Downtown Dish

In this episode of Downtown Dish, hosts Charlie Nusser and Anna Moyers Stone visit The Green House, a charming plant-themed cocktail lounge and community space in downtown Iowa City. They chat with owner Emily Salmonson, who shares how a pandemic-era daydream inspired her to open the cozy urban jungle in 2022. Emily talks about their creative botanical cocktails, locally sourced kombucha, and the...

In this episode of Downtown Dish, hosts Anna Moyers Stone and Charlie Nusser chat about exciting downtown Iowa City events, including Legacy Business Month, the annual block party, summer shop crawl, and a fun mini-golf event. Then, they sit down with Adam Knight, Producing Artistic Director of Riverside Theatre, right on stage! Adam shares Riverside's rich history of world premiere productions, h...

In this episode of Downtown Dish, hosts Charlie Nusser and Anna Moyers Stone sit down with Isabel from Luna's Tacos. Isabel shares her inspiring journey from selling tacos at the Iowa City Farmers Market in 2019—sparked by her son's autism diagnosis—to opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant downtown. She discusses her family-inspired Mexican recipes, the challenges of building a business while mana...

In this episode of "Downtown Dish," hosts Charlie Nusser and Anna Moyers Stone discuss new businesses and upcoming events in downtown Iowa City. The highlight is an in-depth interview with André Perry, Executive Director of Hancher Auditorium, who shares insights into the collaborative programming, community engagement, and behind-the-scenes efforts that make Hancher a cultural hub. The episode ex...

In this episode of "Downtown Dish," hosts Anna Moyers Stone and Charlie Nusser chat about upcoming downtown Iowa City events like Top Chef, the Cookie Crawl, and the One Book Two Book Festival. They also welcome Mackenzie DeRoo, Senior Director of Advocacy for Greater Iowa City, Inc., who shares her journey from Russian literature to local business advocacy. Mackenzie discusses supporting area bus...

In this episode of "Downtown Dish," hosts Charlie Nusser and Anna Moyers Stone chat about fun upcoming events in downtown Iowa City, like the Hot Cocoa Crawl, Cozy Clearance sidewalk sales, Cookie Crawl, and Free Week at arts venues. They also interview John Engelbrecht from Public Space One (PS1), who shares stories about PS1’s evolution, its welcoming, creative atmosphere, and exciting programs...

In this episode of the "Downtown Dish" podcast, hosts Charlie Nusser and Anna Moyers Stone chat with Doug Alberhasky, owner of Iowa City’s iconic John's Grocery ("Dirty John's"). The conversation covers festive downtown holiday events, the rich history of John's Grocery, and Doug’s journey from family business to local beer expert. Doug also shares behind-the-scenes stories about a new locally pro...

In this episode of Downtown Dish, hosts Anna Moyers Stone and Charlie Nusser chat about Iowa City’s pre-holiday events—like the Kids Market, Hunt for the Elves, and Small Business Saturday—before welcoming Leslie Nolte, founder of Nolte Academy, the Iowa Conservatory (ICON), and the James Theater. Leslie shares her journey as a dancer, entrepreneur, and arts advocate, discussing ICON’s impact as I...

This episode was recorded live in front of an audience on Wednesday, October 15th, at Lasansky Corp Gallery as part of the October edition of Downtown Iowa City's First Round program. In this special live episode of "Downtown Dish," hosts Anna Moyers Stone and Charlie Nusser chat with local artist Diego Lasansky about his creative journey and family’s artistic legacy. Diego shares how growing up i...

In this episode, hosts Anna and Charlie celebrate fall in Iowa City, discussing local events like Taste of Iowa City, Oktoberfest, and the University of Iowa’s homecoming parade. The main feature is an in-depth interview with Kate Dreyer and Jessica Meyer, two of the three owners (along with Kay Boyer) behind The Shop, a unique boutique on South Dubuque Street. They share the story of how their pa...

On the latest Downtown Dish, Charlie’s back from summer (and baby!) break with guest co-host Betsy Potter from ICDD, and they’re chatting with Josh Immerfall—the owner of Donnelly's Pub and mastermind behind some of Downtown’s newest bars and restaurants, including Scout's Honor, Camp, and Giddy Up. Josh shares how and why get got involved with the service industry, why themed bars are his secret...

On Today's Episode: Anna is joined again by special guest co-host Betsy Potter, Executive Director of Iowa City Downtown District, to chat with Jennifer Miller, Chief Administrative Officer of the University of Iowa Healthcare Medical Center Downtown. The group discusses Jennifer's role, the acquisition and elevation of the new downtown campus, advice on accessing healthcare, how the food is in th...

On Today's Episode: Charlie is on a summer break so Anna is joined by special guest co-host Betsy Potter, Executive Director of Iowa City Downtown District, to chat with Keyon Shelby, Operations Manager of the Downtown Iowa City Ambassador Program. The group discuss Keyon's life in Iowa City, his work with the Ambassador Program through Block by Block Management Systems, and why he has come to lov...

On Today's Episode: Our hosts sit down with Tony Branch, the Youth Engagement Director of United Action for Youth, to discuss his work, why he loves Iowa City, the Iowa City Bike Library, his favorite date spots with his partner, and more. Plus, Bill returns for his special segment: "Have You Heard?" About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a hit Iowa City podcast! Join Anna and Ch...

On Today's Episode: Our hosts sit down for a conversation with Niki Neems, Owner of r.s.v.p., the popular boutique paper product shop in Iowa City. Niki shares business insights that blow Charlie's mind, the story behind her longstanding business, and even teaches our hosts how to spell stationery. About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a hit Iowa City podcast! Join Anna and Char...

On Today's Episode: Our hosts sit down for a conversation with Andrea Farley, Franchise and Operations Manager for Dunkin's Eastern Iowa Food Service. The group discusses the unique Dunkin' location in the heart of Iowa City, what it looks like to run a Dunkin' location, and the highs and lows of living as Charlie's neighbor. About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a hit Iowa City...

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie are joined by David Stein and Aaron Jennings, Co-Owners of Micky's Irish Pub, to discuss their work creating a local staple, how they're expanding to new areas, and what goes into crafting a delicious experience. About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a hit Iowa City podcast! Join Anna and Charlie every month as they dish on everything about d...

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie are joined by Betsy Potter, Executive Director of the Iowa City Downtown District, for a discussion on what the district is doing to elevate the area through business support and events! About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a hit Iowa City podcast! Join Anna and Charlie every month as they dish on everything about downtown Iowa City, includi...

For this special episode, Anna and Charlie sit down with the team behind the original Downtown Dish radio show for a fast-paced and wild conversation about the radio show and Iowa City History.

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie are joined by Geoff Fruin, City Manager of Iowa City, for a discussion on all things Iowa City including why the Dubuque Street renovation was sometimes "high-stakes poker", how he navigates the balance between the beloved old and the exciting new, and how he manages the loud critics (Charlie included). About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a...

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie are joined by John Kenyon, Executive Director of Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, and Andrew Sherburne, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Filmscene, to discuss their upcoming respective festivals taking place in Downtown Iowa City. John shares a look at the upcoming Iowa City Book Festival taking place from October 13-20, and Andrew highlights some of th...

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie are joined by Dr. Barbara Wilson, President of the University of Iowa. The group discusses the benefits of how Downtown Iowa City connects seamlessly to the University of Iowa campus, what it's like to prepare for the school year, her vision for the future and growth of the university, and our hosts do some hard-hitting investigating into whether or not the Pre...

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie sit down for an exciting conversation with University of Iowa Women's Basketball Coach Jan Jensen. The group chats about the exciting upcoming season, why Jan would choose Iowa City as a place to be, and how she works to instill a culture within her players that makes them good citizens. About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a hit Iowa City p...

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie recap the Block Party and discuss Patio Season in IC before hopping into an interview with Chef Sam and his partner Riene, the duo behind The Webster, the restaurant where "luxury ingredients come together in a relaxed, family friendly, upscale atmosphere." Finally, Bill Nusser returns to share some history and a piece of hot gossip that might surprise you! Abo...

On Today's Episode: Anna and Charlie go over some of the upcoming summer events in Downtown IC before hopping into an interview with Nancy Bird, President and CEO of Greater Iowa City, inc, and then wrap up with a playful gossip segment with previous host of the Downtown Dish radio show, Bill Nusser. About Downtown Dish: The hit Iowa City radio show is now a hit Iowa City podcast! Join Anna and Ch...