As my husband and I made our way to Mount Vernon, we were taken aback by the beauty of the town itself. With a light covering of snow and old architectural buildings worth celebrating, all the while, bustling with a lively community of forward thinkers working to make a difference in the quality of life.
True to the Midwestern persona, I was elated to be welcomed by the chef himself with only a half hour to opening.
I was floored that Chef Matt took the time to sit and chat with me. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, Chef Matt Steigerwald trained on the job. His degree from UNC Chapel Hill is in Native American Archeology. His passion and drive to cook made him a natural in the kitchen and in my opinion, an artistic person is born… never made. I believe Chef Matt proves this to be true.
Lincoln Cafe is as humble and quaint as the town it subsides in. Seating fifty, the interior is a combination of rustic meets retro.
In speaking with Matt, I asked him, “What is it going to take for more restaurants to take the time to source local foods and build partnerships with family farmers?”
His answer was time. “It’s a matter of changing people’s ideals and ideas of what they want to eat for dinner. This can only be done with years of work and time.”
To anyone interested in hearing more from Chef Matt Steigerwald, I’ve included our casual interview below.
As soon as we were done chatting, I was delighted to take a tour of the back room and his basement where he cures charcuterie.
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| Italian Prosciutto |
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| Another Italian Cured Ham |
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| A variety of house-cured sausages |
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| Prepared house-made Asian chicken sausages for this evenings appetizer |
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| Kimchi fermenting |
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| Ode to charcuterie… how I love thee! |
To start, I ordered the spicy Thai butternut squash soup which is included with your entree.
As you can tell the Chef loves complexity. The steak was tender and knowing that it was pastured made it that much better. The dirty rice was scrumptious with a depth of earthy undertones. My husband who is not the seafood eater even enjoyed the fried oysters. This dish had robust flavors that complemented each other well. I think my husband knew how to work the flavors.
Our second dessert. Warm chocolate bread pudding with spiced banana ice cream and walnuts. $7.50.
As you can tell, this is not a restaurant where you will leave hungry. The presentation, style, and quality of food makes this fine dining experience worth every penny.
If you ever find yourself in the beautiful town of Mount Vernon, make sure to stop by Lincoln Cafe knowing well that you are taking part in our local food movement.
Cheers to you Chef Matt and thank you for going above and beyond in real food!
Lincoln Cafe
117 1st St NW
MtVernon, Iowa 52314
(319) 895-4041
Thank you again to everyone that has supported me thus far on project food blog. Starting today, you can vote for my post by clicking here. I thank you so much for your vote and time spent with me at A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa.
This post is a part of Real Food Wednesday.
Mind blowing! Thank you for taking us on this tour, Diana…I'm enthralled. The drives a bit longer for me…but I'm tempted to make it. When the weather turns, that is 😉 Good Luck!!!! 😀
I wish Mt. Vernon wasn't so far away! I would love to dine at the Lincoln Cafe. Warm and inviting decor with a delicious menu.
Great review!
Judy
Wonderful review Diana. It looks like this places should be teeming with people. SOunds like you had a wonderful time. Blessings on your next round!
wow, everything looks delicious! and the chef won me over by just having a degree in Native American Archeology. oh, the hours i could spend talking to him about history and real food. your review was spot on, and i would eat there in a second if i weren't so far away. i like how you included photos of you all at dinner. fabulous as always. best of luck – go real food!
Blessings,
andrea
I had a wonderful time on our date. We need more of them. Love you mama.
Yay, kimchi!!
Great review. The photos were great too. Makes me want to go there.
Diana: I love how you stay true to your passion for real and local food. Commendable.
Well you know you have my vote! Great job once again Diana and I'm so happy that you continue to be blessed by the Lord and are doing so great in this competition!
What an amazing sounding place! I'm so grateful for the people that are putting in the work to get the real food message out. I also appreciate people who quietly do it, instead of shoving it in peoples' faces. I think it's much more effective when you show people how amazingly delicious real food is, instead of preaching to them. Fabulous review Diana! XOXO
This was really, really well written. As a midwestern girl, I am so happy to know this place exists!
We had SO much fun with you two Diana! Move to Iowa City and it could become a regular occasion… 😀
Yay! You know you got my vote. The snow makes everything look so lovely and those meats! I know where to go!
Excellent review Diana! Sounds like you chose a wonderful restaurant to review, I felt as though I was right there with you enjoying those unique and great tasting dishes.
Congrats dear on being included in next challenge. This review is definitely worth every word, beautifully written. Your words literally took me to the restaurant and I felt as I was there enjoying everything with you especially chocolate bread pudding dessert, lol 🙂
I can't believe I am just now finding your blog! Born and raised in Des Moines, it has been years since I have been back. Love your blog, voted for you, best of luck.
What a lovely place and review! The town looks like a place from a winter story with all that snow and lights 🙂
You got my vote!
Hey, hey!!
Thanks for the great write up. Keep us in mind when you hit the big time. Great to see you again.
And, we must mention my sous chef Andy Schumacher who creates all of the cured pork. Great job.
Thank you so much everyone for your support! It's a tough challenge this go around but I'm just super excited to be able to share about Lincoln Cafe and their commitment to our local food movement! It was simply amazing!
we could only hope and wish that more restaurants like this open up. and getting a backstage pass to the kitchen is the absolute best. best of luck!
What an interesting mix of food on the same plate! I love that kimchi has become a staple, even in a small place in Iowa.
Great review.
Oh Diana!! What an amazing review. Lovely pics. I will be voting and promoting you and your site all the way! You rock, Diana!!
Wonderful review! It sounds so amazing…I wish I live nearby 🙂
Beautiful post, Diana! And the food looks wonderful. I think that's so cool that you got to check out all the charcuterie in the basement & chat with the chef.
Love your pics of the town – so quaint!
Love the post! Everything looked unique and to die for delicious!!!
What a fantastic looking spot to dine! Food looks delicious 🙂
How wonderful! I'm so happy to have found your blog, I'm passionate about local and sustainably responsible food as well. I like the chef's comment that reaching people is important and can only be done through years of dedication and hard work. So true. Thanks for a informative post.
Fabulous review, photos and perspective. What a lovely town to share…with such a special restaurant.
Diana–although I only live 45 minutes away from Mt. Vernon, I just ate the Lincoln cafe for the first time when my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversay there last June. What a treat! And the wine bar is just as charming. Lots of good food in Iowa…
Great review and photos. Very inviting!
Wonderful! Good luck – so glad you made it this far and got to eat dinner with Alicia.
xo, Annette
I was certainly not surprised you have gone this far in the competition…your stories are heartwarming and a pleasure to read…I love this story…thanks for sharing….
What I would do to have tried that Poached Miller Farm chicken with cauliflower risotto, and fresh white truffles (!!!) The contrasting textures and flavors sound intriguing. Waygu beef is also a very decadent option, it must have been amazing!
Excellent post Diana, because it is in line with your blog philosophy, and that is the best we can do as bloggers!
I was smitten by the hams and sausages! I want some right now!
I loved your post and the review of the restaurant. Little by little we can make a difference. You are already doing so much!
Congratulations and good luck!
Great post!
Hi Diana – such a lovely homey post. You are excellent at conveying the feeling of this restaurant. Love your artsy photos too.
Go girl!
LL
I enjoyed your review. You did a great job. I wish you luck although, if you win, it will be your talent and creativity and the help of the Holy One.
It's lovely to hear about this beautiful little town, and a chef working to cook quality, locally sourced food in a place those of us on the coasts rarely think about.
Thank you
Thank you so much for your comments! I'm so happy to get the word out about Lincoln Cafe and all they do to support local foods!
A delicious find! I love restaurants like this, unpretentious yet dedicated to quality and of course, creativity and flavor. These are the places that should be supported! Nicely reviewed, good luck!
Hi Diana! I know you from NOAH! I have been wanting to try this restaurant since the write up last summer in Des Moines Register! It looks amazing! Your write up is so thorough and makes my mouth water! 🙂 LOVE IT!