Archive for the ‘devotay’ Category

There’s a (biz) app for that || press-citizen.com

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Fourteen years ago, when Devotay owner Kurt Friese wanted to reach out to his customers, he did it with one of his monthly newsletters.

Now, Friese uses social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to reach his customers almost instantly with the click of a mouse. Friese said he uses both sites extensively for Devotay and his magazine, Edible Iowa River Valley.

Devotay is just one of many local businesses that is using social media sites to target a specific audience and create additional avenues to reach out and interact with customers.

via There’s a (biz) app for that | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen.

Iowa Source: Iowa’s Best Restaurants 2010

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

BEST LOCAL FOOD

Devotay

Iowa City, (319) 354-1001

Our locavore readers are devoted to dining at Devotay. They love the fact that the “fresh, innovative, and soul-satisfying” food on their plate is supporting the farmers in their community. As one voter put it, “They not only talk the talk of eating locally grown, they walk the walk.” Even the farmers can’t say enough good things about this restaurant: “As a local producer, Devotay is very easy to work with.”

Exec. Chef Kevin Butler & Chef de Cuisine Dan Knowles

At Devotay in Iowa City, Sous Chef Dan Knowles (left) and Executive Chef Kevin Butler (right) search out the best local ingredients for their seasonal menu.

Other Comments

• “Slow food with a commitment to the locavore.”

• “My mouth is watering just thinking about it.”

“My favorite restaurant. Great food, local ingredients whenever possible.”

Finalists

Other restaurants that are walking the locavore walk include Café Dodici, where everything is made from “fresh, wholesome, organic ingredients . . . nothing out of the can here.” Eating at New Pioneer Co-op, in Iowa City and Coralville, is always, “healthy, local, ethical, and delicious.” At Revelations in Fairfield, eating local is easy and delicious with their local spring-greens salads and sandwiches made on locally baked bread, made from locally grown grains. In Iowa City local farms are well represented on the menu at Motley Cow Café, and at the Red Avocado, where local veggies and grains are highlighted regularly.

See all Devotay’s fellow winners in the other categories at  Iowa’s Best Restaurants 2010.

In the Kitchen at Devotay | HooplaNow

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Posted on 10 February 2010
by tracy.mcculloughdevotay
Kevin Butler, 29, Iowa City Executive Chef @ Devotay

Where did you learn how to cook?My grandparents owned restaurants in the Quad Cities. When I was 14, my first job was in a meat locker that my family owned, my second job was in a restaurant. After that, I worked in a food warehouse, then I came to this restaurant, and I’ve been here ever since.What did you do in the meat locker?Every day after school, I would clean. Twice a week they would slaughter animals and I would clean out all the buckets. It was gross.

Read the whole story ::  In the Kitchen at Devotay | HooplaNow.

Valentine’s Day

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

It’s that time again, the time when we here at Devotay begin our annual betting pool on how many guys (and yes it’s only guys) will call the afternoon of Valentine’s Day looking for a table for 2 at 7pm.  And every year we a e forced to turn away the poor young suitors because we’d been booked solid a couple of weeks in advance.

Valentine’s at Devotay has seen 6 wedding proposals accepted since we started doing our special dinner here each Feb. 14, and it’s easy to see why:  Cozy, romantic, specal atmosphere combined with great food served by the best crew in town (and yes we suppose perhaps who is doing the proposing might make a difference too).

As in the past, we’ll serve our full regular menu as usual, but in addition, we’ll be featuring this special menu, available a la carte or pris fixe with special wine parings (TBA).  reserve now @ 319.354.1001 so you don’t end up a hash mark in our betting pool. To help with that, we’ll also serve our special Valentine’s menu on Saturday the 13th, so there are twice as many chances to get a table.

Devotay Valentine’s Day Dinner
Sunday, 14 February 2010

Amuse Bouche: Oyster Kilpatrick, fennel mousse – 5

Tapa: Bocadillos of shrimp with piparade – 8

Soup: Roasted beet borscht, tarragon crème fraîche – 6.5

Salad: Sourdough bread, jicama, sun-dried tomatoes, sherry-thyme vinaigrette – 6.5

Entrée: Martini trout, artichokes, spinach, Champagne cous cous – 25

OR

Stuffed Gianini Farms pheasant breast, brie, walnuts, prosciutto, mushroom wild rice, broccolini -29

Dessert:  Mascarpone cheesecake, brandied cherries – 8

A la Carte as priced or pris fixe $58, $72 with paired wines to be announced. Tax and gratuity in addition

Devotay Closed for Lunch 1/20

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

It’s looking perilous out there and our staff can’t safely get to work, so we’re calling off lunch for today, sorry for the inconvenience.  We plan to be open for tonight’s big Spaghetti Night - P’Sketti with marinara and with or without meatballs, salad, bread and a glass of wine for just $15.  Can’t be beat.

So everybody drive SAFELY to Devotay this evening and enjoy a steaming hot plate o’pasta.

Devotay eNews – January 2010 – Vol. XV, Iss. 1

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Click here to view this email in a browser -or- Forward this message to a friend

Devotay Logo - new - RGB.jpg

Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.”

-Michael Pollan from his new book, Food Rules

All the News That’s Fit to Eat Since 1996
OK, so, it’s 2010.  Where’s my jetpack?  My flying car?

The Devotay eMail Newsletter – Volume XV, Issue 1

But let’s face it, the only truly significant thing there is to say on a day like this (Besides “Enough with the cold already) is HOW BOUT THEM HAWKEYES! Certainly bodes well for next season too.  Big 10 title is almost in the bag – does anyone dare say “national title hopes”?

A New Wine Tasting Schedule Kicks off with a New Intro Class:  Taste Like a Pro!

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Iowa’s longest-running wine tasting series is entering its 14th year by starting over.  Our sommelier, Morgan Weiss, has written a new calendar that starts with a basic tasting class this Monday, January 11.  This is a great opportunity for beginners to learn how to taste like a pro and for seasoned vets to test their chops.

Later in the year we’re featuring a few of our favorite local wines as well. Now I know some of you are wincing or curling a lip when I say that, but stay with me here:  Yes, there is some sticky-sweet schlock to be had out there, but there is also some very good stuff that deserves our support so that they can make even more very good stuff.  And we’re here to show you where to find it and how to appreciate it

So check out the new calendar at our website, and be sure to read all the caveats and fine print about how dates are subject to change sometimes and all that.

New Menu on Its Way

Kevin and Dan.jpgAlso Launching Monday January 11th, the newest incarnation of the Devotay menu.  Executive Chef Kevin Henning and Chef de Cuisine Dan Knowles have really outdone themselves this time I think, especially with the introduction of Basque-style Pintxos (pronounced PEEN-chose) – amazing flavors in little bites for just 2 bucks.  Order as many as you like, they’re delicious and great for sharing. Complete menu will be posted at our site on Monday.

Wednesday Forkcast: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

Everybody who grew up in and around my generation remembers the old TV commercials that told us “Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day!“  My mom used to take that to heart, and Wednesday night we always got spaghetti and meatballs.  I don’t know whether she used Prince brand spaghetti, but such things are of no matter to 9-year-old boys.

Perhaps I’m getting nostalgic in my dotage, but we’ve decided to revive the tradition, and make it a heckuva bargain for you as well.   We’ve harvested our spaghetti (in the Swiss tradition), so here’s the deal:

Every Wednesday night (we’re open 5-9p) we will feature Spaghetti Marinara, with or without meatballs (your choice of course), with Asiago cheese, fresh copped herbs, bread, salad with our signature balsamic vinaigrette and one glass of wine selected by our sommelier Morgan Weiss – all for $15.  Even at Olive Garden that would cost you $0.45 more, and I personally guarantee ours is better.  Our wine pours are bigger too.

In This Issue:

Of Note:
In 2009, a “recession” year, Johnson county saw the opening of 11 new restaurants and the reopening of several more following flood damage.  The new ones are listed & linked here (in no particular order).

Join the Nourish Network for healthy, rich and delicious cooking, great recipes,videos and more.

Support better school lunches for our kids.  Click here to see how you can help

Follow Devotay on Facebook and Twitter

Benefit Sundays

A Special Deal for Newsletter Readers

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Follow Devotay on Facebook & Twitter – get our features every day, special deals, news and more

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Got a good cause?  We want to help you support it. Check out our new Benefit Sundays Program

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We all need a break these days.  Click here for a great deal on lunch at Devotay

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Make Your Valentine’s Reservations Now!
Call
319.354.1001
Check out the hot wine cocktails at the PC’s Table Wine column
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That’s all from Devotay World HQ
Peace,

kmf
“If you eat you are a part of agriculture” – Wendell Berry

Wednesday Forkcast: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Everybody who grew up in and around my generation remembers the old TV commercials that told us “Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day!“  My mom used to take that to heart, and Wednesday night we always got spaghetti and meatballs.  I don’t know whether she used Prince brand spaghetti, but such things are of no matter to 9-year-old boys.

Perhaps I’m getting nostalgic in my dotage, but we’ve decided to revive the tradition, and make it a heckuva bargain for you as well.  We’ve harvested our spaghetti (in the Swiss tradition), so here’s the deal:

Every Wednesday night (we’re open 5-9p) we will feature Spaghetti Marinara, with or without meatballs (your choice of course), with Asiago cheese, fresh copped herbs, bread, salad with our signature balsamic vinaigrette and one glass of wine selected by our sommelier Morgan Weiss – all for $15.  Even at Olive Garden that would cost you $0.45 more, and I personally guarantee ours is better.  Our wine pours are bigger too.

Benefit Sundays

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

charity1 Because of the very large increase in requests for donations, we have found it necessary to change our donations format.  We are very pleased to offer Benefit Sunday at Devotay. We have several formats for groups to use as a way to raise some money, without spending any.

There are 3 ways to do this: (more…)

Benefit Sundays Kicks Off with Art Show and Sale

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Kim's Ad.jpgOur new series, Benefit Sundays, kicks off this week (12/6) with a holiday art show and sale. Our resident potter (that’s Kim) will be joined by several other artists to show not only pottery but also fiber art, painting, photography, florals and children’s items.

The show runs  from 12-4 pm, and all are welcome. There will also be a tasting of tapas and wine for a requested donation of $10.  Proceeds benefit Arts Iowa City.

In  addition, if you mention Arts Iowa City when you make your reservation for that evening, Devotay will donate a percentage of your bill to the cause.  It’s a sliding scale, so the more who call, reserve and dine with us, the more we’ll donate. Call 319.354.1001 for a reservation for Sunday dinner today

Featured Artists

Jeff Allen (painting)
Shirley Benson (fiber)
Chris Burd (pottery)
Kim Friese (pottery)
Kurt Friese (photography)
Taylor Friese (fiber)
Betty Shreeves (fiber)
Beppie Weiss (children’s gifts and florals)

Devoted to Devotay

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

This just in from the “Iowasthinking” blog.  Thanks! And we’re devoted to you too.

Well kids, all the leaves are gone. And yet we’re still flush from the weekend’s Indian Summer (seventy degrees for our 20 person tailgate on Saturday) and the shock that, at this mid-November-in-Iowa juncture, it’s still warm enough to throw on tights and shorts. Our Halloween pumpkins may not have attracted any trick-or-treaters (!!!) but they did rot, rather than freeze, so let’s be thankful for small blessings.

Where have the last three weeks taken you? I’ve been a smidge busy with starting two jobs in as many weeks and I’ll tell you all about my board-folding, un-deux-trois adventures in due course but today we’re going to talk about food.

devotay windows

Read the whole post here