October 23 2013

Page 1

The

Graphic - Advocate Wednesday

| OCTOBER 23, 2013|Volume 124| Issue 43

Rockwell City Office 712-297-7544 • advocate@iowatelecom.net - Lake City Office 712-464-3188 • lcgraphic@iowatelecom.net SCC Sports on pages 12 and 13

www.thegraphic-advocate.com

Carnegie Café blends cuisine and history By Ken Ross Graphic-Advocate Editor A bit of Lake City culture was in danger of being lost this year when the founder and owner of the Carnegie Café, Colin King, decided to no longer operate his bistro-style café. The café is located across from the Lake City square in the former library that was funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The café had a reputation for excellent and unique cuisine but even before King decided to no

dinners. There are a few additions to the menu, but many of the signature items of the former owner remain in place. Green explained that the recipes were sold along with the business and King trained the new owners in recipe preparation. In June, the new owners took over operation. A significant improvement is in the regularity of the hours. The café is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., “Or

$100

a customer who happens to be an experienced cook, tried to guess the ingredients of the dressing, naming four ingredients, none of which is contained in the dressing. Green and Schwering are particularly proud of their Carnegie Corner, which pays tribute to the man who sold Carnegie Steel in 1901 to J.P. Morgan and used the money to build 3,000 libraries, including 101 in Iowa. He also paid for thousands of church organs across the country. “We serve unique meals with a

Jeff Schwering and Tami Green, stand in front of the Carnegie Corner in their café, with memorabilia honoring the philanthropist who paid for the building that served as Lake City’s library for nearly a century. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross)

Jennifer Rossmanith is the chef and manager for the Carnegie Café where the former library check out desk now serves as the bar. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross) longer operate the café, he had other interests. King bought the former library from the city in 2003 for $1 and operated it for 10 years. In April of this year, King approached Tami Green in an effort to recruit someone to keep the business operating. Green is a CPA involved in a number of community activities, including serving on the Lake City Council. “I didn’t want to see this close. In my heart, I knew the potential this place had, so I talked my husband into helping me keep this place open,” Green said. Her husband, Jeff Schwering, was a recent retiree from Graham Tire Center, and shared his wife’s optimism regarding the café’s potential. “We both support the town as much as possible. It was important to keep this open,” Schwering said. Schwering was not really successful at retiring, returning to work in Mason City three days a week and then five days a week. On Friday and Saturday evenings, Green and Schwering are hosts at the Carnegie Cafe. Green also recruited her daughterin-law, Jennifer Rossmanith, to serve as manager and also as full-time chef for both the Monday through Friday lunch and the Friday and Saturday

whenever people are done. We don’t turn people away,” Green said. The Friday and Saturday dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. People who have reservations have priority but much of the business is from walk-in customers. There will be evenings when private parties result in the closing of business to walk-in traffic, particularly as the Christmas party season arrives, but this will be posted well in advance on Facebook. The café will also be opened on nights during the week to accommodate private parties. Green noted that people come from Waterloo or Des Moines or Sioux City just to dine at the Carnegie Café, particularly since the business was featured on the IPTV program Iowa’s Simple Pleasures (the archived episode can be accessed through the IPTV website). This episode about Lake City also included Cornerstone Suites and Dobson Pipe Organ. One of the more popular items featured on the Iowa’s Simple Pleasures episode is the Cranapple Salad with a secret dressing. Schwering noted that

slice of history,” Green said. The new owners have expanded the library theme. New menus now at the printers will have new names of menu items as well as signature drinks in the theme of books. The 50 Shades of Grey is a cocktail that includes Grey Goose, Blue Curacao and cranberry liqueur and their Reuben sandwich has been renamed Catcher in the Rye, just two examples of the book-themed offerings.

The café offers a variety of beers, both domestic and imported. There are four house label wines produced by an Indianola winery. Green and Schwering plan to make a wine tasting trip soon to add to their selection of wines. A new promotion being offered is a rewards program, with a magnetic strip card that provides discounts for repeat customers. This card can also be used as gift certificates. There is an upcoming Grand

Reopening on Nov. 15 and 16 with details yet to be worked out. Patrick Vanderheiden of Lake City Flowers plans an open house event at the same time. He assists in the decoration of the Carnegie Café and Green promises that the Christmas decorations this year will be impressive. “I really enjoy the creative aspect of this business,” Green said.

A building funded by Andrew Carnegie served as the library in Lake City from 1908 to 2003. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross)

Over $99,000 available for grants in Calhoun County

Hobo Stew Served

The Depot People served up a hearty meal of Hobo Stew, hot dogs and ice cream during their popular annual fund raising at the old depot in Rockwell City. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross)

The Calhoun County Community Foundation (CCCF) has received more than $99,000 for grant distribution to non-profit 501c3 corporations or government entities for projects that positively impact quality of life in Calhoun County. The grants, up to $5,000, can be used for projects which fall under: arts & culture, community affairs & development, education, environmental protection, health, historic preservation and human services. Funds are intended for new projects, or for the enhancement or expansion of existing services, programs, or facilities; ongoing operational expenses of an organization are not eligible for grant funding. The Calhoun County Community Foundation was formed in 2005 to coordinate and provide philanthropic

support for community betterment projects in Calhoun County. More than $600,000 has been granted to 173 local projects over the past 8 years, leveraging more than $2-million to complete those projects. A mandatory grant-writing workshop for first time applicants will be held Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Calhoun County Economic Development office, 910 Tonawanda (located east of the South Central Calhoun Middle School, the old Iowa Telecom building). The workshop will last about one hour. Grant applications will be available Nov. 1 at www.cccfiowa. org. The grant deadline is Monday, Jan. 6, 2014. All inquiries pertaining to the Calhoun County Community Foundation, 2014 grant application

opportunities, and other foundation information should be directed to: Calhoun County Community Foundation Attention: Pam Anderson 910 Tonawanda, PO Box 47 Rockwell City, Iowa 50579 (712) 297-5601 ccedc@windstream.net

Veterans Day Program

Monday, Nov. 11. All Veterans and the public are invited to a Veterans Day program at 1:30 p.m. at the SCC Middle School gym in Rockwell City. Veterans are asked to register between 1:10 and 1:25 so they can be seated before the program. Master Sergeant Richard Shinn will serve as the guest speaker. A short reception in the Commons will follow the program.


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