This summer I had the pleasure to work with the talented folks at Think Iowa City and Rooted Films, to produce a couple shows that feature the unique food, people and places that make the Iowa City area a special place to live and visit.
The series, “Blend | An Iowa Foodie Experience” took us around to two of my favorite neighborhoods in my hometown, Iowa City’s “Northside” and Solon. We visited iconic spots like the Foxhead Tavern and Baxa’s Sutliff Store, award winning restaurants The Webster and main street bakery The Eat Shop, some hidden gems like the beer caves and the pink locker room in Kinnick and I got to spend some time with amazing locals like farmers Susan and Rich Young, hockey player Yuki Miura and bicycling enthusiast Eria Sabiiti.
I was reminded what makes a place truly remarkable: it’s the blend between history and modern day ingenuity, natural beauty and the built environment and most of all... the kindness and community-spirit of the people.
Special thanks to Travel Iowa for the grant to make this possible. We are slated to produce two more shows in 2026.
Any ideas on where we should go and who we should visit next
Link in bio to the shows on the Think Iowa City website.
Blend | An Iowa Foodie Experience takes you on a culinary journey through the Iowa City area with host Nate Kaeding, former Iowa Hawkeyes and San Diego Chargers kicker.
Each episode explores the distinct neighborhoods and small towns of Johnson County, introducing you to the local characters, family businesses, and hidden gems that make this region special.
From historic downtowns and craft breweries to award-winning restaurants and beloved corner stores, Nate showcases how each community blends Midwest tradition with innovation and progress.
Whether you’re a local food enthusiast or planning your next culinary adventure, Blend reveals the authentic stories and exceptional dining experiences that make the Iowa City area truly a place you’ll write home about.
This show is made possible thanks to a grant from @traveliowa and is a production of Think Iowa City. Thank you to our production team at @rooted_films .
@davesfoxheadtavern | @johnsgrocery | @luckystarfarm.iowacity | @thewebsteric
#ThinkIowaCity
I’ve always admired my friend and former teammate Robert Gallery for his toughness, grit and humility. Now, in this next chapter of his life, he’s building something profound that will have a much greater impact than anything he ever did on the football field.
He’s leading the charge at Athletes For Care, a non-profit organization that is on a mission to improve athlete mental health.
Robert’s journey post-NFL hasn’t been easy. In our Real Success podcast he provides a candid and brave accounting of his own personal struggles with brain trauma, alcoholism and mental health.
I know his willingness to be vulnerable and open about his story is providing inspiration and support to many others.
Please share the conversation with anyone you know who could use some encouragement and solace in knowing that a community of help is out there and eager to assist.
I can’t wait to watch Robert flourish in this new chapter of his life.
Link to podcast in bio
Daydrink is an awesome, locally-owned coffee roaster.
They do cool shit and roast amazing coffee.
They were kind enough to do a custom diner roast for us at Hamburg.
It’s an easy drinker…and it’s really good. A pot is always hot at the diner.
AND
They designed these sweet little coffee tins so folks can buy some for the house.
If you haven’t yet, visit Daydrink’s coffee shop housed in a historic 19th century grocery building on Bowery st.
The coffee shop is one of my favorites places in town. A must visit.
Earlier this week our restaurant team had the privilege of taking a little field trip 15 miles south of Downtown Iowa City to visit with one of our favorite and longtime partners, Farmers Hen House.
Ryan Miller (owner) and his team know eggs 🍳 🥚 .
In fact they process and ship about 1.2M eggs EACH DAY out of their Kalona facility.
We estimate that between Pullman, Hamburg Inn and St. Burch we go through ~450k eggs each year…all of them from Farmers Hen House.
They partner with 95+ Amish and Mennonite farmers in the SE corner of Iowa to produce Free-Range, Pasture-Raised and Organic eggs that make their way to our restaurants for favorite dishes like the Croque Madame and the Presidential Breakfast 🇺🇸
While we all know Iowa for corn and pigs, eggs are also a big deal here. Iowa is the #1 egg producer in the US, 2x that of the next closest state (Ohio).
Ryan has a well oiled machine going down in Kalona with 40+ employees on site any given day and AI powered automation that sorts, cleans and discards the bad eggs. All packaging is finished by hand.
They ship to grocery stores, Costcos and wholesalers all across the US.
Fun to partner with such a cool business and super cool to have a great local success story so close to home!
