In 2023, I grumbled that the James Beard Awards had overlooked The Webster in Iowa City. Had the regional panelists even dined there? If so, how could they have left it off the list? It felt like a clear snub.
This year, when chef/owner Andy Schumacher at Cobble Hill in Cedar Rapids got a nomination for Best Chef—Midwest, I wasn’t so sure that The Webster had been robbed. I’d reviewed Cobble Hill for IA Magazine in 2015, the first year Schumacher had been nominated for a Beard Award, and I found it tremendously good. Still, The Webster, which opened in 2021, lingers in my mind as a place that truly raised the bar in Iowa.
I decided it was high time to go back and see if Cobble Hill was really all that. What follows is my candid review.
Alas, while I’m committed to sending out one free post a week, I’ve put this one behind a paywall. As much as the Tech Bros think “information wants to be free,” that is not a sustainable model for those who provide the information that make the Tech Bros rich. Thank you, paid subscribers, for giving real food journalism a comeback. I welcome more to the party.
By the way—I should mention that Simon’s restaurant in Des Moines was also nominated for a 2025 Beard Award, though in the Outstanding Hospitality category. Andy Schumacher is indeed the only Iowa chef to be nominated in the “Best Chef—Midwest” category.
Review of Cobble Hill
219 2nd St SE, Cedar Rapids
(319) 366-3177
First, some intangibles.
I must admit that there are some very personal reasons why I love this restaurant. While I was born in Cedar Rapids, Cobble Hill speaks to another, more distant home for me: Brooklyn.
The story of the Midwestern creative is often a story of leaving—think Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Georgia O’Keeffe. There was a time when young people without trust funds could head to the coasts on a wing and a prayer and make a life. I did, in the 80s. I lived in Brooklyn Heights, just across Atlantic Avenue from Cobble Hill, where Andy and Carrie Schumacher landed in the early 2000s.
Some of us will come back—for whatever reasons—and when we do, we’ll always bring some of Brooklyn (or wherever) with us.
Cobble Hill’s interior takes me right back to those early apartments, with furnishings and tableware reminiscent of castoffs from grandmothers and great-aunts—whatever you could cram into a U-Haul on your way out of town. Fortunately, the exposed brick, columns, and high ceilings give it a kind of SoHo loft spaciousness—nothing like a cramped Brooklyn starter apartment—and it all stylishly comes together as an affectionate tribute to a place and time.
Of course, none of this would resonate if the food didn’t deliver. And deliver, it does.
Lately, I’ve been thinking that all I really want is for someone to roast me a good heirloom chicken with a few herbs just right. So, just when I thought I’d had it with dishes so complex and layered the servers run out of breath trying to describe them, this kitchen reminds me why I ever loved such highly detailed and original, chef-driven food in the first place. Plate after plate, it all felt fresh again: confident, compelling, and absolutely worth the drive.
The Sunchoke starter ($15) paired the braised tuber with a ruffle of piped Maytag blue cheese mousse, walnuts, raisins, and shards of crisped, dehydrated sunchoke. Surprisingly, it called to mind two retro party staples—a cheese ball and an artichoke dip—but without the usual fillers (cream cheese, sour cream). What remained was the essence: rich, bright, sharply focused—and playful, too.
I’ll always get a pasta course here. We had the cappelletti ($23)—delicate little hats of handmade pasta, filled with Manchego, radish, and turnip greens and perched on a lemony beurre blanc.
I thought I’d made the reservation under a pseudonym, but apparently, the reservation platform got all sticky with my real name; thus, I was outed. Fortunately, the touch was light—between courses, the chef sent out a thankfully modest selection of house-cured charcuterie, and I’m so glad I got to sample it; I loved the silkiness of the paper-thin slices of salami and the way they tingled the tongue with a subtle fermented pop.
Berkshire pork shoulder ($36)—deeply rich and impossibly tender—anchored a main dish. With sparky touches here and there—honey-lime gel, pickled chiles, guajillo jus—the dish delivered a finesse that steered entirely clear of fussiness, a heartiness that never tipped over into heaviness.
And guess what? I got my roast chicken after all. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, that (almost) boneless, skin-on airline chicken breast is a great cut; here it arrived firm and juicy with nicely crisped skin and shot-through with savory flavor. Not overly precious details—asparagus, a couple lush and velvety fat-braised leeks, a scattering of tender lettuces pleasantly wilting into the dish, and a mellow green-garlic sauce made it all pretty much the chicken dish I really wanted.
And dessert? Years ago, a very high-end local restaurant had sorbet and gelato on the menu; I asked if I could have a scoop of each, and the server almost bit my head off. “It’s either/or!” she barked.
First of all, I’m pretty sure the servers at Cobble Hill would never refuse any reasonable request—service was expert and energetic throughout the meal. Secondly, the option of a gelato-sorbet duo is smack-dab on the menu. They know that a creamy gelato and an intensely fruity sorbet is a killer combo (akin to a very sophisticated version of a Creamsicle). And in this case, the mesquite chocolate gelato and a tropical fruit sorbet ($8) was dreamy indeed.
Bottom Line: If I was worried that those three-line menu descriptions signaled tweezer cuisine at its most convoluted, I needn’t have been. The finesse was deeply gratifying. And yes, they’ve earned that James Beard nod.
P.S.: What Else to Do in Cedar Rapids?
You really should see the extensive Grant Wood collection at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art at least once in your life. Also on view, as of June 7: “Strokes of Genius: American Impressionism and Its Legacy.” The exhibition runs through September 14 and focuses on Impressionist works from the permanent collection. There’s also Palisades-Kepler State Park nearby
However, if you’re making a weekend out of it, you could stay in Iowa City. It’s just such a beautiful city to walk around (love that river!), and its numerous sidewalk cafes are in full swing right now. Eat at The Webster one night, and you’ll have dined at two of our state’s best restaurants (IMHO, of course) on one weekend journey. Here’s my 36-hour itinerary for Iowa City.
Or, forget Iowa City and just do an overnight in C.R. Plan a visit to the art museum the afternoon you get there. The next day, take a morning hike in the Palisades-Kepler State Park. On the way home, swing by Barrett’s All Day Bakery-Cafe near Coralville for lunch.
Allow Me to End on a Personal Note
Sure, I love the food at Cobble Hill. But a few quiet coincidences make the place resonate even more. Take that beautiful mid-century chrome table in their front window (photo, left). Same make, same pattern as the kitchen table I grew up with (photo, right). Even though the older photo has faded so much that the table’s hues look lighter, I can’t help but wonder—could it possibly be the very same table?
Thank you, Wini. This is not only an excellent review of the food, but a very fun read about all if the things to do in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Thanks for the memories!
Sounds yummy I must try Cobble Hill