Author Archives: Amy

Minerva’s

Today, we went to Minerva’s for lunch for our very last class. It was sad because this class was so fun. I have been to Minerva’s a few times, so I made sure I tried something new. They have different menus for lunch and dinner. The lunch menu does not have as many choices, but there was still a nice variety. They had some special summer menu set out too. They had so many choices to choose from, I had a difficult time trying to figure out what I wanted. There was a separate menu for alcoholic drinks too, which I of course could not order from.

http://www.wrrestaurants.com/pdf/1197569690.pdf

I ordered a glass of lemonade and a glass of water for my drinks. The lemonade came in a tall glass with a sugared rim and a lemon wedge on the edge. I shared an appetizer with my classmates who sat by me. We ordered the portabella mushroom bruschetta and also the ham bruschetta. I have never tried bruschetta before. Both flavors were tasty, but I enjoyed the portabella bruschetta better. There were a lot of pieces that came with each order. We could not finish all of our appetizers. For my main meal, I ordered the chicken avocado bacon sandwich. I love chicken and avocado, so I thought it would be the perfect mix. As my side, I ordered a fresh cup of fruit. The sandwich was delicious. The chicken was tender and I could taste all the flavors of the avocado, cheese, and bacon mixed together. I could only eat half of the sandwich. The fresh fruit was perfect. It was a bowl of mixed fruit that included strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and grapes. I am a huge fan of fruit, so I loved this. Even though I was getting full after the appetizer and the half of my chicken sandwich, I could not pass up dessert at Minnerva’s. They had numerous choices that all sounded delicious. I ended up ordering a red velvet cupcake. When the waitress brought it out my jaw dropped. The cupcake was huge! It was delicious. The cupcake had a rich flavor. The cream cheese frosting was thick and sweet. I had a few bites and then asked for a take home box. I was able to take home half of my sandwich and over half of my red velvet cupcake. Overall, my meal was delicious. I left Minnerva’s plum full.

I would recommend Minerva’s to others. Once again, it was another restaurant more on the expensive side, but also well worth it. The portions are pretty large and the quality of food is good. The atmosphere was pleasant. It was somewhat more on the fancier side, but still semi relaxed. The music choice was not what I expected for that type of restaurant though. I enjoyed it, but was surprised they played it at Minerva’s. The staff was very friendly and very pleased to help us. Our whole class of about 20 ate all together, so that defiantly slowed down the serving process. This restaurant took the longest for use to get served, but I think it was because we had such a large group. Everyone in the class seemed please with their experience at Minerva’s just like me. I can see myself going there again in the future.

Bev’s on the River

Today for lunch, we went to Bev’s on the River. Ever since it opened in Sioux City, I had only been there once until today. It is a pretty fancy restaurant. The exterior of the restaurant is decorated nicely with flowers and of course the riverfront. The interior looks elegant. There are huge pictures hung up on the wall and the lighting fixtures are very unique. The area where we were seated faced the river and the view was gorgeous. The menu was full of a variety of food between the appetizers, main courses, desserts, and beverages. Every dish sounded so good! I had a difficult time figuring out what to order.

http://www.bevsontheriver.com/content/file/lunch.pdf

I ordered a refreshing glass of lemonade for my drink. It was served in a nice large blue wine glass with a lemon wedge on the side. I did not order any appetizers because I did not want to be full for my main course dish. I wanted to be able to enjoy it. I ordered Bev’s Chicken, which was a chicken breast covered in gorgonzola cheese with spinach and sun dried tomatoes on top. Grilled vegetable also came with it. For my side, I ordered a salad with balsamic vinegar. The salad was a typical salad, nothing too special about it. The chicken, on the other hand, was amazing. It was tender and very flavorful. I am not a huge fan of cheese, but this dish had the perfect about of cheese on top. The spinach and sun dried tomatoes were also a nice touch. Every bit had the perfect ratio of every flavor. The way it looked and how it was arranged when it was served made the dish mouth watering. I only ate half of it because I wanted to save room for dessert. There were so many choices that sound so delicious; I knew I had to order a dessert. Since I have never eaten tiramisu before, I decided to order it. The tiramisu looked delectable when the waitress brought it out. The plate was decorated very nicely. The tiramisu had designs on it as well. I was surprised with how it tasted. I never really knew what was in tiramisu, but I loved it! It was also very rich, so I had a difficult time finishing it. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Bev’s on the River.

I would definitely recommend Bev’s on the River to others. I would tell them it is not the cheapest restaurant to eat at, but it is well worth it. The food is delicious and the view, as long as you are by the river, is beautiful. The staff was very friendly and seemed very glad to serve our class. We did split up into two groups though in case they did not want to serve a group of 20 people. Even for a group of 10, the service was pretty quick for how much food we ordered. I can see myself going there again, but more for a special event. Since it is a fancier restaurant, I would not go there for a quick meal. Bev’s on the River is also a family friendly restaurant too. I can see a family going there for a special occasion. I was pleased with my experience at Bev’s.

El Tapatio

We went to El Tapatio today for lunch. This restaurant serves authentic Mexican food. I had never been to El Tapatio until today, but I had driven by it numerous times. Everyone who has eaten there, that I have talked to, said it is a very tasty place to eat. Their menu had plenty of entrées to choose from. The house specials all sounded delicious. They had numerous beverages and appetizers to choose from as well. I love chicken fajitas and could not keep myself from ordering them, even though whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant I order fajitas. I did not follow my rule of trying something new today, but I could not resist. I forgot to take a picture of the menu :(.

Right as we were seated, the waitress brought out chips and salsa. I think they like to fill you up on the chips before they even bring out the appetizers or meals because they constantly kept refilling the chip baskets. I am a huge fan of chips and salsa, but I wish the salsa at El Tapatio were hotter. It had a strong cilantro taste and was very mild. I still ate my fair share because nothing can beat fresh homemade salsa. Like I mentioned earlier, I ended up ordering the chicken fajitas. The sizzling mixture of chicken, green peppers, and onions came out on a skillet along with another plate full of beans, rice, guacamole, lettuce, and sour cream. Three wheat tortillas were also served. I love guacamole with fajitas. Overall, my meal was very tasty. I could not come close to finishing it, so I had a nice portion left over for dinner. My meal had a lot of colors to eat. The arrangement of the food on the plate was nice and looked appetizing. It seemed like all my classmates enjoyed their food as well. Due to the large amount of food that came with my meal and all the chips and salsa I devoured, I had no room for dessert. Their dessert menu was pretty slim too, but I feel like more people go there for the main entrées and beverages. I enjoyed my experience at El Tapatio.

If someone would ask me about El Tapatio, I would tell him or her that the food was delicious. Honestly, I thought it was just like La Fiesta, which is also a tasty Mexican restaurant in the north side of Sioux City. Depending on where the people were at, I would recommend either place. The service at El Tapatio was normal. The waiters and waitresses were very friendly. I do no think they were expecting this large of a group, but we still received our food in a timely manner though. The prices were pretty cheap too for the amount of food we got with each of our orders. If I am in the Morningside area and want Mexican food, I can see myself going to El Tapatio again. Next time I go there, I want to try new entrée off the menu though.

Indigo Palette

Today we went to Indigo Palette. I did not even know this restaurant existed until today. It is located in downtown Sioux City on 4^th street. Indigo Palette is bar/coffee shop/art gallery all in one. The interior has a very unique look. I instantly liked the place as I stepped foot into it. Their menu had many options to choose from, from beverages to appetizers to main entrees to desserts. The step up of the restaurant was perfect too. It somewhat wrapped around like an “L” shape. Since we went there mid-day, it was pretty quiet. My guess is that during the day it tends to be more of a coffee shop, while at night it turns into the downtown bar scene. I would like to see if the calm and relaxing day atmosphere changes at all at night.

Since Indigo Palette is part of a coffee shop, I wanted to order a coffee beverage. There were so many choices; I decided to ask the waitress what her favorite drink was. She told me she liked, The Climax. I looked at what is was made of and it sounded delicious. It was a coffee beverage with coconut, salted caramel, and white chocolate. I love coconut, so I decided to try the drink, The Climax. The drink was refreshing especially because it was iced. I rarely buy sweetened coffee drinks, so this was a big change from my usual choice of black coffee with a little bit of milk. I definitely enjoyed the drink, but there is know way I could drink one of those daily. I did not order an appetizer because they do not serve them until 4:30. I ordered the Quarter Pound Indigo Burger, which is stuffed with three choices. I chose pepper-jack cheese, mushrooms, and bacon. I also received a house salad with balsamic vinaigrette on the side. The Indigo Burger was very flavorful. It took about 20 minutes to make, but it was definitely worth the wait. The entrées my classmates ordered also looked tasty. I ended up ordering dessert there too. They had a lemon raspberry cheesecake I could not pass up. The piece of cheesecake was gigantic! The dessert platter was arranged nicely. There was a raspberry syrup drizzled over the top of the piece of cheesecake, very decorative. I love cheesecake and the lemon raspberry piece I had at Indigo Platte was one of the best flavors I have had. Of course, even though I was extremely full, I still ate the whole piece. I remembered to take a picture of both my drink and my salad, but forgot to take a picture of my burger.

I would highly recommend the Indigo Palette to others if they wanted a unique coffee/small restaurant to eat at. The atmosphere of the restaurant was perfect. I love that kind of relaxed setting. The artwork, which is also for sale, covered the walls. This means that the decorations constantly change. The price of the choices of food and drinks were not bad either. The staff was very excited and happy to serve our large group too. I think Morningside College would benefit with a place like this close to campus. Like I said, I would recommend this restaurant and can see myself going there again.

Diamond Thai

Today we went to Diamond Thai for lunch, which was the last Asian restaurant we will go to for this class. Once again, I have only been to this restaurant once in my life and ordered an eggplant dish. Diamond Thai is a small quaint place close to downtown Sioux City. The staff was very friendly and quickly served us. We were the first people in the restaurant, but it quickly filled up. They had a large selection of food and beverages. I was surprised by all the different types of curry. I never knew there were that many.

I ordered something new. I have had curry before, but I have never had red curry. I ordered red curry chicken for my meal. I did not get any appetizers today. For my drink, I ordered a glass of water and their iced coffee. I remembered I liked Da Kao’s iced coffee and decided to try Diamond Thai’s. The iced coffee was served in a tall parfait glass. It was refreshing. It tasted like they added sweet cream into coffee. I thought it was more like a dessert because of how creamy and sweet it was. My meal was served later and came in a bowl with sticky white rice on the side. The bowl of red curry chicken looked more like a soup to me. I pictured in my head that my meal was going to be more a plate of food, and as not soupy. It had a pungent smell to it. I added some rice into the chicken curry mixture and dug in. I really enjoyed it, but I thought it was going to be spicier. I asked for the mild, but now I am wondering how spicy the hot flavor is. I might have to go back and try it someday. My meal cost $7.50 for the food and I do not remember how much the iced coffee was. I would say the food was well worth the cost. Some of my classmates ordered a dessert that had sweet coconut sticky rice with mangos. I was full, so I did not order dessert, but in the end I wish I would have. The mango looked so fresh and succulent. Everyone said that dessert was the best. Other people ordered fried bananas and ice cream. They said it tasted like warm banana bread. I think next time I go to Diamond Thai I need to order a dessert. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I think their curry dishes are one of the best in Sioux City.

I would recommend this restaurant to others. This restaurant has pretty authentic Thai food. Diamond Thai also serves food without curry for people who are not a fan of curry. Not all their entrées are spicy. The atmosphere of the restaurant was calm and quiet. It had kind of a peaceful feel to it. They have pictures on the walls and statues in the corners. They have redecorated since the last time I have been there. I like the new interior look better because it opens the restaurant up. I can see myself going there again to order Thai food.

Japanese Tokyo Steakhouse

Today we ate at Japanese Tokyo Steakhouse. I had never been there until today and was surprised by the whole experience. I had always wanted to eat there, but I just never took the time to do so. At the Japanese Tokyo Steakhouse restaurant, I definitely was able to fulfill my goal of trying something new. They have a large selection on the menu, ranging from red meat to seafood.

The class had to split in half in order to fit around one of the Hibachi grills. The chef cooked our food right in front of us, which was pretty cool. For a drink, I ordered a glass of water and a Japanese soda pop. The Japanese soda pop was interesting. There were two kinds, strawberry or melon. I chose the melon flavored fizzy drink. It had to be the strangest think I have drank before. The pop came in a class bottle and you had to use the top to punch this glass ball into the neck of the bottle in order to create the fizziness for the drink. The carbonated beverage tasted pretty sweet with a hint of melon. I actually really enjoyed it. Before any appetizers or main entrees came out, the waitress brought everyone a salad. The salad had a very distinct taste to it. I think it had some peanut flavored sauce on it. A classmate and I shared a teriyaki chicken appetizer, which was delicious! The chicken was tender and flavorful. My main entrée was a heaping pile of food! I was able to take home extra for dinner later. I ordered a lunch combination of mahi-mahi and swordfish. The lunch combinations also came with fried rice and vegetables. Everything to my meal was delectable. I had never had mahi-mahi or swordfish before and I was surprised how “unfishy” both kinds of fish tasted. The swordfish had more a texture more like read meat, while the mahi-mahi had a texture more like tilapia. I enjoyed both kinds of fish and can definitely see myself ordering each type of fish another time. The fried rice and vegetables were also very tasty! The food was ready at different times, so I could not just eat everything right as it was done because I wanted to taste everything I had ordered. Whenever the food was done, especially with the colorful veggies, the whole meal looked appetizing. Watching the chef cook in front of us was very entertaining. He would throw food and we would have to catch it in our mouth. I was shocked by how much garlic butter the chef used in our food. He came out with a gigantic mound of butter and easily used a good portion of it. I have not been ordering many desserts during this class so today I decided to order green tea ice cream. I like green tea and wondered how green tea ice cream would taste. I ate all of the green colored ice cream. Surprisingly, it was very delicious. It had a mild taste. I could taste the green tea, but it was not too potent. After finishing the ice cream, I was plum full and the waitress gladly brought be a to go box.

I enjoyed my experience at the Japanese Tokyo Steakhouse. It was pricier than the previous restaurants we have gone to, but it was well worth it. The atmosphere of the restaurant was pleasant. It seemed very clean and peaceful. I was able to try many new foods and drinks. I would definitely recommend others to go to the Japanese Tokyo Steakhouse and can see myself going there again.

Da Kao

Today for class we went to Da Kao. It is a small corner restaurant close to downtown Sioux City. I have only ordered food from Da Kao a few times. When I did, I always ordered the eggplant, which I believe is one of their Chinese entrees. Today I wanted to make sure I ordered a Vietnamese dish since it is a Vietnamese restaurant.

From the outside, the restaurant looks extremely small but once inside, you notice it can fit a large amount of people. They had tables set up to fit our entire class. It seemed like it was a popular restaurant because most of the tables were full. There were pictures and morals on the wall, pleasantly decorated. The atmosphere of the restaurant was relaxing. The staff was welcoming and quickly brought us drinks and prepared our food. The menu had a huge variety to choose from. As I mentioned earlier, they have a Vietnamese selection and a Chinese selection.

Da Kao Drinks

I ended up ordering an eggroll, co’m xao thap cam, and water. The English translation of my meal was pork chicken and shrimp with stir-fried vegetables on steamed rice. The eggroll came out first, which was $1.00. It tasted freshly made, but it seemed like it was a vegetable eggroll. I could not taste any meat in it. The sweet and sour sauce was actually pretty good. I am not usually a fan of that sauce, but Da Kao’s was decent. My main entrée came with a large portion of food, especially for only $6.25. My plate was heaping with rice, vegetables, and meat. The vegetables added a lot of color to my meal, which made it more appetizing. I am not exactly sure what pork chicken is, so I was slightly scared to try it. The pork chicken was kind of chewy. On the other hand, the shrimp was delicious. All the food had the typical hint of soy that most Asian dishes do. The downfall of my meal dealt with how salty it was. I do not like using that much salt, and I could tell there was a good amount in my meal. Overall my meal was not too bad. It was not my favorite place to eat, but I could possibly see myself going there again a couple more times throughout my life. I do not want to say this was an awful restaurant; I just do not eat that much Chinese or Vietnamese food. I would recommend this restaurant to others if they wanted to eat at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant. I would tell them that the prices are reasonable for the about of food you get with your order.

One drink I wish I would have ordered was the coconut juice. I enjoy coconut water, well a certain kind, and was wondering if their coconut juice was the same thing. One of my classmates ordered iced coffee and I tried it. It was delicious! The iced coffee was probably my most favorite thing at Da Kao. If someone is a coffee drinker, I would recommend ordering the iced coffee.

Milwaukee Weiner House vs. Coney Island

Today the whole class took a different approach. We ate at two different restaurants and compared the two. The two places we went were the Milwaukee Weiner House and Coney Island. I had never been to Milwaukee Wiener House until today. On the other hand, once when I was very little at a graduation party, I had a plain hot dog from a Coney Island caterer. I do not remember how it tasted though. My goal was to order the same style of hotdog at both restaurants in order to be able to compare accurately.

We went to Milwaukee Weiner House first. It is a small old building in downtown Sioux City. On the outside, the building looked much smaller than it really was. Once inside, I was surprised with how much space there was for costumers to sit. The staff happily and easily accommodated our large group of about 20 people. The interior decorations made it feel like I stepped back in time. They had pictures of when the restaurant first opened, which was 1918. There were many other antique decorations as well. The atmosphere was lively and inviting. The workers quickly and efficiently prepared our food right as we ordered it. I got a chili cheese hotdog and lemonade. It was a typical hotdog with shredded cheese, chili, and mustard on the top. The appearance of the dish was not messy looking. They put just the right amount of condiments and toppings on, so they do not spill off. I do not eat very many hotdogs, so I really did not have anything to compare it too. To me, it tasted like a typical hotdog. I did not think it was anything too special. The price was $2.30 for the hotdog and $1.35 for the lemonade. Overall, my meal was good and appealing. If someone wanted a restaurant that was just it Sioux City, I would recommend Milwaukee Weiner.

Next we went to Coney Island, which is also located in downtown Sioux City. It was a much smaller restaurant. The place did not hold our class as easily as Milwaukee Weiner did. Coney Island was also decorated with antiques and pictures from when it first opened. Coney Island has been family owned in Sioux City since 1921. The staff was very friendly, but moved a little slower than the previous restaurant. Coney Island had less help though. I ordered a Coney Dog without onions and a glass of water. The appearance of the hotdog looked appetizing. It was much like the one I ordered from Milwaukee Weiner. I cannot remember the price of the coney dog. Overall, this meal was also good. I would recommend Coney Island to others as well. Since both restaurants are pretty close to one another, I would suggest going to both and having them compare. Below is just a picture of a coney dog.

It is difficult for me to decide which restaurant was better. Both had some qualities better than the other. Both have been family owned for years. The appearance of each meal at both restaurants was similar. Each place had interior decorations that were old and unique. They added character to each restaurant. The two biggest differences of the two places were the price and the service. If I had to choose, I would say Milwaukee Weiner because it was cheaper and the restaurant accommodated a larger group easier and served us quicker. I think people need to taste a hotdog from each place and compare themselves.

Red Bones Cafe

I had never been to, or even heard of Red Bones Café until the class went to the restaurant today. It is a tiny restaurant on the corner of a block and very easy to miss. By the look of the exterior and interior, I thought it was either an Asian or Mexican restaurant. They have few decorations on the yellow and red painted walls. Once I looked at the menu I realized that it is an American style place. They serve burgers, fries, pork chops, and more. Their selection was not a large as The House of Q, but still decent.

Since I had never been there, I thought I could order anything on the menu because it would still be trying something new. I decided on ordering the smoked turkey face side up on Texas toast with sweet potatoes, a side salad, and a drink. My meal also came with a piece of cornbread. My side salad with raspberry vinaigrette came first. It was not bad, just a typically plain salad with dressing. Then the main course arrived. The turkey was sliced very thin and placed on the Texas toast with a small cup of mashed sweet potatoes and a piece of cornbread. There was nothing fancy about the arrangement of the food on the plate.

The smoked turkey was somewhat on the dry side so I had to use barbeque sauce, but it still tasted good. It had the smokey flavor and smell of smoked turkey. The mashed sweet potatoes had a strange spice added to them. There was definitely sugar mixed in too. I had never eaten sweet potatoes like that before. I can’t see myself ordering them again, but it was something fun to try. The cornbread was probably my favorite. I added some smooth golden honey to the top and dug in. The bread was very moist. The whole meal was $8.95. The price of the meal was average and reasonable. The servings were not that large, so I had no leftovers. Overall my meal was great, but interesting at the same time.

Red Bones Café was not my favorite place. This would not be the first place I would recommend people to go and eat. If the people asking me where to eat in Sioux City are into that kind of styled restaurant, I would definitely put in a good word for the restaurant. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They were very glad our class came in and ate. The news was there to interview some of my classmates. I think it being on the news tonight will help advertise Red Bones Café. Some of my other classmates enjoyed their food as well. I enjoyed my experience at Red Bones Café, but cannot see myself going there again, at least soon. I am glad I went to a restaurant in Sioux City that I had never heard about even though I am from here. It makes me wonder what other strange restaurants Sioux City has that I do not know of.

The House of Q

I have never been to the actual building of the restaurant The House of Q before, but I have tried their food once at a graduation party. The caterers served the usual pulled pork sandwiches underneath a white tent at the party, so I did not get a feel of what the restaurant was really like. I was excited when I found out the class was venturing out to The House for Q because any people have recommended that I go and experience what it is like. When I arrived at the restaurant, I was surprised by the variety of barbeque choices they had.

The House of Q (click for the menu)

At the graduation party I had a pulled pork sandwich, which was very tasty, but I wanted to try a new approach. I did what I plan on doing for this whole May Term: I ordered something new. I want to experience a new platter of food from every restaurant, no matter how bizarre the entrée sounds. Someone told me prior to coming to The House of Q that their brisket was “out of this world” good. I kept that recommendation in the back of my head. After thoroughly examining the two-sided menu, I decided to order the ½ lb brisket sandwich with two sides and a drink. Once the main entrée of the meal was selected, I looked at the large variety of sides available. I was surprised with the assortment they had to choose from. Some of the choices I had never heard of, such as a chocolate kicker, which is some type of fried shell filled with your choice of filling served with a dollop of whipped cream on the side and chocolate syrup drizzled on the top. I ended up choosing sweet potato fries and deep-fried pickle spears. A classmate of mine ordered a peanut butter and banana chocolate kicker, so we ended up splitting my side of pickle spears and her chocolate kicker. As for my choice of beverage, I went with the typical choice of refreshing lemonade.

My food arrived quicker than I expected in a basket, which was nicely arranged. The food was separated instead of just being thrown in the basket.

Before digging in, I had to figure out how I was going to eat the monstrous sandwich. I ended up cutting it in half. It was perfect because I was able to bring the second half of the sandwich home for later. The House of Q has a large selection of sauces, some including spicy bbq, chipotle, honey mustard, and many other unique flavors. I like hot and spicy foods, so I chose the spicy bbq sauce, which was an excellent choice. The brisket was very tender and served on a toasted bun. The sweet potato fries were cooked perfectly. They had the crispy outside while the inside of the fry was still moist. The fried pickle spears were not my favorite, but they still tasted good. They had quite a lot of breading and the pickle did not have that strong of a dill flavor. I would have to say that the pickle spears were average. My meal overall was very delicious. I ate about half of the meal and took the rest home, which is always nice. The delectable meal with two sides and a drink was priced at $10.79. It was very reasonable. I was full after eating half of the portion.

I would recommend The House of Q to others, especially if they really wanted barbeque. They could always go to Famous Dave’s, but since it’s a chain restaurant people can find it everywhere. It sounded like everyone in the class enjoyed their food, so I would tell people that anything on the menu is most likely tasty. I would tell them from personal experience that the brisket sandwich was delicious. The House of Q’s staff was very friendly and they accommodated our class, which roughly 20 people. Our large portions of food were served quickly. The interior was decorated with an authentic barbeque look. I enjoyed my experience at The House of Q and can defiantly see myself going there again.

A Taste of Something New

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