Lincoln Cafe

In a surprising show of romantic inclination this weekend, my husband took me out on a date at a restaurant that I had been eying ever since we first moved to Iowa. Lincoln Café (and the nearby Lincoln Wine Bar) are run by chef and owner Matt Steigerwald. His charming description on his website reads as follows,

"chef/owner matt steigerwald opened lincoln café in july 2001, after arriving in iowa from north carolina. before that fateful move, he cooked and/or ran the show at several restaurants, including helen's in richmond, va; vertigo in raleigh, nc; and magnolia grill in durham, nc. he lives with his sweetie michelle, a professor and belletrist, in mount vernon, where he is finally adjusting to the weather."

That pretty much says it all. I also have a sweetie professor who moved to Iowa, so I understand weather thing.

In any case, I was super excited to try out the food. I had heard many good things from a variety of sources, all saying that Lincoln Café is one of the best restaurants in the state of Iowa. Having been to a number of good places in Iowa City, we were eager to branch out to neighboring towns. The restaurant does not take reservations, but if you call ahead they'll put you on their waiting list to try and get you a seat. Of course, if you find there is a wait, the wine bar down the street looks like the perfect place to kill some time (with a glass of wine and some bar snacks). We got lucky and ended up at two counter seats (a perfect spot to watch the action in the kitchen.) Lincoln Café is small, but the high ceilings make the place feel more spacious. The combination of old brick walls, featured local artists, and diner style booths and tables, made the place feel comfortable and unpretentious. The specials (3) were on the board along with the list of desserts. I love a place that has only a few offerings because it means they are probably done quite well (like in many Iowan restaurants, the emphasis here is on fresh, local ingredients.) After much debate, I opted for the steak with sunchoke puree, fried lime, and some sort of mushroom confit with cubes of parsnip or potatoes, octopus and grilled baby lettuce. This dish was fantastic. The steak was perfectly cooked (medium rare) and very tender. There were some grisly bits I wasn't a fan of, but I am fairly picky when it comes to steak. The puree perfectly complemented the steak, the mushrooms were wonderfully seasoned, and the octopus was perfectly cooked. I've never had octopus before and worried that it would be tough and rubbery. Instead, the octopus was tender and delicious. I could have eaten a bowl of the stuff.

For dessert we opted for the bread pudding with cranberry ice cream and some sort of crunchy caramel topping. This was also fantastic. The bread pudding was moist, and not cloying, the ice cream was smooth, creamy, and surprisingly not overtly tart. The sauce was also delicious. If I had room, I would have tried the other desserts as well (the apple pot pie looked divine.)

Overall, I was very impressed with the food. We were close to the kitchen so I got to see all of the dishes that went out. The prawns with grits looked amazing, as did the stuffed quail. If only I had a stomach for three people. The restaurant is quite small so they do not have a liquor license. Fortunately, the wine bar is just a few steps away and they encourage you to bring bottles or glasses of wine over to have with your meal (the nominal cork fee is waved if you buy wine from their wine bar.) The only downside to the place is that vegetarians are not well accommodated. Every entree had meat, poultry or fish so my sweetie professor opted for a soup/salad combo, which was quite good, but not the same as an entree. The chef/owner was in the kitchen at the time and offered to adjust one of the main courses for us, but many of the components contained seafood or chicken broth.

Still, for those of us who do eat meat, Lincoln Cafe might be one of the best in Iowa.

Happy dining!

~flutterbyblue

Lincoln Cafe
117 First Street West
Mt. Vernon, IA 52314
(319) 895-4041

The American Bald Eagle winters in Iowa City

This morning we saw our first (20+) Bald Eagles. Who would have thought that Iowa City is a prime place to view the American Bald Eagle in the wild?

I had heard that these magnificent creatures migrate south for winter feeding down the Mississippi (and up the Iowa River.) A bridge next to the Iowa River Power Restaurant is ideally situated for eagle watching. Having accidentally spent three days with some avid bird watchers in Ecuador last summer, I know how patient one must be to catch a glimpse of a rare bird in its natural habitat. Not so with the Bald Eagle. Simply park at the restaurant, walk a few feet across the well shoveled bridge and you'll be among them. These birds were ENORMOUS with wingspans reaching up to 6 feet in length. They were perched in the trees lining the river, soaring overhead and fishing in the river right in front of our noses.

Astounding.

...and to think these birds were once considered "endangered species."

Happy birding!

~flutterbyblue

Image lifted from www.floridaholidayreview.com.

Ricotta (from scratch)

On a whim, I decided to try a hand at making homemade ricotta this weekend. I had heard that it is uber-easy to make. I have had it at one of my favorite restaurants in Boston, La Morra, where they serve it soft, in a pool of nice olive oil and topped with freshly grated black pepper (perfect for spreading on homemade bread!) Seeing as my trips to Boston are few and far between I figured I should try and replicate this yummy appetizer at home.

A few items are required to make ricotta-making easy:

1. a cheesecloth
2. a colander
3. a meat/candy thermometer
4. a large pot

I basically took a gallon of whole milk, heated it to 200 degrees (whisking to keep the milk from burning on the bottom of the pot), then added a little salt, and about a 1/4 cup of white vinegar (you can use lemon juice as well). The curds formed immediately and all I had to do was pour the mixture through a cheesecloth covered colander to separate the curds and whey. You can actually keep the whey and use it to make biscuits.

The ricotta was soft and delicious just as is, but I happen to like it with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. I've heard you can freeze the cheese (although it will not be as good as fresh), but my plan is to make some ricotta gnocchi with the bulk of it and to eat the remainder on toast.

Authentic ricotta cheese is made from whey left over from the cheese making process, but this takes several gallons. Using whole milk is a faster, easier way to make a good substitute. A gallon of milk produces a large hunk of ricotta - maybe about a pound. Be sure to have a recipe or two lined up because it won't last in your fridge for long!

Enjoy!

~flutterbyblue

Sportello vs Grezzo

After a lunch at the one raw/vegan restaurant in town (see previous post), it seemed only right to try a place that does not have such stringent cooking restrictions. I had a chance to visit Sportello, one of Barbara Lynch's creations. Remarkably enough, a highly recommended dish on the Sportello menu is very similar (sounding) to the "gnocchi" I had at Grezzo. Here is my direct comparison of the two dishes:

1. Grezzo's home-made "gnocchi." So long as you are not expecting these to taste like anything too familiar, they are quite good. The nut paste "gnocchi" were soft and a little bit gooey in texture and tasted like creamy nuts and sesame. The "rawmesan" sauce made with coconut milk was creamy and cool (food at Grezzo is not heated above 112 degrees), and the very crisp English peas and pea shoots were a good counterpart to the creaminess of the sauce and the soft texture of the "gnocchi". Because this dish lacks just about any kind of starch, I ended up feeling full but not quite satisfied.

2. Sportello's potato gnocchi with porcini, peas and cream. This was heaven in a bowl. The gnocchi were light, perfectly shaped dumplings with a bit of chew, the peas were fresh, crisp and delicious in the creamy, yet surprisingly light cream sauce drizzled with a bit of truffle oil and sprinkled with teeny bits of sliced chives. The food was served steaming hot in a warmed shallow bowl. If I had not just eaten a large basket of bread with whipped ricotta I would have snarfed this up even quicker than I did.

On it's own, Grezzo is certainly a worthwhile foodie experience (but only for the open-minded). Sportello, on the other hand, is much more accessible - especially for anyone who appreciates freshly made pasta. Given the choice, I would almost always choose the Sportello gnocchi dish over the one at Grezzo, but mainly because during the winter I like my food steaming hot and starch-laden. Maybe in the dead of summer I would make an alternative choice, but I doubt it.

~flutterbyblue

Sportello
348 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210-1236
(617) 737-1234

Image lifted from www.yelp.com

Grezzo

Always up for a foodie adventure, my friend and I met for lunch at Grezzo. We started with the Green Drink and a house tea. Both were quite interestingly flavored. The tea had lemon, goji berries, mint, ginger and probably some other fresh ingredients as well. The only drawback was that I had trouble drinking the liquid with all of the seeping items filling my mug. The green drink was a nice mix of vegetables topped with some delicious spicy edible flowers.

I had the home-made "gnocchi" made with ground nuts and possibly tahini. These were artistically enveloped in a delicious "rawmesan" sauce made with coconut milk. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, going quite well with the crisp English peas and pea shoots. I don't remember the crispy eggplant being on the plate (although it appears to be on the menu). My friend had the BLTA wrap, which had a tasty, but slightly salty tortilla made from flax seeds and sundried tomato. The filling was quite good - fresh lettuce, tomato, avocado, creamy "cheese" spread, and a salty olive (or maybe eggplant?) paste. The ultra-light dehydrated chips on the side were delicious.

Our wonderful server suggested the iced "eggnog" which was a delicious blend of nuts, coconut milk, topped with a fabulous vanilla "ice cream" and shaved Brazil nuts. That was dessert in of itself. We also opted for the Apple Pave which consisted of paper thin slices of apple stacked and topped with a citrus marinade and a caramel-like sauce served with clove ice cream. I found the clove flavor of the ice cream to be a bit overpowering and the apples to be too sweet for my taste. However, combining the flavors of each item was still quite good (I'm just not sure I would order this again.) The Chocolate Super Cookie with Chocolate Frosting was similar to a homemade Luna bar - somewhat dense and chewy (made with chocolate and dates). Not my thing, but maybe others would appreciate it. The frosting was delicious.

Grezzo is a *tiny* little place with chairs that barely fit people with a slim stature. Squeezing into seats was a bit uncomfortable and difficult when the restaurant began to fill up. The kitchen is equally tiny and the one bathroom is oddly located right next to a prep station. So close, in fact, that I could hear the chef discussing her falafal recipe with a patron just on the other side of the bathroom door.

Not sure if I would go back, but this place is definitely a fun and interesting experience. I wouldn't say I'm a convert to the raw food/vegan movement, but I did appreciate the creative use of fresh ingredients. I would recommend the place to any vegan/vegetarian looking for something fun and upscale. My personal opinion is to stick with the appetizers and main courses and pass on dessert.

~flutterbyblue

Grezzo
69 Prince Street
Boston MA 02113

Image lifted from www.yelp.com

Oishii Boston

One of the places I've always wanted to try in the South End, is Oishii Boston. I've been to the one in Chestnut Hill many times, but heard that the Boston restaurant serves some intriguing upscale items.

Seeing as I was home for the holidays, we tried the place out for lunch. I *highly* recommend the New Kaiseki Lunch #1. It was fantastic considering the price ($30 fixed). The green salad with sesame dressing was good - nothing special, but the dressing was delicious. Then the platter of small plates arrived. OMG. The lobster wild mushroom risotto was fantastic - a nice chunk of claw artistically arranged in the middle of creamy, delicious (sushi rice?) risotto. The seared salmon with sweet soy was also really well done - not overcooked and perfectly flavored. My personal favorites were the crispy rock shrimp lemon aioli (perfectly fried teeny shrimp with a ton of flavor) and the grilled miso black cod (perfectly cooked luscious fish in a light fantastic broth sauce.) The crab cake was a little bite of yummy crab crispiness, and the sushi/sashimi were fresh and well prepared. The spicy tuna salad handroll was a large cone of flavorful well-seasoned tuna salad.

We also ordered a small selection of sushi a la carte. The foie gras with truffle was melt-in-your-mouth delicious (although quite expensive at $15/piece.) The rest of our random sushi selections were excellent, but again, very expensive.

Oishii Boston is set a little out of the way in the South End. When we were there for lunch on a Tuesday the place was pretty empty. The space is dark, swank and modern. Certainly a classy place and a good option for a business luncheon. Given that Oishii in Chestnut Hill also has a fantastic selection of unique and delicious sushi, I would probably opt for take-out there rather than splurging on the very expensive Oishii Boston menu. That being said, the lunch special was entirely worth it.

~flutterbyblue

Oishii Boston
1166 Washington St
Boston, MA 02118 - 4113

Image lifted from www. yelp.com

Survival in the Midwest: Essentials

Before arriving in Iowa, I was warned about the winters. Now that I'm here, I've learned to adapt. There are certain necessary items one needs to survive in the midwest:

1. A BIG winter coat. Forget fashion - you want something thick, puffy and preferably ankle-length. People may look at you funny, but when the negative wind chill strikes and blows from January through March they'll be wishing they were you. I recommend the Northface Triple C Long Hooded Down Jacket. It's like wearing a walking sleeping bag. While this is not quite as puffy as some other coats, the ankle-length feature is key for the really frigid days. Wear a thick sweater underneath if the windchill is really kicking in.

2. A pair of water-proof, fur-lined boots.

While Ugg boots are still incredibly popular around here, I prefer a boot that is more waterproof. So far, my Ralph Lauren Quincie boots have done a fantastic job of keeping out the snow and slush. One of our friends here in Iowa tried to convince me that I could not find a pair of boots that were cute AND functional, but I think these might fit the bill. They also have a zipper for easy slip on/off (no messying with those laces when you're in a hurry!)

3. A pair of Moon Boots for shoveling the driveway.

So I take back my last statement. Sometimes, you do have to forgo fashion in order to fulfill a function. After spending my first blizzard shoveling the driveway in rainboots I realized I needed something a little more substantial to get me through this Iowa winter. Moon Boots are amazing. As far as I can tell they are just gigantic spongey puffs in which to put your feet. There isn't even a "left" or "right" foot. Wearing them is like walking on puffy clouds...ah. These might even be one of those boots that are so ugly they're cute.

4. A LARGE flat screen TV. One of the first things we noticed while house-hunting in Iowa City was that every single household had an enormous flat screen TV. Some houses had more than one. How odd it seemed after coming from a world where most people had hand-me-down TVs that they huddled around during football or baseball games. Back in Cambridge, large flat screen TVs were more of a novelty than the general rule. Not so in Iowa City. Everyone and their grandmother owns a 50-inch or bigger. After surviving our first blizzard I now understand why. When it's -5 degrees outside and no one in their right mind would set foot in the ice covered world outside, what else is there to do but watch TV or play video games. In fact, TV and video games seem to be a way of life out here - people actually get together for the sole purpose of playing Halo or Rock Band.

Like I said, we're learning to adjust.

~flutterbyblue

Images lifted from www1.bloomingdales.com, and zappos.com.