Iowa is home to plenty of eateries that tourists can't possibly miss, but it also has many hidden gems dotted throughout the state. Here is just a small taste of what Iowa restaurants have to offer:

Des Moines

You might not think you're in for a wonderland of tastes if you're dining in Iowa, but you'd be wrong, especially if you're visiting Des Moines. Start with some of the best rustic-Italian cooking you may ever taste out of Italy at Tursi's Latin King Restaurant and then try the hot Italian sandwich at South Union Bread Company, with layers of ham, roast beef, smoked turkey, capicolla, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, lettuce and mayo on artisan foccacia bread. If you still have room for dessert, try either peach ice cream at the old-fashioned lunch counter/ice cream parlor Bauder's Pharmacy or a chocolate bonbon at one of Chocolaterie Stam's three locations.

Atlantic

Located off Interstate 80 between Omaha and Des Moines, you will find Atlantic, Iowa. While the city is nowhere near its namesake ocean, it does offer a sea of food choices. Start with the hot beef sandwich at Farmer's Kitchen, which fork-tender beef and gravy that is simmered for two days before being served. But the fun isn't over for meat lovers, who can head over to get one of the best prime ribs in the state at The Feedlot Steakhouse.

Davenport

For a real taste of Iowa, eat at the Iowa Machine Shed, a local favorite dedicated to celebrating the food produced by the state's farmers. Downtown, The Boathouse is a nice riverside spot, the Woodfire Grill offers delicious Midwestern fare and pizzas baked in ovens fed by hickory and oak, and the Front Street Brewery has great beers and tasty bar food. Among the other local favorites is Happy Joe's Pizza, an Iowa institution, and Rudy's Tacos for cheap, tasty Mexican in the quaint Village of East Davenport, nestled along the Mississippi River. For dessert, Whitey's Ice Cream is among the nation's best.

Iowa City

Sure, many college kids eat nothing more than cafeteria food or beer and pizza, but there are many food hot spots to be found around the home to the University of Iowa. One of the best restaurants in the whole state is Devotay, where chef Kurt Michael Friese taps into locally grown produce to present tapas and traditional entrees in a small, informal setting. Stay on the local produce path with New Pioneer Co-Op's brie beast sandwich or expand your taste buds with some spicy yam pate at Red Avocado or smoke trout pate at the Linn Street Café.

LeMars

Just a short drive from Sioux City you will find hot dog heaven in the form of Bob's Drive-In. The roadside dining institution has been serving up dogs since 1949. There is plenty to order on the menu, but the Coney dogs and the Bob Dog, a natural-casing wiener topped with loose meat, keep the patrons coming back. Visitors can eat in their car or sit in the icon's big dining room.