By Jim Duncan CVFDude@aol.com

Granite City is no ordinary chain restaurant. The Minnesota company has flown under the national radar by targeting second-tier Midwest markets like St. Cloud and Fargo, reviving the brewpub concept with a cost shaving business plan. And they have mastered old-fashioned customer service: In Cityview's latest "Best of Des Moines" poll, Granite City easily won for Best Restaurant Service. And it doesn't take long to see why. As soon as you walk in the door, you are smothered with friendliness. Just to greet and seat my group, the company dispatched three sentries from their well-trained army. Then the first of a battalion of food servers approached, explaining the beer menu. (Five different waiters served me on my last of three visits. I think there were more on earlier occasions, but I wasn't counting.)

Background is useful here - Granite City was co-founded by the former owner-brewmaster of Sherlock's Home, a Minnesota brew pub of considerable reputation in the 1990s, when many brewpubs failed for two reasons: Fixed brewing costs were too high for individual restaurants; Pubs didn't produce beers good enough to wean customers off brand names. Granny City's innovation is to concentrate the expensive part of brewing - the production of wort - in one central facility. The have invented tanks, hoses, valves and special trucks to deliver wort to their restaurants, where yeast and less expensive equipment complete the brewing. This trademarked "Fermentus Interruptus" process produces excellent pale ale, bock, lager and stout. The stout particularly impressed, with the deep roasted notes that Irishmen pine for in America. These beers are good enough to become the high-markup items that all successive food chains need, to subsidize bargain-priced food.

Granite City food was as overwhelming as the service. Your mission here, if you accept it, is to find something to eat that isn't smothered, stuffed or both. Everything I had reminded me of jokes about Minnesota, "where the women are strong and the children are mostly above average size." The best items were deep-fried: A kid's plate of mini corn dogs and signature "waffle fries;" and crunchy, moist walleye, with the same fries and slaw. Crab cakes, however, were poster children for mindless caloric excess. The crab was not only drowned in melted cheddar before breading and frying, it was also served with cocktail sauce, garlic mayonnaise and pesto.

French onion soup came in a bowl that was plastered with melted provolone, like a neglected, runaway candle. It was challenging to spoon any broth without catching a cheese glob that lifted the bowl off its plate. A "smothered" beef sandwich begged for simple pan gravy. Instead, sautŽed onions, several from the rubbery outer skin, melted jack and a frightening sauce that tasted of flour and burgundy, covered the dried-out, pre-shaved, reheated roast beef. It was served with garlic-mashed potatoes that had the flavor of sour cream; an idea only Scandinavian Minnesota would embrace.

We also tried two server recommendations: The Cuban sandwich featured pork loin as dry as the roast beef, but smoked turkey instead of the usual ham; Grilled meat loaf was much better, in its own rite. But it was "smothered" in an oppressive bourbon onion sauce that even attacked the good onion rings.

Everything we ordered was less than $14, and was at least double the size of an average entrée. Nothing on the menu was priced over $17. Bottom line: This is a good value upgrade for all-you-can-eat buffet regulars. (Granite City has a Sunday buffet.) Judging from the big, happy crowds, and the quality of the brews, it might be a good stock (GCFB) to buy before the company goes national. But if you're looking for fine dining, or for simple food done well, run before the server army sees you. CV

Granite City Food and Brewing
12801 University, Clive, 224-1300
Mon. - Sat.: 11 - 1 a.m.
Sun.: 10 - midnight

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