Matt Steigerwald Portrait
Matt Steigerwald is a local chef who owns the Lincoln Cafe and the Lincoln Wine Bar, both in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.
Along with a team of very talented people he has created what is now a bright spot in an otherwise cloudy area of places to enjoy food in the corridor area. The food here is more than just different, it’s better. Better because they source from local farmers for their produce when possible and it shows. Better because the people here really care about good food and not making money. Better because Matt and the rest of his crew don’t view this as a job, but as a passion. Everyone that I know that works here is excited about making good food and take pride in not only making it for the customers, but for themselves and their families, too.
The menu has a “specials” list that changes periodically, and there also is a regular menu that stays pretty constant. As you can tell, they don’t mess around. Here is a sample “specials” menu, taken from this current week:
Alaskan Halibut chick pea socca, rhubarb caponata, fried lemons, spinach, and local basil.
Thai Heritage Pork Shank lemongrass gold rice, coconut curry morels, sesame asparagus salad, and smoked serrano sambal.
Rosemary Poussin green garlic, flageolet beans, grilled chevre crostini, braised bacon, and sherry dressed romaine.
The Cafe has been open since 2001, and the Wine Bar since 2006. (The Wine Bar was previously occupied, but he made it into what is it now). Matt moved here from North Carolina when his partner, Michelle Mouton, got a job teaching at Cornell College. They live in Mount Vernon
I live only twenty minutes from these restaurants and frequent here often with my family and friends, some of whom work here.
The Lincoln Cafe has been written up in publications like O magazine, The New York Times, and The Chicago Tribune, not to mention others. Matt is a very busy guy, but he was nice enough to take some time out for me to shoot his portrait. Thanks, Matt. I really enjoy having you and your crew around. Cheers!
Thanks for stopping by, all. Hope you’re great! Feel free to share this with your friends and family. Let’s get the word out about this guy and what he does for our corridor.
P.S. I highly recommend the Portobello Mushroom Burger. Just saying.
