Younkers Stores to Close in Iowa

[AttackOfTheClones]

CR has several. Cobble Hill is a great local high end place (owner was a trained chef in NYC before moving his family back to Iowa) and by high end I mean if you go on a date there and you both get a drink you will have to skip the appetizer to get out of there for under $90-$100. We have only been there once but it was awesome and a great experience. I have also heard great things about 350 First but have not been there yet. There is also White Star which is a little more upscale but I am not sure I would consider it high end.

There are probably some I am forgetting/don't know about but those are the ones that come to mind as high end. Add in countless great local restaurants, bars and what not.

Cobble Hill nice but an entree for two plus a couple drinks for $100+ tip... It better be damn good...no salad or bread service. That is Chicago Loop pricing. I have gone away still hungry @ Cobble Hill. 350 First -- great views; good entrees. Service inconsistent. This place could really be something, especially for locals, but the mediocre bar service ruins it.

We're constantly looking for new places to go. There are a lot of talented chefs/owners in CR area now-- that have ZERO clue regarding customer service. The most important item isn't the fancy wine dispensers or hip decor. It's the hostess and your server........ they just don't get it

 

[capitalcityguy]

A lot of older communities were built with those densities and it hasn't mattered. Omaha looks great compared to the local town and they've been improving in the road category. It's a complex problem but if you can't calculate or price your service properly then you are going to fail. Just let the market compete and go private.

I'm not sure what you mean by "it hasn't mattered".

As city budgets get tighter and federal and state money to help drys up, a city will have to make choices. A lot of tools are being put in place that now allow a city to look at all the property within its borders and determine which neighborhoods/areas are solvent and which are a drain.

Again...what we've all grown up with as our surroundings fool us into thinking that the shiney and new developments are healthy ones for a city and the tired, older areas are the drain. Because of the spread out nature of our much of our current development patterns, that generally does not end up being the case.

Don't trust your eyes. Take 4 mins and watch this:

 

[wxman1]

Cobble Hill nice but an entree for two plus a couple drinks for $100+ tip... It better be damn good...no salad or bread service. That is Chicago Loop pricing. I have gone away still hungry @ Cobble Hill. 350 First -- great views; good entrees. Service inconsistent. This place could really be something, especially for locals, but the mediocre bar service ruins it.

We're constantly looking for new places to go. There are a lot of talented chefs/owners in CR area now-- that have ZERO clue regarding customer service. The most important item isn't the fancy wine dispensers or hip decor. It's the hostess and your server........ they just don't get it

Regarding Cobble Hill...that is what they are going for and it is working. A place like that here would have gone belly up very quickly if they were not successful.

I have heard the same thing about 350 First. Need to check it out for myself sometime but we usually end up at Need, White Star or Pub 217 when we are downtown.

 

[Entropy]

Regarding Cobble Hill...that is what they are going for and it is working. A place like that here would have gone belly up very quickly if they were not successful.

I have heard the same thing about 350 First. Need to check it out for myself sometime but we usually end up at Need, White Star or Pub 217 when we are downtown.

The Old Fashioned I had at Cobble Hill was really, really good.

I haven't been to 350 First. I'll make a point to go there.

Usually when the wife and I go down town for theater, we try to dine out. Pig and the Porter or Black Sheep Social Club have been go to spots. Interesting local cuisine has been a nice addition to CR since moving here in 2011.

Shameless Promotion: I enjoy any time I dine out at The Class Act at Kirkwood. Food has been very good.

 

[wxman1]

The Old Fashioned I had at Cobble Hill was really, really good.

I haven't been to 350 First. I'll make a point to go there.

Usually when the wife and I go down town for theater, we try to dine out. Pig and the Porter or Black Sheep Social Club have been go to spots. Interesting local cuisine has been a nice addition to CR since moving here in 2011.

Shameless Promotion: I enjoy any time I dine out at The Class Act at Kirkwood. Food has been very good.

I knew I would forget some! We really liked Black Sheep the one time we went there. Keep trying to go back but ya know kids, time etc. Since you did a shameless plug...Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opens at TCR next week.

 

[Entropy]

I knew I would forget some! We really liked Black Sheep the one time we went there. Keep trying to go back but ya know kids, time etc. Since you did a shameless plug...Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opens at TCR next week.

Already have tickets. My wife loves live theater. We go at least once a month, sometimes more.

 

[wxman1]

Already have tickets. My wife loves live theater. We go at least once a month, sometimes more.

Somewhat on topic..Theater is one thing CR has going for it that many don't realize. Yeah the Paramount struggles at times to get good shows but between TCR and Revival Theater Company you have two great community theater groups. Plus area high schools.

 

[Entropy]

Somewhat on topic..Theater is one thing CR has going for it that many don't realize. Yeah the Paramount struggles at times to get good shows but between TCR and Revival Theater Company you have two great community theater groups. Plus area high schools.

Giving Tree is another good local theater, saw Fun Home there and it was incredibly moving. One of my colleagues was in a production at SPT down in the Czech Village a few years back.

 

[somecyguy]

Usually when the wife and I go down town for theater, we try to dine out. Pig and the Porter or Black Sheep Social Club have been go to spots. Interesting local cuisine has been a nice addition to CR since moving here in 2011.

I've been bugging my wife to try both. I really miss Zins. I always had a great meal and it was so different than anything else. That may be why they didn't make it. When I worked downtown, I enjoyed lunch there many times.

 

[wxman1]

Giving Tree is another good local theater, saw Fun Home there and it was incredibly moving. One of my colleagues was in a production at SPT down in the Czech Village a few years back.

Can't believe I forgot about Giving Tree in Marion. We saw Fun Home as well knowing several people in it. The cool thing about Giving Tree is it can be such a different theater experience especially when they do it in the round.

 

[dosry5]

WAY out on a limb here, BUT guessing 90% of this board would NOT rock the half-shirt?

CR has several. Cobble Hill is a great local high end place (owner was a trained chef in NYC before moving his family back to Iowa) and by high end I mean if you go on a date there and you both get a drink you will have to skip the appetizer to get out of there for under $90-$100. We have only been there once but it was awesome and a great experience. I have also heard great things about 350 First but have not been there yet. There is also White Star which is a little more upscale but I am not sure I would consider it high end.

There are probably some I am forgetting/don't know about but those are the ones that come to mind as high end. Add in countless great local restaurants, bars and what not.

Council Bluffs has a nice Hooters....

 

[urb1]

My brother said they jacked up the price on items, making any discounts they are offering worthless.

 

[Three4Cy]

My brother said they jacked up the price on items, making any discounts they are offering worthless.

They didn't "jack up" the prices, they went back to full retail. Younkers was notorious for having everything on sale all the time. Now that the liquidator owns the merchandise, they have gotten rid of all the sales and gone back to regular price. This is completely normal, because the liquidator is not there to lose money.

These liquidation sales are all about perception. People have the perception they are getting a deal with the liquidator offers 10-30% off, but in reality there really aren't any deals because they are going off regular retail.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Do cities in Iowa outside of DSM have higher-end places? I'm thinking chain steak places but local places would suffice, too.

There are people that would say yes but who are you going to believe? The DSM/Ames people or someone from Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Quad Cities, Iowa City, Council Bluffs, Fort Dodge, or Mason City?

 

[wxman1]

The Old Fashioned I had at Cobble Hill was really, really good.

I haven't been to 350 First. I'll make a point to go there.

Usually when the wife and I go down town for theater, we try to dine out. Pig and the Porter or Black Sheep Social Club have been go to spots. Interesting local cuisine has been a nice addition to CR since moving here in 2011.

Shameless Promotion: I enjoy any time I dine out at The Class Act at Kirkwood. Food has been very good.

Another one that I forgot about is Popolis.

 

[CysRage]

Funny how this thread turned into a Cedar Rapids restaurants thread. I'll chime in.
Restaurants in CR
Excellent: Cedar Ridge (just outside of CR but amazing food), Iowa Class Act, Popoli, Black Sheep
Good: White Star Alehouse, Zeppelins, Butcher's Block
Poor: 350 First (poor service, dry food, overpriced)
Haven't tried: Cobble Hill, Zins (now closed. Heard it was good back in the day but went downhill fast)