The Motley Cow

Over the Moon for the Iowa City Restaurant

BY CHRISTINE SCHRUM

Motley Cow Cafe owner and chef David Weiseneck serves affordable gourmetfare with an emphasis on fresh, organic, and local. (Photo by Lin Mullenneaux)

I’ve been a fan of the Motley Cow Café since Iaccidentally stumbled upon the cozy venue in December of 2003, on my birthday.A friend and I had just witnessed Washington, Iowa’s annual Live Christmaspageant (replete with braying donkeys, King Herrod’s torch-bearing army,and a flying human angel), and were roaming the streets of Iowa City in searchof warm, tasty food—and a sanity check. We found both in the Cow.

Perhaps it was the savory yam paté that did the trick, or thefresh, finely seasoned salmon. Maybe it was the hot apple crisp topplingwith homemade vanilla ice cream. But either way, the food was downrightsoul restoring. Like good old-fashioned mom’s cooking—butafter she’d memorized a dozen or so gourmet cookbooks.

Today, more than six years after original owner Tom Lally first openedthe restaurant’s doors, the Motley Cow does a bustling businesssix nights a week. Current owner and head chef David Wieseneck serveselegant, sumptuous soul food with international overtones and an emphasison fresh, organic, and local. On a chilly Friday night in March, myfriend Sarah and I decide to treat ourselves to the full Motley experience.

A Cozy Café

It’s the first night of spring break, so the restaurant is comfortablybusy, but not frenetic. Typically, I find out later, traffic tendsto be much higher and reservations are a wise idea. But for the evening,Sarah and I are happy to share the candlelit café with a slowbut steady stream of couples and friends.

The ambiance is both casual yet chic. Small paintings and framed mirrorsline the walls. White Christmas lights glow above the two bay windowslooking out onto Market Street and passersby. A large, Marimekko-esquepainting of flowers hangs next to the counter, and mismatched woodentables and chairs populate the retro linoleum floor.

The small restaurant has a homey, lived-in feel, yet it possessesunderstated elegance. Which only becomes more apparent once the foodis presented.

Appetizing Beginnings

We start with the House-smoked Trout, an artfully arranged affairwith blini (small Russian-style pancakes, tonight made of potatoes),blood-orange vinaigrette, blood-heart radishes, capers, and flat-leavedparsley. The flavor combination is delightful and a wonderful tastebudtantalizer.

David’s cooking style “pulls from a lot of different ethnicities,” hetells me later on the phone. “I have a lot of interests and Iallow myself to mix different things.” French and Italian seemto figure heavily into the equation.

Now it’s onto the soup and salad course. Sarah samples the CauliflowerPurée, which is rich and flavorful, yet light. I devour a WarmSpinach and Beet Salad, tossed with blue cheese, pecans, and juliennedred pears. Trust me, these are not your grandmother’s beets.I savor the medley, which bursts with freshness and flavor.

An Ever-changing Menu

The menu at Motley is, well, motley. Offerings are unique and varying,depending upon what is fresh, in-season, and available. “Keepinga slimmer menu ensures a nice rotation that keeps everything reallyfresh and daily made,” says David. “And that’s thehighest objective for me.” From the homemade bread to the icecream, nearly everything served at the Motley Cow is made in-house.

The restaurant offers nearly 100 percent local or organic produceyear round. During summer months, 90 percent of it comes from SassFamily Farm in Riverside and Friendly Farm in Iowa City. “OftenI won’t know what produce I’ll get until the day I receiveit, and that determines the menu,” says David, who also enjoysincorporating factors like the season, temperature, and weather intohis offerings. “It’s great. Inevitably, you’ll havea lot more fun and you’ll be putting more joy into the food whenyou’re being spontaneous and fully engaged.”

Many meats are locally procured from Gateway Natural Meats in Bellevue.
David envisions his ingredients sourcing as being the epicenter ofa bullseye. “I start sourcing from the inside out,” hesays. “The closer I can get it to home, the better. AnythingI can’t source from here, I look to my organic, more nationaloptions,” and in particular, from neighboring states like Wisconsin,Minnesota, and Michigan. “Out of state, organic certificationis one of the few ways we can distinguish quality.”

Delectable Entrées

Now it’s time for the entrées. Sarah tries the VegetarianCouscous, a savory dish that comes with a marinara sauce, broccoli,and an apple & celery salad with shaved Parmesan. “It’sbeautiful and elegant, but it’s comfort food,” she says,enjoying.

Lucky, lucky me, I order the Roasted Striped Bass, which is unbelievablysucculent and comes with sunchoke mashed potatoes, picholines, kumquats,and watercress. Wow, is all I can say.

“I’m a seafood snob,” friendly waitress Courtneytold me earlier, recounting how she initially despaired in Iowa City,yearning for the fish she’d eaten for years on the East Coast. “UntilI came here,” she said. “David’s seafood is excellent,across the board.”

I couldn’t agree more. The symphony of tastes and textures inthe dish is pure sensual pleasure. David’s seasoning is masterful,and he manages to skillfully combine ingredients so that every mouthfulbrims with surprise. The result is a colorful and joyful mosaic oftastes. Truly, this is a man who loves cooking.

“I always did a lot of experimentation,” says David ofthe years before his destiny as a chef fully revealed itself to him.Then, while earning a B.A. in Literature at the U of I, he serendipitouslylanded a job at the State Room, the area’s high-end French restaurantat the time. “I decided I wanted to pursue it,” says David, “AndI went off to San Francisco and worked in probably five restaurantsover the course of seven years.” He also spent a short amountof time at the California Culinary Academy.

While David clearly possesses a gift, he is quick to deflect praiseand share it with his team of sous-chefs. “I work with a fewvery talented people here who have a lot to contribute,” hesays. “Almost everything on the menu, someone else can do aswell as I can. And it’s fun hearing different ideas.”

Indeed, the idea for citrus-cured gravlax came from one of David’scooks. Sarah and I were fortunate enough to try a few mouthfuls ofthe tangy creation, served atop homemade crostini with a light sourcream spread.

Admittedly, Sarah and I are seafood fiends. But for those who favorother meats (or non-meat options), Motley’s early March menuoffers much to relish. A Goat Cheese Sandwich with spinach, red onion,and roasted yams; a NY Strip Steak with a yam and vegetable mix, porcinibroth, and blue cheese; Pork Chops with polenta, chard, fennel, andpepper broth; and on and on. While neither of us ordered wine (we weredivvying up the hour-long drive home), the restaurant boasts a formidableassortment of wines and a few quality beers.

Just Desserts

Then there’s dessert. For, ahem, strictly journalistic purposes,Sarah and I sample not only the café’s signature Key LimePie (graham cracker crust, a creamy center, delectable whipped cream),but also the homemade Coffee Ice Cream (My. God.), the subtly flavoredSour Cream Ice Cream, and the divinely creative Chocolate HazelnutTorte with Meyer lemon sorbet and pear compote. And for kicks, Davidpresents us with a wedge of Friesago cheese with braised fennel spears.

Strangely, after all that, we are full, but not uncomfortably so.The simple explanation is that a) Sarah and I are enormous pigs andb) David’s cooking is rich and abundant, but not overly heavy.

When asked what he finds most rewarding about his career, David hasa three-pronged answer.

First there’s the eco-community angle. “Being in touchwith people who work with the earth and farmers, sharing what it isthey’re doing with a greater audience, and being able to financiallysupport them to some degree is very rewarding,” he says.

Then there’s the social aspect. “It’s nice to beable to look out into the dining room on a busy day and see a roomfulof people smiling and having fun, and knowing I helped create an environmentfor them to do that,” he says.

And then, of course, there’s the simple joy of doing what oneloves and what one does best. “Any time you get to feed somebody,” saysDavid, “whether it’s business or just cooking for someoneat home, it’s a pretty satisfying experience, the nourishmentand pleasure aspects of it. I’m blessed to be able to offer thatevery night of my life.”

Lucky for us.

The Motley Cow Café, 327 E. Market St., Iowa City, 52245. (319) 688-9177

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