Wallace Centers of Iowa in Orient or have a Pizza Picnic at Plant Life Designs in Van Meter.
11. Make a date for a farm-to-table dinner at Grade A Gardens in Earlham, Rose Farm in Norwalk, Lone Oaks Farm in Winterset or even Harvestville Farm in Donnellson. (I promise it’s worth the drive!)
12. Grab a drink and watch the Friday night fireworks from the Secret Admirer patio.