Bob's Your Uncle, the longtime Iowa City family restaurant, has closed, but a new restaurant that took its place is set to carry on its predecessor's pizza tradition.
Boyd's Grille & Spirits, 2208 N. Dodge St., opened its doors at Bob's former location on Oct. 5th, said Ellis Ahrens, the restaurant's general manager, Thursday afternoon. After purchasing Bob's Your Uncle from local restaurateur Randy Larson on July 28, Ahrens and owner Joe Skelley have been remodeling and adding new signage for their new restaurant.
A couple of things haven't change from Bob's Your Uncle, though. Ahrens said Boyd's was able to maintain mostly the entire 30-person staff that helped run Bob's. That includes head chef Sal Hnesh, who has been working in the Iowa City restaurant business for 33 years.
But there's one thing both Ahrens and Hnesh stressed above all else that they haven't changed from their culinary predecessor. "We have not changed the pizza," Hnesh said.
"Put that in bold print: We haven't changed the pizza," Ahrens said.
Hnesh said that their signature pizza crust, which is a 70-year-old recipe the originated at downtown Iowa City's The Airliner, hasn't changed a bit over the years. "We do a lot of pizza business here. It's a tradition in Iowa City," said Hnesh, who favors the restaurant's thin crust beef, mushroom and onion pizza.
The menu has changed, Ahrens and Hnesh said, to include more than what Bob's had to offer. More burgers, more sandwiches, steak, shrimp, salmon. The menu is bigger to offer more comfort food, Hnesh said. "If you come in, you'l find something you love," Hnesh said.
Ahrens also said that Boyd's will try to highlight its bar more than Bob's did. "We have a beautiful bar, so why not," Ahrens said.
With nine televisions, four of which are new, dedicated to sports, Ahrens said a slew of Chicago Cubs fans have come in to watch their playoff series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. However, numerous defeated Cardinals have also been spotted in the restaurant, Ahrens added.
Because they want to keep the pizza tradition alive from Bob's, Boyd's will deliver. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., delivery will only be within the immediate area of the restaurant, unless it's a large order. Delivery will be available throughout Iowa City from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Boyd's is not the first restaurant rodeo for Ahrens and Skelley, its owner. The two also run 61 Chop House in Mediapolis and The Broadway in West Burlington. Ahrens, who grew up in Tipton, said both he and Skelley were eager to start a restaurant in the Iowa City area.
"We want to be a neighborhood sports bar that is open to the family," Ahrens said. "We're obviously not downtown, but we're still going to provide great food and great service."
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...s-carries-tradition-bobs-your-uncle/74013036/
