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Top food and restaurant stories of 2023
Restaurants rebound, expand despite economic challenges
Dec. 28, 2023 6:30 am
With the holidays nearly over and a new year approaching, this is the time in December when we reflect on ourselves, now another year older and — depending on how much we enjoyed the year — perhaps a few pounds heavier.
For many, the relationship with food is a complicated oscillation between guilt and pleasure. But fear not: reading about food is calorie-free.
Here are some of the top food stories Gazette readers ate up.
1. Iowa River Power Restaurant closing after nearly 46 years
After 46 years in business, Iowa River Power Restaurant closed in Coralville the weekend after Thanksgiving.
The owner of the restaurant, long an institution at 501 First Ave., said she received an eviction notice from the building’s owner.
Danise Petsel and her husband, David, bought the restaurant along with Flannigan’s in 2002. The site had opened in October 1977 in what had once been a power plant dating to the early 1900s along the Iowa River.
Danise Petsel said she was “blindsided” by the notice. Building owner Randy Ward disputed that they exercised a five-year lease renewal option when the original lease expired in 2022.
Flannigan’s closed last December after more than 20 years in business.
2. Iron Chef cast member, Food Network Spring Baking Championship winner planning Coralville restaurant
Former “Iron Chef” cast member Cory Barrett caught your attention with the January announcement of his new restaurant, Barrett’s Quality Eats, at 3242 Crosspark Rd. in Coralville.
The pastry master’s cafe, opened in July, fills a unique niche between a bakery, deli and coffee shop, where diners can order high-quality pastries, luxe desserts and comfort foods for lunch at the same counter.
Barrett honed his specialties under the acclaimed Chef Michael Symon’s former flagship restaurant, Lola, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Before Barrett’s work as a culinary arts instructor and program director at a Michigan community college, he worked in fine dining for 12 years in cities across the country. He also was a James Beard Award semifinalist.
He has appeared as a sous chef on “Iron Chef America” 17 times, and won Season 5 of the “Spring Baking Championship” on Food Network in 2018.
3. String of new Sonic Drive-In locations planned for Eastern Iowa
The Corridor is blessed to have an abundance of locally-owned, independent restaurants. But sometimes, there’s just an itch that certain chains scratch for diners — a guilty pleasure, convenience, or matter of habit, perhaps.
At the end of 2022, the owner of more than 100 Sonic Drive-in locations planned to open 10 locations around Iowa. Nik Bhakta, a New Mexico restaurateur who has owned hundreds of franchises across brands, including Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell, saw new opportunities in Iowa.
He hoped to have the first of his new locations in the Iowa City, Davenport and Des Moines metro areas opened by the end of 2023, with Iowa City and Coralville expected to receive three or four locations.
It appears that none of the new locations have been built yet — at least not in the Corridor.
Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Waterloo all previously had Sonic locations, which were closed by their franchisee in 2012.
4. Chick-fil-A temporarily closing Cedar Rapids location
Judging by the web traffic numbers, your heart skipped a beat when the Chick-fil-A location at Lindale Mall had to close for a bit. Whether it’s this chain or others like Raising Cane’s, readers have consistently loved fast food chicken.
This location only closed for a bit for remodeling in March, just as Raising Cane’s opened across the street in Cedar Rapids.
Now, a third Cedar Rapids location is in the planning process for 3233 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE.
5. Tipsy Tomato opening in Cedar Rapids
Tipsy Tomato, a casual pizza and cocktail joint, opened at 319 Seventh St. SE in February.
The restaurant helped fill out the triplex planned alongside Midtown Reserve, an upscale reservation-only steakhouse, which opened in October 2022.
Siena Italiana, an Italian carryout-only concept, was previously planned to join Midtown Reserve and Tipsy Tomato. After the opening of Midtown Reserve, that idea had been scrapped in favor of Chapo’s Tacos — a carryout taco and margarita concept, according to an Epic Catering representative. Neither concepts have come to fruition.
6. New seafood restaurant, burger chain coming to Westdale Town Center in Cedar Rapids
Crab House Seafood Boil & Bar started to put its name out there for a location at 2360 Edgewood Rd. SW.
The restaurant, which replaced the Saucy Focaccia that closed suddenly last December, opened in the fall.
The perimeter of Westdale Town Center has seen significant turnover in its restaurants over the past year. Crab House is one of several that have opened in the area this year, including Boulder Tap House, Napoli’s and Jersey Mike’s Subs.
Boulder Tap House, previously located at Lindale Mall, was moved by its owners to introduce Olde Brick House’s Irish menu to Iowa.
7. Iowa State Fair 2023 new food rankings
In August, your favorite local food reporter took one for the team and sampled the top 10 new foods at the Iowa State Fair just to ensure it’s living up to its motto as a place where “nothing compares.”
Some, like the Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake on a stick, reminded me of what the fair is all about — reconnecting with a childhood bliss that is so evasive in adulthood.
Others, like the Crunchy Cool Ranch Pickle on a Stick, needed to go back to the drawing board.
8. New restaurant planned for former Cedar Rapids Dairy Queen location
After the Dairy Queen at Wilson Avenue and Bowling Street SW sustained heavy damage from a fire in June 2022, its prospects weren’t looking good for several months.
In November, Q4 Real Estate announced that Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh, would be moving its second Cedar Rapids location into the spot. The announcement came before Abelardo’s even opened its first spot: the former Taco John’s at 4401 First Ave. SE.
With burritos and plenty of other Mexican staples, the Nebraska-based chain has 34 locations across the Midwest. Since coming to Des Moines in 2011, the chain has grown to six locations across the Des Moines metro area and Ames. Iowa represents its second largest market, after Nebraska.
In many of its locations, it has found a niche for fixing up the old locations previously inhabited by other chains.
9. Hamburg Inn set to close in Iowa City
Iowa City’s iconic Hamburg Inn No. 2 had a rough year starting in 2022 and going into 2023.
Strained communications between local management and international owner Michael Lee, complaints about unpaid wages, and substantial building maintenance threatened to end the tenure of the restaurant first opened in 1935.
But after months of turmoil, it emerged from the ashes with new owners and a new vision when it was sold in August.
Restaurant group Gold Cap Hospitality, with a hand in Pullman Bar & Diner and St. Burch Tavern in Iowa City, pulled together the expertise needed to help keep the staple’s cultural importance intact “with the intention of stewarding the next generation of this Iowa City institution.”
After some nostalgic remodeling, the new owners quickly reopened in October with a refreshed menu that helped the Hamburg remember who it is, while adapting to evolving tastes.
10. Big Grove Brewery readies new taproom, distribution locations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City
Between a new distribution center in Iowa City and new taproom in Cedar Rapids, it’s been a big year for Big Grove.
The brewery, which is now the largest by craft sales volume in the state, is aiming to increase production by more than 50 percent in 2024.
“The Hop Lot” in Iowa City, coming online by February, will convert a former Goodwill distribution center on Liberty Drive into a nearly 42,000-square-foot facility with a 68,000-barrel capacity. There, Big Grove will can its core varieties like Easy Eddy, Citrus Surfer and Boomtown, freeing up its Iowa City taproom location to produce and serve other varieties on site.
In December, Big Grove christened the Kingston Yard development near downtown Cedar Rapids with the new taproom, which is only one of a handful in the country to use an open fermentation process.
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
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