Redwood Steakhouse

For pork lovers, the Redwood Steakhouse is a quintessential stop. Located on a bucolic strip of the old White Pole Road in Anita, populated sparsely with gas stations and convenience stores, the parking lot at the Redwood is nearly always packed after 5 p.m. One of the absolute delights of the Redwood is the relish tray, a long-lost relic of American cuisine. It includes such unbeknownst-to-the-young items as pickled herring, cornichons, cheese spread, black olives, green onions, beets, liverwurst, crinkle-cut carrots, and radishes. A basket of soft French bread accompanies these snacks, and folks often order an appetizer plate of chicken livers or the exceptional French fried onions.

As for entrées, Redwood steaks have a locally raised flavor and quality to them. Iowans tend to lean to the side of the menu that includes fine cuts of beef, assorted seafood (walleye, catfish, roughy, shrimp, etc.), or perhaps even lobster. For us visitors to the countryside, however, our must-eat menu item is most certainly the bacon-wrapped, seasoned pork filet. As unbelievably juicy and flavorful as this cut of pork is, the crown jewel is the thick-cut bacon, which elevates it to an entirely new level of porcine enjoyment. Like Johnny’s Café in Omaha, sides include golden hash browns and elegant salads, replete with thick dressings in all flavors.

The lighting at the Redwood is dim, the booths overstuffed, and the wood paneling makes you feel as if you have been transported to a different time. Among the true delights of this restaurant are the ’70s-era jukebox and the lovely wait staff, who are more than happy to answer questions from the very few customers who are not regulars of the restaurant. The Redwood is open Monday through Sunday, five to close, with “close” often not being very late, given that this is rural Iowa.