NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 16:39:04 CDT
Organization: Prodigy Internet http://www.prodigy.com X-UserInfo1: SCSGWXCE_ZUWSSTX@ZJD]V@APZXTPO\MAPVZKB]MPXHDUWYAKVUOPCW[ML\JXUCKVFDYZKBMSFX^OMSAFNTINTDDMVW[X\THOPXZRVOCJTUTPC\_JSBVX\KAOTBAJBVMZTYAKMNLDI_MFDSSOLXINH__FS^\WQGHGI^C@E[A_CF\AQLDQ\BTMPLDFNVUQ_VM Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 21:39:04 GMT Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu chi.eats:15025
We decided to spend a few days in Iowa DESPITE the many people who told us there was nothing to see there. It took us three hours to get to Dubuque then another 30 minutes up C9Y to Balltown.
We booked in to a place called the Hvnlee bed and breakfast run by Carlyle and Norma Olsen. The place is great ,views all across the Mississippi valley. Lots of peace and quiet and really strange county smells ( I'm a city guy) . The Olsens are incredibly friendly and the first thing they do is show you to the fridge so you can make your own coffee or get a glass of milk/orange without asking them. Their breakfast is awesome and lots of it. One of the major attractions of the village ( 73 people live there) is the local pub called Breitbach's. Its been a pub since 1852 and Mike ( the guy that runs it ) is a direct descendant of the folks that opened it. The food was great and very representative of country dining. I had the buffet with burgers that melted in my mouth and battered cod that was incredibly crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside.
Mike gave us free dessert and afterwards Whiskey at the bar where we spent a great 4 hours getting very drunk. There was a torrential rainstorm and 4 sets of people offered to drive us back to our hotel, including the folks that ran it. When we got back we found that we had left our toothbrushes behind and within 20 minutes someone dropped off a new one from the village.
The next day we turned up to Breitbachs as requested and Mike
filled us up with coffee and gave us two more HUGE slices of the pies we had had for dessert. If you want a little chunk of heaven you should swing by Balltown it's worth it. Also check out Finleys crossing on the way to Balltown VERY peaceful.
Here are the details of the places we went to:
Breitbachs 319 552 2220 Mike Breitbach.
Hvnlee b & b 563 552 1433 Carlyle and Norma Olsen
Place was called Balltown about 15 miles NE of Dubuque.
From [email removed] Tue Jun 24 11:49:07 EDT 2003
Article: 57735 of rec.food.restaurantsIowa