Monica's

Coralville, Iowa
January 2011

We went to this restaurant in the space that used to be Slugger's on the Coralville Strip. The ambiance was great (despite the tvs, which gives it a sports bar feel). If you aren't into the random basketball game that might be on, you should choose to sit in the far left section, where the tv's aren't as in-your-face. I, however, chose a booth and was only distracted by the tv's about half a dozen times. The lighting was nice, the wait staff was friendly, and the seats were comfortable.
The food, however, was a disappointment.
Hubby got the chicken pot pie, which came out looking just unattractive. It had an orangish-pink color to it, and when I tasted it, something was really, really off. He said that was the canned chicken. Yup, it definitely had the flavor of canned meat, and the pot pie crust was so white flour-tasting that it wasn't even good. My dish was remarkably better, the chicken spinach ravioli, with a hint of Alfredo, marinara sauce and pesto. It looked attractive, except for the large puddle of straight up oil on one side. It tasted okay, but it definitely could have been better, like by adding a few more spices or something. When hubby tried it, he said it tasted like pizza, and I'm pretty sure now that I think about it, their marinara sauce is most likely the same for the pizza and the pasta. As someone who makes homemade spaghetti sauce and homemade pizza sauce, I can tell you that they should definitely not taste the same.
The meal came with bread (4 tiny pieces) but they brought more (4 tiny pieces) when we ran out. We also got salads, mine cost $3 extra and his cost $4.25 extra. With his beer (oh, their beer selection is on par with Okoboji Grill's, which isn't saying much) the meal came to $34 with tax. We had a discussion about whether or not to tip before or after tax. The waitress stopped at our table 2-3 times without refilling my water, which was sitting empty on the edge of the table, so I went with the pre-tax tip.
I would have liked to try the cupcakes for dessert, but I was full. If I go back, it will be for wine and cupcakes. Only.
Environmentally: linen napkins.