November 23, 2009
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Brickhouse
The Return of the Fern Bar – Part One
The Brickhouse American Grille occupies a time warp in Clive where a Cheddar’s used to be. Because Cheddar’s is a unique chain that does no advertising, its brand depended on customer satisfaction. With its bargain-priced menu, I doubt Brickhouse lost any old customers. It was packed on three of my four visits and I could see why. Brickhouse has painstakingly preserved a warm, nostalgic ambiance that defined chic in the late 1970’s, when hippie culture turned yuppie and earthy, natural things were incorporated into million dollar designs, back when that was a lot of money. Trend setting restaurants like Iowa River Power in Coralville and Rusty Scupper in Des Moines became instant sensations by featuring hard wood, brass, tall ceilings, skylight windows and lots of living plants. That trend was short lived in the Midwest because it was too expensive for restaurants that depended on price shoppers. Some such places hired full time staff just to water their plants.
Brickhouse recalls that era with all those features plus a hip soundtrack that avoids the clichéd choices one hears most everywhere else these days. It also adds the kind of lotus leaf, paddlewheel fans one sees in five star hotels in Bangkok or Hong Kong. Though this place looks expensive, staff allayed pocketbook worries quickly with consistently quick beverage service that included some schooner sized bargains, like one pint margaritas for $4.
Lunch items all stayed under the $9 threshold. Chicken tenders tasted fresh, crisp and hot – exemplary for that ubiquitous appetizer. Fried catfish delivered a fresh tasting fish in a batter with uneven textures, not up to the level of the chicken tenders. Steak sandwiches and six ounce burgers came nicely seared. The nostalgia theme provided a quiche of the day, an integral part of the late 1970’s café chic. Other than the burgers, lunch portions were restrained.
Dinner menu items kept within a $9 – $16.50 range. Coming with soup or salad, their larger portions made them better bargains than the lunches. Chicken pot pie and braised pot roast of brisket stood out. Skin-on mashed potatoes tasted fresh and creamy once but a second time they included too many large chunks of hard to chew skin and clumps or varying textures. Chicken fried steak and ribs aren’t likely to disappoint, or awe, anyone.
I couldn’t resist ordering parchment baked whitefish, the prize catch of Midwestern waters that rarely makes it to Iowa menus. Other than Mao Heinemann (King & I), few chefs in town prepare fish “en papillote,” though that classic application is perfect for delicate flesh like whitefish.
Alas, my pouch arrived with a sticker that read “Friday“ in three languages. Because it was a Sunday, that suggested my dish had, at best, been prepared two days earlier.
Instead of baking the fish with aromatic herbs and light vegetables like zucchini, mine was buried in chopped peppers, celery and onions. The fish itself tasted stale. Though a manager assured me it was okay to eat for several days after the sticker date, I’d have gladly traded for the catfish in my sandwich. Accompanying “croissants” were not laminated and were never served on bread plates. Vinegar & oil for a salad brought a plastic ramekin of vegetable oil that should only used for frying . Desserts also stayed in bargain land. A skillet sized fresh cookie with two scoops of ice cream,
and a large slice of pumpkin cheesecake were excellent $4 choices.
Bottom line – If one sticks strictly with Middle American comfort foods, Brickhouse’s fare compares with Machine Shed and Cracker Barrel. And it has a far more stylish dining room.
Brickhouse American Grille
1301 N.W. 114th St., Clive., 222-3129
Sun. 9 a.m. – 10 p.m., Mon. – Thurs. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
