There are many quirky, surprising and downright delicious dining opportunities within a day’s beautiful drive of Iowa City. Here’s a guide to get you started.
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“The jewel of the prairie,” Grinnell’s small but mighty liberal arts college campus is well known for sating the fiendish needs of area cultural enrichment junkies with world-class lectures, gallery events and musical performances ranging from classical to indie-avant garde (see grinnellconcerts.com); usually all are free for the public to attend. While not exactly in the free category, no heady trip west on Interstate-80 is complete without dinner or brunch at Prairie Canary (924 Main St.). Here, a limited menu chock-full of seasonal ingredients meets a prairie-inspired, minimalist decor, and conversation is stimulated by a curated, rotating selection of craft beer and booze from around the state and world. Go get mental, then come back and impress us with all you learned.
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Directly north of Iowa City, nestled in the bluffs of the Upper Iowa River, is the little town of Decorah. Home to Luther College and the world-renowned Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah is also a culinary destination in its own right. Stop in to La Rana Bistro (120 Washington St.), to sample from the seasonal, mostly Mediterranean menu that highlights locally grown and raised ingredients. Though it’s difficult to eat at La Rana without sampling one of their exquisite desserts, like the house-made Apple Custard Tart, try to save room for a soft-serve ice cream treat from the Whippy Dip (130 College Dr.); it’s a Decorah institution and only open in summer. If beer is more your idea of a digestif, stop by the Toppling Goliath Taproom (310 College Dr.). Many of their tasty brews are available across the region, but some are harder to find, so stop and fill a growler or two to take home with you; the cast of kegs changes regularly and all of them are worth drinking.
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Just east from Decorah, enjoy the scenery along the Mississippi, en route to Dubuque, Iowa’s first permanent European settlement. There are many newer restaurants in the greater Dubuque area, but to make the most of the local flavor and the breathtaking view, head just over the bridge to East Dubuque, IL, and turn up onto the bluff where Timmerman’s Supper Club (7777 Timmerman Dr.) is perched. Try to go on a weekend, so you can get the Prime Rib; the rest of the menu is standard supper-club fare, but this place is all about the view, both of the fall foliage and of the locals who’ve been eating there every weekend since Helen Timmerman opened the place in 1961. If, however, your tastes lean more to the lowbrow, Dubuque has a variety of bars. If you want a snack with your beer, head to Paul’s Tavern (176 Locust St.), where you can choose from about five menu items; the one that matters, though, is the divinely tasty, cheap burger. Your first burger will lay a delicious foundation for an evening of drinking, and the one you’ll devour at the end of the night may make a great hangover sponge. The Busted Lift (180 Main St.) is a popular area music venue, regularly booking both national and local acts while maintaining a down-to-earth feel and offering a huge selection of draft beers. There’s no food, but you can make a meal of their hearty beer selection.
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Follow the river south, and you’ll land in Davenport, IA. Great River Brewery (232 E. 2nd St.) is open for brewery tours on weekends, and they frequently host tapping events. If you’re not there for a new brew, enjoy a classic Roller Dam Red Ale on their patio. And then head over to Duck City Bistro (115 E. 3rd St.). The rotating menu is consistently well-executed, if you’re in the mood for a more high-end experience; regulars rave about the Cajun Ribeye and the Lobster Bisque, though it’s easy to be satisfied with a simple order of Pommes Frites fried in duck fat and a slice of Key Lime Pie.
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Continuing south, make sure you pass through Donnellson on a Wednesday, Friday or Saturday night, when they run a special of impossibly tender, savory beer-battered fried chicken at Mt. Hammill Tap (1467 155th Ave.). Locals in the tiny town of Donnellson have been enjoying ice cold beer in this renovated bank building-cum-grocery store since just after prohibition, and there’s a good chance you can talk to some of the more-seasoned ones if you visit. The chicken has put Mt. Hammill Tap on the radar of savvy bar-food connoisseurs throughout the region, so be prepared for a crowd; people come from miles on chicken nights, and you’ll see why.
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