Hidden gem! Wide selection of products - whiskey, wine, beer, and gifts! It's difficult to walk out…read moreof this cellar without buying more than you were planning to. The owner is also very pleasant and knowledgeable. Hoping they have wine tastings coming up this summer !

What a delightful place! Went there for a birthday party and enjoyed the space and atmosphere…read more While there we visited their little store ,which is stocked with gourmet goods and high end spirits. The owner, Lauren is is absolutely wonderful. Two minutes off the 380 Shueyville Swisher exit. Worth stopping by, the Secret Cellar won't be a secret for long!

Celebrated my wife's 60th birthday with a trip from the Chicago area to Cedar Rapids, so much to…read moreoffer. Had our celebration dinner at Cedar Ridge, sat on the patio listening to live music on Sunday, June 28, had a wonderful server. The visit to Cedar Ridge was a great experience, really enjoyed our brick-oven pizzas, flight of wines, peach cobbler dessert and took a bottle of Rose home with us. Highly recommend this winery/distillery, such a great experience and for us a capstone to our trip to Cedar Rapids and Iowa!

I've always loved this place! The views are great. The staff are friendly and accommodating as well…read moreas the facility being clean and easy to navigate even with all the tables. Our last visit was spent on the patio of course. We ordered a couple flights, a few drinks, pizza and a charcuterie board. I always enjoy the presentation of their items as well as the effort that goes into it! This time around I tried the sangria and I really enjoyed it. We don't live nearby so I am sad I won't return for another on a hot day, but well worth it!

Walker Homestead is truly something special…read more We recently hosted an evening there as part of a corporate dinner, and the entire experience exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality was warm, thoughtful, and incredibly well organized. Kristy, Bob, and the entire team made us feel genuinely welcomed and took such wonderful care of our group. The setting is absolutely stunning. What they have created is remarkable. The beautiful grounds, relaxed atmosphere, locally sourced farm-to-table meal, and attention to every detail made the evening unforgettable. Our attendees loved everything, from exploring the property and visiting the animals to enjoying dinner and participating in our murder mystery event. Planning an event for a large group can be stressful, but the Walker Homestead team made the process easy and enjoyable. They were responsive, flexible, accommodating, and committed to making sure everything went smoothly. The food was outstanding, the service was excellent, and the entire evening felt personal and special rather than simply being another hosted event. Our group is still talking about how much they enjoyed the experience. Walker Homestead was one of the highlights of our meeting, and I cannot recommend it highly enough for a private event, celebration, dinner, or simply an opportunity to experience this beautiful place. I sincerely hope we have the opportunity to return soon. Thank you to everyone at Walker Homestead for your extraordinary hospitality and for giving our group such a memorable evening!

What a phenomenal location for a wedding! Attended my nieces wedding and knew it was going to be an…read moreevent to remember. The ceremony took place on a covered large patio, in front of a wood burning fireplace that added to the ambiance. The reception was filled with an incredible countertop full of delectable charcuterie artfully arranged and just as delicious tasting as it was beautiful. They did such a wonderful job serving all the guests appetizers, drinks at the bar, and a multi course dinner, as well as the wedding cake. The brisket was so tender, it fell apart as soon as you put it on your plate. There was ample parking within the beautiful vineyard. I can't think of one thing that could have been better. The food was perfect, the atmosphere was romantic, and the venue just could not have been more special.

I was walking along Linn Street towards RSVP when imagine my surprise, I see this store. Being an…read moreavid cook and kitchen gadget junkie, of course I had to go inside. I wasn't expecting much because most smaller kitchen supply stores don't impress me. I have high standards and prefer well-made high quality products. Well, you can imagine how surprised I was to find this unicorn of a store. I felt like I just walked through a door into wonderland. I thought I owned every kitchen gadget that was worth owning, but I was wrong. I found the cutest baker's dusting wand by OXO and a cool round trivet made of strung-together felted wool balls. They had some of my favorite brands like GIR, Staub, Microplane, Nordic Ware and Opinel. They also had a cool selection of aprons, mugs, spices, oils and vinegars. I was in heaven as I walked through the store. There was so much to look at. They have a well-curated selection of items that I would want to carry if I had my own kitchen supply store. I would much rather support a great locally owned store than a big chain like Williams Sonoma (that doesn't even really carry what I want). Iowa City is so lucky to have a store as wonderful as this. Every time I visit this city I have a few favorite stores that I must visit and I'm so happy to add this one to my list.

A lot of different cooking/ baking items which is why I went to the store. But they also have a…read morevariety of other items.

I love going to this, Winery. The food is amazing. The service is outstanding. And the ambience is…read moreabsolutely perfect. Whether you sit inside or whether you sit outside around one of the fire pits.

Thank you Fireside Winery for providing a wonderful atmosphere for Lizzy's Bridal Shower. The Wine…read moreBarrell room was the perfect setting! The space was very private and Kayce, you delivered service with confidence and upbeat personality. Thank you so much, Kayce for making it easy. We will be back!! Sonya

White Cross Cellars is the most recent addition to multiple wineries in the Amana area. They have…read moregone away from the flavored wines and instead are establishing themselves as the place to go when you're looking for more standard wine selections. They've got a solid number of both whites and reds, as well as a delightful port that's a great ending to any evening. The red's largely have a medeival theme (Knight's red, Monk's red and Stormy Knight) that we assume has something to do with the cellar story, but whatever the reason, Knight's are cool, the wine is good, 'nuf said! Whites weres solid with our favorite being the Oktoberfest - a sweet white that's available, you guessed it, in October and until they run out! We've been very impressed with the folks that work here. They know the wine well, love to help you sample the libations and make some great food recs to go with the wines! Another fun thing that we're excited to try are the dinner's the have throughout the year. They pair wines with a local establishment and serve up a delicious evening. They've also become active with many of festivals that occur in Amana throughout the year making it always a good time to drop by. Our favorite wines have been the Monk's red - fuller red that's really smooth, the Knight's red - little dryer with a big of kick - good with steak!, Cranberry Bog was different and a good lighter wine and we really like the the Stormy knight as a way to end an evening - it's a delicious heavy port that's basically dessert in a bottle. Great spot with some really good wines! Better selection of "normal" wines that many of the other Amana shops (though you won't find any dandelion wine here) and certainly worth stopping in for. They'll treat you right and likely introduce you to a wine you didn't know you loved - now back ot the Monk's red!

If you find yourself in the Amanas don't forget to stop by and taste the real German wine. White…read morecross cellars will lead you thru their whole tasting. Dave and Mary will fill you in on their passion of all the Amana history. I can't leave the Amanas without saying hello and grabbing a mitler for me and a cranberry bog. I highly suggest you look into their wine dinners it's Such a treat. Thanks for all you do for the Amanas !

The only one of its kind in the IC Downtown District, Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar has it all. (And…read moreby all, I mean cheese and wine. What more could you need?) What started as a wine and cheese shop with a small bar has grown into a full-service restaurant with a small shop. It boasts outdoor seating (though, be careful for falling acorns during the fall-- those are hazardous)! I stopped in on a Friday evening, prior to another reservation. I got a crisp glass of rose and enjoyed the beautiful October day. I'd d I recommend street parking, down Linn Street. Though the Tower Place Parking Ramp is a short .25 mile walk away. Honestly, I bumped this up a star for two main reasons. 1) STAFF. Man, just the most helpful, knowledgeable and personable folks work here. Kind folks. I mean Kind with a capital K -- and it starts from the top. During the pandemic, the owner donated $13k during the peak of the pandemic to local businesses. (By challenging his customers: For every $100 Brix gift card purchased, he would pay forward 100 percent, with 75 percent of the money going to various downtown venues, restaurants and retail, and 25 percent to the Englert Theatre.) Additionally, each year Brix does a Rosé vs Wade event raising money for the local Emma Goldman Clinic of Iowa City. 2) Wine classes. I am always so intrigued to see the wine classes Brix puts up on Facebook. I adore wine but I am not anything close to a sommelier. Keep an eye out for these informative and tasty classes! Brix is one of a kind in Downtown Iowa City. Sip, sip hooray! Stop by.

A distinctive feature of txakoli is the "txotx" pouring method, where the wine is poured from a…read moreheight into a glass to aerate it and release its aromas. This practice is common in Basque pintxo bars and adds a cultural ritual to the drinking experience. Only these guys can't be bothered to serve it that way. Shame on you for being lazy. Marks you as a hick bar in the cornbelt. Surprised you don't have sawdust and discarded peanut shells littering the floor.

My family and I stopped here for some wine. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the owners…read moreand was shown a table. The area I has a lovely lounge feel and their was a band playing. I believe the menu mentioned that Fridays and Saturdays were music nights. What's really cool is that they have so much variety of wine lining the walls. Each wine organized by features (ex: Bold, Smooth, Sweet). Underneath the features are a list of the recommended wines. My family and I shared the sweet and salty dish, which included pieces of chocolate, salted caramel chocolate balls, almonds. This was the perfect pairing to the wines and helped bring out their complexity. I had the Sweet Bitch Moscoto, which was sweet (not overly sweet), fruity, and slightly sparking. It was so good! Each bottle of wine is about $20-32 and each glass is about $9-12. I highly recommend! this place and I can not wait to come back!

Considering the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic, I felt very uncomfortable by the fact…read morethat the worker/owner wasn't wearing a mask or keeping 6 ft away from me. Unbelievable to see a whole establishment not care about the lives of others. I will not be returning.

Excellent selection of wines and knowledgeable help from Jose. Always has different wines in with…read moregreat prices.

Some of the best pizza I've ever had. This was our first time eating here, but it won't be our…read morelast. Nice atmosphere, large selection of wines to take home. Wonderful service as well.

Luxe Interiors has been on my radar since it moved to the Northside. I am one of those…read more'I-watch-HGTV-so-I'm-basically-a-professional' types. Logically, I wanted to confer with like minds. I stopped in one downtown district shop crawl and was instantly greeted by the shop owner, Jan. What a wonderful lady! I loved the shop. A couple Iowa-centric items, lots of beautiful decor, paintings, furniture-- all carefully curated. I begrudgingly left that night empty handed. (A lot of the items on my radar were not surprisingly pricey. I unfortunately tend to have expensive taste. And this shop definitely has some higher end items.) Then, last week, I realized they sell items ONLINE with free contactless local delivery. *Happy Dance* I'm not sure if you've perused the Northside? But currently an entire street is closed to outside dining which is amazing, but does the parking situation no favors. ANYWAYS. The online shop was filled with candles, tea towels, furniture, pillows, vases, rugs, artwork... the whole gambit. I found an amazing photo of the pedestrian mall in the rain. I couldn't resist. My treasure was well priced. Jan emailed me personally that night to set up next day delivery. I found my package neatly put between my doors, packed with care. The cherry on top was a handwritten note from the shop owner. The picture is perfection. I haven't used Luxe for interior design purposes. (And due to my frequent HGTV watching and inherent designing expertise, let's face it. I probably won't anytime soon. ;)) But Jan is fabulous, the shop has tons of flair. A great addition to downtown! Stop by virtually or IRL.

Fraud is a word I would use to describe how this business is run. We engaged with the owner in…read moreApril, placed an order on July 6th for $17,000. We left a $10,000 deposit. In August, we received another email with an invoice for $2,100 as she had received items in her warehouse which we paid. The owner failed to keep us posted on timelines and deliveries which we were supposed to have in September (after paying for items in August). Our delivery was scheduled for October 22 when I got a call that the truck had been in an accident and all of our pieces were damaged and she would have to reorder. She did not offer a refund. Months later, she delivers $6,000 worth of the items. That was the end of it. I finally called and demanded a refund which they processed (has not reached my card yet). I come to find out that 1) No one at Luxe Interiors ever heard anything about an accident and 2) the order for one sofa was never placed and the other order was placed then cancelled back in December. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THESE LYING CRIMINALS!