116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
The Bohemian in NewBo opens to celebrate music, food and culture
By Dorothy de Souza Guedes, correspondent
Mar. 25, 2021 7:30 am
You most likely have never been anywhere quite like The Bohemian.
Every room on each of its three levels is so different from the next that whenever you visit, you'll have a different experience. Art and artifacts from around the world cover nearly every inch of available wall space. There's a fully restored 1890s piano near a small stage just waiting for jazz and acoustic blues musicians to play - but not too loud for conversation.
The Bohemian is more than an arts venue: it's also a cafe. The tantalizing smell of smoked meats emanating from the open kitchen will have you drooling for a taste of regional comfort foods from the Mississippi River Valley - New Orleans to Minneapolis. Thirsty? Grab a cold one from regional breweries, a glass of wine selected from small, family-owned wineries or a $1 cup of coffee.
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The new cafe/gallery/music venue opened Wednesday in the New Bohemia District, but it has existed in Mike Richards' imagination since he and his wife, Lynette Richards, bought the building in 1999.
'When I walked into this building 21 years ago, I saw what you see now,” Mike said.
He saw his dream realized on March 17 when The Bohemian opened for tours and a menu tasting. Guests described The Bohemian as welcoming, warm and friendly. 'We see The Bohemian as a lively gathering place for kindred creative spirits. The word Bohemian refers to both ethnic Czech-Slovak Bohemian people and also the cultural term ‘bohemian' as it relates to an artistic/counter-culture lifestyle,” he said.
Pick your zone, from wine cellar to atrium
The Matyk building was built in 1893 by Czechoslovakian immigrants. The Mtyk family originally used it as a dry good store. Later, it was the first place locals could buy a television. The family is remembered in the ample, main floor space named Matyk Cafe Room in their honor.
That's where you can listen to musicians like Kevin Burt or Bobb Dorr, or attend a lecture by an author or speaker.
The Richards filled the many rooms with art, artifacts and antiques from across the country, often taking road trips to pick up their treasures. The gas lights out front are from New Orleans. There's a winding metal staircase to the cellar and sliding wooden door that once belonged on a coach house procured from Chicago. A curved banquet in the wine cellar is from a Midwestern courthouse. The searchlight in the Atrium, repurposed as a cocktail table, came from the Suez Canal.
The Atrium has a combined ceiling and wall panels slide back to open the space to nature. Installation of numerous steel I-beams was calculated for the weight of 100 people - perfect for weddings and private events already being scheduled.
Mississippi River Valley authentic regional cuisine
When it comes to the food, Mike and Lynette took road trips along the Mississippi River to sample the culture and cuisine for ideas.
They're using the fast-casual model: order at the window, and your food will be delivered to your table.
Chef Josh Lafferty listened to Mike's menu ideas, then got a little creative.
Lynette describes the food as 'simple with a twist.”
Lafferty uses a smoker to cook Bourbon Street beef brisket, St. Louis pork ribs, pulled pork and chicken, State Fair turkey legs and sticky finger wings. There's smoked walleye fish, mac 'n' cheese, and a vegetable side for pescatarians and vegetarians. Everything is 'made with love from scratch” - sauces, rubs, dressings, mayonnaise - except the bread and cheese. Lafferty and Ian Trask created numerous sauces, including classic BBQ, hot chili oil and smokey vinegar sauce.
For sides, there's hand-cut fries, coleslaw, three-bean salad and mustardy potato salad you'd expect. There also is cheesy grits and bacon, dilled Amish cottage cheese and red beans, rice and sausage.
Not everything is smoked. There's a daily deli sandwich or Bohemian Rhapsody burger for adults and child-sized Young Bohemian burger or chicken tenders.
The menu will continue to evolve and change as the chefs develop more of their Mississippi Valley cuisine style. With Lynette's longtime work with Feed Iowa First and Sundog Farm & Local Harvest Community Supported Agriculture, a farm-to-table focus was a given. They'll grow their herbs and source produce from Abbe Hills Farm, Echocollective Farm and Jupiter Ridge Farm, among others.
You may know Lafferty from his 25 years in the Cedar Rapids' food scene, from his Road Rooster food truck to Riley's Cafe, the Butcher Block, Gray Goose and, most recently, White Star. He and Trask know each other well from 10 years together in area kitchens. Trask was head chef at Daniel Arthur's.
Bartenders will create signature cocktails at the small, ornate bar. The Richards tapped First Avenue Winehouse to curate a collection of wines from small vineyards. Beers will be limited to the 12 most popular domestics and regional beers, plus a keg of something brewed nearby.
Family legacy business
Iowa natives Mike and Lynette met and married at Machu Picchu in Peru 44 years ago. They have traveled the world with their sons, then returned to Iowa. Lynette became a Metro High School teacher, and Mike invented soy wax, selling the patent to Cargill.
In 1999, the Richards, then living in Iowa City, were searching for a site to provide Lynette's students with a workspace for making soy wax candles. Mike spotted the 'for sale” sign in front of 1029 Third St. SE. The neighborhood didn't look anything like it does now, and the building was in even worse shape. But Mike saw its potential.
They bought the building, turned the second floor into their home and the main level into a workspace and youth art center. The Richards moved out after the flood of 2008, but the first floor became home to several ventures.
About three and a half years ago, work began to convert all three levels into one business. The final inspections were completed a month ago.
A goal is a place where the family can work together and make a living. Mike and Lynette, both 71 and retired, will act as advisers and long-term visionary creators. Day-to-day operations will be left to the kitchen crew and their adult sons Michael and Mel Richards, daughter-in-law Liza and granddaughters.
Even if only family and friends show up to The Bohemian, they will still have a wonderful time, according to Mike and Lynette.
'Our family feels like this is our base. We're citizens of the world. We can go anywhere in the world from here,” Mike said.
The Bohemian
' Where:
1029 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids
' Hours:
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday
' Phone:
(319) 249-1286
' Art details:
Learn about the artifacts, art and artists featured at The Bohemia in 'The Bohemian Aesthetic: Gallery and Guide and Artists' Biographies” by Michael Richards
Sous chef Ian Trask, left, and head chef Josh Lafferty prepare mozzarella cheese to be smoked with garlic and basil at The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 21, 2021. The menu will be centered on a variety of meat smoked at the restaurant and offer fresh local farm produce and house made sauces. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
Sous chef Ian Trask prepares mozzarella cheese to be smoked with garlic and basil at The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 21, 2021. The menu will be centered on a variety of meat smoked at the restaurant and offer fresh local farm produce and house made sauces. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
The Bohemian head chef Josh Lafferty removes a tray of garlic while checking a pork belly in the smoker March 21. The menu centers around a variety of meat smoked at the restaurant like Bourbon Street beef brisket, St. Louis pork ribs, pulled pork and chicken, State Fair turkey legs and sticky finger wings.
Half of a smoked chicken smoked prepared with honey and thyme with a side of roasted sweet potato mash and corn lollipops served on purple carrots at The Bohemian now open in the NewBo district in Cedar Rapids.
The Bohemian's garden offers a seating area for patrons and their dogs as well as a bike rack for bicycle parking and a section for smokers. Photographed in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 21, 2021. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
Stained glass windows featuring Teddy Roosevelt, Margaret Mitchell, Jackie Robinson and President John F. Kennedy are featured in the garden entry of the newly opened The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 21, 2021. The windows were originally created for a brew pub near Harvard University. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
Mike Richards, one of the owners of The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids, sits by a fire place in the Listening Room on Sunday, March 21, 2021. The Listening Room will feature live music twice a month. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
The Bohemian plans on featuring live music on the stage in the restaurant's Listening Room twice a month. Photographed in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 21, 2021. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
Mike Richards, one of the owners of The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids, demonstrates how the rooftop atrium is easily opened and closed on Sunday, March 21, 2021. The atrium is heated and cooled so it can be used by patrons all year-round. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
The rooftop garden at The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids features New Orleans gas lights as well as an atrium that can be easily opened or closed, depending on the weather. Photographed on Sunday, March 21, 2021. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
The Salon on the second story of The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids can be used for private events. The Bohemian offers a variety of rooms and outdoor spaces on three levels, allowing patrons to socially distance as they enjoy their food and drinks. Photographed on Sunday, March 21, 2021. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
The Salon on the second story of The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids can be used for private events. The Bohemian offers a variety of rooms and outdoor spaces on three levels, allowing patrons to socially distance as they enjoy their food and drinks. Photographed on Sunday, March 21, 2021. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
Mike Richards, who owns The Bohemian with his wife, Lynette, talks about the artwork celebrating American musicians March 21 in The Bohemian Underground room located in the restaurant's basement. The Bohemian has 123 original works of art on display by 67 different artists.
The Bohemian Underground, designed to have the feel of a speak easy, is located in the basement of The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 21, 2021. The owners sourced interesting and unique decorations and furniture, including this round bench that was once used in a county courthouse in Minnesota. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
The Bohemian Underground features an intimate wine tasting nook in the basement of the newly opened The Bohemian in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 21, 2021. (Cliff Jette/Freelance)
The Bohemian in the NewBo neighborhood of Cedar Rapids offers food, drinks, art and music among a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces on three levels. The Bohemian opened Wednesday. (Cliff Jette photos/Freelance for The Gazette)