When I went from NYC to Iowa to visit my sister, I didn't think I'd taste some of the best food I've ever tasted in my life. NYC has the best food in the country, right? While NYC has some incredibly unique food, there's something about Cafe d'Marie, a quaint cafe in Davenport, IA, that put it on the top of my favorite restaurants list.
If you're near the quad cities (and even if you're not), eating at Cafe d'Marie is an absolute MUST. This breakfast/lunch/brunch spot is set in a comfy vintage home and serves extraordinary food and artisanal lattes. It's everything you want a cafe to be.
The Atmosphere
With comfortable seating by the kitchen and kid's drawings hung up on the refrigerator, you'll feel right at home in this neighborhood cafe that pleases visitors and locals alike.
The inside of the cafe is filled with flowers, decorations, and windows that let in plenty of light, perfect to brighten up any morning. If you look outside, you'll see train tracks running right next to the building that give the cafe an authentic and historic vibe.
Cafe d'Marie feels particularly homey because the cafe is, in fact, located in the downstairs section of DeAnna Walter's home.
Walter initially opened up this cafe as a waiting room for her chiropractic clinic where people could grab coffee or a pastry, but she soon began serving more and more food as people loved the treats and the atmosphere.
The Food
If the cute and cozy atmosphere alone isn't enough to get you into Cafe d'Marie, the delicious food should be reason enough to come.
Cafe d'Marie is known for their quiches, paninis, pastries, teas, and lattes. With so many good options, you'll be wondering what to try. If you ask me, ordering the blueberry goat cheese quiche is an absolute must. It only took one bite for this quiche to blow me away. With its fluffy eggs and flakey crust, this sweet and savory quiche cannot be beat.
If eggs aren't your thing, the cafe has sixteen delicious paninis for you to choose from (they even have gluten-free bread for you gluten sensitive people out there). I can vouch that the tomato, pesto, and provolone panini in three-cheese bread is like nothing you've ever tasted before. With its fresh ingredients and delicious pesto, this sandwich is as tasty as it is colorful.
Now I need to talk about the salads because not only do they include a variety of colorful and delicious vegetables, but they come with a side of homemade blueberry feta vinaigrette. This vinaigrette is just the right amount sweet and savory and pairs perfectly with the salad. This salad dressing is so good that they sell it by the bottle, so be sure to pick some up on your way out.
The Tea, Coffee, and Pastries
Cafe d'Marie has so many specialty tea and coffee drinks that Starbucks has nothing on them. You can enjoy specialty lattes such as Snow Peak (white chocolate, vanilla and almond), Cafe Vienna (vanilla, cinnamon, marshmallow, and chocolate), and White Rose (white chocolate and raspberry) to name a few. And yes, they all taste as good as they sound.
They also have a wide variety of flavorful whole leaf teas such as Wild Berry tea, Raspberry Green tea, and Green Mint. So whether you're a tea or coffee person, your warm beverage will not disappoint.
Now, there's no better way to finish off your visit to cafe d'Marie than by getting a delicious pastry. From giant cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies to chocolate cake with espresso frosting, Cafe d'Marie has decadent desserts that change daily depending on what they whip up.
Overall, Cafe d'Marie is hands down one of the best cafes I've ever been to. The food and drinks are absolutely delicious and the atmosphere couldn't be more cute and cozy. If you bought a plane ticket to Iowa just to go to Cafe d'Marie, it would be worth it.