Category: Iowa eats

Iowa Eats First Look! Taco Gato; Cedar Rapids, IA!

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The latest restaurant endeavor from the creative minds of FNF restaurant group will be officially opening their doors to the public this coming Tuesday! (4/18) Taco Gato (209 3rd St. SE) is the newest restaurant in downtown Cedar Rapids and features spins on Mexican and southern cuisine.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the soft opening this past Friday night and was joined by three kids. The decor of the place is definitely Mexican inspired and my kids enjoyed seeing the array of Luchador wrestling masks around the restaurant. The bar was dimly lit as light from the beautiful stained glass showcased the many bottles of booze that go towards the many cocktails Taco Gato offered.

Upon seating and seeing the menu my kids are instantly drawn to anything that reads “queso”. So, a starter of salsas (red/traditional + tomatillo) along with guac and the ever popular queso. Chips were delicious and well seasoned. I’m a sucker for tomatillo salsa and would put it on about anything. A great start to the meal. Queso didn’t stand a chance.

I let the kids decide what to order as my focus automatically goes to fish tacos and pastor tacos. My son went with the fried crawfish tacos but also wanted to try the shrimp and grits, and my daughters went with the gumbo. Enough to feed an army but grateful my kids are willing to try and experience new foods.

The flavor on every single dish was out of this world. The fish tacos were perfectly cooked….crunchy and a delicious batter. Your taco orders of two come in a bento style serving box accompanied by delicious refried beans, rice, and fried edamame. I’ll get the fish tacos every time! Pastor were just as good…fresh pineapple pico and perfectly cooked pork. I was lucky enough to get a small bite of the fried crawfish tacos as my son isn’t exactly the best at sharing meals, especially when they taste as good as this.

The gumbo was excellent. A dark roux with copious amounts of crawfish and chorizo. Wonderful and filling! The star of the show that everyone raved about however was the “Almost Shrimp and Grits”. Cotija creamed corn, chorizo, collards, and enough blackened shrimp to feed an army. So much flavor, so delicious. Besides the tacos, if there’s a dish that Taco Gato can use as a calling card it may be this one!

Overall: Another wonderful dining experience. It’s what you come to expect from the FNF restaurant group…wonderfully talented, creative, and inspired dishes that make visiting their establishments an always memorable experience. Can’t recommend enough, opening Tuesday to the public! Cheers!

Iowa Eats: Prairiemoon on Main; Prairieburg, Iowa

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It’s been way too long since I’ve wandered off the beaten path to find myself a small Iowa town with a terrific restaurant…until last Saturday afternoon….My three kids and I decided to take a little drive from Mount Vernon to Prairieburg, Iowa in hopes of having a wonderful burger and just some overall wonderfully prepared food and we were not disappointed!

Prairieburg is not too far from Central City and Monticello and sitting right on the main drag is Prairie Moon on Main(103 East Main St.). I’ve been seeing photos of this place and it’s food for a while now and finally decided to give it a shot. Their burgers always look amazing, they were voted 2020 best pork tenderloin in Iowa, and their Saturday night prime rib special always looks mouth watering.

Owned by Loren Lacy and his wife, this is the perfect place to bring your family, stop for a cold one after work, or indulge in a big Friday Fish Fry or Saturday night prime rib special.

APPS: My kids and I all ordered something different so we can try and share as much as possible. We started with a the pickle chips…now, I love fried pickles, but I’ve been picking about ordering them if they are not fried pickle chips because a spear upon your first bite, pulls the whole spear out and you end up burning your face. Like the spear, don’t like the burn…so pickle chips are the way to go and these were hand battered and delicious.

TENDERLOIN: The 2020 winner, so a lot of pub on this sandwich. What I enjoyed most about it this tenderloin is that it wasn’t pounded out super thin just to cover the whole plate…don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty big, but the tenderloin itself was still thick and juicy and the breading had the perfect amount of seasoning. An excellent pork tenderloin sandwich, and served on brioche which is always a plus!

BURGERS: My son and I decided to get a little funky with our burger orders as Prairiemoon has a great list of options for burger lovers. Instead of our typical bacon cheeseburger or mushroom swiss, we went with the Hawaiian Hottie and the Wasabi Burger. The Hawaiian Hottie was a perfectly cooked burger (medium), cheddar cheese, sautéd pineapple, jalapeno and mango mayo on a brioche bun. I initially thought it would be too sweet, but the heat from the jalapeno and flavor of the burger cut through the sweetness and the combo end result was a delicious, sweet and savory burger.

The Wasabi Burger…I’m a big fan of wasabi and will try it in anything that it’s been incorporated into to. A once again, perfectly cooked burger on brioche, add to that pepper jack, sautéd onions and jalapeño’s and bunch of wasabi mayo and you have a burger I will be craving constantly….add some crinkle cut fries or portabella fries to the basket and you have yourself a wonderful meal.

DRINKS: No tap beer but a cold bottle of Miller High Life was the perfect option!

SIDE NOTE: I’ve not had their prime rib on Saturday nights but I’ve heard nothing but good things!

Iowa Eats: Sacred Cow Tavern; Cedar Rapids, IA

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It’s always fun when you are traveling through a big town or city and see a random restaurant/bar/tavern pop up on a neighborhood corner far seemingly far removed from the chains that have taken over main drag USA. Heading down a street in the Oak Hill Jackson neighborhood in downtown Cedar Rapids and seeing a lovely sign of a cow with a halo over its head was a welcomed sight! Sacred Cow Tavern was calling my name and I couldn’t wait to answer!

Opened in October of 2022 as a the brainchild of the FNF restaurant group, this restaurant has quite a history, including being a church a few different times! This restaurant group is known for a wide range of food items that can satisfy any diet and they’ve done an amazing job incorporating vegan/vegetarian dishes to be part of their main menu as well. Appetizers, smash burgers, sandwiches, wings, salads and much more with a wonderfully revamped image of those dishes and executed perfectly as well as their vegan/vegetarian options that are more than just a black bean burger, this menu is packed with flavor.

The ambiance upon walking in gives you complete comfort, a homey vibe and a place where you don’t necessarily want to leave. First point of order….BEER…..need to check out the beer menu. Although Sacred Cow does not have any tap beer, they do offer a variety of cans from local breweries plus a fully stocked bar for mixers and wine. I went light, a Backpocket 319 lager, knowing that I was going to be putting some food away.

It was restaurant week and so, like many other local establishments, Sacred Cow had a few specials that they were advertising. One special was Elote Chicken Wings. If you’re not familiar with elote, it’s a popular Mexican street dish of corn on the cob slathered in mayo/cream sauce dusted with chili powder and cilantro. Sacred Cow took the sauce dimension, added some grilled corn and cilantro to their extremely crispy chicken wings and final result were some of the best and most creative wings I’ve had! Hoping these find their way to the menu!

The other special item for “Restaurant Week” was a walking taco smashburger. I’m a lover all of kinds of burgers and smashburgers are always hard to pass up, add walking taco ingredients to it and I’m sold. A smashed patty, perfectly cooked, topped with cheese, doritos, a cilantro lime crema and lettuce was more than a mouthful in every bite! Excellent burger, something I would order again.

Overall, this is a place I hope to be a patron of for a long time to come and I hope many more neighborhood bars begin popping up in our area. Sacred Cow Tavern is definitely a welcoming place for any and all! Cheers!

Iowa Eats: Shuey’s Restaurant and Lounge; Shueyville, IA!

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This past weekend I had some time to hang out with my oldest and I asked him where/what he wanted to eat. He simply responded, “Bar food”. So after a quick trip to Big Grove in Solon we headed to Shueyville, about 10-15 minutes from Solon, and hit up Shuey’s Restaurant and Lounge.

We were greeted right in by a very friendly staff and had drinks ordered within seconds. Easy Eddy for me, root beer for the lad. Tap lines were typical of your small town bar with some craft on, Easy Eddy seems to be an option no matter what bar you hit and tastes good all the time so the choice was relatively simple.

Although I wasn’t very hungry, their menu has a lot of intriguing options. I let my sign go crazy, if queso is on the menu, he’s going to order it, that with an order of sliders and a mushroom swiss burger. A lot more than I anticipated but was game to try it all.
Queso came out first and was delicious, warm and crispy tortilla chips. Paired well with the beer.
Sliders and burger next, meat quality tasted wonderful, perfectly seasoned. The crinkle cut fries served as the side also went well with the queso dip.

Overall, so much more I want to try. The food was delicious and tasted fresh, the staff was friendly and welcoming, the feel of your small town bar was definitely there but also a place you could bring your whole family for a delicious meal. A place I will frequent and a place you should check out too!

Big Grove Richard the Whale Dinner: Food and Beer Event of the Year!

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Friday night, December 3rd, sitting on a high raise table overlooking some of the best chefs in the state, maybe even the country, put on an absolute clinic on cooking, plating, and presenting some of the most wonderful food I’ve ever had put in front of me, all the while sipping on the yet to be released Richard the Whale Well Baked and Shadeshine IPA….I thought to myself…all food/beer lovers need to experience this one day and how lucky I was at that moment to get to take part in it. Big Grove has been the upper echelon on their releases, especially the Richard the Whale release, and every year they make it even more enjoyable with their food and beer offerings, but the one thing that shines even more than those things is just how amazing their staff is. Friendly, helpful, and just overall looking like they are happy to be there. This setup was a spectacle, setup like an Iron Chef type feel, video displayed on TVs showing the chefs plating, the amount of work and thought put into everything was evident. I won’t be breaking down every dish, I’ll trickle some pictures here and there, take a look and let your mouth water.

Watching the chefs put their talents on display for a 15 course dinner of foods that elegant was the ultimate treat. The care about what they serve, the interaction with the diners, and pure joy and smiles they had throughout the night was reflected in every dish. I do want to implore you, that if the chance to go to a Big Grove beer dinner is ever on the table for you, no matter what..do it…it’s worth it..it will be completely worth it….do not hesitate…this group of people simply do it the best!

Thank you Janelle for having me, thanks to all the chefs especially Ben, Sean, and T.J., thanks do Doug and Matt, thanks to Andy for sampling out some of their amazing beers…now it’s time to make your mouth water with some pictures! Cheers and thank you BG!

Iowa Eats: the hip-stir opens in Marion! A Must Visit Restaurant!

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Last night I was lucky enough to get to visit the latest restaurant being opened by the guys who have brought us Bricks, Local Pour, Cliff’s Dive Bar, and Moco Game Room! The hip-stir in Marion is officially opened and let me tell you, you’re going to want to check this place out! The food, ambiance, drinks, and staff made this a place that I will be frequenting!

Upon entering from the back alley you walk up a small flight of stairs and are greeted with a amazingly creative interior. Booth seats enveloped by wooden barrels and old parlor-esque hanging lamps coming down from the ceilings really give the comfortable vibe of your favorite speakeasy/pub. Upon being greeted by the friendly staff, we were sat in one of the wooden barrel booths to the delight of my kids.

Waters for the kids…beer for me. A nice mix of craft beers and domestic bottles were available along with some creative cocktails (ordering at least 1 next time) and a number of wines for the wine lover to choose. The hard part was coming up….narrowing down what to order! Every single thing on the menu sounded unique, creative, and most importantly delicious. I could be wrong but many items seem to be asian inspired which is perfectly fine with me! Onto the food:

*CALLAHAN WINGS – the wings were mammoth! Definitely not your traditional wing, these were oven baked and had a tangy/spicy sauce that seemed to be a mix of a buffalo/sweet and sour/orange chicken combination with big chunks of funky blue cheese. Terrific! These were a meal in itself and that tangy sauce hit the spot!

*HOT FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH – Usually when your read hot fried chicken you are thinking Nashville hot or maybe a spicy breading, well the hip-stirs’ version might be even better. A kimchi sauce…that’s right…kimchi sauced chicken sandwich with black garlic ranch. Simply delicious! Sweet and spicy and don’t forget those seasoned waffle fries on the side!

*BIGGER BETTER BURGER #1 – just an outstanding hamburger. Probably a top 5 all time burger. Two brisket patties, velveeta cheese, mustard sauce, onion, the coup de grace…pickled fresno chiles. The taste of the burger patties itself was delicious, add the accompaniments and it’s on another level. I’m a huge fresno chile fan and to get these pickled on this burger added a wonderful sweet and briney heat element. Excellent burger!

*PORK BELLY STEAM BUNS – this item right here will be ordered every time…without question. Sometimes steam buns can either be too pillowy and thick and too sweet…the hip-stir completely nailed the buns themselves. Not super thick, but enough to hold the ingredients on the inside. The pork belly was crispy and delicious and every steam bun needs that crunch and freshness from a cucumber. Add the kimchi sauce and you have a deathbed meal right here! THE BEST!!

OVERALL: Can’t say enough good things about the place really. I was blown away and it will be a place I return to frequently. My picture taking skills are shit and don’t do it justice by any means so you simply have to visit on your own. Marion has some great things going for it and the hip-stir certainly adds a unique and delicious destination to an up and coming area! Thank you Tim and staff!

Iowa Eats: MIX Sushi; Cedar Rapids, IA

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The beautiful thing about getting a particular craving when you live in between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City is that you can simply hop in your car and head towards either destination and places in between and satisfy that craving with one of the many amazing, locally owned restaurants/bars/breweries/pubs!

Sushi is definitely a craving I have often. There are a few very good sushi options in the IC/CR area and after reading and seeing many posts about this place, I finally made it to MIX sushi in downtown Cedar Rapids! MIX (210 3rd Avenue, Cedar Rapids) not only serves up some of the best sushi I’ve had, but also has options for the vegetarian and gluten free crowd!

I usually go overboard on ordering when I visit a new place and I did the same visiting MIX. I started off with the the “Angry Shrimp”. 3 jumbo shrimp stuffed with a sweet chilli jalapeno cream cheese blend, hand breaded and deep fried and served with some excellent sweet and sour sauce. This is also a gluten free option! The perfect start to the meal. Spicy, fresh, and delicious. It doesn’t need the sweet and sour because they are extremely flavorful but the sweet and sour is so good I doused mine in it! Would order again and on every single visit!

Next up – sushi time! Mix tuna roll – Spicy white tuna, cucumber, and avocado inside the roll with seared red tuna, mayo, spicy mayo, unagi sauce, and scallions on the outside. Refreshing, tasty, and just what I needed. A little dab of wasabi and I could hammer this roll all day long.

White Dragon Roll – Tempura battered and fried shrimp with cream cheese, cucumber inside and ebi shrimp, white tuna, honey mayo on the outside. The battered and fried shrimp give this roll and wonderful crunch and the honey mayo sweetness blends really well with a little tab of wasabi. Excellent roll!

Fire Dragon Roll – spicy tuna, cucumber inside. red tuna, red tobiko, spicy mayo outside. I didn’t think it was spicy as advertised but I really enjoyed this roll too. Refreshing, a bit spicy, and delicious and pairs perfectly with a cold Kirin Ichiban.

MIX is definitely worth visiting for the sushi crowd. Excellent service and wonderful food options. I would order the same things I ordered on my visit but I know I want to try it all! Check out MIX soon!

Iowa Eats: Ramen Belly; Iowa City, IA!

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Start driving to Iowa City, take the Dubuque Street exit, come to the stop light before the Mayflower and hang a ralph, drive up and yes, it’s all houses/homes/condos/etc. keep going until you hit the Peninsula Neighborhood. Don’t worry, if you think you are totally missing a restaurant because it’s all houses, you would be correct, but just get to Martin Street and you’ll run into a legit restaurant…you’ve made it..1010 Martin Street in Iowa City….get your taste buds ready for Ramen Belly!

Nestled back in a beautiful Iowa City neighborhood is where you can get an extremely satisfying and fulfilling Asian meal. Ramen Belly has a small seating capacity with some outdoor tables which makes it charming and hospitable as do the wait staff and owners. You are given menus, but you place your order after scanning a QR code and the staff are eager to help if need be. The menu itself is mouth-water….potstickers, short ribs, poke bowls, and what I came there to eat…RAMEN!!! When I hit a new place and the menu has many options that appease they eye, it’s time to order a shit load of food! Before the food…the beer…….Ichiban on tap…get one, Japan’s pale ale, or get a Sapporo while you’re feeding your face. For the Iowa Craft scene, Easy Eddy was on the lines!

DISH 1 – Braised Pork and Mushroom Pot Stickers:

Potstickers are always an easy thing to order because they are usually extremely tasty if done correctly, and Ramen Belly does them extremely well. A bit of crunch on the outside, steamed perfectly, and the mushroom/roasted pork combo paired wonderfully. Definitely worth another order.

DISH 2 – Tuna Tartare

Fresh tuna tossed in a sriracha aioli with house pickled cucumbers, wonton strips, and thin strips of nori. Refreshing with a little punch of heat from the aioli, paired perfectly with a cold Ichiban.

DISH 3 – Poke Bowl

Yes, this dish and the one above look similar. Underneath this one however is some delicious white rice and a sesame flavored seaweed salad to go along with the mouth watering tuna. Refreshing, filling, and extremely tasty. The seaweed salad is the game changer in this dish. Those house cucumbers in there make for a perfect bite!

DISH 4 – RAMEN!!!

I went with the house blend ramen broth on this one and after talking to the owner you can appreciate it all those flavors that you get from it. The broth is cooked down for 36 hours before blending with others broths for at least an additional 18 hours. Packed full of flavor for all the lovely parts of chicken, pork, veggies, beef and then strained over al dente noodles, a big slab of the best tasting korean grilled short rib I’ll ever eat, soft boiled egg, and bean sprouts.

OVERALL

I want to go back tomorrow. Every dish was delicious, flavorful, and well-executed. My one regret…I should have ordered a bunch of short ribs! I will not make that mistake again! Forget chicken noodle soup, Ramen is the way to go! Check out Ramen Belly on Facebook by clicking HERE and get over there and get some awesome food!

Iowa Eats: The Red Frog – Cedar Rapids, IA

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As the weather warms and the itch of getting outside is finally getting scratched, the streets and sidewalks start to come to life in the Czech Village in Cedar Rapids. There are many locally owned restaurants, breweries, bars, and shops in the few blocks that make up the Czech Village area and this past weekend I was able to pay my first visit to The Red Frog. The Red Frog is owned by Jake Brummer and Amy Winkler, who had opened up the Kingston Pub only for the Derecho to rip its roof off. The Red Frog is located in what used to be Dirty Shirleys, tucked in between Anvil Meat Market and Luckys.

The Red Frog could fit the dive bar definition, which I love and appreciate, but the uniqueness and variety of their food menu is what many restaurants strive to achieve and many miss the boat. Great appetizers, sandwiches, and smoked meats make up the menu the but the Frog also serves breakfast on the weekends.

BEER
10 tap lines filled with a nice mix of styles and many local beers. Tank Puncher, Easy Eddy, Witch Slap, Tip the Cow, and a few more to go along with your typical domestics along with some breakfast cocktails if you choose to go that route. I went with a Witch Slap (a few of them) to go along with my food.

FOOD
Went with my buddy’s recommendations at the started with Sriracha cheese balls. A brilliant call from him on this one, I know I have a lot of Top 5 lists, but these cheese balls definitely hit that list, maybe even to the top. The spice added to the breading from the sriracha and how perfectly cooked and creamy they were make for the perfect start and will wake up your taste buds a bit. Glad I had that cold beer next to me.
Next up, the Reuben Wontons. Take your favorite wonton from your favorite chinese restaurant, and stuff that baby with a reuben mixture of swiss, kraut, and corned beef, add a side of homemade 1,000 island and you have an Irish twist on a delicious dish. So far, 2 for 2 at the Red Frog. Lastly, had to try something from the smoker. Really wanted the ribs but after devouring 2 apps I was getting a bit full, so I went with the smoked wing basket. 6 plump and juicy wings with the perfect amount of smoke, accompanied by one of the best blue cheese dressings I’ve had, raspberry habanero sauce, and regular wing sauce hit the spot. The wings were crispy, filling, and tasty.

OVERALL
There are so many things on their menu that I haven’t tried yet that I would love to get a taste of. Do yourself a favor, head to the Czech Village and check out the many restaurants/bars/stores in that area, and then stop by The Red Frog and get yourself those sriracha cheese balls and a beer and just sit back and enjoy! Check out their menu by clicking HERE or their website by clicking HERE!