A walking bridge over River Street
What's in the Quad Cities? Well, being rural Iowa and Illinois- lots of corn and trees. But there's also lots of down-to-earth folks. The pace is decidely much slower than suburbs odf major metropolitan areas because the closest real "city" is a 2-3 hour drive away. Chicago is 2 hours east and Des Moines is about 3 hours west. Madison, WI is also about 2 hours away.
There's also riverboat gambling. And some great historic houses along the Mississippi (at least in the Iowa side, where I spent most of my time.)
Where to stay: I stayed at the Radisson in Davenport on River St. A good accomodation, though probably on the pricier side for the area ($175/night, plus $6 parking daily). But the service was good and the restaurant decent (I recommend their blackened fish specials). The hotel is a 5 minute drive to Interstate 74 which will take you south to Illinois or north further into Iowa and to I-80. Plus the Rhythm City Casino (above) is on the river just behind it.
Where to eat: I was only in town for two nights, so my dining was limited, but I enjoyed the few places I was able to eat. Governor's in Bettendorf (3470 Middle Road, Bettendorf, IA 52722) is actually more of a local pub, but this is eastern Iowa and that means it's pretty casual. There were singles around the bar area watching baseball (this is Cubs and Cardinals territory, I gathered). But there were also a few families having dinner as well. The Fish and Chips was crispy and easily enough food for one. But the menu offers a "down-home" variety ranging from grilled cheese and tuna melts to BBQ ribs. While I didn't have a beer, I loved that the 12 oz (small) comes out in a glass handled tankard instead of the typical cylindrical glass or pilsner.
I also ate lunch at Biaggi's (5195 Utica Ridge Rd, Davenport, IA 52807), an Italian restaurant about a half-step above Macaroni Grill. It's the midwestern counterpart to Maggiano's/Il Fornaio. The food was good and the service attentive and friendly. And it's one of the more upscale dining options in Bettendorf. This is a moderately sized midwestern chain of Italian bistro restaurants which first opened in 1998 in Indiana and has been steadily growing ever since.
Another place that caught my eye was Old Chicago (at Spruce Hills and Utica Ridge), but I didn't have time to make it in. Which is a shame because they have a Miller and Foster's Happy Hour special on Wednesdays. They're own by the same parent company that owns Rock Bottom Brewery, so I expect they not only make their own brews, but have a menu consisting of the standard "salads, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and burgers."
So, that's what I have to impart about the Quad Cities. Feel free to add your own experiences in the comments!
4 comments:
You missed the true Quad Cities dining experiences in these chain restaurants. You should have ate at the Machine Shed or Johnny's, had ice cream at Whiteyes, and midnight breakfast at Ross's.
Thanks for your suggestions. I saw Whitey's in Bettendorf and hope to check it out if I'm ever back there.
Unfortunately, I was only there for two days and when I tried to look up some good "local" places, not much came up on-line. Likewise, when I asked around in Bettendorf, nobody had much to recommend.
As a resident of Bettendorf, I'm glad to hear you made it to (and enjoyed) Governor's. Our family dines there sometimes and the staff is great about tending to our 3 and 4 year olds.
Should you have another trip, you should look at staying at one of the many bed & breakfasts overlooking the Mississippi or even the historic Abbey. It's an old monastery converted to a hotel. (www.theabbeyhotel.com). The anyonymous commentor was right that Whiteys is a must, as is Jim's Rib Haven in Rock Island. I also understand that Kelly's Irish Pub in northern Davenport just brought back a recipe that was retired when their father passed away. It's a rib recipe that had been served at their old family tap for years until it was sold. Oh, I could keep going, but unless you're coming back, maybe that's enough. :) Thanks for such kind words about our home.
Nicole, thanks for the additional suggestions. I enjoyed my quick visit and will defintiely hit Whitey and the other suggestions if I'm ever back in the Quad Cities. The Abbey Hotel sounds great. I stayed in a hotel in Nurnberg, Germany that was converted from an old Gothic castle and it was fantastic. The Abbey hotel reminds me of the same sort of thing. Not overly fancy, but you could feel the history all around and the aesthetics were amazing.
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