Bites of My Weekend

There are so many things I love about fall - spiced cider, football and comfort food. During fall, the weekends are precious and I try to make the most of season. This Saturday, I hit the road and ventured outside the city for a welcoming dive bar, delicious locally-made toffee and warm, spiced Iowa apple wine.

As a soon-to-be resident of Adel, I wanted to take it all in and explore the city's hidden gems. 

We decided to catch part of the Iowa game at Rendezvous Lounge. I love dive bars and the welcoming customers and staff at Rendezvous reminded me why. 

To me, there's nothing better on a Saturday than a cold drink, tasty food and college football. We started off with my go-to bar appetizer - fried cheese balls. Dunked in ranch; these hot, cheesy treats didn't last long.

I decided on the special - a cheeseburger basket with fries for just $4.95. My husband ordered the tenderloin. It's always a good sign when you can see they are pounding and breading the tenderloins on site. It was light, extra crispy and delicious.

Check out Rendezvous in the summer - they host a Wednesday steak night for cyclists coming off the trails.

In the mood for something sweet, we rounded the corner and checked out the newly-opened Al Dente Toffee.

I was floored by the huge selection of gorgeous gelato. However, we decided to take home a couple bags of the sweet, crisp toffee. It's so good, I've had toffee for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We ended our afternoon at Penoach Winery. The lovely staff at Penoach was warm and welcoming. After sampling a variety of wines, we tried my favorite of the day - mulled apple wine. Spiced with cinnamon and cloves, it was fall in a glass and reminded me why I love the season so much. 

There's no denying there's something special about Iowa in the fall and my time in Adel reminded me why our state is so great. Friendly people, delicious food and the beauty of the season. It sure feels good to be home.