Table for Two

Hosted by Iowa Restaurant Association

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Latest episode

Apr 2025

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About the show

Pull up a chair at the Table for Two. Join Jessica Dunker, President and CEO, of the Iowa Restaurant Association, on a tour of the state and spend time with some of Iowa’s award winning restaurateurs, chefs and hospitality professionals. You’ll hear the stories, inspirations and even a few secrets, behind your favorite eating and drinking establishments. You’ll be surprised when you learn which high profile operators say they chose the industry, and which claim the industry chose them. We talk traditions and trends, tastes and tactics– with some of Iowa’s most innovative entrepreneurs. Our conversations will entertain patrons, enlighten operators, and leave everyone hungry for more. Subscribe to Table for Two on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to episodes

25 recent

April 25, 2025Episode 350 min

Ep. 3- Making Lemonade: Yasmin Moreles on Hustle, Heart & The Lemonade Stand

Table for Two returns with a fresh new episode—and we’re kicking things off with an inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss.We're kicking off the season with Yasmin Moreles, founder of The Lemonade Stand in the Quad Cities. Jessica sits down with Yasmin to talk about her journey from pop-up entrepreneur to community-driven business owner. Yasmin shares how she built her brand, overcame challenges as a latina businesswoman, and why her lemonade stand is about so much more than lemonade.The Lemonade Stand | Facebook | Instagram

February 3, 2025Episode 238 min

Gloria Henriquez on Elevating Latino Cuisine & Community Impact

Gloria Henriquez left South America seeking safety and opportunity, but her heart always led her back to food and community. A former nurse turned restaurateur, she opened Tullpa in Urbandale, blending Ecuadorian, Peruvian, and Colombian flavors. More than a restaurant, it’s her way of giving back—bringing people together, celebrating culture, and elevating respect for South American cuisine. Hear how her journey led to the 2024 American Dream Award and her mission beyond the kitchen.--------------Be sure to check out Tullpa Restaurant!

January 20, 2025Episode 154 min

Chef Anthony Nace on How He Keeps Things "Ducky"

As the Executive Chef at Hilton Des Moines Downtown, Anthony oversees Park Street Kitchen and Bar, 14,000 square feet of banquet space, and managing a team of about 20 culinary professionals. This native Iowan's culinary journey reflects hard work, creativity, and a deep passion for crafting memorable dining experiences. In the kitchen, Anthony describes himself as being “ducky”—calm and collected on the surface, with an intense drive beneath. “Ducks also have a sheen that lets water roll off their feathers,” he explains, a metaphor that reminds him to stay focused and not get rattled by the unexpected challenges that inevitably arise in an industrial kitchen.

June 4, 2024Episode 436 min

4. From Gamer to Gourmet: Chef Jeremy Moskowitz

Hospitality may have been in the blood of 2020 Iowa Restaurant Association Chef of the Year Jeremy Moskowitz, but as a pre-teen it was his desire for a new video game that actually got him into the kitchen of his family’s restaurant. He started washing dishes to earn his game money and quickly realized he’d found a new passion. He worked his way through the kitchen roles of his parent’s restaurant, then honed his skills at Le Cordon Bleu in London and Paris. He then made his mark in fine dining restaurants around the globe and on the sea before returning to Davenport to take over Duck City Bistro. Today customers are daily treated to his personal approach to hospitality, as well as culinary creations with European flair. From memorable dishes to chalk-marked favorite tables, discover the passion and detail behind one of state’s culinary gems.

May 13, 202456 min

3. Chef Lynn Pritchard: Reopened Table 128 Lures Suburban Residents Back to Des Moines Dining Scene

After a nearly three-year hiatus, Chef Lynn Pritchard has finally re-opened his award-winning restaurant Table 128. His one-time suburban destination now draws those in search of his famed farm-to-table dishes to the Gray's Landing neighborhood of Des Moines proper. He’s good-humored about the extended timeline of this highly anticipated relaunch, in part because it has given him the time needed to ensure that every detail of the new space—from the menu to the way sound bounces— deliver the guest experience for which he is renowned. Join us as we talk with the Iowa farm kid who learned to cook so he could eat something more than his father’s fried bologna sandwiches, turned CIA-trained award-winning chef, as he shares his trials and celebrations of (re)opening a restaurant in a post-Covid world.

February 26, 202443 min

2. Taufeek Shah: Living the American Dream, One Spicy Drop at a Time

Taufeek Shah, founder of Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce, is not your typical small town Iowa boy, although he did grow up in Winthrop, Iowa. The son of immigrant parents—a Filipino mother and a Pakistani father—Taufeek was immersed in a world of diverse cuisines. Inspired by his mother's unique flavor combinations, he set out to bottle her secret sauce and then named his company in her honor. This 2023 Iowa Restaurant Association American Dream Award winner found early adoption for Lola’s creations in restaurants and the rest is history. Today Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce products are in 14,000+ restaurants and retail locations. Learn more about Lola's Fine Hot Sauce.

January 29, 2024Episode 148 min

1. Dave & Jean Thompson: The Legacy They Hope to Leave Behind

In the first episode of 2024, Jessica sits down at the Table for Two with Dave & Jean Thompson, of District 36, Urban Cellar, Urban Grill and Urban on the Square and the Association's 2023 Restaurateurs of the Year. Technically Dave & Jean are in the process of retiring. The couple has turned over day-to-day operations and management to longtime employees and family but their definition of retirement is not typical. Empowering team members, creating partnership models, and giving that first break to people who want to be in the business is the legacy Dave & Jean Thompson want to leave behind.Tune in to the episode to hear the full conversation about where the Thompson's started and where they see themselves going.

August 21, 2023Episode 1750 min

17. Chef Kevin Scharpf: A Top Chef’s Passion for the Heartland

Building upon both the recognition and reputation he garnered as a standout competitor on Bravo’s Top Chef program, Chef Kevin Scharpf could have easily capitalized on his success and opened a restaurant in a major metropolitan market. But this award-winner instead stayed true to his roots—opening his Brazen Open Kitchen and Bar in Dubuque’s up-and-coming historic Millwork District. Today Chef Kevin’s seasonal menus draw patrons from across the country in search of unique dishes featuring hyper local Midwest ingredients. Dig a little deeper though and you’ll see that this James Beard semifinalist is just as passionate about the intersection of food, health and wellness as he is with crafting unique flavor profiles.

August 7, 2023Episode 1629 min

16. Robert Johnson: Fast and Quick are Not the Same

It was 1970 something when B-Bops Founder Robert Johnson and his cousin faced a dilemma. Both held car loans and had only one payment saved in the bank. They needed jobs fast and found two possibilities—one in insurance, the other at a local burger joint. Bob took the restaurant job and Des Moines will be forever grateful. He went on to create B-Bop’s, which today has a dozen locations and more on the way. His success has always focused on growing people from within, and a keen understanding that people can taste the difference between “Fast Food” and “Quick Service” meals. His made-to-order award-winning burgers and fries prove this every day.--------------------------------------Thank you to our advertisers. To learn more visit the links below. iowaturkey.orgthesoyfoodscouncil.com

July 24, 2023Episode 1538 min

15. Matt Johnson: Hospitality Advocate Creating Second Chances

Matt Johnson is a man who has both found, and given, opportunities in the hospitality industry. A director for both the Iowa and National Restaurant Association Boards, he passionately champions hospitality-related issues—from liquor liability insurance to credit card fees. He is also an advocate for people seeking a first job or in need of a second chance. Leveraging the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, he has provided employment to members of the returning population from both sides of the state’s western border. This has led to some interesting “arguments” in his busy restaurant kitchen. Honored for his business acumen, philanthropic work, and role as a voice for the operators with legislators and regulators, Matt Johnson shares how a handful of people can make an incredible impact on the industry and the lives of others.