By Jim Duncan CVFDude@aol.com

Three decades ago, a major East Coast newspaper declared that, "a gourmet tour across Iowa is non-stop." That was arrogant even then, reflecting the low regard many cosmopolitans have for the bounty of our rural-based culture. Donna Tabbert Long's new guide book, "Iowa's Hometown Flavors," is subtitled a "Food Lover's Tour," but it's still edited with an outsider's disdain for the state's culinary prowess.

In Iowa, there are five creative centers for real food lovers: Des Moines-Ames; Decorah-Cresco; Iowa City-Mount Vernon; Fairfield and Dubuque. Let's examine how they fare in the book.

Long patronizes Des Moines' low-brow food scene but barely notices its better half. Clichès such as the Iowa State Fair and The Chili King are well represented, but hardly any mention is made of the extraordinary cafè scene that marries the purest bounty of Iowa farming to creative chefs.

By ignoring Andrew Meek at Sage, Jeremy Morrow at 43, Jon Benedict at 25th Street Cafè, Jerry Talerico at Sam & Gabe's and Enosh Kelley at Bistro Montage, the book disrespects the city, for such talented chefs and their specialty farmer-suppliers are what is both best and unique about food in Des Moines. The Trostels are included, in the wrong city, and so is George Formaro at Centro, plus Tursi's Latin King and La Mie. Otherwise the book portrays Des Moines as a dispenser of mundane (Manhattan Deli, Bauder Pharmacy, Smitty's) food. Ames is treated similarly, with the popular Hickory Park exalted, but the extraordinary Cafè not warranting a mention.

Decorah-Cresco is really insulted. This is the home of Seed Savers, a great farmers' market, America's hottest artisan cheese, the best small grocery store in the state and several exceptional cafŽs using fresh-and-local produce. It's portrayed only by an imitation Dairy Queen and a college pizza parlor. The fabulous Hotel Winneshiek isn't even included on a list of "Food Friendly Places to Stay," which also omits the Hotel Fort Des Moines, Dubuque's Mandolin Inn and the Phoenix in Grinnell, all adored by worldly gourmets.

Iowa City-Mount Vernon's marvelous "fresh-and-local" cafès are good enough for America's greatest food writer (R.W. Apple), but not for this guide. Not even Lincoln Cafè and Devotay were cited, though they have revolutionized fine dining in the area and are usually considered the best restaurants in Eastern, if not all of, Iowa. The area is instead represented by clichès like John's Grocery and Hamburg Inn.

The coverage of Fairfield's food scene is worse. No mention is made of the marvelous organic farmers, including the legendary Radiance Dairy, whose produce upgrades Fairfield restaurants and coffee houses to cult status. None of the town's excellent Thai, Indian or continental cafès are included, nor its best-in-Iowa large grocery store, Every Body's.
Dubuque fared the best. Its finest restaurant, Pepper Sprout, is included, though no mention is made of Kim Wolff's only-in-Dubuque piece de resistance, locally raised buffalo tenderloins, of which she sells 75 pounds per week at $30-per-6-ounce piece.

This book also does deserving justice to Fort Madison, but misses much of what is happening in Van Buren County, omitting any mention of Julie Campbell's Red Barn Bistro and Winery, the extraordinary farmers' market in Keosauqua, or the Farmington Strawberry Festival. In LeMars, tourist clichès (Blue Bunny Ice Cream and Bob's Drive-In) are included, but no mention is made of Archie's Waeside, the state's best steakhouse.

The author asked several Iowa foodies to submit top 10 lists of Iowa food treasures. (Two included the Happy Joe's chain, and Hy-Vee was a culinary treasure to one.) Collectively, these lists include many interesting suggestions otherwise ignored in the book.

Long wrote a superb, similarly constructed book about food in her home state of Minnesota. It's an excellent guide we often recommend. And she is a fine writer. The problem is with the editorial notion that any outsider can guide food lovers through a state they only know as a tourist. Which Long obviously fails miserably to do. CV

Food News

A "tamale war" is taking casualties in Des Moines' first family of corn cuisine. We hear that Don Juan Martinez is no longer working with, or speaking to, his daughter Rosa Martinez Ruiz. Don Juan is now producing his family recipe tamales with an older daughter, in competition with the younger daughter. Ruiz is also mulling offers from large food suppliers who are interested in taking her critically and popularly acclaimed recipes to a broader audience

Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Company's "May Beer Dinner" will match home brews with courses of scallop topped watermelon gazpacho; buffalo mozzarella tomato salad; lamb chops in curry vinaigrette greens; pork tenderloin with white asparagus and stone-spiked mash, as well as a trio of tartlets. May 26, $40, and don't wait because it will sell out fast.

Coca-Cola has introduced a new soft drink in Japanese. Translated as "Body Style Water," the beverage might not make it to America. Its ingredients are grapefruit flavoring, caffeine, and seaweed extract.

Steve and Kristi Little's new cafè on Beaver, in the old Colosimo's location, will be a larger version of Chef's Corner Cafè, which closed last year after lease negotiations broke down. Little will keep his family priced ambiance, his French crust pizzas and his signature burgers. He will extend his steak offerings, too. They hope to be open by June.

Food Fact

Cereal manufacturers are touting new "reduced sugar" versions, but most brands are replacing the sugar with sucralose, which increases total carbohydrates and leaves the number of calories unchanged.

Comment on this story | Return to top