Carina Cavagnaro selected as a Woman to Watch in the Hospitality Industry

Carina Cavagnaro of Decorah's La Rana Bistro has been selected as one of the Iowa Restaurant Association's Women to Watch in the Hospitality Industry. Cavagnaro is the Owner and Head Chef of La Rana Bistro. This intimate, 34-seat restaurant is located in a historic building on the corner of Washington Street and Main Street, in the heart of the downtown district. La Rana serves small and large plates of locally focused cuisine with an international influence (French, Mediterranean, Asian). Cavagnaro has been in restaurant and hospitality management for 24 years, having held positions in California, Colorado, and Iowa. She studied French-style pastry in the San Francisco Bay Area, ran the pop-up pastry business Whisk & Spoon in Northeast Iowa for five years, and managed Dug Road Inn - a full-service bed and breakfast. La Rana Bistro was opened in 2002 by Cavagnaro's family (Joanie Sheahan and Mark Smeby) and has long had a reputation for quality. Cavagnaro became Head Chef for La Rana in 2018 and in July of 2023 purchased the business. She is planning an interior refresh of the restaurant to take it into the next chapter, anchored by the belief that quality ingredients are the foundation of a flavorful, nutritious, and memorable gastronomic experience. La Rana's scratch kitchen and seasonal sourcing are paramount to Cavagnaro's restaurant ethos - she crafts menu changes five times annually to celebrate and elevate peak flavor and aesthetic, as well as featuring prime, just-harvested ingredients in the weekly specials. Cavagnaro sources local products from area farms including Patchwork Green Farm, Sweet Season Farm, River Root Farm, Canoe Creek Farm, Rolling Hills, and Rock Cedar Ranch. Cavagnaro also works closely with the regional food hub, the Iowa Food Hub, to secure products from farms across the Driftless Region and Eastern Iowa. "We were pleased to nominate Carina Cavagnaro for this honor," says Decorah Area Chamber Director Jessica Rilling. "Not only does she consistently deliver a top-tier culinary experience deserving of this recognition, but she is also bringing a fresh, place-based, and innovative perspective to the rural plate. We know that she could run a very successful restaurant anywhere in America, so having her put her roots down in the Driftless Region feels very special." Cavagnaro is one of forty honorees for 2023 who were nominated and selected for their creativity, leadership, and contributions to Iowa's hospitality industry. This year's winners range from general managers to entrepreneurs and purveyors. All were nominated by a member of the industry or the public and were selected by the Iowa Restaurant Association. The winners will be recognized as part of the Iowa Restaurant Association's Celebrating Excellence Awards Ceremony on November 13th in Des Moines, Iowa.