2023 IOWA EATS FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL (WATERLOO, IOWA)

BBQ CRITIC (WATERLOO, IA)

When my friend, Cindy Wells, told me there was going to be a new event in Waterloo, IA (April 1st, 2023) called IOWA EATS FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL,  I did not hesitate one second. I was going!

My friend, Carrie Ann, and I arrived and we got checked in and started walking around. She was also a volunteer for Iowa Eats. This inaugural event had a lot going on and I wanted to get a taste of it all.

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Cindy Wells (left) introduced me to Iowa Eats. She is with friend Terry Poe Buschkamp (right)

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First thing that appealed to me was the line up of chefs and food experts giving workshops on cooking.  The big attraction today was Big Moe Cason. I've known Moe from the Iowa BBQ contest circuit since 2007 when I first started judging BBQ. He was a one man show then, and still is today.

Moe Cason is a Des Moines based BBQ pitmaster who became a BBQ celebrity as a contestant, judge and star on Destination America's "Pitmaster's" and "BBQ Pit Wars," a judge on "Smoked" and hosts "World of Flavor with Big Moe Cason" on Disney+. 

It's great that Moe Cason is now giving back to Iowa by participating in this event by smoking up a beef brisket and giving all kinds of tips in a closed door workshop.  It's great the setting took place in a smaller room, not some huge auditorium. Easy for the audience to interact with questions, and Moe was more than happy to oblige. 

Moe talked about what to look for in buying, trimming, cooking and resting the meat. During his presentation, I brought up questions and here is Moe's response (watch short video clip below).

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When it came time for Moe to trim the brisket, everyone in that room was ready to eat. Let the samples begin!

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I did sit in on a few other workshops which featured some area chefs giving various demonstrations on cooking, food prep, wines, etc.​ Here is what the list of guests looked like. So much to choose from and that is a huge asset to this event.

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Next up we entered the main auditorium. So many vendors! This part was a lot like a Farmer's Market, but with a lot more food samples to try. My favorite part was just tasting the various food offerings from meats, cheese, baked goods, wines and more. Clearly the crowd was enjoying this new celebration of food! 

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It was a blast walking around and visiting with everyone while tasting delicious foods and buying some to take home.

There are a lot of passionate folks here living the American Dream in their niche businesses. I spoke with a few vendors and they expressed just how much they enjoyed partaking in IOWA EATS...

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STENSLAND FAMILY FARMS

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EDGEWOOD LOCKER

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HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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IN SUMMARY

Iowa Eats Food & Drink Festival featured an all-Iowa showing of food and beverages made by and with Iowa chefs, authors and ag products. I enjoyed  all the offerings including tastings, cooking and product demonstrations, exhibitor booths and all the classes led by industry experts. The live entertainment provided a nice ambiance for this festive event.

The inaugural IOWA EATS was hosted by Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area. Their mission is to demonstrate how important agriculture is in our daily lives. They did this here by showcasing Iowa agriculture, and food and drink products. A lot of hard work and organization went into this festival making it a huge success. Mission accomplished!

Thank you, Cindy Wells, for inviting me to this fantastic event and I will most certainly be back again next year.

IOWA EATS should be on everyone's menu. 

- BBQ CRITIC

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