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Small Town Food?
Taste of Mexico Don and I were traveling through Postville, 2 years ago when we stopped for lunch. We didn't see many listings on Yelp, but we found Taste of Mexico, in this old corner building. Out of Towners
Authentic Decor Living in Texas, we've eaten at a lot of authentic, family owned Mexican restaurants. This kind of decor is not unusual. But this restaurant had its own Mexican grocery store and a party hall as well. There were also restrooms, but I didn't pay a visit when I heard of Don's adventure. "I had to step over some kind of frozen meats to get into the restroom!" He laughed. He also was amused that there was a cup with toothbrushes in the men's room. Food Luckily we had already eaten our meal before Don shared that story. The tostada and burrito plates were only about $5.00! And the food was right out of Mexico. Perfecto! Don even had a chance to speak some Spanish with the owner, who warmed up quite a bit. Shopping After lunch, we walked down the block to the Glatt Market to get some food for dinner that night, since we would be staying at a farm B & B outside of town. Nearby In the Shop When we entered the store, a man with the traditional hair, beard and dress of an Hasidic Jew, looked up from his conversation with the shop keeper. "Don't you look good!" He spoke to Don with an accent. That was an odd greeting, but Don responded with a cheerful, "Thanks!" The gentleman was eager to know all about us and why we were shopping in a Kosher grocery store. We were obvious outsiders, but I was amused at his question, since a number of people have thought I was Jewish in the past. But we had quite a good time chatting for a while, until he needed to hurry on. Shopping and Recent History
Somehow in recent years, the local Iowa folk, Hasidic Jews, Mexicans and Muslim Somalis have managed to live in this small town, combining their cultures. It's a complicated story that lead me to some interesting books. The history is worth Googling. Dinner Snacks Nadia was not Jewish, but she showed us around. She pointed out the Kosher wine used for Passover and helped us pick out a few snacks to have with our light dinner later at the barn. We headed out of town, but didn't manage to spot any cafes that might have been Somali owned. That would have completed our diverse dining experience! Postville 1916 As we headed out of town, we spotted a mural featuring an image of The Ringling Brother's visit to Postville in 1916. We had a feeling this was the bit of Postville History that the old timer locals are most proud of. Barn B & B We traveled just a few miles to our B&B down the highway. Our hosts were Iowa natives and went to Postville schools. Our barn looked over a field of corn. There were cows and chickens and breakfast couldn't have been more All-American.
It's been almost 2 years since our visit to Postville and my mind is still kind of boggled by the memory. I would love to go back, stay longer, eat more... and ask more questions.
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The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
January 2025
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