If you’re looking for a small, cozy sit down restaurant my hometown Central City, Ia, has exactly what you want. Stove House is a small restaurant run by local people. When you first drive up to the parking lot you will notice that there is a Subway at the other end of the building, but this didn’t stop Stove House from being successful. The building is brick and has large windows. the sign telling everyone where they are (Stove House) is made of black iron, it’s also very large so that people can see it from the highway. When you walk in the first thing you see is the long counter accompanied by small, black stools and the cash register, the smell is overwhelmingly good. If ever a place smelled like home cooking, this is it. It reminds me of my grandma’s house on Thanksgiving. There are salty, sweet and savory smells.
Your first steps in are also where a host or hostess will be standing ready to seat you. The restaurant is split in two, the counter and four booths are on one side of a partial wall and the rest of the booths and tables are on the other side. Due to the large windows the lights don’t all have to be on during a sunny day, giving the room good natural lighting. The decor is a lot of black iron in clocks, picture frames and some craftwork of all iron. The reason for all of the iron is the reason the restaurant is named. the decor goes along with a big, black iron stove that is centered on the far wall of the restaurant. It is the rirst thing to draw your attention when you get on the other side of the wall. When you are finally seated (at a booth because those are my favorite) you notice the smell of everyone else’s food, this makes it impossible to sit still while waiting to order. It is such a small restaurant and the aroma of food is everywhere. You sit close enough to other people for it to be cozy and not crowded. You can hear bits and pieces of conversations going on as people wait for their food such as, “this heat doesn’t seem like it’s going to ever let up,” because weather is always a topic in a farming community and of course there’s that question “are you ready to go back to college?” you dodge the question thanks to the waitress coming to take the order.While waiting for your food you try and distract yourself with more decor on the walls while being tortured with all the smells of food. More iron craftwork is very intriguing to look at; all of the designs are very intricate.
Finally your food is at you table and your no longer are looking around at things in the room, now you’re focused on the food making your mouth water in front of you. The first bite is like a relief to your growling stomach. It’s no wonder this placwe hasn’t gone out of business in such a small town; the food is wonderful. It’s obvious that this homey, little restaurant isn’t going anywhere in the next 10 or so years because the regulars won’t let it.