Community Spotlight: Devotay

Devotay at night: Isn't this place adorable??

Just writing the title of this post is making me hungry.  After devoting Wednesdays to looking for the good in food, I can’t believe I’ve made it this long without telling you all about my favorite restaurant (Devotay).  I’d guess it’s probably been a couple years since my friend Laura (or, as you all know her, Chef Laura) started going to Devotay in Iowa City, and she kept telling me how she thought I would like it because they have Spanish food and I had lived in Spain and loved the food.  Well, she was not only right about me liking it---I loved it!  I don’t think it’s even been a year since I first went there, but I have seriously told everyone I know about this place!  Let me explain…

First of all, here is the history of Devotay…and who better to tell it than the owners themselves? So, I just copied and pasted this from their website (www.devotay.net):

Chef Kevin

Devotay began in 1994, as a hobby that paid for itself (well, not really – Chef Kurt borrowed $700 from his mom to start it). Back then, Devotay was making spice blends and infused oils and selling them at the local farmer’s market.

One thing led to another, and soon there was a storefront operation, selling not just those oils and spices, but all sorts of gourmet food items, such as Stonewall Jams and a wide array of hot sauces. There was a refined selection of wines and beers, and many pâtés and fancy foods made on the premises by Chef Kurt Michael Friese.

When customers started requesting catering, Devotay obliged. It did not take much longer for folks to become more interested in the food Chef Kurt was making than they were in the groceries on the shelves. Soon they were requesting take-out sandwiches, then tables, and a restaurant was born from a gourmet shop. The catering went by the wayside, but the restaurant flourished.

12 years later, Chef Kurt was promoted to Chef Emeritus and is concentrating much of his time on his writing career. He serves on the Slow Food USA National Board of Directors and his columns and photos on food, wine and travel have appeared regularly in local, regional and national newspapers and magazines. His latest book, A Cook’s Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland was published in the fall of 2008 by Ice Cube Press. Fear not, though, he and Kim still maintain a firm grip on the reins of the Devotay kitchen.

Today Devotay features a full menu, based on the flavors of the Mediterranean, with occasional influences from other ethnic cuisines. There is a complete wine and beer list, and all of it changes according to the market, the seasons or the whims of Executive Chef Kevin Butler or Chef de Cuisine Daniel Knowles.

Many of the plates, bowls and mugs are made by Kim McWane Friese. Kim is an Iowa City native, and has been a professional potter for 15 years. Kim is a co-owner of Devotay, and she and Chef Kurt have been married for 24 years. They have 2 children, Devon and Taylor (thus the name Devotay). Now that Chef Kurt is pursuing his writing career, Kim is in full command of the restaurant.

Now…why do we LOVE this place so much? For me, I can honestly say that when I’m sitting in there, eating their Spanish-inspired tapas (a small-plate appetizer, usually shared among everyone at the table), if I closed my eyes I would believe that I was sitting in a little bar on a corner in Sevilla, where I lived.  The taste is so authentic, and there are so many dishes to choose from!  As you could guess, I’ll be sharing my favorites with you!

1.       Spanish Tortilla:  This is the most typical tapa in Spain.  Made from eggs, potatoes, and onions, this is basically a super thick omelette, although served cold, and with a creamy aioli on top.  Now, some people are turned off by the idea of cold eggs, but seriously, do not knock it until you have tried it! And especially at Devotay!

The Patatas Bravas..mmmm!

2.       Patatas bravas:  Another typical dish in Spain, this is roasted potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce (don’t be afraid of the word spicy…Spanish food is nothing like hot-sauce filled Mexican food!) and again with aioli on top.  These potatoes are my husband’s favorite item to order…and since he visited me while living in Spain, he can also tell you how authentic the taste is!

3.       Almendras: Spiced almonds.  Need I say more?  This, again, is a very typical dish in Spain, and one that I can not find anywhere else in our area.  Of course, now that I know about Devotay, I won’t be going out for Spanish food anywhere else!

I won’t bore you with the entire menu, but these are some of my favorites, as far as the Spanish food goes.  They also have Spain’s famous dish: paella.  It’s a rice dish, with lots of yellow saffron and filled with vegetables and seafood.  I’m not a seafood-eater, so this isn’t something that I order, but again it’s nice to have a place where you can get the whole Spanish experience!

Aside from the Spanish tapa-inspired dishes, the other items on the menu are just as good.  We have really enjoyed the grilled olives, the marinated grilled crimini mushrooms, and the sourdough bread with garlic oil.  Ohhh…the sourdough bread with garlic oil.  It’s so good that I had to say it twice. And I also order it twice—as in two orders.  If you don’t believe me, ask Laura!  It’s true!

If you live anywhere near the Quad-Cities, you NEED to take a little drive to Iowa City (which also happens to be one of my favorite places) and visit Devotay.  The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is inviting, and they have a little bit of something for everyone (it’s very vegan/vegetarian friendly, which is important in my family!).  And after you visit, let me know what you think!

Hugs and Kisses...Part 2.

As promised, we are continuing last Saturday’s discussion about the power of touch.  I mentioned that I would like to comment on how the American culture kind of bothers me…here’s what I meant by that:

Last year, I taught a course entitled “Latin American History and Culture”.  When I walked into class the first day, I was somewhat shocked to hear about half of my class speaking Spanish.  As a Spanish teacher, I am used to hearing Spanish of course, but this particular class is taught in English.  Turns out about half of the baseball team (all of them from Puerto Rico) had signed up for my class!  Long story short, I really grew to love having those guys in my classroom. They were rowdy, and sometimes a little too talkative, but it was nice for me to be able to speak Spanish with some native-speakers, and it was even nicer for them to have a teacher who actually understood what they were saying!  About halfway through the semester, they one-by-one started referring to me as “Misi”, which is an endearing term for “maestra” (teacher, in Spanish).  This made me so happy.  And then one day, when one of them was walking into class, he said “Hola, Misi” and started to come towards me, as if he were going to kiss me on the cheek! Now that is a definite no-no at my work!  However, in their culture, it’s perfectly normal for people who know each other, even teachers and students, to greet each other with a hug or a kiss on the cheek.  He just had gotten mixed up about where he was!

I have to admit, I felt so bad after that happened.  Not only because he had been embarrassed, but because I, too, felt as if I should be hugging them and kissing them on the cheek when they entered my classroom.  Now don’t get me wrong, I would never do that with my students, because it is not acceptable in our school systems in the United States, but after having lived in Spain during college, I really got used to the “dos besos” (two kisses) that is the customary greeting.  It is definitely something you have to get used to, no matter which side you are coming from—either going from no physical contact at all to everyone kissing your cheek, or going from kissing everyone on the cheek to a nice, firm handshake.

After the semester ended, I really didn’t think about this anymore.  Until…about six months ago we met some new friends at our church, who happen to also be from Puerto Rico.  We have become very good friends now, and this issue has yet again come up.  When these new friends come over, she hugs me and I hug her back.  But when our husbands are in the picture, it’s just an awkward mess!  Should her husband kiss me on the cheek, which he would do with all of his friends at home?  And should my husband, who is from this country, kiss her on the cheek?  You see what I mean!  Recently we had them over for dinner, and we also invited our good friends from high school.  After everyone left that night, I brought up the issue with my husband again, but this time with a new question:  why can’t I hug and kiss my friends who are from here too?  I mean, these are friends that we have known for ten years or more, why wouldn’t we want to hug them when they come into our home?  And yet these new friends, whom we have only known for a short time, get the hugs and kisses just because of where they are from?  None of it makes sense to me!

I still don’t know what to think or do about this situation, but judging from all of the things we learned last week in our article about the power of touch, I would guess that the best thing to do is to hug and kiss everyone!  Hugging makes us feel better, makes us feel more connected.  And who doesn’t want that with their friends?  It may be awkward for some of my American friends, but it may not---I am already a hugger, so they probably wouldn’t even notice anything out of the ordinary.  I just think that we, as a culture, should adopt a more intimate greeting process with our friends and family—it just makes sense, doesn’t it?

What are your thoughts?  Do you hug and kiss your family when you see them?  Your friends?  If you don’t, how would you feel if they started this practice with you?

Also, as promised, I am sharing the list of the top five “on-screen hugs” from that Good Housekeeping article. I’m sure you all have been holding your breath in anticipation! Here they are…

1.       Jenny and Forrest at the anti-war rally in Forrest Gump

2.       Jack and Rose just as the ship hits the iceberg in Titanic

3.       Holly Golightly and Jack Varjak at the end of Breakfast at Tiffany’s

       4.       Melanie and Ashley when he returns from war in Gone with the Wind

5.       George Bailey hugging his family after Clarence saves him in It’s A Wonderful Life

…there you have it! Did you think of any more to add to the list?  I love a good hug!  Go out and hug your loved ones today!

PS...If you are wondering what my favorite hug is...it didn't happen on the movie screen.  On my wedding day, my dad, who does not dance, took me by the hand and led me onto the dance floor for our father-daughter dance. We surprised most of the people there, because we had been taking dance lessons together.  We did our dance (certainly not perfectly!) and at the end, I ran over to him and hugged him.  No offense to my husband, who made my day perfect, but this was one of my favorite moments caught on camera that day!