116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Aether Social Club opens cafe in Iowa City’s Peninsula neighborhood
Chophouse Downtown chefs migrate to cafe
Nov. 14, 2024 5:30 am, Updated: Jan. 3, 2025 6:05 pm
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IOWA CITY — A new cafe is taking up residence in Iowa City’s Peninsula neighborhood.
Aether Social Club, a venture from entrepreneurs Mandy and Gaurav Gaud, opened Nov. 9 at 1040 Martin St. — the spot previously home to Cafecito305.
It joins Ramen Belly as the only other restaurant in the neighborhood, serving the two meals Ramen Belly does not: breakfast and lunch.
“This is a very close-knit community,” said Mandy Gaud. “We saw this building for sale and thought it was a good opportunity.”
If you go
What: Aether Social Club
Address: 1040 Martin St., Iowa City
Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; closed Monday
Website: Find Aether Social Club on Facebook
Details: Stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner with flatbreads, pizza, paninis, with plenty of grab-and-go options alongside beer, wine, cocktails, dirty sodas and other handcrafted beverages. Flatbreads start at $8.50.
Mandy Gaud, who has a background in cosmetology, combines three years of restaurant experience from Vinton with expertise from a team who has migrated from Chophouse Downtown — the abruptly closed Cedar Rapids restaurant. At Aether Social Club, Chef Ryan Baker, a former sous chef and a bar manager from Chophouse have come together.
“There isn’t much in this area where people can sit down,” Baker said. “We thought it would be good for this neighborhood.”
From the panini press, diners can order sandwiches on sourdough or whole grain like The Millennial with pork belly bacon and fried egg; the Iowan with marinated chicken, pork belly bacon and ranch; or the Tuscan with roasted turkey, spinach and artichoke.
Flatbread pizzas offer creative takes on pizzas. Italian, Tuscan and Bruschetta styles join sophisticated tastes like a spinach artichoke with herbed ricotta cheese. Or, try the Marion Berry BBQ with marinated chicken, red onion and Marion Berry barbecue sauce.
For those avoiding carbs or looking for a lighter plate, several salad options are listed alongside several acai and oatmeal bowls with banana, hazelnut spread and berries.
Dirty sodas spiked with cream or flavored syrups — a Utah trend making its way east — will be available with smoothies and other handcrafted beverages to wash it down. If you want to wind down instead of power up, stop by in the evening for a beer, glass of wine or cocktail.
And if you happen to be walking your dog, ask for a pup cup.
The menu, formulated by Baker, helps complete a neighborhood that, in some ways, is self-contained with busy professionals.
“I walked around and saw the kind of neighborhood it was, and realized there was nothing for breakfast or lunch,” he said. “Then I realized this place is its own little ecosystem.”
The concept, started as a social club, slowly morphed into a delicatessen and cafe with hot and cold beverages.
“It became its own little thing — a little bit of everything,” Baker said. “It was all trying to target what this place needed.”
Mandy and Gaurav Gaud bought the space earlier this year, in addition to the building in downtown Cedar Rapids that was previously home to Barrel House.
The couple plans to open CityWalk Eatery in December at their Cedar Rapids property, 102 Second St. SE. Mandy also manages her hair extension salon, which will be upstairs from the restaurant.
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
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