
Daly Creek Winery & Bistro
Fine Dining in Surprising Locations
Who knew Anamosa was such an epicurean mecca? When one thinks of Anamosa, a couple thoughts might spring to mind: motorcycles and prison. Those aren’t necessarily bad things. The prison is a beautiful architectural piece of history and the streams of motorcycle enthusiasts during the warm months are genial and really liven up the town. But Anamosa is also home to some great restaurants.
One is Daly Creek Winery & Bistro. Owned and run by a local family that has been in the area for four generations, Daly Creek is a quaint upscale restaurant with a pretty decent wine list. I wouldn’t classify the location as nestled among the rolling hills of a vineyard. More like tucked onto a side street across from a bowling alley. But once inside, the dining area is intimate and comfortable and they have a lovely gift shop and wine tasting room.
I’d eaten at Daly Creek a couple of times when they first opened in 2004 and was not impressed. The food didn’t live up to their ambition and was way overpriced for a small town. But they’ve reworked the formula without making sacrifices, and this time I had a very good experience.
We started with the Lobster Crisp, a simple crisp
tortilla loaded with gooey cheese and diced lobster, for an appetizer. There could have been more lobster, but the flavors were wonderful and all that cheese made it so satisfying.
The menu ranges from Italian pastas to American entrees. I enjoyed the Italian meatballs, a heavy Cabernet marinara sauce atop fettuccine with three mammoth meatballs. The sauce was really rich but
the meatballs were so fresh and lively that it was a great contrast.
Entrees are preceded with one of the best loaves of bread I’ve had anywhere. A crispy, crusty masterpiece showered with Parmesan cheese and herbs with dipping olive oil on the side. I could have just had that for dinner and been happy.
After all that you’re probably asking, “What about
the wine?” They do produce their own and I’m
anxious to try them, but drinking while pregnant is generally frowned upon. If you’ve had a chance to enjoy Daly Creek wines please share your thoughts
with us. Cheers!
— ANDREA




Nathan Derrick and other local chefs will find out the “mystery ingredient” they must incorporate in their dish — along with pork belly, a starch, a vegetable and a sauce — the morning of the competition. After preparing their dishes they are judged on presentation, taste, professionalism and creative use of the mystery ingredient.
Darren Xie, 32, Iowa City




Everyone has a favorite Chinese dish. Or I should say ‘American Chinese.’ The version of Chinese cuisine we have become so accustomed to can’t possibly be what you’d get if you actually traveled to China. I personally have never been, but I watch a lot of television, so I’m sure I know what I’m talking about.






