Last month, I had the pleasure of taking a weekend trip to Chicago. One of my goals, while there, was to find a great restaurant, a relatively easy task in big cities. I pored over restaurant reviews and menus and looked for available reservations.
This isn’t a piece about the restaurant that I chose, though the process of making that choice got me thinking about the Quad Cities restaurant scene. There are excellent Thai and Mexican restaurants here, some solid steakhouses, but sadly, it seems, that the most adventurous of chefs in the area have to temper their passions or work with cheaper ingredients to be accessible to our area’s diners. Granted, Chicago is many times larger than the QCA, but it seems like almost any corner of the city has offerings that far exceed what we have here, regardless of accolades like James Beard Awards or Michelin Stars.
There are exceptions, but besides a handful of places, I was feeling very blasé about our local eateries until I remembered a newer restaurant that I wanted to check out. About a month later, I had that opportunity. A friend of mine from New York was visiting town and wanted to treat me to dinner. So, I suggested Plus Saporis, a newer Bettendorf restaurant from the same team that brought us Hemispheres Bistro.
Plus Saporis markets itself as “Mediterranean Latin Cuisine,” a fusion and celebration of multiple dining traditions around the Mediterranean Sea, done up with New American panache and some staple comfort foods. The restaurant is located in the “BettPlex” area of Bettendorf, a quickly growing development around the TBK Sports Complex. As such, the building has a strip-mall quality to it, all neutral tones of gray and beige with an interior of gray brick and slate-toned drywall, complete with a garage door that can presumably be opened during the warmer months to a patio. While I personally abhor these fast-constructed, lifeless sprawl buildings, Plus Saporis does offer warm lighting and a welcoming atmosphere.
Our server, Joe, settled us into our table and we looked over the wine list, as we were both craving a good red. Plus Saporis focused on wines from the Mediterranean region, which was quite refreshing in an area dominated by California Cabernets. Besides a couple of Argentinian offerings, nothing on the wine list is from the Americas, and we excitedly chose an Italian Montepulciano bottle to split.
Joe presented the wine professionally, complete with white linen around the forearm to wipe any dribbles upon the tasting pourings. The semi-fruity and pleasantly dry wine was perfect for many bright and savory options enticing us from the menu. Joe emphasized the freshness and “made-in-house” standards that Plus Saporis has made standard on their menu. While I imagine they aren’t bringing olives or curing prosciutto, I did not get the impression that offerings like the hummus, baba ghanoush or any of the sauces were coming from jars or cans.
Their menu offers homemade pita chips with various dips, topped focaccias and a handful of interesting appetizers to start things off. Their salad options seem to be dinner sized and include ingredients such as burrata, halloumi, watermelon and Marcona almonds, and can be topped with grilled chicken, albacore tuna or marinated hanger steak. Entrees include a few pasta dishes, seafood, kebobs, an assortment of animal protein-based dishes and even 10-inch pizzas. These are all very reasonably priced for the freshness and quality of what is being offered, with the most expensive option being Dover sole. Everything else is below what I would consider chophouse or fine-dining prices, ranging from $20 to $40 per entrée.
We settled on the octopus with garlic and the saganaki for appetizers and the bass and Iberico pork with gnocchi for dinner. The octopus was grilled and charred perfectly, tender with a touch of smokey, grilled flavor, served on a carrot puree alongside house pickled fennel and small slivers of cherry tomatoes. I have had octopus in many Japanese restaurants, whether grilled or broiled or served as sushi, but I have never had octopus taste this good or even come close to the perfect bite and tenderness that this had. Joe said that it, along with the saganaki, were the most popular appetizers.
The saganaki, Greek flaming cheese, was kasseri cheese, fried and flambéed table-side with a glorious fireball extinguished with fresh lemon juice. Served with deliciously seasoned homemade pita chips and kalamata olives. Both appetizers were exceptional, though we really probably only needed one, as the main courses weren’t far behind.
The bass was served over an onion-y cream sauce with whole charred scallions. The fish was lightly pan fried, maintaining its tender, flaky quality, and topped with crispy, smoky pancetta. It was a light, but very tasty and satisfying dish that I devoured happily after my friend had a few bites. While etouffee and bouillabaisse were seafood choices along with the aforementioned sole, this bass seemed ideal for a chilly Monday.
The weather was also our inspiration to get the Iberico Pluma, a dish of Iberico pork, gnocchi made with herbs de province and brown butter. I almost didn’t want to get a gnocchi dish, as it seemed like one of the least adventurous things on the menu, but the allure of true Iberico pork and browned butter had it’s hooks in my Midwestern heart. And this was the best choice. Joe told us that between Plus Saporis and Hemispheres Bistro, the two restaurants were Iowa’s largest purchaser of Iberico pork and the well-seasoned, tender freshness of the pork confirmed that they knew their way around the exquisite Spanish specialty. The gnocchi was, likewise, flavorful and was served with a small side of arugula salad. Elevated comfort food is a winner.
Every bite of this meal was memorable. Plus Saporis executed these dishes with big-city competition quality, even on a cold and slow Monday night. I have to imagine that their consistency is on point if the Monday crew is producing food this good.
Unlike many places in town, they aren’t afraid of seasoning their food, either. The salt and herbs were clearly measured with love, making every dish something to crave again and again. My friend liked it so much, she went back for lunch two days later. I will also be returning, as I have found the most exciting new restaurant in the Quad Cities. Do not sleep on Plus Saporis!
