CorridorBuzz.com Review

05-21-2008 | Dining

By LaDawn Edwards

It looks like a very hip martini bar—with understated bottles of Grey Goose and Absolut vodka gracing the shelves above the bartender’s head—but Graze adds the European feature of a front wall that folds aside to let the breeze flow freely between the restaurant’s little patio and tables inside.

Once seated, we peppered our server with questions about the menu’s many odd listings. An Arnold Palmer? (That’s lemonade and iced tea.) Sliders? (Small hamburgers or chicken on a big white bun.) Chicken lips? She responded pleasantly, her efficient demeanor melting for a few seconds as she relived the sense memory of thin strips of batter dipped chicken strips, as spicy as hot wings, but cooled with creamy kazu sauce. Back to business, she enthusiastically recommended the lip pizzadilla when we asked about it.

You know the Looney Tunes cartoon where Sylvester sprouts a mini angel and devil Sylvester on each shoulder? That’s how I felt looking at the Graze menu—the angel on my right shoulder encouraged me to order one of the lovely and interesting salads. But the devil on my left said ‘It isn’t the salads that draw people here. You have to try something the place is known for!” Bowing to that logic, I ordered the lip pizzadilla with salad for balance. My brother got the chicken sliders.

The sesame ginger salad was surprisingly pretty; I had to pause and admire it for a second before I reached for my fork. The mix of lettuce was topped with mandarin oranges, sesame seeds, a mild grated daikon radish usually found on sushi trays and just a sprinkling of wanton strips in a sweet signature sauce. If my office were within walking distance of Graze I’d be a lunch regular for this salad alone.

But so much for my angelic appetizer; what about my devilish entrée? Imagine a crispy pizza crust covered with bits of de-boned chicken wings, drizzled with a sauce way too creamy to be good for you, then folded and cut like a quesadilla. It was spicy and good, dripping orange oil onto my wrist. However, I decided not to finish it, because (in addition to tasting my brother’s chicken sliders—which were okay, if you don’t mind biting more bun than chicken) I was saving room for the Big Ass Ice Cream Pie.

This is definitely a bring-a-friend dessert experience. Graze takes the three classic Neapolitan flavors—vanilla, chocolate and strawberry—softened and smooshed together in an immense chocolate cookie crust, then topped with pineapple, caramel, chopped peanuts and real whipped cream. Oh yum!

Next trip to Graze I’ll have to order the chocolate fondue, proceeded by either mahogany ribs or lobster fried lobster, with the beef lettuce wraps with peanut sauce appetizer. Bring your little devil and angel advisors into Graze and I’m sure they’ll find plenty to wrestle over before you leave.

Chef Peter Harmon, the self-styled “Food Guru,” has built a little empire of restaurants--to which he has added an Iowa City Graze--as well as a video cookbook, branded spices and the Food Guru University cooking classes at his flagship eatery. After one lunch I’m tempted to round up a crowd for a road trip to Burlington to learn from Chef Peter himself.