116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401

Elijah Decious
The first time I learned how to ask good questions was at age 5, when I learned Santa Claus was not real. “Whose lap have I been sitting on all these years?!” was the first question I asked, according to my mother.
I’m a features reporter for The Gazette, which means I have the opportunity to get to know folks on a more personal level, show people the best parts of life and demonstrate how daily news affects members of the community. In addition to covering restaurants and food news, I serve on The Gazette’s Fact Checker team and have a particular passion for human interest pieces as well as stories focusing on marginalized communities.
Sometimes, taking a moment to listen to others and reflect on what they say — even those who might not think they have much of a story to tell — really puts things in perspective.
When I’m not reporting, I like to travel, go bird watching, search for new items to add to my Peanuts collection and keep my cat from scaring away the cardinals on my balcony.
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Latest Articles by Elijah Decious
Restaurants Mar. 8, 2022 6:00 am
The new restaurant in northeast Cedar Rapids will offer a different take on Mexican food, with specialties from the owners’ native La Piedad and Guerrero regions of Mexico.
People & Places Mar. 5, 2022 6:00 am
The Breckenridges race against the clock to adopt a fourth Ukrainian son before he turns 16, when he is eligible for military service and ages out of the orphanage.
Pets & Animals Mar. 4, 2022 7:40 am
For four years, Frank the cat has been the best sales clerk at Next Page Books bookstore in Cedar Rapids’ NewBo neighborhood. “He’s become the face of the bookstore,” store owner Bart Carithers says.
Restaurants Mar. 2, 2022 6:00 am
This pizzeria serves the world’s first pale lager brewed in the Czech Republic since 1839.
Restaurants Mar. 1, 2022 6:00 am
Aaron Hall, baker at The Local Crumb, was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker. He is one of only two Iowa semifinalists for the prestigious award in any category.
Restaurants Mar. 1, 2022 6:00 am
Donutland will be expanding in Iowa City, filling in for Daylight Donuts after it closed on Sunday.
Restaurants Mar. 1, 2022 6:00 am
Mama Pearls, a new soul food restaurant offering fried catfish, gumbo, gizzards and smothered pork chops, opened Feb. 18 at 4444 First Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids near Lindale Mall.
Community Mar. 1, 2022 6:00 am
Starting from a space of 700 square feet, Table to Table celebrates 25 years of pioneering food rescue in Eastern Iowa.
Restaurants Mar. 4, 2022 1:24 pm
For many Black restaurant owners, Black history isn’t just something celebrated during the shortest month of the year — it’s a lived experience practiced by hand every single day.
Food & Drink Feb. 25, 2022 7:40 am
Need your Girl Scout cookie fix at the touch of a button? A new partnership between DoorDash and Troop 1949 has you covered in Cedar Rapids.
Restaurants Feb. 23, 2022 6:00 am
Two months after it left Cedar Rapids, the popular eatery with a variety of Asian cuisines aims to open for delivery and carryout in early March.
Restaurants Feb. 22, 2022 10:59 am
See our takes on a dozen new appetizers, entrees and beverages available only during Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week.
Religion & Belief Feb. 23, 2022 6:46 pm
After years of tension and the departure of members and clergy, leaders for Iowa’s largest mainline Protestant church explain their vision to include LGBTQ people.
Religion & Belief Feb. 18, 2022 7:26 pm
The Wild Game Feast at Faith Bible Church in Cedar Rapids isn’t your average church potluck, though it started out as one.
Restaurants Feb. 17, 2022 7:34 am
Next to Raygun in the former home of Pig and Porter, Crosby’s brings an extension of Midtown Station to NewBo with a few twists.