Chew on This: Iowa Restaurant Association seeks nominations, Wilson’s Orchard hosting farm-to-table

The Iowa Restaurant Association is seeking nominations for its third annual 40 Women to Watch in Hospitality Award, as well as nominations of anyone in the industry for a variety of other awards.

Each year, the award recognizes women in the hospitality industry for their creativity, leadership and contributions. Nominations can be made online at restaurantiowa.com. Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Aug. 1.

“We are excited to celebrate women influencing every aspect of food service by recognizing those who are doing great things and Building lifelong careers,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “From operations and human resource managers to servers, chefs and owners, women are making a huge impact at every level.”

Dunker said 61 percent of women have worked in a restaurant at some point in their lives.

The organization also seeks nominations through Aug. 1 for these annual awards:

Iowa’s Restaurateur
Chef
Employee (host, server, bartender, etc.)
Purveyor
Emerging Hospitality Leader
Restaurant Neighbor Philanthropist
American dream
Faces of Diversity
Rural Restaurant Operator

Award winners will be honored Nov. 15 at the association’s annual awards ceremony in Des Moines.

Wilson’s Orchard & Farm hosting Farm-to-table dinner

Wilson’s Orchard & Farm is hosting a four-course Farm-to-table Dinner on Saturday, July 31.

Tickets are $80 at wilsonsorchard.com. The dinner will start at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of the orchard’s Rapid Creek Cidery building, 4823 Dingleberry Rd. NE, Iowa City.

The four-course dinner includes:

First course: heirloom tomato and tart cherry gazpacho.
Second course: smoked Rushing Waters trout with shiitake/pine nut gremolata, raw zucchini, mint and fried house sourdough.
Third course: green harissa-roasted Poussin (chicken) with Kitchen Sink Farm Salad, Milton cheese curds and heirloom white bean toast.
Dessert: Corn meal sable with lemon olive oil cake, basil and blueberries.

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Each ticket includes one specialty cocktail and one glass of cider. The dinner is unable to accommodate dietary restrictions.

Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com

Lenore Zoll talks to a customer March 12, 2020, at the newly opened restaurant The Fish Store in Cedar Rapids. Zoll was recognized in 2020 as one of the Iowa Restaurant Association’s “Women to Watch.” (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)