I Tried Four Awesome Corridor Restaurants This Weekend [PHOTOS]

It's not often that I visit four restaurants over the course of three days, but that's just how things worked out late last week! Between Wednesday, August 13th and Friday, August 15th, I tried four restaurants that I have never been to before: one in Mount Vernon and three in Iowa City.

We'll start with Mount Vernon!

Lincoln Wine Bar

A few weeks ago, I was invited out to a girls' night at Cedar Ridge Distillery in Swisher. When I arrived, I learned that one of the gals had initially tried to make reservations for Lincoln Wine Bar in Mount Vernon, but they were already full. We planned to have our next girls' night at Lincoln Wine Bar, and, this time, the reservations were made almost a month in advance.

Lincoln Wine Bar was recognized earlier this summer as one of the 50 best pizza places in the entire US, so it's no wonder they're always busy! We went on Wednesday night, which I found out later was because they offer half-price bottles on wine on Wednesdays. Our end of the table ordered the Sonoroso Sweet Red, which was ridiculously good.

The food menu at Lincoln Wine Bar is pretty simple. There are a few different salads and appetizers available, but the main draw is the wood-fired pizza. My friend and I ordered the Burrata Caprese to start, and then shared the Smoked Margherita Pizza. Both items were as good as I expected them to be! I'm already planning my next visit.

Next up: Iowa City!

Estella's Fresh Mex

Last Thursday and Friday, Brain, his daughter Carly, and I were down in Iowa City for our annual Radiothon for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. While we normally stay at the hotel on Melrose right across from Kinnick Stadium, a slight mishap landed us in Downtown Iowa City at a hotel called Element. It was a really nice hotel that ended up feeling more like an apartment! My room had a couch, a dining table, a full-size fridge, a stove top, and even a dishwasher!

I don't get down to Iowa City very often, so when I do, I make sure I go out of my way to eat somewhere that I've never been before. We normally avoid the Ped Mall because parking the enormous KHAK truck can be a bit of a challenge, but because we were already staying in that area, we took advantage of the situation and ate all our meals down there! Our first stop on Friday afternoon was right across the street from the hotel: Estella's Fresh Mex.

Located at 184 East Burlington St (there's an additional location in Coralville), Estella's Fresh Mex is a small Mexican restaurant that operates a lot like Panchero's or Chipotle. You order your food at one end of the counter, and then move down the assembly line choosing all your ingredients and toppings. Brain got a bowl, Carly got a burrito, and I got, you guessed it, NACHOS! They were so good that I ate the rest of the toppings with a fork when I ran out of chips.

Pullman Bar & Diner

On Thursday night, we did our annual sit-down dinner at a place that's been on my list for a LONG time: Pullman Bar & Diner at 17 S Dubuque St. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about Pullman, so we weren't bothered by the 15 minute wait for a table.

Not only did we love the food (which we'll get to in a minute), but the whole diner had a cool vibe and a great soundtrack. I especially loved the natural light coming in through the huge windows and the cute little outdoor patio.

The first thing I ordered was the UV at 10 summer cocktail, which consisted of bourbon, tonic syrup, peach, lemon, and iced tea. It was DELICIOUS. Brain opted for the Peach Iced Tea, since he doesn't drink, and he said it was also great.

For food, I ended up going with the Caesar salad with fried chicken. There was no way I wasn't going to try the fried chicken I have heard so much about, so I was happy that they offered it as an add-on. Brain's daughter ordered the fried chicken sandwich and Brain got a Double Pullman Burger with fries. I didn't try the burger, but Brain said it was perfect. However, I DID try the fries, which we dipped in aioli since ranch wasn't an option. All I have to say is... YUM.

There was one more item that was ordered at Pullman, but, unfortunately, I never got to see it. Brain ordered the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding to take back to the hotel. After he and his daughter tasted it, he texted me: "If baby Jesus had a flavor... it would be the dessert we just tried. I'm dead." So, I guess it was pretty good...

The Encounter Cafe

Our final stop during our time in Iowa City was a cute cafe that was located on the same block as our hotel: The Encounter Cafe. Located at 376 South Clinton St, the Encounter Cafe is operated by the Sharon Bethel Mennonite Church in Kalona. The business was a lot bigger than I expected it to be, but that's because there's a cafe side AND a bakery side. We ordered from the cafe side.

There was a bit of a wait when we went into The Encounter Cafe, but it wasn't hard to see why. Not only was it a big space, but it was also very cozy, clean, and organized. It has a 4.8-star review on Google and more than 800 reviews, so it's clearly a popular spot! I ordered some sort of sparkling raspberry lemonade beverage from the summer drink menu and the Chipotle Chicken Ranch Panini. Next time I plan to try the cinnamon rolls and soft pretzels, which were recommended to me by just about everyone I talked to!

READ MORE: An Iowa City Dive Bar is One of 2025's Best Bars in America

As much as I love going out to eat, I think I'll do some cooking this week to save a little money...

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If you're looking for even more recommendations, here are some of awesome things I ate at Iowa restaurants earlier this summer: