Barrett’s Quality Eats launches permanent dinner service in Coralville

CORALVILLE — If you missed the chance to attend themed dinners at Barrett’s After Dark, you’re in luck. After finding success with its limited supper club through the winter, Barrett’s Quality Eats is permanently expanding dinner service five nights per week.

Reservations for its first regular dinner service went live last week at barrettsallday.com. Starting April 12, the restaurant with counter service for breakfast and lunch will offer table service for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are preferred, but walk-ins will be accepted.

With a Midwestern bistro theme to complement the unique patisserie brand that ties together a cafe, bakery and deli in one, owner Cory Barrett said the new expansion scratches an itch he’s had since leaving Cleveland, Ohio. There, the former “Iron Chef America” cast member honed specialties at the renowned fine-dining Lola, Chef Michael Symon’s former flagship restaurant.

“I don’t know that I moved to Iowa to open a fine-dining restaurant, but as time went on, nothing felt as comfortable as getting ready for dinner,” Barrett told The Gazette. “I thought it would be fun to bring another piece to Coralville, a dining experience they can call their own and be proud of.”

With 20 tables inside and a patio that seasonally seats 40, diners will be able to enjoy a slower pace with a relatively upscale menu that converges with a sense of humility. Entrees will range from about $20 to $40, with appetizers in the $10 to $20 range.

Small plates on Chef Barrett’s preliminary menu, released this week, reflect some French inspiration through a Midwestern presentation, with dishes like salmon and lemon beurre blanc sauce, steak frites and beef tartare.

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The beef tartare, a quintessential French dish, is served in a “Wisconsin style” traditional to the Milwaukee area, opting for shaved onions and two pieces of rye instead of a raw egg on top. A shrimp cocktail, debuted during the limited dinner series, will make a comeback with a cranberry cocktail sauce.

Prime rib rotisserie will be on order Fridays and Saturdays alongside creamy and cheesy “party potatoes.” Other staples on the menu include a rotisserie half chicken with Madeira glazed mushrooms, braised short rib and a bistro burger.

“It’s kind of those fun things we all know and appreciate, but done with a little twist,” Barrett said. “There are a lot more foods that are time- and labor intensive that we get to take a chance to expertly prepare and take our time with. That style of service is the biggest leap.”

To drink, the restaurant will finally make use of the liquor license it received when it opened in July 2023. In addition to cocktails, a wine list of 50 red, white and dessert bottles offer a snapshot of Barrett’s personal taste.

And at the helm of an acclaimed pastry chef, diners can expect a dessert menu that’s far from an afterthought.

“Plated desserts were how I paid my bills for many years,” Barrett said.

With an eye for customer favorites, he intends to rotate the menu several times per year.

While Barrett said he didn’t start the limited dinner series over the winter to test the popularity of full-time dinner service, he did take advantage of the opportunity to test out specific dishes through the prix fixe, themed menus that served adapted cross sections of European and American cuisine.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.