Bev’s On the River is the second location that I’m judging food at for the 2014 Dine Iowa Grand Tasting Gala event in Des Moines, Iowa.
It has been a couple of years since the last time I attended the event, but I do remember it being full of flavor and fun. To get more information on this year’s event click here.
Chef Robert Anderson and I are the main judges. It is a privilege to get to work with him, the IRA staff, and members from the Soy and Beef Council.
During the next couple of weeks, leading up to the September 25th event, we have 10 different restaurants to visit. These restaurants are all across Iowa. Last night, we visited the first.
Bev’s On the River Restaurant
Bev’s on the River restaurant background is another great story of how the love for food, and one another flourished into a wonderful restaurant idea. Bev’s origin dates back to 1945 when Mother Beverly Meadows met Francis Miller. Beverly Meadows worked as a waitress at the Savory Café in Sioux City, IA, while Francis worked in the Air Force. Beverly had been in the restaurant industry for quite some time. She waited tables at the Flamingo Steak House and at the Paddock Steak House but then realized that there was a great opportunity for a new dining experience in the Sioux City, Iowa area. With that realization came Bev’s On the River. This restaurant offers seating with views of the river for over 200 people in the dining room as well as a large banquet room that can hold up to 400 people. You can order American cuisine from seafood to steaks in a business casual atmosphere. It’s a staple for most Siouxland folks.
The Chef at Bev’s
Chef Rick Beaulieu, a Sioux City native, heads the kitchen at Bev’s On the River. He brings a cajun flavor to his menu which includes steak, seafood, and pasta dishes. He started cooking in New Orleans and has even cooked with world renowned chefs. Check out this video highlighting Chef Beaulieu and Bev’s restaurant. (starts at :48)
The Meal
Rules: With this event, each competitor will prepare a main entrée recipe utilizing Braveheart Black Angus Beef Ribeye, donated by Performance Food Group (at least six ounces of cooked beef must be used). Additionally, each competitor will prepare a Tofu (soft-silken or water packed) side dish or sauce (at least a 1⁄4 cup of tofu must be used).
Main Dish
Before Rick placed the judging entrée, we ordered salads (not part of the judging). The majority of us ordered the wedge salad. Goodness, this was a delicious salad with an marvelous blue cheese dressing. It was so creamy, and the blue cheese was smooth and tangy. Now, I don’t normally eat blue cheese “raw”, but by the end of the salad I was forking up scoops of the cheese (someone pass me a mint).
Back to the main dish – one rib eye filet was served with a creole hollandaise sauce which was so delicious. It had the slightest hint of spices, which was great because any spicier would have probably ruined the sauce, and tournedos of rib eye filet. The second sauce was a homemade natural demi glaze sauce which was outstanding. It was such a great plate because each half of the plate offered a unique flavor. You could clean the palate by enjoying a perfectly cooked asparagus, or a very unique twist of risotto which included tofu and marvelous mushrooms. I had said that if I were given a bowl of the risotto, I would have no problem eating every last piece of it.
Chef Rick displayed a wonderful plate. He should be proud of his presentation.
Contact Bev’s On the River
1110 Larsen Park Rd . Sioux City, Iowa
712-224-2387
Open
Mon-Sat at 11:00 am
Sunday Brunch 10-2
Sunday Dinner 4-9:30
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I’m so excited for the next couple of weeks and I am eager to see how creative the competing chefs can be!