Colorful and flavorful Asian-inspired ramen dish with a variety of fresh ingredients
In Iowa’s all-American restaurants, we find out who we are. At Due South, in the small town of Fairfield, we find out who we want to be. Experiencing different cultures does this.
Don’t travel to big cities searching for an exceptional culinary experience because this small town of ten thousand people offers more than food that sticks to your ribs. Fairfield, located in the Southeast corner of Iowa, is a culinary oasis in a small-town setting. Due South is one of several exceptional restaurants leading the way.
With a chef who trained under a James Beard award winner in a town that claims to have more restaurants per capita than San Francisco, find out why Due South needs to be on your culinary radar.
How A Remarkable Multicultural Culinary Lifestyle Led To Fairfield
The powerful duo of Teah Benkoczy and Camp Boswell met in 2012 at a restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, where they worked together.
Before moving to Asheville, Boswell, from southern Alabama, attended culinary school in Colorado, then trained under James Beard award-winning chef Chris Hastings at Hot & Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Under Hastings, Boswell further developed his palate while fine-tuning and mastering the attention to detail Hastings requires. Afterwards, Boswell became the sous chef under chef Reza Setayesh in Asheville. Consequently, Hastings and Setayesh went head to head and won against celebrity chef Bobby Flay on the Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.”
While in Asheville, Benkoczy and Boswell held pop-up events while searching for a permanent location to open a restaurant. They opened their restaurant in 2019, before COVID shuttered restaurants. At this point, they decided to pack up and move to Fairfield, Iowa.
Originally from Seattle, Benkoczy knew Fairfield from her school days and early twenties and still had friends there. She knew what to expect. After living in cities on opposite coasts, Fairfield offered a comfortable town in which to run their business and raise a family.
We wanted to understand what drew them to the small town of Fairfield after experiencing bigger cities and cultures found in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Alabama, and North Carolina. Both adamantly agreed that Fairfield’s quality of life came first, followed by a slower pace, the friendliness that small towns often possess, and no traffic to deal with. However, in our conversation, community came up time after time. Whether it’s relationships, the arts, or Fairfield’s friendly small-town social fabric, the town’s camaraderie creates a strong sense of belonging.
Fairfield, Iowa, is a culinary oasis in a small-town setting
Embark On A Spectacular Culinary Journey In Fairfield, Iowa
Their multicultural involvement around the nation brings unexpected culinary experiences to Southeast Iowa. Benkoczy and Boswell own two restaurants in Fairfield, the Lunchbox and Broth Lab 641.
Each restaurant carries a different atmosphere. The Lunchbox has a casual diner feel, complete with red stools at the counter. However, Broth Lab 641 maintains a more modern atmosphere of playfulness in its design, wrapped in an elevated and refined dining experience. Based on their love for Southeast Asian cuisines, Broth Lab 641 was created from their West Coast and retro experiences. According to Benkoczy and Boswell, the intention is to allow guests to feel like they have been transported somewhere else for an hour in an upscale but not stuffy restaurant.
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The Cobb salad presents a kaleidoscope of culinary delights
What We Ate At The Lunchbox And Broth Lab 641
The Lunchbox combines new American and Southern comfort food. I had an LB Cobb made with chopped romaine, soft-boiled local farm egg, fire-roasted corn, blistered tomato, avocado, feta, bacon, and poached chicken with roasted butternut + balsamic buttermilk dressing. The dressing was light and had an excellent flavor. I loved everything about this salad. Most people recommended getting the fried chicken sandwich, so Kristi ordered it. The crispy chicken sandwich came with tomato jam, pimento cheese sauce, and red cabbage slaw on a toasted brioche bun.
For dinner at Broth Lab 641, our party of four ordered pickled fried cauliflower and chili lime peanuts for starters, which were excellent. Three of us ordered variations of ramen, and our local friend chose a Banh Mi on a Ciabatta roll.
Comforting Southern-style fried chicken sandwich with pimento cheese sauce
Due South: Where Southern Comfort Meets Upscale Elegance
In January 2024, Benkoczy and Boswell will merge both restaurant concepts into one location named Due South. The menu combines successful dishes from both restaurants. Lunch will feel like the Lunchbox without many changes to the menu, but dinner selections will undergo the most revisions. Instead of a ramen focus, Due South will offer plates and a refined entree-based menu. Although ramen will be available, guests can expect to find elevated upscale Southern American cuisine for a foodie haven in unexpected rural Iowa.
Lunch and dinner continue to have a twist of southern U.S. and Asian-inspired foods. On the small bites menu, three crispy choices are okra, cauliflower, and potatoes, while broccolini, bok choy, and bao buns are fun choices.
One example of the restaurant’s new plated culinary creations is wild-caught seared rainbow trout with rice, seared broccolini, and black sesame citrus cream. Another is a seared filet served with crispy potatoes and broccolini. For pasta lovers, order bucatini with black sesame citrus cream, caramelized cauliflower, broccolini, pickled red onions, and chili flakes. Order Southern fried chicken served with sweet potato puree and maple braised collards for a Southern flair.
Of course, wildly successful favorites still exist on the menu. For instance, Bahn Mi, TBL smashburger, ramen, veggie flatbread, and LB Cobb salad.
Final Thoughts About Due South
Take a road trip to Fairfield, Iowa, for a culinary adventure waiting to be discovered. Due South is influenced by regional locations Teah Benkoczy and Camp Boswell have lived and their love for Asian cuisine. Expand your horizons by enjoying different tastes and a new atmosphere. You’ll be surprised at the restaurant’s small-town charm with big-city taste.
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