Shameless plug for a friend’s business here–but it’s a great business well worth shamelessly plugging. In fact, I amend my adjective: This is a shame-free plug for a friend’s excellent business.
The Fruited Plain Cafe was just written up in the New York Times. Co-owned and managed by Laremy DeVries, a man with whom I once shared a dorm room and a crush on the same girl (more on that in a minute), this dandy little establishment serves the tiny town of Sioux Center Iowa with premium coffee, wines from around the world, a fine beer selection, plenty of lunch fare, and dinners served up on weekends by none other than their resident Sicilian, Giovanni Romero. Read the article for more about Giovanni and his authentic Italian culinary stylings.
Laremy married and had a precocious daughter with Rebecca (Schelhaas) DeVries, the aforementioned mutual crush as well as the co-owner of–and the brains behind–the Fruited Plain. What can I say? When you’re outmatched, sometimes you just need to step aside and let the victor claim his prize–and a prize she is indeed. Together, the two run a comfortable, unassuming, yet cultured little establishment that is winning over more and more local residents by the day. Trying to sound as pretentious as possible, I regularly tell Lar that I’d probably frequent his cafe as much as any in Chicago. The only difference between the Fruited Plain and any of the hip, well-run places in these parts is that I don’t have to pay $8.50 for a scone or feel out of place amongst the ironic t-shirts, tight jeans, and meticulously bedraggled hairstyles of the hipster hoards that frequent them.
The Cafe features fairly-traded coffee, a stage where young musicians flip the hair out of their eyes to tell you about why they wrote this next song, an elegant Backroom Bistro that serves 50 patrons, family-style, and even a small play area for the kids. It’s one of those small-town places that can make a jaded city dweller rethink his choice of habitat.
If you live in Iowa or happen by my old college town of Sioux Center, stop by “the Plain” and tell them Adam sent you. After they say “Adam who?” and you patiently (but curtly) respond “SMIT,” they’ll smile and offer you a warm cup of something and a plate with something else you’ll invariably scarf right on down.
And goodness gracious do they need a website. I think I’ll see if I can help with that.
