A western Iowa dining establishment is the winner of the Iowa Pork Producers “Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin” contest.
Lori Thomsen and her husband Greg own the Dairy Sweet of Dunlap which won this year’s title. She says it’s special because her parents won it nearly two decades ago.
“We were a little overwhelmed, because we knew that it was going to be overwhelming, but we were also honored,” she says, “because my parents got it back in 2005 and Greg and I, my husband and I have owned it for the last 12 years, and we’ve worked hard to get to the point today to be honored.”
Thomsen says the Dairy Sweet has quite the following for their tenderloins. “We get people from all around. People are foodies, so they like to try new things and compare from others,” Thomsen says. “You know, we might now be everybody’s top pick, and that’s fine, but we try our best and serve what we can. We do about 40,000 a year.”
Thomsen credits the preparation for making their tenderloin a favorite. “It’s about my staff. They cut it and they tenderize it so it’s all the love they put into it, and then we go from there to make it a secret,” she says. The Dairy Sweet receives a $500 cash prize, a plaque, and a banner to let everyone know they won.
This year’s runner-up is Ruby’s Bar & Grill in Stuart. There were 532 restaurants across Iowa year nominated for the honor this year.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)