DAVENPORT, IOWA (May 29, 2025) — This summer, foodies of the Quad Cities can enjoy a trip back in time to ’60s coastal Italy at the enchanting new pop-up restaurant, Café San Lorenzo. Set in The Half Nelson’s patio space, Café San Lorenzo will offer an authentic alfresco dining experience right in the heart of downtown Davenport’s Motor Row.
“A fantasy of mine for a while now was a standalone Italian restaurant,” said Matt Osborn, owner of The Half Nelson. “If it’s always going to be muggy and in the upper eighties this summer, you might as well pretend you’re in the Mediterranean!”
The patio transformation began simply enough with a bright blue patio table and red Campari umbrella and quickly evolved to include thrifted plateware from estate sales, red checkered tablecloths, and custom Italian tile-inspired artwork by local artist Heidi Sallows.
“The goal is not only that you ended up in Rome, but also that you stumbled back in time,” Osborn said.
The pop-up’s vibe is upscale casual with a menu curated by Executive Chef Connor Larson. It will embrace the traditional Italian dining structure, featuring everything from summer drink staples like the Aperol spritz (known as aperitivo) and artisanal meats and cheeses (antipasti), to handcrafted pasta, fish, and meat dishes, and ending with classic after-dinner drinks (digestivo).
“The experience I want to create for people is a more continental way of eating with a lot of sharing and enjoying small plates that come out very quickly,” Osborn said. “Guests can eat a little bit and enjoy another drink while deciding if they want more. I see it as sort of a choose your own adventure.”
The name Café San Lorenzo is a sweet nod to Osborn’s past. When The Half Nelson was prepping to open in the spring of 2019, his grandmother gave him a prayer medal of St Lawrence, the patron saint of cooks, chefs, and restaurateurs. Opening day, however, was sidelined when the raging floodwaters of the Mississippi River burst through a flood wall, placing much of downtown Davenport underwater. Osborn and his team were in the restaurant when it happened and spent days tending to finnicky pumps and generators to keep the floodwaters at bay. It was a close call, but The Half Nelson survived the disaster that decimated several neighboring businesses. Osborn attributes this to his dedicated team first and foremost, but part of him thinks something bigger might’ve been at work.
“I remember I stood on the roof of the restaurant while it was raining and I made a plea to St Lawrence to please save the restaurant and I would somehow make it up to him,” Osborn said. “We made it through OK, and ever since I’ve wanted to do a celebration dinner on the feast day of St Lawrence, which is in August, to make good on my end. At the very least, the name ‘San Lorenzo’ seemed like a natural fit.”
Osborn is hosting an invite-only soft opening of Café San Lorenzo this Friday and Saturday, May 31 and June 1. The pop-up is expected to operate during The Half Nelson's regular hours throughout the summer season. While seating is initially limited, there is room to expand based on demand. This exciting culinary venture follows the success of last year's Halloween tasting menu, which included themed cocktails and bites inspired by cult classic horror films.
“If there’s something Connor and I both get excited about, that makes work fun again,” Osborn said. “It’s a mechanism for he and I to get really creative.”
A presto! Coming soon to Motor Row in Downtown Davenport. Follow Café San Lorenzo on Instagram (@cafe.san.lorenzo) and Facebook.
