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

November 3, 2021Leave a comment

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!

Restaurant Review: Ramsey’s Metro Market; Marion, IA

August 9, 2016August 9, 2016Leave a comment

I had noticed quite a few check-ins on untappd coming from Ramsey’s in Marion and talking with Leisha at Benz she highly recommend I give the place a try. Located on 7th avenue amongst the quaint and unique looking strip of stores in Marion, Ramseys is definitely a hidden treasure for wine, food, and more importantly for me…..beer.

Upon entering the restaurant you can’t help but notice the
walls of the place lined with hundreds of bottles of wine. Now, I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t know shit about wine. I wish I did, but I don’t. But the amount of wine that was neatly shelved to the ceiling in this place was a pretty awesome view. According to their website they house 140 different wines, 70 bottled beers,
and 10 tap beers.

The tap lines are what I wanted to see. I customarily bellied up to the bar, was greeted with a beer and food menu and we were off.

A recent expansion has given Ramseys a perfect spot on the other side of the bar to house their 10 lines and I was really thirsting for a taste of North Coast Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse and the Funkwerks Dry-Hopped Provincial, both of which I had heard were on tap. Started with the Tart Cherry and was very happy with the choice. Good fruit, not overly sweet, add in that bit of tartness and it’s an excellent drinking companion for the summer months. Another perk of the trip was being able to sit and talk with Josh about the restaurant, other local places, and the beer they have or want to have. Excellent guy to talk the food scene and beer with!

Onto the food. Grilled cheese, salads, paninis, subs, and always a daily special which the night I was there was a smoked pork loin dish. It didn’t take me long to figure out I was going with the Italian panini. Throw some pepperoni and pastrami on any sandwich with some pepperoncinis and I’m sold. Food arrived fairly quick and I was ready for beer #2 as well. Funkwerks Dry Hopped Provincial it is. Absolutely wonderful beer! Tropic fruits with that dry hopped addition make this a beer to seek if you haven’t tried it yet! This beer with the tartness from the pepperoncinis on my sandwich made this a pleasantly surprising pairing.

I would like to think that when I go back I would try the special or something else on the menu, but the sandwich is made for me. Loved it! If you find yourself in Marion or nearby, give Ramseys Metro Market a shot, you won’t be disappointed. Check out their Facebook page for their daily specials: Ramseys

Restaurant Review: QDogs BBQ Company; Marion, IA

January 7, 20151 Comment

A BBQ restaurant 15 minutes from my door? YES PLEASE! I crave BBQ very often, and yes, I dabble in it at home and most of the time I can kick out some pretty decent food. But when you get a place like Q Dogs (http://qdogsbbqcompany.com/) who put in the time to make consistent and fantastic BBQ, my choice to cook or go out is made much simpler. When you walk into a BBQ joint for the first time you aren’t sure if you are going to get the paper plate/picnic table style or like Q Dogs, a spotless, clean, a spacious restaurant.

You are greeted right away by a hostess who helped guide me through the menu. For my first trip I went with the basic pulled pork sandwich, brisket sandwich, and the kids got a pulled pork slider. The sides were fries dusted with their BBQ dry rub, smoked cheesy potatoes, and coleslaw. The brisket was thick and juicy with tons of flavor. The pork had just the right amount of smoke, not to overwhelming, just the perfect amount, and it was extra tasty with a bit of their homemade spicy BBQ sauce. A first trip that lead to a second:

For the second go ’round I came home with half rack of ribs, pulled pork with coleslaw (called the Q Dog), and some BBQ nachos for the kids. The ribs were meaty, smoked perfectly, and the dry rub and with just a tad bit of sauce made me craving these the next day as well. The Q Dog sandwich was terrific. Tons of pork piled on a bun with sauce and apple cider slaw. The BBQ nachos are piled with pulled pork, nacho cheese, BBQ sauce, and sliced pickled jalapeños. Another successful trip that will lead to a third soon.

Talking with the staff the meats are smoked for at least 20 hours at a low temp. Beer on tap had your basic swill but also some Lagunitas IPA, Great River Milk Stout, and Sam Adams line, and also Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ in bottles. Not bad , and it seems like they are open to having more craft as well.

Overall, a must try for BBQ fans looking to scratch that savory, smoky, itch. Check out their website for their menu here: http://qdogsbbqcompany.com/menu.html