Author Archives: Jeff

Dec 16

Do I have to haul this out again?

Posted on Monday, December 16, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I was in charge of the “mini-mag” for the yearbook my junior and senior years of high school. This was in the era of desktop publishing where we had the digital layout but not the digital photos. (We still had … Continue reading →

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Dec 13

2019: The Year in Food (5)

Posted on Friday, December 13, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

5. Pork Strip Basket, Iowa State Fair, near the southwest corner of the fairgrounds (Aug. 16) “Three delicious Chuckie’s Pork Strips, made from center cut pork loin; hand breaded with Chuckie’s Famous batter, seasoned waffle fries, creamy cheese sauce, bacon … Continue reading →

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Dec 12

2019: The Year in Food (4)

Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

4. 10-ounce New York Strip, Big Vern’s Steakhouse, Shamrock, Texas (July 21) More steak in Texas? More steak in Texas, this time in a town with a population that has fallen below 2000 and whose famous landmarks are the tallest water tower … Continue reading →

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Dec 11

2019: The Year in Food (3)

Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 10:01 AM by Jeff

3. “Sopepizza,” Cornerstone First Edition Pizza & Subs, Tucumcari, New Mexico (July 17) From the menu: “Marinara, Mozzarella, and filling choice, stuffed in a sopapilla and deep fried.” What is a sopapilla, you ask (and I asked)? It’s a bread unique(ish) to … Continue reading →

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Dec 10

2019: The Year in Food (2)

Posted on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

2. 8-ounce top sirloin, Big Texan Steak Ranch, Amarillo, Texas (July 17) The Big Texan Steak Ranch is a Route 66 landmark. It’s the home of the 72-ounce steak challenge — but the fine print is, you have to eat the rest … Continue reading →

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Dec 09

2019: The Year in Food (1)

Posted on Monday, December 9, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In lieu of the trip reports I have not prepared for publishing, I shall spend the next few days regaling you of my adventures in gastronomy (well, adventures to me, anyway). They will serve as a shorthand of where I … Continue reading →

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Dec 08

Good luck, Lucas

Posted on Sunday, December 8, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Lucas Grundmeier, my former Iowa State Daily and Des Moines Register cohort, has been named the Register’s opinion editor. I have yet to make peace with people around my age being in charge of things. (Like running a football team. Or … Continue reading →

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Dec 06

Will Douglas Avenue get the three-lane treatment?

Posted on Friday, December 6, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

US 6 through the Des Moines metro area, and especially from Merle Hay Road to Altoona, can be a slog. But it remains an important corridor through Des Moines’ neglected north side. Unfortunately, the proposed solution for redevelopment of the … Continue reading →

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Dec 05

End of an era for Iowa Public Television

Posted on Thursday, December 5, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

(You can stop watching the above at the 1:50 mark.) Just after marking its 50th anniversary of serving Iowans, the “Iowa Public Television” name is going away. According to the December issue of Advance magazine, when the new year starts … Continue reading →

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Dec 04

North Winn memorabilia given to Minnesota school district

Posted on Wednesday, December 4, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 25, 2016 If Laura Ingalls had lived in Burr Oak, Iowa, 130 years after she did, she would have been a student at North Winneshiek Elementary School. Unless, that is, being three miles from the Minnesota border, she went … Continue reading →

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