Review CR

Zio Johno’s Spaghetti House

Address:
1125 1st Ave SE
Cedar Rapids, IA
Phone: 319-362-9667
Website: Zio Johno’s Website
Type: Italian; Carry-Out; Delivery
Our Rating: Four Stars

Summary: Zio Johno’s isn’t gourmet Italian, but then again, never has it claimed to be. Rather, it’s a place to pick up a giant bucket of spaghetti to feed the family, or to pick up a quick dinner for yourself after a busy night at work.

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When I drive by Zio Johno’s, my mind is always flooded with memories of high school. After finishing up a long play rehearsal after school, my friends and I would drive to the ZJ’s on Edgewood and order dinner. Personally, I always got the Fettucini Alfredo because I was a vegetarian back then. The dinner option came (and still comes) with a medium-sized loaf of garlic bread and a meager little salad, which I remember picking at and generally throwing away in favor of the bread and pasta. Hey, I never said I was a healthy vegetarian.

So now that I’m an adult and living in good old CR again, I knew that I had to give Zio Johno’s a visit. Would the food still taste as good as I remembered? The answer: sort of. Now that I’m a meat-lover again, I ordered the Chicken Fettucini, which was decent but certainly not amazing. The chicken had too much pepper. But it was HUGE. I seriously could have feasted off that pasta for four days, if it weren’t for the fact that when I set it aside after I finished, my dog decided that he needed a little Italian food, too. Damn dogs.

The salad is certainly nothing impressive, it’s exactly what it claims to be - some iceberg lettuce with some dressing. Nothing more, nothing less. But now, my friends, we’ve come to the major redeeming factor of the meal: the garlic bread.

ZJ’s garlic bread is awesome. The reason I love it so much is because the bread is sweet-tasting and moist. Some garlic bread tends to dry out your mouth, and leaves you with just a big mouth full of garlic. Now, I probably love garlic more than 99.9% of the world population, but even I know that the most successful foods use garlic in combination with other flavors and tastes. The sweetness of this bread provides exactly that: something of a texture, two flavors combined inside of your mouth to result in orgasmic deliciousness.

Other than the garlic bread, I gave this place a rating of four stars for the following reasons: 1) It serves giant portions for a very reasonable price. 2) You can buy GALLONS of spaghetti to feed large crowds of people, or just very hungry families. It’s a great alternative to stopping at McDonalds. 3) They deliver, or you can just call ahead and pick it up. And finally, 4) this place is really just something of a Cedar Rapids dining staple. I defy any teenager to try and go through four years of high school here and never once eat at Zio Johno’s. I highly doubt it’s possible. That garlic bread is just too good.

The Blue Strawberry Coffee Company

Address:
118 Second Street SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Phone: 319-247-2583
Website: Blue Strawberry Website
Type: Bakery; Lunch; Coffee; Wine & Beer
Our Rating: Five Stars

Summary: The combination of a good location, relaxing atmosphere, cute decor, and excellent food makes the Blue Strawberry a great choice for lunch or coffee dates, and the free wireless means that freeloaders can grab a muffin and surf the Web. At night, the coffee shop turns into a fun alternative to the downtown bar scene - perfect for nights when you and your buddies just want to have a few drinks and chill out on a couch. Wine and beer only.

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A confession: I’m a sucker for cute coffee shops. I am, it’s true. All of the little things that the owners of the Blue Strawberry did to attract preppy, vintage-loving young professionals like myself? They worked. Like the tabletops decorated with images of classified ads. Or the black and white pictures lining the walls, all of local Cedar Rapids performances from throughout the years. Or the giant sacks of coffee beans sitting out next to the grinder, or the comfy couches and love seats, the list goes on and on. It’s cute. It’s cozy. And these things make me want to camp out with my laptop and make myself at home - ordering multiple items while doing so.

Today I went to the Blue Strawberry over the lunch hour. I was a little surprised to find that it wasn’t incredibly busy, but I’m going to blame that on all of the nasty rain and thunder we’re having today. My chicken salad sandwich was great - sometimes chicken salad has a tendency to be too dry, but this certainly was not. If anything, I had some trouble keeping from dripping off of the croissant. I had a cup of tea and an Italian soda over my time there - I know, I should probably have tried the coffee to review it, but here’s the thing: I’m not good at reviewing coffee. My reviews of coffee are either “Yuck!” or “Yup, tastes like coffee.” I know what I like (for instance, I had an excellent cup at Bruegger’s this morning) but I have no idea if what I like is what’s considered “good” by normal people. Trust me on this one, alright? I’m a good judge of most food and beverages, but coffee is just not one of them.

What I love the most about the Blue Strawberry is its versatility. You can immediately tell from its patronage that it’s managed to remain mellow enough for conservative seniors meeting for lunch, but also “cool” enough for high schoolers and other young people. You can also find blue collar workers, guys in suits, and college students - everyone seems to fit in. At night, there are often live performances, and once a month they also host an open mic night. How many places can you go for a breakfast sandwich and latte in the morning, and then return to in the evening for a glass of wine and music? Not too many, especially not in this little ol’ town of ours, folks.

Finally, I just love that the Blue Strawberry (which I wish I could abbreviate, by the way, but it has unfortunate initials and I don’t want to confuse anyone) is a local spot. It’s ours. It belongs to Cedar Rapids, nowhere else. I love supporting local businesses and I think that spots like this help make our community an interesting and fun place to live - factors that will help attract and keep young people in the city.

PS: Oh yeah, and for the sake of good journalism I should also let you know that there’s a new Blue Strawberry in town, over at 5741 C Street SW. I haven’t been there yet, so I can’t vouch for it, but I’d imagine it’s probably rolling in the cuteness too. Have any of you tried it yet? If so, feel free to leave your opinions in the comments!

Panera Bread

Address:
5010 Council St NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone: 319-393-2100
Website: Panera Bread National Chain
Type: Bakery; Lunch; Coffee
Our Rating: Three Stars

Summary: Good food, but since it’s a chain you’re going to pay higher prices. The free wireless and multitude of outlets makes it a good place to camp out with your laptop, but not necessarily the best place. Really, we just like to go to eat the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad and stare at the baked goods from behind the dietary safety of the glass.

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I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Does anyone seriously need to read a review of Panera?” And the answer is “Probably not.” I mean, I’m guessing that most people in the continental United States have been to a Panera at least once in their lives. And they’re all exactly the same. Nothing unique or special about the one on Collins Road, except maybe the small and oddly-shaped parking lot.

But I’m reviewing it anyway, because I ate lunch there yesterday, greedily hogging an entire table for myself and my laptop. It’s a big laptop, okay? And I’m reviewing Panera because Review CR wants to be a complete resource for eateries in Cedar Rapids, local and chain alike. So there.

As such, here’s my review: the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad is awesome. I love it. I would eat it every day if it weren’t for the fact that buying the salad and an iced green tea costs nearly $9.00. NINE DOLLARS! Too much. But I’ll pay for it once every few weeks or so, because man, delicious. It’s got these little dried apple chips and this really great apple vinaigrette dressing, and lots of chicken. And according to the website, it’s only 290 calories!

Other than the salad, here are the reasons you should go to Panera: They’ve always got a good supply of freshly baked bread. There is almost always an open table with an outlet for laptop-users. They have coffee.

And now, the reasons you might want to pass by Panera and go somewhere else: The food is pricey, for Cedar Rapids. It can get pretty noisy, so if you’re trying to work you might need headphones. Some of the food is rather unimpressive. And most importantly, various other Cedar Rapids cafes (like The Blue Strawberry) have free wireless, coffee, food, and baked goods too, and they’re cheaper and locally owned.

Carlos O’Kelly’s (Marion)

Address:
3320 Armar Dr
Marion, IA 52302
Phone: 319-373-1451
Website: Carlos O’Kelly’s National Chain
Type: Mexican/Tex-Mex; Family Dining
Our Rating: One Star

Summary: Mediocre Tex-Mex in a chain restaurant. Easily skipped for the more authentic Mexican restaurants in town. Even the Margaritas taste like they came pre-packaged.

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I’m probably going to get a lot of heat for this review. I know some people who really enjoy Carlos O’Kelly’s. And I’ve tried to be one of them, I really have. But I just can’t do it. The food is decent (I guess) if you’re desperate for Tex-Mex, but I just can’t rationalize going to COK when there are plenty of genuinely good, locally owned Mexican restaurants here in town.

The restaurant is almost always hoppin’, so the bland food must appeal to some people who don’t like much flavor in their burritos. My friends and I went for half-price margarita night a couple of Thursdays ago, but even those tasted like they came out of a machine. I mean, it’s not that difficult to blend fresh Margaritas - other places seem to manage just fine. The drinks were super-sweet and tasted sort of like they came out of a Slurpy Machine at a corner gas station.

There’s another Carlos O’Kelly’s in town, on Edgewood Road, but I don’t think I’ve ever been there. Since it’s a chain, I’m pretty sure it’d be about the same deal. The staff is usually teenage girls who are busy talking about their boyfriends at the front of the restaurant. (God, when did I become an old lady who complained about vapid teenage girls? Kill me now.)

So here’s my main point: why go to a chain restaurant with an Irish name for Mexican food, when you can go to one of the local spots like Hacienda and have way better food for an equal or lesser price? I don’t know the answer to this question, but apparently many Cedar Rapidians do, as I’m sure COK will continue to thrive despite this reviewer’s obstinate little opinion.

Six Feet Under Lounge at Daniel Arthur’s

Address:
821 3rd Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403
Phone: 319-362-9340
Hours: Opens at 5pm Mon - Sat
Website: Daniel Arthur’s

Type: Bar; Fine Dining; Live Music

Our Rating: Five Stars

Summary: One of the best restaurants in town also has one of the best bars, if you don’t mind sitting in a room that used to serve as a crematorium. The happy hour specials, martinis, cozy atmosphere, amazing food and live music makes the Six Feet Under Lounge one of Review CR’s favorite watering holes in Cedar Rapids.

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Now, I’ll be the first to admit: the fact that the appropriately-named Six Feet Under Lounge used to be a crematorium is sort of creepy. But it’s also sort of awesome. And if someone hadn’t told me the truth about the room’s nature, I never would have guessed, despite the tell-tale round shape and interesting circular opening in the ceiling. The small lounge has dark wood paneling and the walls sport fishing decor and mermaid paintings. Considering that it’s located below one of the fanciest restaurants in town, the bar is surprisingly laid-back, and I’ve never felt out of place in jeans and a sweatshirt. One piece of advice, though: come in through the back door. If you’re dressed like a bar-hopping bum, it can be slightly embarassing to walk past all of the suits and ties in the restaurant on your way downstairs.

I’ve never actually eaten a full meal at Daniel Arthur’s, but one of the reasons that this bar is ranked so highly in my book is due to the food. The wonderful, fabulous, extremely awesometastic food. The martinis are great, the happy hour specials are awesome, and the music is usually good, but the food? Is to die for. Last week I hadn’t eaten dinner when I arrived, so I ordered a plate of calamari to share with my friends. Now, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I’ve been around the world. I’ve had some good calamari in my day. But this particular plate of squid was perfect in every possible way: it was lightly breaded, but not too crispy; it had a good texture but wasn’t chewy; and most importantly, it was seasoned so astutely, it made me want to waltz upstairs and propose to the cook. Seriously, it was that good.

But the love of the food doesn’t end there - along with our calamari, they gave us a complimentary plate of warm (and I suspect homemade) bread with a jalapeño jelly. I’m not generally a fan of jalapeños, and I wouldn’t necessarily think to dip my bread in a jelly, but those of us at the table nearly died when we put this stuff into our hungry little mouths. We had to request more, it was so delicious. I’m sure it seems like I’m unnecessarily obsessing over the food at Daniel Arthur’s, but I assure you: rarely have I ever been so impressed with food I ordered while sitting in a bar. Another friend ordered the Baked Brie, and it was equally as impressive.

I really can’t recommend this place enough. The only downside (aside from the aforementioned used-to-be-a-chamber-of-death part) is that sometimes the live musicians aren’t exactly first class. But sometimes they are! And if you go for the cheap drinks during happy hour, the artists usually aren’t playing yet. Furthermore, once it gets warm outside they’ll open up the outdoor seating, which is adorably charming and fun.

Some other things to make note of: it’s a cigar bar, meaning you can both purchase and smoke them there, so if you have some sort of hatred toward the smell of stogie smoke, it might not be the bar for you. Also, drinks can get a little pricey, and you probably wouldn’t want to order food every day of the week, especially not if you’re a pauper like myself. But with a little moderation, this place can (and should) become a regular staple on your drinking schedule.

Zins Restaurant

Address:
227 2nd Ave. SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Phone: 319-363-ZINS
Hours: Mon - Thurs 11am - 10pm
Fri 11am - 12am
Sat 5pm - 12am
Website: Zins Restaurant

Type: Fine Dining

Our Rating: Two Stars

Summary: A classy addition to downtown, but the food doesn’t live up to the visual hype. We’re willing to pay big money for good food, but Zins charges too much dough for not enough taste.

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Zins is still the new kid on the downtown CR block, so we feel a little guilty saying that we didn’t really enjoy our time there this week. After all, it’s tough being a new business during a time when the economy’s not-so-hot, and Cedar Rapids can be an unforgiving customer when it comes to new ideas and fancy restaurants.

But Zins simply tries a little bit too hard at the show and doesn’t try hard enough in the kitchen. First of all, it’s important to note that the food is served in what they call “small plates” style. For the more culturally aware among us, you might recognize this as an Americanized version of Tapas-style dining. The waitress informed us that customers were generally encouraged to order three or four plates each, and then share among themselves. Due to budget restraints (at $6 to $9 a plate, the tiny dishes aren’t exactly cheap) my friends and I each ordered two dishes.

Now, the good thing about this is that I feel like I can fairly judge the restaurant’s food - after all, I tried 6 different menu items. Personally, my Flatbread Pizza and Goat Cheese & Crab Empanadas were decent, but far from justifying their weighted price tag. All three of us found the meal to be generally bland and lacking spice - we speculated that perhaps the older, wealthier Midwestern crowd likes their food that way. We here at CR Review however, do not.

None of us hated our food, but we didn’t love it, either. And if I’m going to be dropping $30 to $50 on a meal in downtown CR, I better be jumping up and down in anticipation of the meal.

Sorry Zins - the fancy set-up and the valet parking were a nice try at Big City Fancy Schmancy restauranting (yes, it’s a word. Now, anyway.) But we’re just not impressed. And come on, now. Who needs valet parking, anyway? It makes you look just a tad bit ridiculous, especially when I grabbed a spot on the street right in front of the restaurant.

Oh, before we wrap things up, credit must be given where credit is due: the wait staff was polite and pleasantly good-looking. In addition, their wine and drink menu is extensive, and my peach Bellinis were delicious. So it’s not all bad at the newbie’s house downtown. If they make it through the summer, I might even be willing to give them another shot.

Tic Toc Restaurant & Bar

Address:
600 17th St NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone: 319-364-9685
Hours: Mon - Thurs 7am - 11pm
Fri & Sat 7am - 1am
Website: Online Menu

Type: Family Restaurant; Bar

Our Rating: Five Stars

Summary: A good place to eat with your family during the day, a good place to kick back with friends and have some cheap drinks at night. Great food and good atmosphere - just don’t be fooled by its downtrodden facade.

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The Tic Toc is one of those great, unsung Cedar Rapids restaurants that would easily be overlooked (or not seen at all) by visitors to our glorious city. Cramped into a little lot far from any main roads, the place obviously hasn’t been drawing in crowds based on its fabulous exterior or central location. But yet it’s managed to stick around (even - dare we say - flourish?) for years and years despite lacking any fancy architecture or (ha!) valet parking.

The reason for its success? A combination of great, home-cooked food, comfortable atmosphere, and excellent prices. The portion sizes are large - today for lunch I ordered the Marinated Chicken Salad, and it was large enough that I couldn’t finish, despite my classic Monster Hunger.

You aren’t going to find anything gourmet at the Tic Toc, but you will enjoy it, and you’ll leave with a full stomach. The lunch menu includes various burgers, salads, and sandwiches, and for dinner you can load up on protein in various ways: steak, chicken, ribs, salmon, or pork chops. They’ve also got a breakfast menu, if you’re an early riser.

One interesting thing to note about this place is that it really has two different personalities: there’s Tic Toc By Day (TTBD) and Tic Toc By Night (TTBN). During the sunny hours, the restaurant is filled with people of all ages - older customers who have undoubtedly been eating burgers there since they were seniors at Washington HS in 1930, families with toddlers, and young 20-somethings like myself, buying their friends lunch in exchange for their help in cleaning out the gutters on your roof. (Thanks, Josh!) Today we also learned that the Tic Toc has now gone smoke free during the day - that’s right, the air is fresh and clean, 9am to 3pm!

At night, however, the Tic Toc is a different scene. Once the sun goes down, it’s an older crowd of folks wanting a place to hang out with friends, eat some good food, and have one or ten alcoholic beverages to end the day. I wouldn’t really recommend bringing the kids on a Friday or Saturday night, but for the rest of us? The Tic Toc is an excellent choice when you’re looking for a low-key evening in a place where you can actually hear what your friends are saying from across the table.