Cedar Rapids, iowa...

[ender]

there's an event next week in cedar rapids for goose island beers and a mail was sent out for someone to cover meet the brewer...
well they're willing to pay me for my days off and hotel, expenses, and mileage, so why the hell not...
can stop at the john's grocery and sanctuary in iowa city as well. it's an easy drive on 80, and i'm refilling my audiobooks/music on my phone.

but does anyone have suggestions...
i'll be doin this wed 27th this coming week.

[ender]

i'm doing my own research as of the moment...

thinking about stopping in amana at millstream on the way in...
i'm not sure of the venue in cedar rapids... but stops i'm looking at:
Benz beverage depot and parlor city...
reviews lead toward a granite city being best beer in town... that's kinda sad.

http://www.shortsburgerandshine.com/menu.php - has my attention for iowa city...
and toppling giant brewing... anyone had?

sanctuary and john's grocery are on the list. love the sanctuary.

[OHLRangers]

Was in CR for a couple games back in 2010....I got nothin'

It smelled bad.

[thickfreakness]

Great River Redband coffee stout is one of the best of the style that I've ever had. 

[flyingbison]

 

[ender]

if that's all you got steve... take that shit back to furley.

[OHLRangers]

My SiL is flying in from Denver tonight...she's over CR now. Should I ask her?

[ender]

My SiL is flying in from Denver tonight...she's over CR now. Should I ask her?

it's ghetting furley up in here.

[thickfreakness]

Check out Toppling Goliath in Decorah if it's on your way. They were a highlight of the Great Taste last year.

[mr. furley]

if that's all you got steve... take that shit back to furley.

the hell did i do?

[emerge]

Check out Toppling Goliath in Decorah if it's on your way. They were a highlight of the Great Taste last year.

Decorah is a little bit of a detour, but TG makes the best beer in IA, imho ymmv
There's also a natural ice cave near the brewpub where they discovered a new species of insect :brac:

Their beers are on tap all over Iowa City though (Sanctuary, Short's, etc), so a detour may not be necessary, unless they have something special on in Decorah. I'm not sure that they serve food there either.

[emerge]

Seems there's no dedicated Iowa thread...

Was thinkin about checking out Big Grove in Solon and Kalona Brewing. Any Iowa recs?
Food, beers? Places actually open on Sundays?

[OHLRangers]

Any Iowa recs?

:avoid:

 

Corn...lots of corn. And a somewhat cool fossil gorge outside Iowa City. At least it was back in 2005 when we were there.

[emerge]

Any Iowa recs?

:avoid:

 

Corn...lots of corn. And a somewhat cool fossil gorge outside Iowa City. At least it was back in 2005 when we were there.

Duly noted. Welp, i'll just trudge into the great unknown.
Heard good things about Exile in Des Moines, Big Grove in Solon, and some new brewery called Alluvial.

Has anyone heard of decent Iowa beers other than Toppling Goliath?
I'll probably hit John's too, which is pretty tried and true.

[emerge]

We made it to a few of the above places, Exile and El Bait Shop in Des Moines covered the majority, and Big Grove in Solon.
The Cheese Shop in Des Moines was great. Sort of like a mini-Pastoral with better beers.
They were passing out KBS when we got there. I'll post pics in the charcuterie thread...

Exile: Tried 8 beers and brought home 3-4 they didn't have at the brewery from Hy-Vee.
Pretty solid all around, nothing wildly unique. Good lagers and a good Berliner. Terrible Gose, way too salty imho.

Alluvial: Ox-presso, coffee oatmeal stout was very good.

515: OJ IPA was good, milkshake style with lots of citrus flavor, mild aroma. Pale ale smelled amazing, but tasted bland and watery. If they could marry the best of both, they'd have the new Julius/Heady/Etc. on their hands.

Turner Alley: Czech Pils was good, nothing too out of the ordinary but clean and well made.

Big Grove: Tried the entire lineup. Had a good Berliner with grapes, and a wine-BA DIPA which was wild and funky.
Admired that they made a decent malt liquor. Ok nitro coffee stout, decent IPA.

[wisconsinbeer1]

Going to be there May 7 and 8. Much appreciate for this thread. 

[emerge]

Going to be there May 7 and 8. Much appreciate for this thread. 

We didn't stop in Cedar Rapids this time, but Big Grove in Solon is nearby, and worth a stop to eat/drink.
Good wood-fired pizza there.

[emerge]

So there’s a promising stop in Newton, off 80 before Des Moines. Great beer bar with a new brewery around the corner. What’s the nearest eatery? This bullshit.



It looks like the burger cannibalized itself and barfed everywhere.

[JJ]

So there’s a promising stop in Newton, off 80 before Des Moines. Great beer bar with a new brewery around the corner. What’s the nearest eatery? This bullshit.



It looks like the burger cannibalized itself and barfed everywhere.

[emerge]

Cleanup in aisle burger.

Excerpt from a stern 1-star review, because they forgot a spoon with the burger.

he manages to get me my sandwich no spoon or side I sit and wait another 10 mins waiting to see if he would bring me my side or a spoon,

That ain't right

[JJ]

That's considered a "burger"?

[emerge]

That's considered a "burger"?

Maid-rite "loose meat" sandwich I guess.

Edit: I knew this came up once before...
http://www.thebeerspot.com/forum/index.php/topic,9049.msg708653.html#msg708653

[JJ]

That's considered a "burger"?

Maid-rite "loose meat" sandwich I guess.

Edit: I knew this came up once before...
http://www.thebeerspot.com/forum/index.php/topic,9049.msg708653.html#msg708653

Yeah, I remember that garbage.

[emerge]

That's considered a "burger"?

Maid-rite "loose meat" sandwich I guess.

Edit: I knew this came up once before...
http://www.thebeerspot.com/forum/index.php/topic,9049.msg708653.html#msg708653

Yeah, I remember that garbage.

Here's another weird thing, it's served out of a big metal bin (steamer?), there's no grill.



Canteen Lunch, Ottawa, IA

edit: you can mail-order them.

[JJ]

Here's another weird thing, it's served out of a big metal bin (steamer?), there's no grill.

THis story gets worse and worse.

Canteen Lunch, Ottawa, IA
edit: you can mail-order them.

Already looks like it went through the post office.

[mr. furley]

"loose meat" sandwiches i only know from Roseanne

we just call them sloppy joe's. though i guess loose meat doesn't include tomato sauce to bind the ingredients a bit better?

[JJ]

"loose meat" sandwiches i only know from Roseanne

we just call them sloppy joe's. though i guess loose meat doesn't include tomato sauce to bind the ingredients a bit better?

"Deconstructed" Sloppy Joes?

[mr. furley]

"loose meat" sandwiches i only know from Roseanne

we just call them sloppy joe's. though i guess loose meat doesn't include tomato sauce to bind the ingredients a bit better?

"Deconstructed" Sloppy Joes?

2nd the suggestion
motion to pass

[thickfreakness]

A friend's wife is from Iowa and she RAVES about loose meat sandwiches aka maid rites. A bar here does them and she was so excited for it. I tried it and it was ....  fine.

[mr. furley]

A friend's wife is from Iowa and she RAVES about loose meat sandwiches aka maid rites. A bar here does them and she was so excited for it. I tried it and it was ....  fine.

gotta be one of those "you grew up with it" things. like chicken booyah.

[emerge]

If you consider these were created in Iowa in the 20’s, before tortillas were widely available, I guess bread was the only option. Still, how hard is it to roll a ball of ground beef and smash it on the grill?

[howardf]

If you consider these were created in Iowa in the 20’s, before tortillas were widely available, I guess bread was the only option. Still, how hard is it to roll a ball of ground beef and smash it on the grill?

Way harder than browning a vat of meat and scooping it all day.

[mr. furley]

"loose meat" sandwiches i only know from Roseanne

we just call them sloppy joe's. though i guess loose meat doesn't include tomato sauce to bind the ingredients a bit better?

"Deconstructed" Sloppy Joes?

popped in to a local grocery tonight. they were selling sloppy joe flavored chips.

was so stunned that i stared at them but could not commit.

[emerge]

If you consider these were created in Iowa in the 20’s, before tortillas were widely available, I guess bread was the only option. Still, how hard is it to roll a ball of ground beef and smash it on the grill?

Way harder than browning a vat of meat and scooping it all day.

If only I was born back then, I would’ve invented beef cones.

[howardf]

If you consider these were created in Iowa in the 20’s, before tortillas were widely available, I guess bread was the only option. Still, how hard is it to roll a ball of ground beef and smash it on the grill?

Way harder than browning a vat of meat and scooping it all day.

If only I was born back then, I would’ve invented beef cones.

Never too late.  If only you could get some kind of potato cone.

[emerge]

If you consider these were created in Iowa in the 20’s, before tortillas were widely available, I guess bread was the only option. Still, how hard is it to roll a ball of ground beef and smash it on the grill?

Way harder than browning a vat of meat and scooping it all day.

If only I was born back then, I would’ve invented beef cones.

Never too late.  If only you could get some kind of potato cone.

Cones pressed out of hash browns, or maybe a potato waffle cone... brioche cone, pretzel cone, hmmm.

[JJ]

If you consider these were created in Iowa in the 20’s, before tortillas were widely available, I guess bread was the only option. Still, how hard is it to roll a ball of ground beef and smash it on the grill?

Way harder than browning a vat of meat and scooping it all day.

I can't imagine this big ass vat stays at a safe temperature long enough to please a health inspector. Unless it's actually shallow and unnecessarily large.

[JJ]

If you consider these were created in Iowa in the 20’s, before tortillas were widely available, I guess bread was the only option. Still, how hard is it to roll a ball of ground beef and smash it on the grill?

Way harder than browning a vat of meat and scooping it all day.

If only I was born back then, I would’ve invented beef cones.

[emerge]

So there’s a promising stop in Newton, off 80 before Des Moines. Great beer bar with a new brewery around the corner. What’s the nearest eatery? This bullshit.



It looks like the burger cannibalized itself and barfed everywhere.

Welcome to Iowa: We serve our burgers and BBQ with a spoon