The Class Act Restaurant in Cedar Rapids serves more than the perfect combination of approachable and upscale eats and cocktails. It is a real-life learning vessel for students enrolled in the Hospitality Arts programs at Kirkwood Community College, including those pursuing Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts and Bakery.
The Class Act Restaurant opened alongside The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in July of 2010, but the history of the restaurant dates back to 1984 when the original restaurant opened on campus for students and the general public.
As you walk into The Class Act, you will be greeted by the friendliest of staff, and you will notice the calm atmosphere, a mix of tables and booths, private rooms, crisp white linens and tealight candles. The setting is the perfect backdrop for special occasion dinners, private events and casual fare as it offers a variety of sandwiches, burgers, salads and white-plate entrees. The beverage menu, including specialty cocktails, is something worth bragging about, as well. (Diners can enjoy two-for-one happy hour Monday to Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.)
The Class Act Restaurant menus differ between breakfast, lunch and dinner but what’s bound to stay consistent is the ability to take casual dishes up several notches thanks to Executive Chef Joshua Spalding. Two of the most popular dishes include The Class Act burger and the apple-bourbon bone-in pork chop. The delicious burger is topped with white cheddar, cherrywood-smoked bacon and traditional garnish aioli. The pork chop sits atop a sweet potato hash and an apple-fennel slaw with a fennel vinaigrette. Other notable entrees include a smoked brisket sandwich, a mushroom melt, the bourbon-glazed salmon, a 7-oz. filet and duck.
The Cedar Rapids restaurant doesn’t stop at show-stopping entrees. Pastry Chef Cat Grimsley cooks up traditional desserts but also puts her own flair on sweet treats including the decadent buttermilk ice cream with macerated strawberries, a balsamic-grapefruit reduction, candied pistachios and pink peppercorn.
While the food, beverage and atmosphere are all impressive, what makes The Class Act Restaurant unique from others is the role it plays in the education for Kirkwood Community College students. Director of Food and Beverage Kasi Tenborg, says The Class Act is, “here because of the students.” What The Class Act and The Hotel at Kirkwood Center has is rare, and the Cedar Rapids community and state of Iowa is beyond lucky to have it in its backyard.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. For more information about The Class Act Restaurant in Cedar Rapids, visit www.thehotelatkirkwood.com.
7725 Kirkwood Boulevard SW
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404