The Webster in Iowa City makes ‘best restaurants’ list

IOWA CITY — The Webster, a seasonal fine-dining restaurant in the Northside neighborhood, has made USA TODAY’s list of best restaurants in the country.

The 2024 “Restaurants of the Year” list, released Feb. 15, features 47 fine-dining restaurants across a variety of food types.

Owners Sam and Riene Gelman opened the restaurant in 2021, returning to Sam’s home after working abroad at renowned establishments in Toronto and New York City, including the Momofuku group.

“We’re not serving high cuisine,” Sam told The Gazette in 2021. “We’re just serving good food that’s cooked well and seasonal.”

The Webster operates in the same site as a former drugstore Sam regularly visited for lunch with his father and grandfather as a child.

See the full restaurant list at USA Today.

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