3 Iowa Restaurants Named Among The Midwest’s Best Dishes For 2025

From comfort food to fancy food, we'll take it all.

Another year behind us, another year of delicious food we ate. Midwest Living has released their latest list of 'The 18 Best Things We Ate and Drank in the Midwest This Year'.

3 of the dishes listed are served at Iowa restaurants.

Masao- Lavender Eggs

New Des Moines restaurant Masao opened less than a year ago. Their lavender eggs (top left of this picture) were named among the Midwest's best dishes.

Midwest Living Executive Editor Hannah Agran said about the lavender eggs:

I would never have thought I'd order a plate of scrambled eggs during a special-occasion dinner—but that's exactly what I did at Masao, a new French-Sushi (yes, you read that correctly) restaurant in Des Moines' downtown East Village neighborhood. These are not the eggs of Tuesday morning craziness, nor even the eggs of Sunday morning laziness. They are a luxuriant, buttery puddle of plush, soft-set goodness, infused with lavender and topped with caviar and crème fraîche. Rich on rich on rich. On a second visit, my daughter and I intentionally ordered a totally different parade of dishes—but we couldn't resist revisiting those eggs.

Driftless Pizza Co.- Tye-Dye New York-Style Pizza

Also on the list is Driftless Pizza Co in Dubuque. Their tye-dye pizza can be made in New York-style or Detroit-style. Midwest Living Associate Art Director Erin Keeffer said about the pizza:

When it comes to pizza, sometimes simplicity really is best. The Tie Dye pizza from Driftless Pizza Co. surprised me in the best way and had me going back for more. The slow-fermented dough was really delicious with a subtle, tangy flavor you can really taste (did I mention I got into sourdough this year?). They also offer Detroit-style pies. Next time, I’m eyeing the Hot Honey: garlic confit base, cheese blend, sausage, feta, and a hot honey drizzle.

Oak Park- Campanelle with Caledonian Blue Prawns

About this Des Moines restaurant's dish, Julia Sayers Gokhale, Senior Travel Editor for Midwest Living, said:

As someone who lives in Des Moines, I feel incredibly lucky to have Oak Park in my city. I celebrated my birthday here in October, just in time to catch the last week of their seasonal campanelle dish. Plump Scottish prawns and handmade pasta swam in a luscious saffron beurre monte (butter sauce), complemented with Iowa sweet corn and crispy fried shallots. A birthday I’ll remember!

Not gonna lie, all of that looks delicious. What places should make their 2026 list? Let us know in the app!