Historic surprises — Two Iowa legacies morph deliciously.

8/2/2023

The Chamberlain Pub is not like anything else in town. It occupies an historic building on Grand Avenue. The D.S. Chamberlain House at Wesley Acres is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by renowned Boston architect William George Rantoul and is considered an excellent example of Jacobean Revival architecture. Jacobean architecture is fondly known as “Tudor architecture on steroids.” 

The inspiration for the house came from Chester, England, and the house was christened West Chester by Rantoul. It features five gables and dormers on the main facade and three tall chimneys with separate shafts for each flue.  

The Chamberlain Pub occupies three historic rooms, a hallway and probably the best-looking patio in Iowa, surrounded by gardens. 

On Wednesday nights, pianist extraordinaire Dan Knight entertains with little ditties like Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” To complement the ambiance, the pub offers six specialty cocktails. As a dedicated investigative journalist, I sampled them all. The “Chamberlain’s Remedy” featured vodka with real cucumber, mint, lime, fresh elderberry liqueur and club soda. It inspired me to buy some elderberry liqueur for my home medicine cabinet. 

The “Ingersoll-ted Caramel” was like three desserts in a glass. Bailey’s salted caramel joined vodka, Kahlua, cream, a caramel drizzle and was served with a pirouette cookie as a stir stick. Outside of that, the specialty cocktails stick to just three or four ingredient restraint. That is a mark of classical mixology often forgotten in their era of excess. All are priced $6-7.

Draft beers change when kegs run out. Wines stick to just two labels — Clos du Bois from Sonomo and Canyon Road from the unspecific California appellation. Both are famous for low-priced quality.  

Food is a similar bargain. An excellent charcuterie board included meat, cheeses, fruit and crackers for $8. Flatbreads ($8) offered a choice of Margherita, pepperoni or Graziano sausage and caramelized onions. Brisket mac & cheese ($8) swam in cheesy cream. Pretzels with cheese and mozzarella sticks with marinara rounded out the kitchen treats. 

The Chamberlain also has six Bed & Breakfast rooms ($70-110). All include Wi Fi, TV and access to the wellness center, pool, technology lounge and dining options. Some suites include fireplaces, kitchenettes and more. The rooms are located on the second floor of the mansion. Note there is no elevator. Parking is complimentary.

Thirteen years after Int’Velds was named a charter member of CITYVIEW’s Hall of Iowa Culinary Excellence, they have doubled down on excellence. They now have taken over a neighboring bay, doubling their floor space. They have added a full liquor license, an expanded deli kitchen and a complete USDA-inspected meat-processing facility. 

“We are the only USDA processing plant that also has a sit-down restaurant with a full bar,” head butcher Jerry Roorda explained. 

Think about that. During WWII, the U.S. Navy pleaded to the Pella City Council to allow flight pilots to drink and use swimming pools on Sundays. They only got half permission. Now Pella has the only USDA facility in America where you can order a shot of whiskey. 

Int’Velds is twice as big now and uses the additional space well. Where else can one buy beef bacon, cottage bacon, pecan-rubbed bacon, fresh pies and Iowa’s most varied array of processed meat products — including Pella bologna, which is really a salami made with beef hearts?

The double-sized dining room serves lunch and entertains parties. Reubens can be ordered with a choice of corned beef or Pella bologna. Pella bologna is included in all hoagies here. House-made sausage is a must try. Beef burgers are made with Int’Velds’ own processed ground beef. ♦

Jim Duncan is a food writer who has been covering the central Iowa scene for more than five decades.