Small-town diners attract big-city offers

After driving 40-plus miles for more than an hour, Michelle Ellison sat down in the celebrated Lincoln Cafe in Mount Vernon and drooled - metaphorically speaking - over the prospect of a smoked trout salad.

“I'm craving it,” Ellison, 44, of Delhi, told her friends, who agreed to meet at the high-end restaurant for lunch last week even though only one of them lived in the area.

“This is my number one favorite restaurant,” said Lisa Barta, 42, of Lisbon, who was dining at the restaurant for the second time in less than 24 hours. “I was here last night for dinner.”

The Lincoln Cafe is among a handful of “destination” restaurants scattered across the Iowa landscape in rural communities that offer a quaint ambience and picturesque vista but limited dining options - especially of the upscale variety.

After years of attracting customers from all over Iowa and beyond, most of the restaurant owners have been pressed to open second locations or move their flagship establishments to more populated communities like Cedar Rapids or Iowa City.

But most say they prefer to stay unique by staying put.

“We get asked all the time,” said Matt Steigerwald, chef and owner of the Lincoln Cafe. “But I like to walk to work.”

Tristan Langdon, co-owner of The General Store Pub in the tiny historical quarry town of Stone City outside Anamosa, said most of the pub's patrons drive in from outside the area, but there is no way they could duplicate the magic of the quirky joint in another location.

“There is nothing quite like what we have here in Stone City - it just wouldn't be the same,” Langdon said, adding that “part of the ambience is being out in the middle of nowhere.”

A realtor hired by the City Council in Iowa City to conduct a “strategic assessment” of the downtown recently identified Kalona's Tuscan Moon Grill as a restaurant residents would like to see in the community. But Paula Miller, co-owner of the Italian restaurant tucked in the heart of the Amish country 20 miles outside Iowa City, said there are no plans to move or open a second Tuscan Moon.

“We couldn't be here and there at the same time,” she said. “We depend on Iowa City for our business.”

Realtors from Fairfield, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque also have asked the Tuscan Moon's owners to consider branching out, Miller said. But she and her husband - Kalona native Warren Miller - have put their “whole heart and soul” into the community where diners can taste a menu of elegant Italian cuisine as Amish families plod by in horse-drawn buggies.

“We are a stand-alone here ,” Paula Miller said. “If you go to Iowa City or Cedar Rapids, you are one of many. I like feeling special. And being in Kalona makes you feel kind of special.”

The unique nature of small towns like Kalona, however, can act as a double-edged sword for restaurants like Tuscan Moon. Although owners credit their distinct communities for attracting diners, they can't always depend on the limited number of locals to provide a regular stream of business.

“We knew we couldn't count on the community to support us because we have a bar, and a lot of people around here won't frequent a place that has a bar,” she said. “I knew it was going to have to be a destination restaurant and people would have to travel to get here. But it has worked out.”

Cafe Dodici, situated in the heart of Washington, Iowa, about 15 miles south of Kalona, also relies on guests to keep the business afloat. Co-owner Lorraine Williams said that can be stressful, but she's proud of the spark and touch of elegance she's brought to her hometown.

“My goal was to revitalize the downtown community,” said Williams, who spent 30 years in Italy before returning to her hometown to give the local cuisine a boost. “We wanted to give them a place with beautiful ambience to eat nourishing food.”

Since Cafe Dodici opened on Dec. 31, 2004, Washington - with the help of investors and grants - has improved its streets and sidewalks and fixed up the central park and bandstand.

“I came back to my hometown with a vision I had carried with me for many years to make Washington the place to go in southeast Iowa,” she said. “So this is a dream come true.”

About 80 percent of Cafe Dodici's business comes from outsiders, and Williams said she gets requests to move or open another restaurant “like every day.” But, Williams said, “That is not our goal.”

“We are extremely invested in this community,” she said, adding that it's good for customers to work a little for a quality meal. “I think people enjoy the destination idea, and I think it's good for them to get out of dodge a little bit and look at the scenery.

“This is a beautiful place.”

Restaurant details

• Tuscan Moon on Fifth, 203 Fifth St., Kalona; (319) 656-3315; tuscan-moon.com; Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; Dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

• Lincoln Cafe, 117 First St. West, Mount Vernon; (319) 895.4041; foodisimportant.com; Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

• Cafe Dodici, 122 South Iowa Ave., Washington, Iowa (319) 653.4012; cafedodici.com; Dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; Brunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

• The General Store Pub, 12612 Stone City Rd., Anamosa; (319) 462-4399; generalstorepub.com; Open: 4 to 11 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday