The Daily Smorgasbord JUN 2014 | Page 12

Well-­‐Rounded  Perfection  at   the  Teluwut     Most   popular   restaurants   focus   on   one   thing   and   hone   that   to   perfection.     Few   excellent   restaurants   ever  earn  the  title  of  ‘jack  of  all  trades’,   and   fewer   still   do   that   perfectly.     Teluwut   grill   and   pub   is   one   of   those   restaurants   that   have   just   the   right   amount  of  everything.       A   block   away   from   main   street   and   designed   with   the   same   old   brick   architecture   as   the   rest   of   Cresco,   the   Teluwut   is   easy   to   miss.     It   commands   no   spectacular   view   of   the   outdoors,   and   it   isn’t   covered   in   self-­‐righteous   advertising.     But   these   are   the   type   of   things   that   make   restaurants   like   the   Teluwut  a  hidden  gem.     Upon   entering   the   Teluwut,   the   atmosphere   immediately   changes   from   small   town   modern   Iowa   to   a   1980’s   barbeque  joint.     Old  memorabilia   decorates   the  slightly  unkempt  walls,  and  the  modern   pop  music  clashes  with  the  ‘classic’  vibe  of   the   restaurant   style.     The   dim   lighting   seemed   to   give   everything  a   ‘retro’   glow.     It   was  early  for  supper,  but  there  was  a  good   sprinkling   of   middle-­‐aged   and   elderly   customers  seated  at  the  bar  and  the  bistro   tables   dominating   most   of   the   floor   space.     My   family   and   I   showed   ourselves   to   a   booth   with   slightly   rundown   seats.     It   wasn’t   long   before   a   waitress   came   along   and  asked  us  for  our  drinks  with  a  friendly   smile.     I   started   with   a   glass   of   1919   root   beer,   while  my   father   and  mother   had  tea.     In   a   short   amount   of   time   my   root   beer   arrived  in  a  frosted,  chilled  glass  while  the   tea   cam BCH0