Located on the Main Street in the Historic College town (Home of Cornell College) of Mount Vernon, (we all know College kids take their pizza very VERY seriously) lies a Royal little pizza place called Pizza Palace.
Hawaiian Thick Crust Pizza
Oh yum. Is all I have to say. Andrew, Brighton, and I stopped by there on a Thursday evening. The place was almost empty less a few late comers such as ourselves, but the pizza (we ordered the Hawaiian with a thick crust) was absolutely outstanding.
Made by the owner himself, Rawley Alger, the cheese was perfectly melted and browned, the crust was crispy and full of flavor, the ingredients including pineapple and Canadian bacon, didn’t “wet” the pizza down like Hawaiian pizza can sometimes be. Instead, it was wonderfully fresh and just about the most perfect pizza I have ever had. In addition, the price is extremely reasonable, the service is excellent, and the atmosphere is fun and feels very historic and homey. A large Hawaiian pizza costs the same, maybe a dollar more, than a large Casey’s specialty pizza on sale. And for the price of about $14, you get local service, great food, and you get to support a locally and family owned (since 1986) business. Which just makes it taste a little better…
Alger’s Pizza Palace is located at 106 1st Street West in Mount Vernon Iowa. Their phone number (for carry out!) is (319) 895-6971. If you visit, you can pass the time by searching the mural on the wall for the treasure hunt items listed in the middle on the list. Extra points if you can find the mice (of which only 3 people know the locations of…)
If any coupons are available, you can find them here.
I am sorry that my blog has hit a stand still. Things have been a wee bit crazy around here lately. But I’m still looking for and ready to try out new places. We’re considering going out today and if we do, Lunch will be someplace local and new. But I’ve got lots to do today at home so leaving the property just might not be in the plans!!
Ever see these kinds of signs when you’re driving through a small town? ”Spaghetti Dinner!”
“Catfish Fry!” “Pancake Breakfast!” Well, no one makes breakfast like the Mechanicsville Volunteer Firemen and Paramedics. The entire town and then some comes out to have breakfast and to support our local fire and ambulance. I’ve gone to this with my husband and mother in law every year since I’ve lived here. It’s one of the things I look forward to every fall. It’s $6 for adults and $4 for kids 4-12 free for kids 3 and under.
You get in line, hand them or buy your ticket, and then wait in line for your plate. You get your food from hard working paramedics and fireman, then go sit down at a table where the minute your plate is empty or your cup of coffee, milk, or juice is empty, there is someone there to give you another pancake, sausage, egg, potatoes, etc etc or more to drink. You don’t leave hungry EVER and there is more than enough food and joy to go around. It certainly gives you a sense of community and friendship when you see all the smiles and are greeted with “hellos” and “how are yas” and “hey, how’s that crop comin’. ”
It’s a great way to see a community and to get a small town Norman Rockwell feel as you crowd into the firehouse, sit shoulder to shoulder and share a bottle of syrup and a smile.
Next time you see one of these signs, consider stopping. It’ll be worth it. :)
On your way to the Meskwaki Bingo Casino and Hotel, take a quick detour to visit the John Ernest Vineyard and Winery. This area is full of history and activities and is right between Cedar Rapids and Ames. If you’re interested in learning about Meskwaki culture check out the site above.
The winery sits on top of a hill just off the highway. You’ll see lumbering dogs, and friendly staff and lots and lots of wine! The gal working on the Saturday that we went, was more than happy to let us try each one of the very distinct wines. Our favorites were Cranberry, Red Zinfandel, Dusty Road, Iowa Sunset, & Lincoln Highway Red. Ok there were a lot of wines that we enjoyed. I admit.
They do have music at the vineyard, but this weekend of the 5th is the LAST of the season! With Dogs on Skis. You can get the info HERE on their website. You can always call them at (866) 533-4544. They’re official address is 3291 North Avenue Tama, Iowa. The winery is beautiful and looks like it could be rented out for weddings or other kinds of formal events. They also have small gifts and of course wine truffles made here in Iowa. Definitely need to stop and visit if you’re near!
Here is their contact info:
web address: http://www.johnernestvineyard.com/index.html
Ditto’s is one of those wonderful restaurants that you find in almost every small town. Especially in Iowa. You can order a skillet breakfast any time of the day, have a porkchop home style lunch complete with mashed potatoes, and supper of liver and onions with a hand dipped milk shake and finish off with a huge slice of homemade pies (if you’re lucky enough to get one before they’re gone.)
Brighton and I and occasionally Andrew, can be found on a lazy Sunday morning having breakfast. We occasionally go there for lunch or dinner and scoop up their huge nummy tenderloin.
Service is usually pretty good, they’re often busy and so it may take a while to get your first cup of coffee, but besides that, you won’t wait long. The owner can often be found in the kitchen in the morning and early afternoons. Speaking of coffee, they serve Farmers Brothers coffee, which is usually served at these kinds of little diners.
Dittos is located on Highway 30 on your way out of Stanwood or on your way into Stanwood – depending on which way you’re coming – or going. Stanwood is on the north side of Hwy 30. You can really miss it. And you shouldn’t.
Snuggled in between the rolling hills of Jackson County lies a century farm and acres of grape vines at a
family owned winery called Tabor Home. I’m no stranger to Tabor Home. I met them years ago at the farmer’s market in Cedar Rapids, fell in love with their wines, and have been a “fan” ever since. My husband and I ordered 2 cases of wine for our wedding, and the rest is history.
The road to Tabor Home takes you through the rolling hills deep in the heart of Grant Wood Country. Which makes the trip not only about the destination but also the journey. Through the summer, they have Music in the Vineyard beginning in June every other week until the end of September. But it doesn’t end there, they also have other activities such as the Wine Trail in April and November, Nouveau Wine Festival and the Holiday Open House in November. You can log onto their website to get details.
Among the many activities, they also carry a variety of local foods including cheese and chocolate made with Tabor’s own Raspberry wine (my personal favorite) and offer several recipes and lists of foods to pair with their wonderful wines, also available at their website. Tabor grows all their red wine grapes and most of their whites. They do purchase some from other growers around the area, but also from the Mississippi Valley. Last year, they harvested 18 tons of grapes from their own vineyards and expect that many again this year.
And the Pièce de résistance, their selection of wonderful wines ranging in price from $9.75 to $18.95 and flavors ranging from the grapiest grape to the best of red. (sorry for THAT description Paul). The winery is open for tasting Monday through Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 12-6. You can call ahead and ask for tours or just stop in and try some wines. Tell Dr. Tabor that I sent you
On our trip to Terrill, to visit the family, one of our outings was Little Swan Lake Winery in Estherville. Little did we know that it was the day of their Harvest Festival featuring World Port, Billie James, and Neal Ruge. Along with a whole other host of goodies. I desperately wanted to stay to listen to World Port, but my company was getting restless so we left after trying a few different wines.
Now, technically, this isn’t an eating establishment, but it is local and all Iowa. The beautiful barn turned winery sat as the focal point across from a field where lumbering buffalo roam. There is a host of different and wonderful wines to chose from and tasting is of course welcome.
Of the wines I was able to try, my favorite was the Concord. I also enjoyed the Buffalo Blush and Buffalo Frost, one of their signature and award winning wines. The prices were reasonable on their wines, ranging from their fruit wines starting at $8/bottle to their more traditional (or not) reds for $34. I honestly found nothing traditional about their wines, at least the ones that I tried, and that was very refreshing. This is wine you can’t get just anywhere and I’m glad that it’s here in Iowa.
We went to Terril to visit our family and we always try to hit a local favorite. Lastnight we hit Remington’s in Spirit Lake. It is one of the local favorites, we could tell that by the line out the door. Remington’s
is located in the Great Lakes Mall. It’s a nondescript restaurant front so you might miss it. It’s a simple place with a big menu. There’s a lounge area, a private party area and a main dining area.
When we walked in, it was warm and inviting. I thought it a little strange that the staff were all wearing t-shirts or sweatshirts and jeans or jean shorts (albeit Remington’s tshirts and sweatshirts. ) It just didn’t quite fit the atmosphere, but that’s minor. It added to the casual atmosphere.
The food was OK. Not great and quite greasy. We ordered a full order of potato boats which were slathered with cheese. Undoubtedly my favorite part of the meal. We also ordered the Onion Brick, one of their trademark items. It reminded me slightly of a Kitchen Nightmares episode, but they tasted good. The items that we all ordered were a Remington Burger, Tenderloin, and Custer’s Catch fish sandwich. The Remington Burger came with cheese, onion, and mushrooms. This was my order. I assumed the onions and mushrooms would be sauteed, but they weren’t. The fresh button mushrooms were cut and placed on top of the burger. Which I would have been fine with even though they weren’t sauteed, except that it was then drenched in cheese sauce not real cheese. Then the green onions were sliced and put on top of that. It wasn’t bad, it tasted fine, but I expected real cheese, not cheese sauce. That’s probably my biggest complaint. The fresh onions, tomato slice, and fresh mushrooms turned out to be a pleasant surprise, but I couldn’t get over the sauce.
Andrew had the tenderloin with salad and though it was OK he said it didn’t have a lot of flavor. The Custer’s Catch was a huge deep fried cod fillet topped with sliced almonds. My sister in law had that and she said it was OK.
Overall, this restaurant was pretty good, not somewhere I’d be craving next time we visit, but an ok place to stop and get some lunch or dinner if you’re over there. The prices were reasonable. For two of us plus the potato boats plus two beers (they have Amber Bock bottles) the bill came to almost $30. The waitress was friendly but they were very busy so she seems a little frazzled, but we still got good service.
I’d recommend this place for a weekday meal with the family – probably best for lunch or early dinner as it gets pretty busy after 6.
Corridor Coffee is my North Liberty Haunt. Like every small coffee shop (though I really wouldn’t call Corridor Coffee small…) they have their own unique taste to their drinks. I personally really enjoy their sugar free caramel latte. They have several flavors of syrup, and when I was pregnant (and had gestational diabetes), it was a huge relief to be able to get drinks with syrups made with splenda rather than sweet and low or equal. They truly leave nothing out. They also make fantastic summer drinks like mixed berry, mango, or strawberry smoothies. Frozen Mocha or Frozen Vanilla Latte or even items without coffee. There’s tons of options so whatever your mood, they’ve got it.
They also employ a 10 drink get one free policy ($2.50 and under), which is nice. It’s their way of saying thank you. You can often see the owners working hard behind the counter who are quick to say hello and
quickly remember who you are and what you drink if you don’t change it up too much. If you have some work to do, bring your laptop. If you want to meet for a book club, come on in. If you just need to kill some time, pull up a chair and open a good book and have yourself some coffee and a muffin.
Not to forget the uber convenient drive through. I can’t count how many times I’ve taken advantage of this convenient feature in the winter time, when I have my son, or my dog, or am too gross and dirty to get out of my car.
If you’re in North Liberty, stop in and grab a drink, tell them I sent you!
You can see several photos on my flickr site Simply.Silly
Every week for the past two or so years, (maybe 3) my coworkers Dr. Wayne, Jennifer, and I have gone to Iguanas almost every week for lunch. Occasionally we change it up, but Iguana’s we never get sick of. Typically, we have ordered the Chicken Chimichanga but have since started ordering the buffet, speedy gonzales, lunch fajitas, and quesadillas. We haven’t been disappointed in any of these items. The service is generally quick, friendly, and courteous. They start by getting you a basket of warm tortilla chips and salsa. Eventually, they’ll get your order and within 15 minutes you usually have your lunch.
The prices are reasonable and the food is great. They just started offering the buffet this year, and have worked out all the kinks so now it’s usually great. With items on the buffet such as chimichangas, quesadillas (beef and chicken), burritos, fruit, salad, chips, rice, beans, refried beans, tortillas to make your own burrito or taco. Those are the basics, some items may vary.
If you’re in North Liberty, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
