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REVIEW: Take your friends to Augusta; it's worth the drive

By LaDawn Edwards

Ever hear of Oxford, Iowa? For foodies like me, the Augusta Restaurant is about to put this Johnson County town of 700 on the map.

Geri and Ben Halperin, the owners, have worked in restaurants from Israel (the source of Ben’s sugar carrots recipe) to New Orleans, where they met. After Hurricane Katrina they found work at a Chicago restaurant that laid them off three days after their marriage last year. Figuring it was a sign that they should finally open their own place, a friend persuaded them to come to Iowa.

Augusta is primarily a steak place—sirloin, rib eye and sometimes prime rib—but they also have Creole appetizers and a not-too-spicy gumbo as well as soup du jour. Following the lightly dressed Caesar salad, I ordered the very good 10-ounce sirloin with demi-glace sauce, which added just a touch of sweetness.

The wine selection is modest, and wine by the glass offerings are even more limited. But the pinot grigio that was my second choice arrived in a large, smoky cylindrical wineglass that made the drink almost an event. This whole place is like that.

My husband loved his burger. It’s 10 ounces of juicy medium rare ground steak, graced with his choice of cheese (bleu) and fresh toppings. The French fries were long spears of unpeeled potatoes, lightly spiced but not quite crisp.

The vegetables were Southern style, but not cooked to death—brightly colored, chewy chips made from sweet potatoes, delicate creamed corn that didn’t add too many calories, and mustard greens (without the traditional hunk of ham, so vegetarians will approve.)

Our appetizers were inconsistent. The three lump crab cakes, just a little bigger than golf balls, were crispy brown and luscious with their accompanying mild remoulade dip. The fried shrimp & onion, however, had a completely different batter that had the disappointing flavor of funnel cake and left a similar oily residue on our fingers. The dipping sauce seemed much more kicky New Orleans style, so I hope it finds a new assignment on the menu if this appetizer gets cut from the team.

But the best food by far, which had me reminiscing lovingly on the drive home, was the bread pudding with crème Anglaise. This dessert took the same oval slices of crusty baguette that was served with the gumbo and converted it into a casual pile of tiny French toast slices, molded together as it baked and enhanced with dried sweet cherries that made every spoonful a treasure hunt. (As I write this I’m remembering a to-go box containing this mouthwatering memory that lingers in my fridge. I am pleased to report that it is also excellent cold.)

The strawberry shortcake—baked slices of fruit over traditional powder biscuit with lots of real whipped cream—was good, but pales beside the bread pudding.

Arriving late on a Sunday night we had the dining room to ourselves, with its tin ceiling, gleaming hardwood floors, dry goods store windows and funky ceramics, as well as the Geri’s undivided attention. While slightly scattered from her busy weekend (forgetting to bring bread until the gumbo was almost gone,) the owner was happy to chat.

NOTE TO FELLOW FOODIES: You know that the only way this restaurant will be around in 2009 is if it has a steady stream of out-of-town customers. If you’re worried about increasing your carbon footprint by driving 20 to 60 miles for a meal, just reduce it by putting a couple of friends in your back seat. They’ll thank you for showing them the way.

This article originally appeared on CorridorBUZZ.com April 9.