The southeast side Cedar Rapids Moms Club drinks in the morning.

Well, not really. For this crowd, the morning Bloody Mary is a treat we enjoy infrequently. Possibly because we have so many kids to chase around and there’s rarely a moment where they all leave us alone long enough to finish a sentence, much less have a long luxurious discussion about the merits of raising your own heirloom tomatoes. This particular morning, though, the Cedar Rapids southeast side Moms Club got together to talk about what grows in Mollie’s yard. The kids played in the hammock and we wandered through the tomatoes, peas, brussels sprouts, raspberries and garlic asking questions and pawing around in the dirt.

Mollie was kind enough to dig up a patch of beautiful royal purple potatoes for us. She bought the potato starts at Earl May, which stands as proof that the heirloom revolution is upon us. Three years ago, I was having purple and blue potato varieties shipped from Seed Savers in Decorah. Now you can get them just across town.

 There are benefits to tending, harvesting, and juicing your way to Bloody Mary Heaven. The mix is so good that I dare to declare; Vodka is Optional. Giving you all the exact recipe is not. It is prohibited. I’ll give you a hint, though. It involves lots of fresh horseradish, garlic from Mollie Schlue’s garden, and a mix of tender Iowa grown heirloom tomatoes that you just can not buy at the grocery store.

 It wasn’t only about the Marys yesterday morning. We finally got to sample the newest use for all the Kale you get from your CSA. Andrea Lewerenz-Norris has come up with a quick, easy, tasty, and addictive way to get your greens and she’s not afraid to spread the love.  

Kale Chips

1. Wash, trim, and de-vein one large bunch of fresh curly Kale.

2. Cut into 2″ square pieces and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, drizzle the Kale with 1/4 cup of malt vinegar and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Grind sea salt and black pepper over the mixture and stir to coat.

3. Spread the Kale out on a large baking sheet so that it doesn’t overlap.

4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the Kale gets crispy. Turn the Kale pieces once during cooking. Let cool and eat immediately.

 – RACHEL MOREY FLYNN 

Disclaimer: MOMS Club members are not encouraged to drink in the morning by other members, much less by MOMS Club International. In fact, MOMS Club International has no knowledge of the goings on of yesterday morning’s event and they certainly wouldn’t approve of it if they did, even though none of the Moms in attendance could really consume alcohol because they all had to take their kids to swimming lessons and gymnastics and Chinese classes. So please, don’t think negative things about MOMS Club. Think them about me. Because this particular get together was my idea.

Borge Zierke, 43, North Liberty
Chef/owner @ The Fireside

Why did you want to become a chef?
I needed something to do after I got out of the military and the culinary arts program at Des Moines Area Community College intrigued me. Once I got in, I found it was something I really liked to do.

Where did you go from there?
While I was in school at DMACC, I worked at the Greenbriar in Johnson. Then I moved to Iowa City, and worked at a lot of unique restaurants that are no longer in business, and at the State Room at the UI. I went on to Southeast Missouri State University and the Oxford University Club in Oxford, Mississippi – that’s where I learned the ins and outs of Southern cuisine. From there, I took a job at Mason’s Restaurant in eastern Maryland. My wife had an opportunity to come back to Iowa to run a non-profit organization, and after eating at the Fireside Grill in Kalona and talking to the owner, I was hired as a consultant chef, and three weeks later, the owners offered to sell me the restaurant.

I heard a rumor that you cooked for the cast and crew of “Wedding Crashers” and “Failure to Launch” while you were in Maryland. What types of dishes did you prepare for them?
We served them lunch and dinner. They pretty much ordered off the menu. I can tell you that Owen Wilson likes his rare tuna tartar and well-done burgers. I did also have opportunity to cook for Donald Rumsfeld, and every time he came in he had foes GRAS, and one time he had a double portion.

Back to Fireside: You recently relocated the restaurant from Kalona to North Liberty. Did you keep the same menu?
We kept pretty much the same lunch menu and added an online to-go lunch menu. You order online, you pay online, and we’ll give you a pickup time and the food is ready for you. All the menu items are designed to travel well and/or reheat well. The dinner menu, we significantly increased the level and the quality, because we knew that we had the clientele here to be able to offer more higher-end steaks and entrees.

What’s the most popular dish at Fireside?
At lunch, the gourmet burgers and The Beast, a prime rib panini with Brie or blue cheese, caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms. At night, I would say one of our more popular dishes, other than prime rib, would be the Shrimp Rachel. It’s sauteed shrimp and smoked sausage on bucatini pasta, and we use a curried carrot bisque as a sauce base.

After having worked in so many restaurants, what’s the best thing about owning your own?
It’s bittersweet. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours, a lot of sacrifice, but there’s so much more freedom in your decision making and freedom in your menu. This menu is definitely a conglomeration of my past.

- Anne

Anne Kapler lives in Cedar Rapids, works in Iowa City, and shamelessly plans all her road trips around dining and food shopping. Visit her blog at www.pearvana.com

Details: The Fireside, 420 Community Dr., North Liberty; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday to Saturday and breakfast and lunch: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday; call (319) 626-3456 and online at www.firesidenorthliberty.com

Body By Phong Lan

I’ve come up with a surefire way to get in shape for the upcoming summer swimsuit season. Not to be misleading. I’m not much of a swimsuit wearer, and I certainly don’t intend to blind anyone with the gleaming paleness of an exposed upper thigh. But I could stand to trim a few areas that are subject to the less than concealing garments summertime requires.

My answer? I plan to eat at Phong Lan every day. Impossible, you ask? Perhaps it’s less than practical. But the Vietnamese people are onto something. The menu at Phong Lan is completely overrun by fresh and healthful foods.

A quick glance at the menu tells you all you need to know: shrimp, rice noodles, squid, bok choy, tofu, bean sprouts. I highly recommend the spring rolls. A delicate rice paper wrapped around beautiful plump shrimp, pork, fresh vegetables, cilantro and rice noodles. You feel healthier just looking at the little masterpieces.

The specialty of the house are the noodle soup bowls or ‘Pho,’ ‘Hu Tieu’ and ‘Mi.’ You get a giant bowl of hot broth filled with vegetables, seafood, meats and rice or egg noodles. Served on the side is a plate of bean sprouts, cilantro and lime to stir into the soup to your individual taste.

Halfway through my bowl of soup I was full. Yet I wasn’t Burger King full. I felt satisfied and surprisingly refreshed. If this is the sacrifice it takes to get ready for summer. I’m willing to do it.

- Andrea

Details: Phong Lan, 216 Eighth St. SE, Cedar Rapids; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; call (319) 365-5784

Cody Haeffner, 28, Cedar Rapids
General Manager/Cook @ Gringos
Cory Fritz, 27, Cedar Rapids
Manager/Cook @ Gringos

Your roles seem to interchange. How you keep track of who is where during a “rush?”
Cory: There’s always one of us on the floor and one of us in the

Cory Haeffner, manager, and Cody Fritz, general manager at Gringo

back. You have to be able to look at the situation and know things could change in an instant, but we’re used to it, and we have it down to an effective system.
Cody: Our whole staff, including kitchen, have been with us for quite awhile. We all know what it takes to work. Being on the floor is being in the nerve center of it all, easy access to handling any situations that could come up.

Cody: It’s been great to see so many things come back, and our hope is it keeps coming. We made the decision to rebuild downtown after the flood because of the potential and the fact that we know how to capitalize on what happens around us. The events are a great way to bring in people who have never been to Gringos.

A lot of your business comes from those attending downtown events. Are you ready for summer?

What are you most proud of in your time with Gringos?
Cory: The fact that I’ve learned so much about the dynamics of a restaurant and that I’ve been able to grow here. I started out washing dishes and am happy where I’ve been able to go since.
Cody: I am proud to be able to support my family from my work here. There’s great stability, yet we’re having fun. Best of both worlds.

Your most popular dish is the Seafood Enchilada. What’s its story?
Chris’ (owner, Chris Burhans) dad was a traveling musician and when he retired he brought back all of his favorite recipes he picked up on the road. The Seafood Enchilada was one of them. It’s definitely a staple menu item.

- Quinn

Devotay
Hopelessly devoted

The Linn Street area in Iowa City is a wealth of dining experiences. The more I explore (yes, I’ve gotten even braver since my last trip), the more I find to love in downtown Iowa City.

Devotay is consistently on local “best-of” lists and I’ve heard their name bandied about when discussing great places to eat in Iowa City. So with all the hype, I expected a bit of snobbery upon going in.

Snobbery was not on the menu. The interior is cozy with a bohemian chic vibe. Plants are flourishing on the sills of big bright windows, and swathes of rich fabric hang from the ceiling.

I was looking for a light lunch so I ordered a variety of hot tapas. Rarely do I want an entire steak but I am more than satisfied eating a bite of steak. Tapas let you nibble to your heart’s content.

I had the sourdough bread with roasted garlic oil, albondigas (bison meatballs in tomato-pepper sauce), three cheese quesadilla and aceitunas (assorted grilled olives). Every bite was interesting and unique and I was never bored as each course kept building.

The albondigas were zesty, warm and smothered in a bright fresh tomato sauce. The cheese quesadilla was far from ordinary. The combination of cheeses created a truly flavorful experience as opposed to the bland rubber you get from say, a Taco Bell quesadilla.

Devotay certainly lived up to its reputation and I can’t wait to go back for another (or several) bite.

- Andrea

Details: Devotay, 117 North Linn St., Iowa City; eat-in; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday; (319) 354-1001 and www.devotay.net

Business dress optional

I love when my downtown friends invite me to lunch. The idea of downtown Cedar Rapids still gives me that 8th grade field trip sense of awe. It could be the towering buildings or the permeating mustiness of the skywalk. Either way it’s exciting.

Half the fun of eating at Gringo’s is getting there. Those in-the-know sneak in the back entrance through the hallways of the downtown office circuit. I felt important walking past and nodding to fancy business people dressed in their fancy downtown business suits. My own office is located on a far less glamorous side of town and requires little more than the fact that I actually wear clothes. Even shoes are optional some days.

Gringo’s has a wonderful interior. It’s been well documented that they rebuilt after the flood and came back stronger than ever. I don’t know how they managed to salvage the beautiful woodwork and vintage tables but everything was intact and pristine.

The menu is diverse and authentic. Ranging from nachos piled high to their famous fajitas and even vegetarian options. Meals are preceded with the obligatory basket of crispy chips and zesty salsa. My Twice Grilled Burrito was filled with tender chicken, fresh pico de gallo, rice and gooey queso cheese sauce. The final press on the grill created a golden brown, crispy crust. After such a satisfying lunch I could really use a siesta!

I look forward to meeting my friends for lunch again. Hopefully I’m wearing shoes that day.

- ANDREA

Details: Gringo’s Mexican Restaurant, 207 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids; eat-in or carry out; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; call (319) 363-1000; online at www.gringoscr.com

Deconstructing the Perfect Egg Salad Sandwich

I remember my first egg salad sandwich. I was 10 years old and staying over at Lisa Masteller’s house and her mom fixed us lunch. “Egg salad?” I scoffed in that sassy way 10-year-old girls have perfected. Then I tried it and everything I had come to believe in was thrown on its head.

It was homey and nourishing and at that moment I felt accepted in their family, which is generally hard to achieve as a sassy 10 year-old who hangs out all the time and demands to be fed.

For years I searched in vain for a similar egg salad experience. Then I came upon Club Deli.

Club Deli has a nice little niche in the Cedar Rapids market. They’ve catered to the local business community for years. It’s a true deli atmosphere as they slice the meats and cheeses when you order and have a daily selection of soups and pasta salads.

But it’s the egg salad that keeps me coming back. Light and creamy with big chunks of egg, there’s a crisp bite of onion and a tang of relish but neither overpower the overall composition. The bread is soft but substantial enough to keep all of the egg salad in check.

I always have it cut in half with a pickle spear on the side.

Lisa’s mom never gave me a pickle spear but she made a big enough impact on my life anyway. You can’t expect perfection at the age of 10.

Details: Club Deli, 1933 51st St. NE, Cedar Rapids; 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday; call (319) 393-0522

Taming the wild streets of IC in search of the Cow

Time for another personal confession: Iowa City frightens me. It frightens me in a grandma-navigating-cable-television or woman-who’s-never-pumped-gas-before sort of way. I think it’s all the one-way streets. Or it could be the fact that the only parking is parallel between beat-up Honda Civics and Chevy Cavaliers. Either way, the city renders me helpless and lost like a little puppy.

Fortunately, my worldly and Iowa City-savvy friend, Caitlin, offered to go out for dinner with me and do the driving. With my protective bubble securely in place we went to the Motley Cow Café.

Motley Cow is a chic, upscale restaurant that sources as many local products as possible. The menu is fresh and diverse with a blend of flavors that highlight the best the Midwest has to offer.

From the menu I chose the broiled wild stripe bass over porcini lentils in a smoked paprika broth with pineapple slices, topped with kale and pine nuts. The bass was juicy and delicate and contrasted nicely against the saltiness of the kale followed by a sweet hit of the pineapple.

The dessert menu was equally unique so Caitlin and I split the cardamom funnel cake topped with root beer ice cream and cherry cordial. I’ve never felt so sophisticated eating a funnel cake.

Thanks to Caitlin for gently coaxing me out of my comfort zone and for doing the driving. I’m hoping next time she shows me how to use one of those crazy pumping gas machines.

Fill-up fee: $30
Details: Motley Cow Cafe, 160 North Linn Street, Iowa City; eat-in; 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; call (319) 688-9177; online at www.motleycowcafe.com

Vino’s: Cedar Rapids own Little Italy

There’s something about Italian food that makes me all warm and snuggly inside. It could be the pasta carbs giving me a brief burst of energy followed by a screeching crash of sedation. Or possibly the chemistry of

Vino's Ristorante

tomatoes and garlic permeating the senses. Either way, I’m happy.

Vino’s is the quintessential warm and snuggly Italian restaurant. It’s hidden in the dingy Town and Country strip mall, which is the case with some of Cedar Rapids finest gems. Just look for a disheveled parking lot and cloudy windows and you’ll come across something delicious.

But beyond the potholes and tattoo shops there is an oasis of pasta and prosciutto. Vino’s has an intimate atmosphere with moody lighting, clean linens on the tables and soft music playing. Our waitress has worked at Vino’s for 16 years. Clearly it’s a labor of love.

Dinner began with a salad and primo house Italian dressing accompanied by a mound of buttery, crispy garlic bread. Looking for something traditional, yet with a little kick, I ordered Spicy Penne A La Vodka. Tender tiger shrimp and spicy Italian sausage tossed with a vodka tomato cream sauce over penne pasta.

It was smooth and creamy and a perfect mix of tiger-y surf and sausage-y turf. I tend to like my surf with a bit of ‘grrrrr.’

And be sure to end your evening with a nightcap next door at R.G. Books Lounge. It’s a great little bar with loads of books on the walls. A great place whether you’re a bookworm or tequila worm.

– Andrea

Details: Vino’s Ristorante & R.G. Books Lounge, 3611 First Ave SE, Cedar Rapids; eat-in; 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday; call (319) 363-7550; online at http://vinosristorante.com

Sushi Popo makes me a sushi believer

Confession: I’m not a fan of sushi. I know it’s hip and all the kids are doing it but I still can’t get past the raw fish thing. It’s wrong and frankly embarrassing since I am writing to you as a food critic.

Shew, I feel better for putting that on the table. That being said, I ate at Sushi Popo, Iowa City’s most famed and beloved sushi restaurant. In addition to their vast selection of sushi they also offer delicious Chinese and Japanese entrees.

I ordered the wussiest of all sushi, a California roll. To my surprise it was yummy and very fresh with just a hint of that fishy taste that usually turns me away. It actually grew on me to a point where I wanted to try other sushi. Apparently that is the magic of Sushi Popo, they hook you with a little taste and then you come back begging for more.

For my entrée I ordered the most complex Japanese dish I could find, nabe yakiudon. It was a boiling pot of udon noodles, chicken and mixed vegetables in a flavorful broth with a giant tempura shrimp delicately perched on top. Also on top was an egg yolk, which I promptly removed and ate everything else. I was being adventurous but I have my limits.

Once I got past the initial shock of eating food seemingly heated at the earth’s core, I devoured the savory noodles and tender chicken. I felt satisfied with my foray into Sushi Popo but I know that the true sushi experience is yet to be had.

I can’t wait to go back.

Details: Sushi Popo, 725 Mormon Trek Blvd., Iowa City; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday; (319) 338-7676