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

The farmers’ markets, Devotay and Hawkeye football games are just a few of Sean Fredericks’ favorite things about living, working and playing in Iowa City. What are yours?

Iowa City Farmer’s Market – Twenty-five bucks will get you food for a week, directly from the people who grow it. Can’t beat that. I got a green pepper this year roughly the size of my head.
Devotay – A table in the winter by the frosted-over window, a bottle of wine, a table full of tapas… bliss. Equally as wonderful in the middle of the summer with a pitcher full of white sangria. The grilled zucchini is simple but outstanding.
Hawkeye Football Games – The way they whip the crowd into a frenzy before the game, with Herky staking the flag at the 50 yard line, the team running out on the field behind I-O-W-A flags, Metallica playing as a truck runs over the opposing team’s mascot on the screen… looking at it on paper it sounds contrived and a little cheesy, but when more than 70,000 people are going out of their minds all around you, it is truly an incomparable experience that never gets old.
Mission Creek Festival – Four nights in a row of great live music all over downtown IC at the beginning of April. A test of endurance. By Sunday morning I’m exahusted, but always looking forward to the next year. A great chance to try out a lot of different bands, and to maybe see & hear the “next big thing” just a few feet in front of you.
My Porch – Alright, this may be a cop-out, but it’s more about loving the IC neighborhood where I live. Sitting on the porch I see old houses, big trees, not a lot of traffic, and people walking kids & dogs. It’s very cool to have that kind of an environment just a few minutes away from downtown.

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