ON THE TRAIL OF
THE TENDERLOIN
Oakland Mills Store, Oakland Mills
Oakland Mills, a few miles west of Mount Pleasant, is home to the Oakland Mills Store, located in the center of town (no directions are necessary). The pork tenderloin sandwich is an Iowa classic, at least two feet wide, it’s nicely breaded and loaded with all the necessary condiments, One miracle of this sandwich is the crisp breading that covers the tender loin.
Michael's Restaurant and Lounge, 4041 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines
My favorite tenderloin in Des Moines and, in my humble estimation, the second best sandwich of its kind in the state. The beauty of this sandwich is that the breading doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of the pork. Delicious.
The Little Bohemia, 1317 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids
SECONDS?
We're on the prowl for the best pork tenderloin sandwich in the state. The Iowa Pork Producers Association estimates that as many as 300 restaurants and cafes offer tenderloins across Iowa. We'd love to try 'em all, but that's impossible. So if you have a favorite, send us an e-mail with a brief description of what makes it so tasty. Send your e-mails to essentialiowa@gmail.com. If we use your description, we'll even comp you for the sandwich.
The Dairy Sweet, Dunlap
These monsters are sliced from whole pork loins purchased from a meat shop in Vail, tenderized three times and then double-breaded. The tenderloins are frozen until it’s time to drop them in hot oil. Winner of the Iowa Pork Producers Association Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin in 2005.
Some food historians claim this working class ethnic neighborhood is where it all began. Tenderloins, as far as anyone can tell, were brought to the United States by Czechoslovakians who first started breading pork for schnitzel in the old country. The Little Bohemia is a century-old workingman’s pub not far from the suburb Czech and Slovak National Museum & Library. (If you’re not in the mood for tenderloins, give the goulash a try. Everything here tastes homemade.
Joensy’s, Solon and Cedar Point
Fans of Pork Tenderloin – and there are a surprising number of diehards (see the www.chowhound.com for proof) – make pilgrimages to the legendary restaurant not far from Iowa City for the pizza-sized tenderloins. The loins are hand-breaded and are a challenge just to finish. Joensy’s menu cites a half-dozen awards the sandwich hashumble estimation, the second best sandwich of its kind in the state. The beauty of this sandwich is that the breading doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of the pork. Delicious.
Porks, Winfield
A must stop is Pork's in Winfield, north of Mt. Pleasant - 7 miles off 218. Possibly the World's largest tenderloins are found at Pork's and they serve them on a daily basis. You need two sets of buns,two orders of fixins, two plates and four hands if you want to keep it clean. But where is the fun in keeping it clean? Oh, and you'll need a very big appetite! For tenderloin lovers, Pork's in Winfield is Iowa's tender in the rough! (Thanks to Eric Rawson, Executive Director of the Henry County Convention and Visitors Bureau for this tasty suggestion.)
Wes' Family Cafe, Oskaloosa
Stephanie N. from Fremont writes:
"I am relatively new to Iowa - consequently I have made it my own personal quest - to search out the best tenderloin sandwich in Iowa. While this seems quite the task... what a fun task it is. I have barely begun to scratch the surface, however I have to date, tried them in 50 different communities. The tenderloin at Wes' is thick and juicy, breaded in the most delectable semi sweet batter.... (I think buttermilk must be their secret ingredient.) The sweet undertone is off set by the perfect mix of salt,pepper and a tiny, bit of garlic. Fried to perfection - crispy, fluffy and light - with barely a hint of grease on the wrapping paper. Coming from the south - I had to try mayo/lettuce and tomato -however I have since learned the benifits of mustard,ketsup and pickle...... lots of pickle. It's wonderful, absolutely, the GOAT (greatest of all time.) in my search to date -that is. But I do bet it will stand for a while.St. Olaf Tap, St. Olaf
David Stovall is, perhaps, the nation's foremost expert on pork tenderloin sandwiches. He chided us for leaving St. Olaf Tap off our list. We passed through St. Olaf again last fall on the way to Gunder and after lunch at Joensy's and just couldn't break free to down another gigantic sandwich. But if David says it's good, we'll be back. He writes: "You should also add to your recommended Iowa pork tenderloins the "World's Largest" at the St. Olaf Tap in St. Olaf, IA. I don't know how you could overlook that one just 8 miles away from the Irish Shanti Gunderburger. It is much, much better than the offering at Joensy's in Solon. The St. Olaf Tap tenderloin picture got published in the Minneapolis StarTribune and reprinted in The Fort Worth, TX Star Telegraph and the Charlotte, NC Observer." (Check out his great web site here.)
Coal Miner's Inn, Mystic
Dan Ehl is editor of the Centerville Iowegian and one of the state's favorite award-winning
community journalists. His reputation as a newspaperman precedes him. But apparently he also has a skill for finding great tenderloin sandwiches. Here's his report:
"Just st as "close" only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes, the subtleties that make a truly exquisite breaded tenderloin sandwich cannot be overstated.There are plenty of good tenderloins, but few are perfect. Such sandwiches surprisingly exist at the Coal Miners Inn in Mystic, served in a tavern that¹s most notable decor are the walls brightly papered with flatten beer 12-packs."
Not all bar cuisine is created equal. Stay away the pickled mystery meats in the glass gallon jars, sustenance resembling life forms thought extinct since the Mesozoic Era.
The tenderloins in Mystic are hand pounded and dipped in a secret breading, deep-fat fried to a golden brown. A tenderloin cooked too long is a sad affair - its potential foiled by those few too many minutes or even seconds - causing it an arid texture that though may still allow the sandwich to be "good," is not the sublime joy of a perfect tenderloin. One taken before its time from the calescent oils is like a youth killed
before entering the prime of life. Tenderloins should be moist, but never soggy.
The sandwiches at the Coal Miners Inn come as close to perfections as humanly possible.
To fully appreciate such a feast, one must first slightly open one¹s mouth as the sandwich nears and breathe in deeply the tenderloin¹s bouquet. Instantly, the mouth will helplessly water in anticipation like one of Pavlov's dogs.The test of a truly great fragrance of frying tenderloins is not that it clings to your clothes for the rest of the day - but that hours later friends and family can differentiate the smoky oil flavor from that of French fries.
One should savor the tenderloins by slow mastication, letting the flavors swirl easily about the taste buds.
In other words, for a truly great Iowa treat, come to Mystic (also home of Iowa¹s only annual goat races).
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