Southern Swing: Gastronomic Gems in Rochester and Decorah

Carol and I got really lucky last night. We were on our way
back to the Cities from visiting her folks on the farm, not too far from
Decorah, when we decided to stop for dinner in Rochester. I wanted to check out
Söntés, the new tapas bar and restaurant at 4 3rd St. SW, 507-292-1628. The lucky
part was, ordinarily, Söntés isn’t open on Sundays, but they made an exception
for Mothers Day. And the food itself was really delightful. We had been
munching Fritos all the way from Protivin, so we didn’t order a lot – just a
salad and a few of the small tapas plates.

Each of the dishes we sampled was a playful and imaginative
combination of flavors – a salad of cherry tomatoes, green grapes, cherry
tomatoes, watermelon balls, watermelon gelee, olive oil and black volcano salt
($7.50); a plate of fresh sashimi of New Zealand grouper, served with a light
avocado mouse, ponzu jelly and just a dab of wasabi ($9); three succulent diver
scallops in a savory chocolate sauce, served over caramelized shallots and
topped with shreds of sliced fennel ($12), and a light and refreshing salad of
squid, tossed with marinated fennel, sections of fresh orange, smoky Spanish
chorizo and Arbaquena olives ($6). Presentation was artful without being fussy,
and service was prompt and friendly.

There is a lot more on the menu I would like to try:
thin-crust Neapolitan pies (i.e., pizzas) topped with everything from organic
chicken tikka masala to grilled pears, Serrano ham and goat cheese ($12-$15);
entrée-sized shared plates such as slow-roasted Scottish salmon with wild ramps
and fennel ($22) and an impressive list of artisan cheeses.

Ordinarily, we don’t dine out much in Iowa, because my
mother-in-law, Elmarie, is such a great cook, but yesterday being Mothers’ Day,
she agreed to let us take her out to brunch at the Dayton House Café, 516 W.
Water St., Decorah, 563-382-9683. It’s a charming little storefront next door
to the Vesterheim Norwegian Heritage Museum, with a Sunday brunch is a la
carte, with everything $8 or less. I had the mothers’ day special, a savory
seafood strata, but got to nibble a bit on some of the other specials – a
Nordic interpretation of eggs Benedict, made with seared salmon and poached
eggs, topped with a lemon dill sauce ($8), and some simple but delicious
ricotta pancakes, served with lingonberry sauce. I would love to go back
sometime and sample the dinner menu (served Wednesdays through Saturdays) – the
focus is on seafood, with offerings like a seafood martini ($7), cod and clams
in a butter sauce ($15), and a fresh fish of the day. The lunch menu has a few
Norwegian specialties – open-face smorbrod sandwiches, varme polser (hot dogs
wrapped in lefse), and several Norwegian desserts: krumkake, rommegrot (cream pudding) and sandbakkels (shortbread
filled with whipped cream and berries.) No wine or beer, but guests are allowed
to bring their own bottle, for a small corkage fee.

There is one other restaurant in Decorah I would love to
try, if Elmarie ever decides to take a Saturday night off. With a 200 bottle
wine list, and entrees like grilled Iowa pork chops with a spicy peach and corn
salsa ($21) and bacon-wrapped pheasant with lingonberry, leek and smoked bacon
sauce ($24), Rubaiyat, 117 W. Water St., 563-382-9463, has to rank as the most ambitious restaurant
in Northeastern Iowa.