
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






With a bit of investigating I figured out this restaurant is a Chinese and sushi place. I ordered the egg rolls and Crispy Spicy Chicken. The genial waiter/chef/owner took my order and scurried back behind the counter to make my meal. I really, really wanted to like this place. I feel for the gutsy entrepreneur who’s trying to make it in a tough business and rough economy. But I kept coming across little things about my lunch that displeased me.
But it was early in the morning, and we were still crackling with ambition so we ventured forth. Once inside Breakfast House Café we were pleasantly taken aback. The interior is clean and neat with warm green and gray tones. They have an open kitchen, of which I am a big fan. I like to see what the chef is doing to my eggs at all times. It’s small, and the place was pretty packed, but we managed to get a comfy booth.
But, back to hibachi! The hibachi concept is a really fun one. You get to sit at a big group table with other patrons just looking to have a good time. A genial teppanyaki chef puts on a dazzling show of flying knives, spatulas and eggs. And depending on the group you’re with, there are sake bombs. Many sake bombs. Which begs the question: how many are too many for the chef? Sure, it’s great fun that this little master of stir fry is willing to party with you, but at what cost? For us, the cost was many dropped knives and an unfortunately mishandled egg that ended up flying into my hair. Oh well, it’s all in good fun.
The menu is also well-crafted. While I can’t say they offer anything truly unique for the area, it is a thorough and superb selection of upscale American cuisine.

The menu ranges from traditional fajitas to enchiladas with a few specials thrown in. Of course, there is the requisite basket of chips and salsa. The chips were crispy and salty and the salsa fresh.





