Events Calendar

Join us with restaurant reviewer of over 25 years, cookbook author Wini Moranville, who will read from and discuss her new book, Love Is My Favorite Flavor: A Midwestern Dining Critic Tells All. She will be joined in conversation by Iowa City food blogger Meredith Lumberg.

"In the tradition of the great food writers of our time — from M. F. K. Fisher to Betty Fussell — Wini Moranville provides an insider's view of the nuances, pressures, and delights of the food business. She writes of waiting tables in a Country Kitchen franchise to dining in the most elegant French restaurants. She writes of the straightforward but delicious meals on her grandparents' Iowa farm to her wine-tasting trips to Chile and Spain. You'll devour this excellent memoir, savor its aromas and flavors, and linger over the insights about the foods we love to eat." —Mary Swander

"Wini Moranville has convinced me that the very best preparation for becoming a restaurant critic is working as a waitress. Fortunately for us, she is a former waitress with a sharp wit and a way with words. Her memories of serving at many Des Moines restaurants in her teens and twenties are entertaining, but also truly enlightening. Her experience, insight, and humanity give us a new window into the restaurant industry. You might just find yourself thinking differently about the restaurants that you love and feeling a little nostalgic for long-gone restaurants you've never heard of before. Spoiler alert: it's never just about the food. Savored or devoured, this book will leave you feeling deeply satisfied." —Charity Nebbe, Iowa Public Radio

Wini Moranville has worked as a cookbook author, food and wine writer, and restaurant reviewer in an incredible culinary career. She has written hundreds of food-related articles for national food magazines and has served as the wine columnist for Relish Magazine, a TV food segment host, and a James Beard Restaurant Awards panelist. She is the author of numerous books, including Bonne Femme Cookbook, Everyday French Cooking, and The Little Women Cook Book. She lives in Des Moines.

Meredith Lumberg is an Iowa City food blogger whose writing can be found on the Instagram account @eatingaroundiowa. Originally from Washington, Iowa, she is passionate about trying new dishes, appreciating our local restaurants, and how the sharing of good food brings people together.