2018 Fall/Winter Iowa City Downtown District Magazine

DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT MAGAZINE | FALL + WINTER 2018 - 2019

new to the block

women in charge

checking in

serving students

newbies to the downtown scene Page 9

ladies take the lead

a hotel boom in downtown Page 29

meet dr. melissa shivers

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DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT MAGAZINE

EDITOR & ART DIRECTOR

IN THIS ISSUE OF D O W N T O W N IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT MAGAZINE | FALL + WINTER 2018 - 19

FRANKIE SCHNECKLOTH, LITTLE VILLAGE CREATIVE SERVICES

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 9

WRITERS AND EDITORS

CLOSER LOOK: CREATIVE AGENCIES

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ON THE BOOKS

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KELLI EBENSBERGER, CLAIRE MCGRANAHAN, PAUL BRENNAN, EMMA MCCLATCHEY, FRANKIE SCHNECKLOTH

DESIGNERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ZAK NEUMANN, FRANKIE SCHNECKLOTH, CHRISTOPHER HUNTER

New faces fill in empty storefronts

Creating in the heart of the city Picks from Downtowners!

ICDD STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | NANCY BIRD DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

STAY HERE 29

BETSY POTTER

NIGHTTIME MAYOR | ANGELA WINNIKE

Can Downtown support a growing hotel economy?

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS

CALENDAR 32

CHRISTOPHER HUNTER

These cold-weather events will keep you busy

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC ART THOMAS AGRAN

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT MARCUS BROWN

DOWNTOWNIOWACITY.COM FACEBOOK: /DOWNTOWNIC INSTAGRAM: @DOWNTOWNIOWACITY TWITTER: @ICDOWNTOWN COPYRIGHT ©2018 BY IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. ART DIRECTION, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND DESIGN BY LITTLE VILLAGE CREATIVE SERVICES.

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IN CONVERSATION WOMEN IN CHARGE

Female entrepreneurs make waves in Iowa City

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ON THE COVER:

DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT MAGAZINE | FALL + WINTER 2018 - 2019

BEST BITES 25 What to eat this season

WHAT TO GIFT

For yourself or someone else!

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Meet Dr. Melissa Shivers, Vice President of Student Life and Interim Chief of Diversity

28 new to the block

women in charge

checking in

serving students

newbies to the downtown scene Page 9

ladies take the lead

a hotel boom in downtown Page 29

meet dr. melissa shivers

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Kay Boyer, Kate Dreyer and Jessica Meyer, owners of newly-opened business The Shop.

Photo by Zak Neumann

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Curated Eyewear from Around the World

Frames + Lenses Starting at Only $149

Eyewear. Contact Lenses. Eye Exams.

Online Pricing. In Person Service.

www.SeeWellLookGreat.com

www.WearFocus.com

Now Open at 218 E Washington Street Across the street from Englert Theatre and Java House

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new kids on the block

WHO'S NEW?

New businesses fill vacancies in Downtown Iowa City

Just last year, Entrepreneur.com ranked Iowa City, Iowa as the #2 Best City for Entrepreneurs—beat out only by Alexandria, Virginia, where proximity to the nation’s capital ensures not only a low unemployment rate for the state, but an endless rotation of tourists to support its economic growth and sustainability.

Iowa City’s support system for locally grown businesses (home of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Iowa, the Iowa City Area Development group, Iowa City Downtown District and an active Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, to name just a few) provides the infrastructure new businesses need to find their footing, root into the community and grow a dedicated following.

LUXE INTERIORS Jan Finlayson and her team aren’t new to interior design, but their space at 281 N Linn St. is! Previously residing in Coralville, Luxe Interiors joined Iowa City’s Northside neighborhood in August 2018. Stop in during business hours to peruse their selection of home goods, or join them for their Wine Club on the last Wednesday of every month between 5-8 p.m. to sip, socialize and see their new space.

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new kids on the block WILD CULTURE KOMBUCHA TAPROOM & LOUNGE Rachelle Schmidt and Tim Roed have installed their kombucha at more than 40 locations locally and across 12 Iowa cities. They are now seeing their dream of opening a taproom in the former Sonny’s Northside Tap, 210 N Linn St., where they’ll serve kombucha alongside traditional bar offerings. The taproom is set to open in October of this year.

THE DANDY LION ^ Housed in the former Forbidden Planet space on the Ped Mall (111 S Dubuque St.), The Dandy Lion brings equal parts inventive early-day menu and hipster kitsch to downtown. Previous owner Tommy Connolly partnered with Lindsay Chastain to bring another early morning option to the table!

WHITE IVY EVENTS Amanda Burrell has been a wedding designer for six years, based in Iowa City since March 2017, and is a lifelong supporter of romance.

Her style is modern, organic and chic, and her services are the elegant touches of perfection supporting your big day. Visit whiteivyevents.com to schedule coffee with this early riser and start planning your next celebration.

GRADUATE IOWA CITY Not named for the famous movie of the same name, this hotel boasts ALL the black and gold spirit. Formerly The Sheraton Downtown, The Graduate Iowa City welcomes out-oftowners, book clubs, students and remoteworkers alike at Poindexter Coffee and Gene’s, an indoor-outdoor bar dedicated to the singular Gene Wilder and decorated with a heavy 1970’s vibe.

THE SHOP ^ Located at 4 S Dubuque St., The Shop Iowa City is the newest boutique specializing in home goods in the downtown area. Owned by three women—Jessica Meyer, Kate Dreyer, and Kay Boyer—and curating found, made, vintage and new décor, The Shop Iowa City opened in August in the successful wake of The Shop Kalona.

UP IN SMOKE His popular smoke shop and lounge in Cedar Falls prompted owner Omer Noorwala to set focus on 208 N Linn St. in the bustling Northside Iowa City neighborhood. A soft opening in August launched the business, which offers smoke, vape and hookah supplies.

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new kids on the block GOOSETOWN CAFÉ Aptly named for its Northside neighborhood address, Goosetown Café, owned by Peter Kessler, serves up breakfast and lunch any day but Tuesday and dinner Thursday through Saturday. Calling itself a "boheme bistro", this eatery offers imaginative options, riffing on old stand-bys like homemade Pop Tarts. Stop in at 203 N Linn St. to give them a try. < ESTELA’S FRESH MEX Six signature salsas help set this fresh and authentic style of Mexican cuisine apart from the crowd—along with the family’s 16-plus years of industry experience. Previously, the family and partners—Elsa de la Paz, Jerry Vasquez and Tyler Tiecke—owned and operated Mami’s Authentic. Named for the founder’s mother, Estela’s promises fresh food, made quick, with love. Visit at 184 E Burlington St. MAKER'S LOFT Located at 119 1/2 E Washington St this second floor retail space beckons street level shoppers promising a curated retail space stocked with goods from a community of local makers and artists. Discover new, interesting and emerging retail concepts as well as intimate performances.

ESPORT The only dedicated e-sports lounge in Iowa City is located at 123 E Washington St. in downtown Iowa City. They offer the everpopular Fortnite, PubG, League of Legends, GTA 5, DOTA 2, R6: Seige and CS:GO gaming for just $6 an hour; plus, they even serve food and drinks delivered directly to your station.

TEAMO TEA Another authentic boba tea spot has bubbled up in the heart of downtown Iowa City at 121 E Washington St. What’s even better, you can customize your tea, or order their own thoughtful concoction. Real, whole fruits are used in green, black, and oolong teas; supplemented with toppings, pearls and jellies.

SAINT BURCH > Successful restaurateurs Cory Kent, Ben Smart, Matt Swift, Nate Kaeding and Doug Goettsch took over Iowa City’s staple corner restaurant, Atlas (127 Iowa Ave.) last spring and slowly but effectively transitioned it to the area’s first raw bar. While the townie-cherished Buffalo Chicken Burrito remains on the menu, the rest of the food and the space got an overhaul. The restaurant’s new name is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Burch the Bear, The University of Iowa’s original mascot.

SOSEKI CAFÉ Iowa City’s latest sushi café and sake bar, owned by Kevin Wu, is located at 227 S Dubuque St. Serving Iowa City since October 2017, Soseki boasts grab-and-go sushi, a sake bar and coffee—making it your one-stop shop for morning coffee, lunch and dinner.

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closer look

CITY CENTER CREATIVES These Downtown-based creative studios hide right in plain sight.

CARPOOL CREATIVE CARPOOLCREATIVE.COM

SERVICES PROVIDED

Carpool Creative is a full-service creative/ design agency providing everything from concepting for large campaigns,to branding, to content creation. With talented videographers, photographers, writers, graphic designers, animators and project managers among their team, Carpool has evolved over the years to focus primarily on video and motion graphics work, creating a lot of short-form marketing videos these days as well as increasing focus on documentary work and emotive storytelling projects.

CLIENTS

Nearly all Carpool clients are local. The impetus for starting Carpool as a creative co-op years ago was a chance to work with smart and talented creatives across all disciplines while

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taking on rewarding projects and supporting local businesses. Any time the team can collaborate with a local start-up, an established company or institution, or city organizations, they're excited to create something really engaging. Previous clients include the University, ICAD, ICDD, Meld, Meta and Ramdo, to name a few, as well as a few larger businesses in the area.

TEAM

Carpool operates on a unique model. With origins as a co-op, and still operating that way today for the most part, Carpool, led by Laura and Eric Kome, has a couple people that are full time, but many have full-time or part-time jobs, or freelance. This organization structure allows for low overhead, and allows the team to be very nimble, scaling up or down on a perproject basis, and assigning the best people for that particular project quickly.

DAILY GRIND

Day-to-day life varies quite a bit for Carpool.

Their home-base is MERGE, but much of their work and collaboration is done virtually which helps to keep the work fresh and lively, and the work environment energetic and open to creative ideas.

FAVORITE PROJECTS

The team at Carpool has worked with the Iowa City Downtown District to produce videos over the last couple of years. Some favorites include the videos for Northside Neighborhood, Northside Oktoberfest, Downtown Block Party, etc., as those are a lot of fun, and allow the team to jump right into the action. Excited by new ideas, creative people and trying things that havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been done, the creatives behind Carpool have a hard time picking just one favorite project.

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BENSON & HEPKER DESIGN 105 IOWA AVE, SUITE 202 | BHDESIGN.COM

SERVICES PROVIDED

Benson & Hepker Design services clients with print and branding design needs.

CLIENTS

Clients of B & H Design include a range of local, regional and national clients. Owner, Robyn Hepker paraphrases Howard Roark, saying, "Anyone who needs my kind of design is my kind of client."

TEAM

Benson & Hepker Design is a one-womanshow. As previous employees left, Hepker forgot to replace them!

DAILY GRIND

Hepker approaches her days with a basic plan of what needs to get done; after checking e-mails first thing, that usually shifts a bit.

Meetings and design time are scheduled in blocks, to provide an opportunity to focus, either on the clients, or the projects.

FAVORITE PROJECTS

Hepker believes good design starts with good chemistry between the designer and the client, and once you have that, the sky is the limit, no matter what the project is. Humbled by all of her clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;current and pastâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;every single one of them has been a gamechanger in their own way.

CREATIVE MELLEN 24 1/2 S CLINTON ST | CREATIVEMELLEN.COM

SERVICES PROVIDED

Creative Mellen is a small graphic design studio that focus on branding specifically, helping to grow brands through identity, web and mobile.

CLIENTS

Clients range from higher education to doggy day care.

Because Creative Mellen avoids pigeon-holing themselves into a specific niche, it keeps the creative fresh for their clients; a broad focus can bring more to the table.

TEAM

Owner and led by Kevin Mellen, the team includes a writer and a production designer and partners with two others on web design and additional content.

DAILY GRIND

Sometimes it involves meeting with a photographer to scout locations, mapping out web design or meeting with a client to review new or existing creative.

FAVORITE PROJECTS

Mellen worked with Von Maur recently to produce a hardcover history book that detailed the story of retail stores. The group also just finished the new packaging for Sutliff Cider which just launched in early September.

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on the books

What We're Reading...

PATTY MCCARTHY

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

BILL NUSSER

OWNER HANDS JEWELERS

CASSIDY BELL

STORE DIRECTOR TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES

100 Best Vegetarian Recipes, Carol Gelles

Moments of Clarity: Voices from the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery, Christopher Kennedy Lawford

Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly

Delicious. Food. Every. Time. The recipes are uncomplicated, full of easy-to-grow or -buy ingredients, and result in “let’s make it again” meals. Favorites include eggplant rollatini, curried chickpeas and kale, chili and quinoa with mixed vegetables. Be ready to share the recipes after you serve them to friends. Many of the recipes are also vegan. I first borrowed 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes from the Iowa City Public Library about a decade ago when one of our children became a vegetarian. Then I bought a copy to ensure it would be available when needed because it seemed to be checked out all the time. It’s such a good cookbook that I continue to buy it to give as a graduation present. Happy healthier eating!

This is a collection of short stories by approximately 40 (mostly) famous people about their transformation from addiction to recovery. These stories will be of great interest and inspiration to anyone addicted and, to the non-addicted, they are a rare glimpse into the distorted thinking of the addict. Some of the stories are lurid, others prosaic—this book is a wild ride hard to put down and a must-read for anyone seeking any kind of understanding of addicts, whether addicted, recovering or seeking a look into the addict’s mind.

This heartbreaking story is based on true experiences of women, mostly Polish, who were sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp during World War II. The story weaves the narratives of three women: a prisoner, a Nazi doctor and an American socialite. The socialite, Caroline Ferriday is a real woman who brought these former prisoners to America for treatment after the war. I appreciated the additional narrative by the Nazi doctor. Her humanity was a stark reminder that all of the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust were human-caused. It’s a great read that is so engaging, I didn’t even realize it was based on true events and real people until I got to the author’s note at the end.

F A L L' S B E S T N E W C O O K B O O K S

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These recommendations from Prairie Lights Bookstore are sure to keep your cold-weather dinner table full of fresh inventive and internationally inspired recipes. A Common Table blends Chinese, Southern and Korean influences with a modern twist. Season combines the flavors of Indian cooking with familiar ingredients and recipes. Estela presents a creative and influential twist on comfort food. Ottolenghi Simple hits on Middle Eastern flavors, and all recipes are simple in preparation or ingredients.

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LEADING W LADIES Iowa City's Downtown has a record number of female entrepreneurs leading the way.

BY KELLI EBENSBERGER FALL + WINTER 2018-19 |

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omen dominate the market economy on both fronts, consumer and business owner. On average in the United States, women account for 85% of consumer purchases, especially mothers and millennials, and one out of every 16 women own a business. However, Iowa has struggled severely to encourage and incentivize female business owners. Iowa is among the lowest 10 ranks out of 50 states and D.C. for lowest economic clout growth rate of female-owned businesses and the lowest 10 in percentage of female-owned businesses with paid employees.

In the uncertainty and instability of late capitalism, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unwise at best for struggling downtowns across the state to resist reflecting their target consumer base.

However, Iowa City is definitively an outlier and, hopefully, trendsetter for the rest of the state.

Iowa City as a whole ranks among the highest for female owned businesses, alongside Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City Downtown District alone has more than 60 women owned businesses, some of which are proudly owned by immigrant and millennial women. For the benefit of business owners and consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not to mention the local economy as a whole, with female-owned businesses having higher growth rates than all businesses for the last 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Iowa City Downtown District has and continues to foster a local market where female business owners are the norm. Through both their retail recruitment campaign focused specifically

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on women-owned businesses and by establishing support systems for Downtown retailers, the District is working to grow the ecosystem.

The face of downtown is constantly changing, connecting, and welcoming new businesses. Some transplants from elsewhere in Iowa decide to open up in downtown Iowa City for its “artistic vibe and a value for culture and art,” such as The Shop, owned by Kay Boyer, Kate Dreyer and Jessica Meyer, which began in Kalona. Others like Dumpling Darling, co-owned by Leslie Triplett, use Iowa City as the perfect place to build a following at farmers markets and in grocery stores, establishing a solid financial foundation before establishing more locations in Iowa.

Trailblazers in this realm, the Iowa Chapter of the National Association for Women Business Owners (NAWBO) began in 1986 to specifically address Iowan women’s issues in business on a national stage. Moving into the new millennium, Iowa Women Lead Change (IWLC) began in 2006 and has reshape the business landscape by encouraging companies like The Shop and Dumpling Darling in their trans-Iowa growth. By acting as a resource for female entrepreneurs to make connections with the hopes of increasing and maintaining female-owned businesses, IWLC’s Corridor Women Connect works specifically within the Creative Corridor by “leveraging resources, sharing best practices, solutions and providing opportunities and events.”

Iowa City is blooming with opportunity through its tradition of encouraging local business and proximity to the University of Iowa, a critical element to the thriving downtown retail and restaurant industry.

Every year, people come from around the state to attend Hawkeye games, visit loved ones at the state-of-the-art University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and become Iowa students. The Downtown District offers everything one could need, from culinary adventures to fun shopping experiences, annual festivals and block parties and so much more, making Iowa City an exciting oasis of the Iowan prairie lands.

edge nail, waxing and eyelash services, catered to the students and locals of Iowa City. Tran opened up her downtown salon in March 2013 and has been thriving since.

She frequently visits Chicago to attend shows and classes, which feature new products and techniques, because she knows the value of staying innovative and relevant. While there are predictable upticks in business, such as the week of sorority events and holiday seasons, Tran and her team (which includes her sister Anna and her aunt-in-law Tina) prioritize building a rapport with new and returning customers while delivering a highquality service.

While the proximity of the University helps by supplying a customer base, it also encourages students to get involved in local

entrepreneurship. Amanda Burrell, owner of White Ivy Events, was one of four womenowned businesses to spring up this past summer and one of the youngest business owners in Iowa City to date. A 22 year old and recent graduate of the Tippie College of Business, Burrell has found mentorship and encouragement in Iowa City from the start. White Ivy officially began in March 2017 while she was still in school, following a business pitch project, which was picked up by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. Burrell became one of the most funded female members of the Founder’s Club, a program at Iowa that helps students pursuing creation of a startup while in school.

Now, White Ivy’s office is within fellow Iowa City newbie Luxe Interiors, owned by Jan

BUILDING BUSINESS: Dalena Tran, owner of V's Nail Studio, hard at work.

Dalena Tran owns V’s Nail Studio, located at 20 S Clinton below Clinton Street Social Club, and the clientele supplied by the University of Iowa was one of the main attractions for her to open a nail salon in the Downtown District. Having emigrated from Vietnam when she was 18, Tran aspired to be her own boss and open up her own business.

Her original salon was in Coralville, however due to flooding in 2005, Tran’s new goal was to open a salon that offered cutting-

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Finlayson, at 281 N Linn St. Finlayson knew Burrell through a previous connection, and upon hearing she was starting a business, helped her with setting up a space where she could meet clients and stage promotional photo shoots, as well as mingle with other local businesses.

With weddings throughout the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids area as well as in Minneapolis, Burrell wanted White Ivy to be able to fit any wedding when it comes to budget, aesthetic, and the couple’s desired role of the wedding planner. She has made connections with vendors through the Downtown District and this has widened her ability to cater to weddings of various styles and on tight timelines. “Customer service is key,” says Burrell of her need to be a jackof-all-trades in a wedding. “I’ve emceed, cut cake, ushered. Whatever needs to be done, I’ll do it.”

Burrell knows the value of paying it forward, welcoming summer interns who want to try their hand at event planning.

Having interned with Jane Lickerman at See Jane Plan in Minneapolis, she valued the opportunity to test drive a career before jumping in to it; but more than that, the opportunity to learn from a successful business woman and her resources was priceless. Without the guidance of Finlayson, Lickerman, her mentors at Iowa, and the Downtown District, White Ivy may have struggled to get off the ground rather than being welcomed and encouraged to succeed.

Rather than seeing everyone as mere customers, small town, independent

WORKING TOGETHER: Amanda Burrell and mentor Jan Finlayson inside Luxe Interiors.

SETTING UP SHOP: Opened in August, The Shop sells vintage, restored and repurposed furniture and home decor.

"Customer service is key. I’ve emceed, cut cake, ushered. Whatever needs to be done, I’ll do it."

-Amanda Burrell, White Ivy Events

businesses have the opportunity to create relationships with people as fellow community members and equal shareholders in building a dynamic lifestyle for everyone.

Women-owned businesses are set up for success in the Iowa City Downtown District, which supports mentoring between businesses by acting as a networking resource, orchestrates a monthly “retail caucus,” and coordinates collaborative events and marketing strategies.

The Iowa City Downtown District acts FALL + WINTER 2018-19 |

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as a wonderful and gracious host to their businesses, especially to greenhorn business owners. “[The Iowa City Downtown District] reached out when we first open to see what we needed and thoughts we had,” says Tran of the support she received upon first opening her salon on Clinton Street. For Iowa City to continue striving to pull Iowa up from its shameful ranking, this inquisitive and egalitarian measure will be vital to maintaining successful businesses. Taking a page from the NAWBO and IWLC, the Downtown District could flourish by striving to incentivize successful businesses from around the state to take up residence in Iowa City.

Business owners know what they and their customers need on the day-to-day, for they are on the front lines of consumer experience in the area. The Downtown District has endless data and analysis to be gleaned from these business owners through open forums, annual reports, and even casual grievance and suggestion stating. We all live in this community and need to know that our town is listening and adapting to the future. These forms of open dialogue could bring about the progressive change needed to entice and maintain an amalgam of businesses, allowing Iowa City to be a role model for downtowns across the state.

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best bites

SLURP IT UP Ramen is a staple of any major city, because it’s always full of flavor, affordable and fills you for hours, and Soseki’s miso ramen delivers on all these points. Fast service is a staple here and this warm, almost overflowing bowl is always delivered within 10 minutes of ordering. Bowls are served with ramen noodles, a seven-minute egg, kamboko, bamboo shoots, green onion, and seaweed, in a pork miso broth with your choice of pork, beef, chicken or shrimp.

Uncle Sun’s is a gem hidden in plain sight, and their hot pot is a special treat.

A hot pot—a boiling pot of broth brought to the table and served with uncooked meats and vegetables which you cook in the broth at your table—is a fun dish for a big group to share alongside entrees, or for two to split as a meal. There are endless combinations to try, with two broth options and more than 40 meat and vegetable selections. Make it a goal to try everything once this fall!

Seoul Grill is one of the most busy lunch restaurants in town. Inside the Old Capitol Mall, this hole in the wall has a line out the door before they open and for good reason. Their authentic Korean food is unique amongst the cuisine in Iowa City and has a quality that speaks for itself. One of their best dishes is the creamy oxtail soup, which, despite Iowa’s affection for beef, is rarely found.

This soup is full of tender, cooked-down oxtail and vermicelli noodles, served in a creamy beef broth and topped with green onion. This dish and a side of dumplings is the perfect thing to get you through your work day.

^ Oxtail Soup at Seoul Grill

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best bites

For a full-bodied but still palatable and balanced wine this fall, look for a red from the southern Rhone region. Guillame Gonnet is one of the big names in wine this time of year. His wines boast a spicy, leathery taste full of black pepper and tobacco. If you are looking to impress the family or splurge on a loved one, consider his Chateauneuf-du-Pape, La Muse ($69.99) from Bread Garden Market. This wine swells with plum and floral violet taste at the front, a perfumed fragrance filling your senses. For a more affordable, everyday wine by Gonnet, try his Lirac, La Virtuose ($16.99). This wine boasts a stewed berry quality, rich but not overly sweet, full of garrigue, the local wild herb flora such as lavender, sage and tarragon.

^ Breakfast Grain Bowl at Goosetown Café

BOWLED OVER

The newest breakfast joint on the Northside, Goosetown Cafe is dishing up breakfast in the most relaxed way possible: everything all in one bowl. These no-fuss dishes are full of beautifully composed individual ingredients, like mushroom ragout and pickled onions. The scrambles are served with the best hashbrowns in town, crispy and compartmentalized (you can hold it in your hand a la McDonalds!) but creamy like mashed potatoes on the inside.

For a quick weekday brunch, check out the

chorizo avocado scramble or the Old Capitol Tofu grain bowl! Or if dinner is more your thing, head to Northside mainstay Devotay.

Specializing in Spanish tapas and craft cocktails, their paella is an explosive showstopper.

Whether it’s their classic house mix, full of perfectly cooked octopus, clams and chicken; the vegetable mix, featuring local and seasonal produce; or their breakfast paella, with a poached egg and chorizo, the spiced saffron rice serves as the perfect vehicle to carry these delicious flavors. Tuck into a big bowl with a friend and feel transported.

SWEET TREATS FOR THOSE COLD NIGHTS

^ Chocolate chip cookies from Cortado

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Cold desserts in cold weather don’t seem like an ideal match. But Iowans are tough as hell, and they love the Hamburg Inn. End your night at this greasy spoon with a thick, creamy pie shake. The chocolate bourbon pecan shake brings a classic pecan pie flavor and the pie crust and nuts provide a nice crunch. The brambleberry shake, made with apples, raspberry and rhubarb, will satisfy those with a penchant for fresh, tart fruit. Crepes de Luxe is one of the most delicious brunch options in town, and the fast service and delicious food keep the wait to a minimum, even on a busy Sunday morning. If you still have room after your savory crepe entree, try a Crepe du Chef. This delicious pastry is filled with cooked cinnamon apples, blueberries, warm honey and whipped cream. This balanced, warm dessert brings a new seasonal twist to a familiar dish. For something a bit more traditional, try one of Cortado’s chocolate chip cookies. These cookies are FULL of gourmet dark chocolate chunks. Like, basically 50 percent chocolate, if not more. They’re such a hit that the waitstaff don’t bother putting them in the pastry case; the baking tray sits on top of the case and before the tray has cooled, the cookies are gone.

No one will tell the secret to these delicious gooey treats, and we won’t press them.

Inspired by a classic tiki drink, the Walk the Plank at Clinton Street Social Club may seem out of season, but it brings something a bit cheeky to a season that usually sees more stirred and boozy drinks. With coconut milk, pineapple, lime, maple syrup, Navy strength rum at 114 proof and Four Roses bourbon, it's appropriate year-round, but playful enough to brighten a cold and bleak Iowa winter.

Prairie Lights is one of the perfect places to cuddle up with your new favorite read and a good coffee in the heart of a UNESCO City of Literature. Using Stumptown beans, the baristas can sling classic concoctions like Americanos and mochas, but one of the real gems on the menu is a house special, the Black Rider. A dry cappuccino (less steamed milk than foam) served with organic caramel, topped with black sea salt flakes, this drink is one of the most popular.

Full of probiotics and wonderful flavors, kombucha is one of the tastiest health trends and we are here for it. Wild Culture Kombucha, owned by Rachelle Schmidt and Tim Roed, are brewing up some specialty fall kombuchas. Keep an eye out for a tart cranberry brew, which makes an excellent mix for a winter cocktail, and an apple cinnamon maple kombucha. Cheers the brewmasters themselves at their new Northside taproom, or pick up a growler at select distributors throughout the Corridor.

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BREAD GARDEN MARKET

WHITE BEAN, SAUSAGE AND RAPINI SOUP Add to your go-to cold-weather recipes with some delicious, hearty soup, inspired

by Bread Garden Market and Executive Chef Christian Prochaska.

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb Bread Garden Marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housemade Italian sausage 1 lb fresh rapini 1 14-oz can diced tomato 3 15-oz cans cannellini beans 4 cups chicken stock 2-3 carrots, finely chopped 1 large white onion, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped Salt and pepper, to taste Bread (optional)

DIRECTIONS: In a large stock pot, cook sausage. Add onion, celery and carrots to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until tender. Add seasonings. Stir in chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Add canned beans. Finally, turn off heat and add rapini until tender. Portion into bowls and serve with a side of bread.

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what to wear

BUILD YOUR LOOK |

Kick those winter blues to the curb with these boldly patterned and printed picks from Downtown retailers.

clockwise from top left: striped pullover, Active Endeavors; patterned pullover, Catherine's; plaid blazer, Velvet Coat; silver pumps, Domby; checkered pants, White Rabbit; plant poster, Moss; plaid skirt, Revival; gift wrap, r.s.v.p.; sweatpants, The Full Kit; orange camo sweater, Revival, camo fanny pack, The Full Kit; running shoes, Active Endeavors; scarf, Dulcinea; food socks, RayGun; kantha quilt, Ten Thousand Villages.

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THE SUITE LIFE The booming hotel scene in our Downtown neighborhood, explained.

BY PAUL BRENNAN

D

owntown has always been the cultural, dining and entertainment heart of Iowa City, but until recently visitors wanting to stay there could only find two hotels: the Sheraton and hotelVetro. Even the distinction between the two wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that great.

Not only were both located on the Ped Mall, but the Sheraton managed hotelVetro.

Things are changing.

In October 2017, the 12-story Hilton Garden Inn opened on Clinton Street across from the University of Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Voxmann School of Music, adding 143 hotel rooms to Downtown. The new hotel also added the chance to get a sweeping view of Iowa City from on high, thanks to its rooftop bar, Vue. Eleven months after the Hilton Garden Inn welcomed its first guests, the 151-room Hyatt Place opened, as part of The Rise, a 15-story mixed-use project on Court Street. The block-sized building also features other commercial spaces, as well as residential units.

Two more Downtown hotels are currently under construction, and, like Hyatt Place, both will be part of mixeduse projects.

The smaller of those two hotels is the part of the most controversial Downtown development project in recent years, the Chauncey Swan Tower. Located next to the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp, on the former site of John Wilson Sporting Goods,

ON THE RISE: The Hilton

Garden Inn opened in the fall of 2017, bringing 143 new hotel rooms to downtown Iowa City.

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CHECKING IN': Collegiate themed Graduate Hotel occupies the former Sheraton Hotel in the heart of the Ped Mall.

the tower was originally planned to be 20 stories. The prospect of such a tall structure on Washington Street generated strong opposition, petitions against the project and two lawsuits.

A citizen’s group, the Coalition Against the Shadow, filed a lawsuit over the project’s height, but a state appeals court ruled the group had no standing to sue, and the Iowa Supreme Court refused to review that ruling. Trinity Episcopal Church, close by the construction site, also sued over zoning issues, but that case was settled out of court.

It took four years, and a five-story reduction in the planned height of the structure, for the Chauncey Tower developers to successfully navigate past the opposition.

On a cold December day in 2016, there was finally a ground-breaking ceremony for the resized project. In addition to a 35-room boutique hotel, the tower will have residential units, office spaces, a restaurant connected to a Brunswick bowling alley and a new theater for FilmScene. It’s scheduled to open in early 2019.

The other downtown hotel currently

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“We want everyone who lives and works in the community to make this your living room. We want you to come here, we want you to hang out in the lobby or the coffee shop.”

-Tim Franzen, President, Graduate Hotels

under construction is the Element by Westin, the first extended stay-style hotel in the downtown area. The 91-unit hotel, with apartment-like suites (complete with full kitchens), will occupied one of the two 7-story towers of a mixed-use development, Hieronymus Square. Because it is an extended-stay hotel, the Element aims to appeal to customers who are in Iowa City either on long business stays or because someone is being treated at the UI Hospital.

While the Element will have the extendedstay segment of the hotel market largely to itself, the other hotels will be competing for the same Iowa City visitors. And the new downtown hotels aren’t the only one in the area that have recently opened or will open in the near future. Coralville has five. Altogether, this boom in construction will bring the total number of hotel rooms available in the Iowa City-Coralville area to 3.604.

Some critics have suggested the construction boom might result in price war, in which area hotels try to undercut each other and ultimately damage the entire market. The Iowa City Council, however, has

confidence the new hotels will prove successful.

It not only approved the construction of each, it also provided financial support for all of them.

The city’s three-year budget plan for fiscal years 2018-2020 notes, “After a dip in revenue during FY2010, hotel/motel tax receipts are above prerecession levels and have increased over each of the last six fiscal years.” Iowa City has a 7 percent tax on gross hotel/motel room rental receipts, and the revenue from the tax is split between the police department, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In FY 2017, the most recent year for which there is data available, the hotel/motel tax generated $1,137,000 for the city. That represents an increase of 5.37 percent over revenue from the previous year.

From a business point of view, Iowa City is an attractive location for a hotel. Most importantly, it’s a university town. According to the hospitality industry magazine, Hotel Management, university towns are considered recession-proof. “While other markets are susceptible to the ebb and flow of the local and national economy (think hotels in energy markets when oil foundered), college towns

have a consistent flow of traffic regardless of the overall economy,” the magazine explained in May. This steady flow of traffic inspired Chicagobased AJ Capital Partners to start a collegiatethemed hotel chain with locations in selected university towns. The first Graduate Hotel opened in Athens, Georgia (home of the University of Georgia) in 2014. In June 2017, the company announced Iowa City would the site of its ninth property, when it bought the Sheraton and took over management of hotelVetro. Five months later, it closed the Sheraton for extensive remodeling.

The new Graduate Hotel opened its doors in June 2018. Its décor celebrates the University of Iowa, with a bold black-and-gold pattern on its exterior, and nods to both Hawkeye landmarks (Kinnick Stadium) and a famous alum (Gene Wilder) in its rooms.

But the décor also reflects more than just campus life. It also celebrates Iowa City’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature. The walls and the pillars of the hotel’s lobby are covered with a handwritten work of literature by local writer Tim Taranto. Iowa City’s identity as a worldclass literary center was an important factor in

Graduate Hotels’ decision to buy the Sheraton.

“We want to go to university markets that are really vibrant, that really have a lot to offer. That have a reason to come to town other than the university,” explained Tim Franzen, president of Graduate Hotels, during the Iowa City Downtown District’s annual State of Downtown presentation in June. The presentation was held in the Graduate’s lobby, and Franzen said he hoped the lobby would become a center for community life downtown.

“We want everyone who lives and works in the community to make this your living room,” Franzen said. "We want you to come here, we want you to hang out in the lobby or the coffee shop.”

If that happens, then despite all the changes downtown, one of its oldest hotel locations will remain at the center of the Iowa City hotel scene.

HOTELS IN DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY The Graduate Hotel 210 S Dubuque St Hilton Garden Inn 328 S Clinton St Hyatt Place 255 E Court St HotelVetro 201 S Linn St Chauncey (opening August 2019) S Gilbert St Element (under construction) S Clinton St

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calendar

TO DO THIS FALL + WINTER SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY November 24 Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

SANTA SATURDAYS November 24, December 1, 8, 15, 22 Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

HORSE-DRAWN HOLIDAY TROLLEY November 24, December 1, 8, 15, 22 Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

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HUNT FOR ELVES November 24 - December 24

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS CRANDIC BASH - December 6

Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

Graduate Hotel littlevillagetickets.com

NOT YOUR MOTHER'S CRAFT FAIR December 8

LIBRARY FRIENDS FOUNDATION'S ANNUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS BAZAAR December 8

MERGE - Downtown Iowa City facebook.com/notyourmotherscraft

GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION December The Graduate Hotel graduatehotels.com/iowa-city/ events

Iowa City Public Library icpl.org

EASTSIDE ARTIST FESTIVAL December 8 Downtown Iowa City eastsideartist.com

DOWNTOWN TEDDY BEAR ROOM November 24 - December 22 Hilton Garden Inn downtowniowacity.com

ONE BOOK TWO BOOK FESTIVAL - February 22-24 Downtown Iowa City onebooktwobook.org

TOP CHEF - February Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

MISSION CREEK FESTIVAL April 2-7 Downtown Iowa City missioncreekfestival.com

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in conversation

MEET MELISSA SHIVERS: Vice President for Student Life and Interim Chief Diversity Officer, University of Iowa.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU...

I was born in Georgia and I am a first‐generation college graduate who attended Georgia Southern University. I earned my master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance Services from Clemson University and completed a P.h.D. from the University of Georgia in College and Student Personnel Services. I love working with college students—it has been a passion of mine for over 20 years.

WHAT PREVIOUS WORK LED YOU HERE TO UI? I have over 20 years of experience supporting and serving students. Prior to my arrival at the University of Iowa, I served as the associate vice chancellor for student life and dean of students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a role I held since June 2014. I previously served as the assistant vice chancellor for student life at the University of Tennessee, where I helped coordinate the university’s ambitious initiative to become one of the nation’s top 25 public research universities.

YOU JUST TOOK ON THE NEW ROLE OF INTERIM CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER. HOW DID THAT COME TO BE? When I came to Iowa, I had absolutely no idea I would be doing this work. In April, President Bruce Harreld met with me and asked me if I would serve as the interim CDO until a new hire is made. It has given me an opportunity to learn a lot about other areas of the university and how the University of Iowa works hard to be a welcoming, inclusive place for all.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST HURDLES YOU FIND YOURSELF FACING IN THIS POSITION?

The biggest challenge with the CDO position is making sure that the search for a permanent person goes smoothly. These positions are in heavy demand across the country, but I believe that the UI has a great deal to offer both professionally and personally. We have a strong search committee, and I have no doubt we are going to end up with an incredible, innovative leader to help us further diversity, equity and inclusion at the university.

WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

Without a doubt, the best part of my job is the conversations and interactions I have with students. I absolutely love learning from college students. They are our greatest resource and the future of our world. I feel so lucky to work with them on a daily basis. As you get into administrative positions, it can be harder to see students as frequently. I make an effort to walk around campus, speak at their events, invite them in for office hours several days each month and seek out their energy.

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THE SMARTEST PLACE TO STAY Graduate Iowa City is proudly perched on the Ped

present, future and is ready for a bite. Head on into our

Mall (the heart of downtown) and a five-minute walk

70’s inspired bar, Gene’s, where even Dad would be

from Kinnick Stadium just ‘cross the river from cam-

jealous of the downhome vibes and beers on tap.

pus—making us home team central for Hawkeye meet ups, a downtown caucus, and all the best

So, whether you’re in town rallying for a Hawkeye win,

shops and stops! (Raygun, anyone?) Poindexter

taking in a show at Hancher Performing Arts Center or

Coffee, our lobby-level café, complete with number

up for a meeting, we’re here to make it memorable.

two pencil-clad walls, reminds us of writers past,

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LO CATI ON

CO NTACT

210 South Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA 52240

Tel: 319 337 4058 graduatehotels.com

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TRU ART

103 E. COLLEGE STREET SUITE 200 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240