Last Dined: 6/28/08
I had heard rumors that Azalea (in the old Hotel Kirkwood on 4th & Walnut downtown Des Moines) was going down hill. I decided I needed to check that out.
On this visit we decided to sit in the lounge so that we could try some of the lounge menu, which is comprised mostly of some of the small plates from the main dinner menu, pizzas, and some other items that do not appear on the dinner menu (fish & chips, black Angus burger, crispy chicken sandwich with provolone & marinara). However upon examining the dinner menu, I noticed they had revamped their preparation of lamb and I had to try it.
Here is what we ordered:
Crispy calamari with roasted tomato aioli - The outside of the calamari was so light, unlike many other heavily breaded or battered which will hold on to the oil. The aioli was nice, not over-powering. The calamari itself was maybe a smidge more done than I would have liked, but not really chewy like you will get some places. All and all a really good bet.
Olive-goat cheese crusted rack of Niman Ranch lamb with grilled eggplant Potato fritters and Romesco sauce - I ordered my lamb medium rare, more towards rare than medium, and it was cooked perfectly. There was just a bit of goat cheese and olive mixture on each portion of lamb, very tasty. And although goat cheese and olives can both be strong flavors, it complimented the lamb and did not over power. The potato fritters were like balls of mashed potatoes with some sort of light batter on the outside, that was then deep fat fried. Very tasty, although I am a fan of potatoes in any form. The eggplant was cut into strips with olive oil and maybe rosemary to compliment the rosemary with the lamb. I wish there was more of that on the plate. This lamb concoction was even better than their previous lamb preparation. In fact everyone in my party agreed that the olive, goat cheese, Romesco sauce should be combined to make a tepenade for bread for the small plates menu or as a pizza topping.
Salami, fontina, capers, roasted red peppers and basil - A good value, a great one person meal. There is nothing like wood oven pizza. If there were any complaints about this dish, it would be that the salami was too thickly sliced and that the pizza could have been cooked a smidge longer, however that would be nit-picking.
Vietnamese pork roll with cole slaw - The pork was marinated and very tender. It was served on a hoagie style roll along side a mass of fairly bland and uninspiring cole slaw. The sandwich gets high praise, the side not so much.
As far as I can tell Azalea is tasty as ever.
See my first review: http://diningindesmoines.blogspot.com/2008/03/azalea-restaurant.html
See Azalea's website: http://www.azaleadsm.com/
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Namaste India
Last dined: 6/12/08
Namaste India (located at 7500 University Avenue in Clive, IA) is an Indian restaurant and grocery located in a strip mall where Sam & Gabe's was formerly located. We visited the restaurant for dinner, although they do also serve lunch.
As you walk in the front door of Namaste you will see a surprisingly large grocery off to your right and the restaurant off to your left. The restaurant is brightly decorated with a wall sized photo of the Taj Mahal as well as smaller pictures of goings on in India.
This was my first visit to Namaste, primarily because I am hooked on Tandoor, a stone's throw away (I am sad to report it looks to be closed indefinitely). We ordered an appetizer of lamb samosas, but were told they were out, so we ordered chicken instead. For those not up on Indian cuisine, a samosa is a thin pastry shell stuffed with meat and/or vegetables and deep fried. It turned out they were out of chicken samosas as well. They asked if I would like something similar, but could not describe what it was. It amounted to batter dipped chicken pieces, fried, served with a spicy creamy sauce and a thin sweet sauce. I never learned the name of the dish, but they were just average. Like an American chicken nugget with snazzy sauces.
For a main dish, my dining companion ordered the Lamb Bryiani. Bryiani is a traditional dish of seasoned rice with meats or vegetables. They delivered a heaping portion, definitely large enough for two meals. The seasoning was very good, spicy, but not too spicy (believe me, I am a light weight when it comes to heat). But the lamb seemed to fall short. It was over done, not tender, which really detracted from the dish.
I ordered chicken Choorma, which was a chicken curry dish. Bits of chicken with the bone still in the flesh in a large bowl of thick, creamy yellow sauce which was served along side basmati rice. This dish was perhaps a smidge spicier than the Bryiani, however, still not too spicy for my tastes. I thought that the flavor was creamy and complex. My dining companion felt that there was a bit too much citrus flavor. I attribute the citrus flavor to cilantro, which the menu stated was in the dish, and did not find it to be too much. On the contrary, I had to stop myself from consuming the entire heaping portion.
I found the food at this restaurant to be good, although not excellent. The prices however were in the $10-15 range, which I thought were perhaps a bit too much given the fast-food ambiance and the average dishes. The prices here are in line with Tandoor, although below Tandoor's standards. The staff also was not terribly attentive. We had to ask for water refills.
They do offer a lunch buffet Tuesdays thru Sundays. If you are unfamiliar with Indian food, this is a great way to discover what it has to offer and explore what tastes suit you.
Their website domain is currently down, but should they renew it:
http://www.namasteindiaia.com/
phone: 255-1698
hours: Tues-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri & Sat 11am-10pm
Closed daily 2:30-4:30
and all day Monday
Namaste India (located at 7500 University Avenue in Clive, IA) is an Indian restaurant and grocery located in a strip mall where Sam & Gabe's was formerly located. We visited the restaurant for dinner, although they do also serve lunch.
As you walk in the front door of Namaste you will see a surprisingly large grocery off to your right and the restaurant off to your left. The restaurant is brightly decorated with a wall sized photo of the Taj Mahal as well as smaller pictures of goings on in India.
This was my first visit to Namaste, primarily because I am hooked on Tandoor, a stone's throw away (I am sad to report it looks to be closed indefinitely). We ordered an appetizer of lamb samosas, but were told they were out, so we ordered chicken instead. For those not up on Indian cuisine, a samosa is a thin pastry shell stuffed with meat and/or vegetables and deep fried. It turned out they were out of chicken samosas as well. They asked if I would like something similar, but could not describe what it was. It amounted to batter dipped chicken pieces, fried, served with a spicy creamy sauce and a thin sweet sauce. I never learned the name of the dish, but they were just average. Like an American chicken nugget with snazzy sauces.
For a main dish, my dining companion ordered the Lamb Bryiani. Bryiani is a traditional dish of seasoned rice with meats or vegetables. They delivered a heaping portion, definitely large enough for two meals. The seasoning was very good, spicy, but not too spicy (believe me, I am a light weight when it comes to heat). But the lamb seemed to fall short. It was over done, not tender, which really detracted from the dish.
I ordered chicken Choorma, which was a chicken curry dish. Bits of chicken with the bone still in the flesh in a large bowl of thick, creamy yellow sauce which was served along side basmati rice. This dish was perhaps a smidge spicier than the Bryiani, however, still not too spicy for my tastes. I thought that the flavor was creamy and complex. My dining companion felt that there was a bit too much citrus flavor. I attribute the citrus flavor to cilantro, which the menu stated was in the dish, and did not find it to be too much. On the contrary, I had to stop myself from consuming the entire heaping portion.
I found the food at this restaurant to be good, although not excellent. The prices however were in the $10-15 range, which I thought were perhaps a bit too much given the fast-food ambiance and the average dishes. The prices here are in line with Tandoor, although below Tandoor's standards. The staff also was not terribly attentive. We had to ask for water refills.
They do offer a lunch buffet Tuesdays thru Sundays. If you are unfamiliar with Indian food, this is a great way to discover what it has to offer and explore what tastes suit you.
Their website domain is currently down, but should they renew it:
http://www.namasteindiaia.com/
phone: 255-1698
hours: Tues-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri & Sat 11am-10pm
Closed daily 2:30-4:30
and all day Monday
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Django
Last dined: 6/6/08
I visited Django again and have to say that I was not disappointed.
We started with onion rings, mussels, and a cheese plate. I would say the only of these three that was worth it were the mussels. The onion rings didn't taste like anything out of the ordinary to me. The cheese plate was good, but the cheese was sort of sparse. The mussels were fresh & delicious, just like last time, and a bargain at only $8. Definitely a better buy than the lobster & crab cakes and foie gras that I sampled last time.
This time I tried the Macaroni Gratin (with Gruyere & pancetta). It was very decadent and a bit oily.
Two people at our table had the chicken which was very good. I would not normally order roasted chicken at a restaurant, too boring for me. But this was a generous helping of chicken over pureed potatoes accompanied with veggies. Both were pleased with their selection.
One person ordered a burger topped with foie gras, which was good, but maybe not worth the extra $8 it cost over a regular burger. To me the extra flavor wasn't quite worth it.
One person ordered the salmon, which he said was good, but was not raving about.
Another ordered a "steak frite" which he thought was very good quality meat & well prepared.
I'm sure I will soon be a regular!
http://www.djangodesmoines.com/
I visited Django again and have to say that I was not disappointed.
We started with onion rings, mussels, and a cheese plate. I would say the only of these three that was worth it were the mussels. The onion rings didn't taste like anything out of the ordinary to me. The cheese plate was good, but the cheese was sort of sparse. The mussels were fresh & delicious, just like last time, and a bargain at only $8. Definitely a better buy than the lobster & crab cakes and foie gras that I sampled last time.
This time I tried the Macaroni Gratin (with Gruyere & pancetta). It was very decadent and a bit oily.
Two people at our table had the chicken which was very good. I would not normally order roasted chicken at a restaurant, too boring for me. But this was a generous helping of chicken over pureed potatoes accompanied with veggies. Both were pleased with their selection.
One person ordered a burger topped with foie gras, which was good, but maybe not worth the extra $8 it cost over a regular burger. To me the extra flavor wasn't quite worth it.
One person ordered the salmon, which he said was good, but was not raving about.
Another ordered a "steak frite" which he thought was very good quality meat & well prepared.
I'm sure I will soon be a regular!
http://www.djangodesmoines.com/
Lemongrass UPDATE
Lemongrass is temporarily closed & set to open back up in about a month under new management.
I am disappointed & hope that the menu or quality will not be changing. I will keep you posted.
I am disappointed & hope that the menu or quality will not be changing. I will keep you posted.
Frank's Pizza
Last dined: 6/10/08
Frank's Pizza (located in the Drake neighborhood, just east of 24th Street on University near Mars Cafe, in the former location of the Cookery) might just be the best pizza in Des Moines. I say might because I'm sure there are some I haven't tried. There was a day where Red Rossa may have tied them, but due to recent inconsistencies, I'm going to go ahead & say this is the best. It is worth mentioning that Frank's is under the same ownership as Cafe DiScala.
The interior is lemony yellow & red with flat screen TVs playing black & white films dotting the walls. The tables & chairs are vaguely retro. It's maybe not the place to take your sweetie for Valentine's day (unless your sweetie is me), but it's snazzier than your neighborhood Pizza Hut.
Frank's Pizza only has 5 kinds of pizza most days. Pizza Semplice is cheese pizza. Mona Lisa has Kalamata olives, mushrooms & ricotta. The Sinatra is a cheese pizza with the kick of 2 cheeses, garlic & pepper flakes. The Soprano is a roasted chicken pizza. And the Di Maggio (the favorite of everyone I know) has Graziano sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms & banana peppers. Sometimes you might catch a "special" pizza as well, though I have not tried those. They also have a couple sandwiches, salads & baked lasagne. Franks has a limited, but adequate selection of beers & wines. I believe they just have house red & white, along side Peroni, Miller High Life, Bud Light, and a couple of smaller breweries.
The crust at Frank's is closest I would say to New York style. It is thin, not crispy, although not limp. Their sauce has a little tangyness to it and they are topped with just the right amount of cheese. On my first visit to Frank's I ordered a small (personal sized) Mona Lisa. It was tastier than I had imagined thanks to the garlic & herbs. Without the Kalamata olives though, I think this pizza would be lacking in flavor. My companion on this visit ordered the Di Maggio, and this is what I have ordered from then on out. The Graziano's sausage on this pizza is finely ground, the pepperoni is cut up smaller than the rounds it came in. No run of the mill mushroom here, only cremini will do. All topped by mild banana peppers (which I will usually forgo on everything else, but not this). For the good of Dining in Des Moines, I should probably try the other things on the menu, but somehow I just cannot bring myself to do it.
Frank's is truly Divine Pie.
Personal sized pizzas range $7-10, large range $13-18.
Everyone should go here once, and if you don't like it...I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion.
See their menu at: http://www.frankspizzadm.com/
Frank's Pizza (located in the Drake neighborhood, just east of 24th Street on University near Mars Cafe, in the former location of the Cookery) might just be the best pizza in Des Moines. I say might because I'm sure there are some I haven't tried. There was a day where Red Rossa may have tied them, but due to recent inconsistencies, I'm going to go ahead & say this is the best. It is worth mentioning that Frank's is under the same ownership as Cafe DiScala.
The interior is lemony yellow & red with flat screen TVs playing black & white films dotting the walls. The tables & chairs are vaguely retro. It's maybe not the place to take your sweetie for Valentine's day (unless your sweetie is me), but it's snazzier than your neighborhood Pizza Hut.
Frank's Pizza only has 5 kinds of pizza most days. Pizza Semplice is cheese pizza. Mona Lisa has Kalamata olives, mushrooms & ricotta. The Sinatra is a cheese pizza with the kick of 2 cheeses, garlic & pepper flakes. The Soprano is a roasted chicken pizza. And the Di Maggio (the favorite of everyone I know) has Graziano sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms & banana peppers. Sometimes you might catch a "special" pizza as well, though I have not tried those. They also have a couple sandwiches, salads & baked lasagne. Franks has a limited, but adequate selection of beers & wines. I believe they just have house red & white, along side Peroni, Miller High Life, Bud Light, and a couple of smaller breweries.
The crust at Frank's is closest I would say to New York style. It is thin, not crispy, although not limp. Their sauce has a little tangyness to it and they are topped with just the right amount of cheese. On my first visit to Frank's I ordered a small (personal sized) Mona Lisa. It was tastier than I had imagined thanks to the garlic & herbs. Without the Kalamata olives though, I think this pizza would be lacking in flavor. My companion on this visit ordered the Di Maggio, and this is what I have ordered from then on out. The Graziano's sausage on this pizza is finely ground, the pepperoni is cut up smaller than the rounds it came in. No run of the mill mushroom here, only cremini will do. All topped by mild banana peppers (which I will usually forgo on everything else, but not this). For the good of Dining in Des Moines, I should probably try the other things on the menu, but somehow I just cannot bring myself to do it.
Frank's is truly Divine Pie.
Personal sized pizzas range $7-10, large range $13-18.
Everyone should go here once, and if you don't like it...I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion.
See their menu at: http://www.frankspizzadm.com/
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Teriyaki Experience
Last dined: 5/19/08
Teriyaki Experience (located at 12931 University Ave in Clive, IA, on the north side of University, just west of Granite City in a new shopping area) is a fast food type restaurant that cooks without using oil. For those of you watching calories & still wanting to dine out, this is the answer.
Teriyaki Experience is basically a fast food place. You order at the counter, they cook up your food on a flat hot grill (a la Hu Hot), you take it back to your table. The ambiance has all the charm of a Burger King. This is not the place to bring a date. But I did go here with several friends & we sat around & talked for about 2 hours. So it is not un-inviting.
Basically there are soup noodle bowls, Yakisoba noodles meals, rice meals, wraps or salads. So you pick which of those you like, then you choose between chicken, shrimp, beef or tofu. You order, they scoop a bunch of your meat, fresh veggies (including mushrooms, broccoli, bean sprouts) on to the grill & they move it around until cooked.
I had a beef soup noodle bowl that night, which was very filling and only 392 calories. Several people in my group got the chicken Yakisoba noodle meal, which they attested were tasty. One person got the Teriyaki meal (rice) which was also good. Someone behind us had a wrap which was good sized & looked good at only 535 calories for chicken. Someone in our group got the salad which I would not recommend. It’s like a fast food salad that has been sitting in a refrigerator case all day. There were also California rolls available for purchase. I’m too much of a sushi lover to buy those prepackaged, sitting for hours items.
I would definitely recommend this place if you are out & about & in need of a healthy fast meal. I did read a review that said the meat was tasteless (since it wasn’t cooked in oil). I didn’t find the meat tasteless at all, but if you’re used to greasy, fried foods, this may very well be flavorless to you. I found it to be fresh tasting & satisfying.
Visit the national website: http://www.teriyakiexperience.com/
Check out their nutritional info: http://www.teriyakiexperience.us/nutritionalbrochure.htm
Teriyaki Experience (located at 12931 University Ave in Clive, IA, on the north side of University, just west of Granite City in a new shopping area) is a fast food type restaurant that cooks without using oil. For those of you watching calories & still wanting to dine out, this is the answer.
Teriyaki Experience is basically a fast food place. You order at the counter, they cook up your food on a flat hot grill (a la Hu Hot), you take it back to your table. The ambiance has all the charm of a Burger King. This is not the place to bring a date. But I did go here with several friends & we sat around & talked for about 2 hours. So it is not un-inviting.
Basically there are soup noodle bowls, Yakisoba noodles meals, rice meals, wraps or salads. So you pick which of those you like, then you choose between chicken, shrimp, beef or tofu. You order, they scoop a bunch of your meat, fresh veggies (including mushrooms, broccoli, bean sprouts) on to the grill & they move it around until cooked.
I had a beef soup noodle bowl that night, which was very filling and only 392 calories. Several people in my group got the chicken Yakisoba noodle meal, which they attested were tasty. One person got the Teriyaki meal (rice) which was also good. Someone behind us had a wrap which was good sized & looked good at only 535 calories for chicken. Someone in our group got the salad which I would not recommend. It’s like a fast food salad that has been sitting in a refrigerator case all day. There were also California rolls available for purchase. I’m too much of a sushi lover to buy those prepackaged, sitting for hours items.
I would definitely recommend this place if you are out & about & in need of a healthy fast meal. I did read a review that said the meat was tasteless (since it wasn’t cooked in oil). I didn’t find the meat tasteless at all, but if you’re used to greasy, fried foods, this may very well be flavorless to you. I found it to be fresh tasting & satisfying.
Visit the national website: http://www.teriyakiexperience.com/
Check out their nutritional info: http://www.teriyakiexperience.us/nutritionalbrochure.htm
Red Rossa Pizza
Last dined: 5/25/08
Red Rossa Napoli Pizza (located at 12695 University Ave in Clive, IA, behind ZMarik’s) is in a three way tie for my favorite Pizza in Des Moines (along with Frank’s & Pagliai’s). Red Rossa is the kind of pizza I grew to love when studying in Europe. The crust is thin & blistered by a wood oven and topped with things like fresh mozzarella, artichoke hearts & Kalamata olives (don’t worry, they have pepperoni). I have eaten at Red Rossa more times than I can count and this definitely falls into the “go-to” category of restaurants.
The interior of Red Rossa is un-intimidating. It is like an upscale fast food joint. Tile floors with red booths & chairs. You walk up to the counter to order & are given a number. You fetch your own drinks. There is gelato that is made by the staff with free tastes, so do save room for dessert. The prices aren’t intimidating either. A whole individual pizza (you’ll probably have 2 pieces left for lunch the next day) is under $10. They have wines by the glass & beers by the bottle, including Peroni, an Italian beer.
I have tried about every pizza on the menu & the only ones that I am not a fan of are the ones without sauce, but that is a matter of taste. They are all delicious. My most frequently ordered is the Capricciosa (Capree-cee-osa), topped with artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, mushrooms & Prosciutto. The Italian is also a favorite. But seriously you cannot go wrong here. You watch them create your pizza before your eyes & then pop it into a wood burning (800 degree) oven. It’s a thin but not really crispy crust with a light thin sauce. And to me, fresh mozzarella is far superior to the grated variety you find on most pizzas. I also hear raves about the salads, but let’s be honest, when faced with the delicious pizza and asked if I want to have a salad instead… A good compromise is their salad served like a sandwich inside a pizza crust. Mmmm.
One caveat. They do cater, and I used them to cater a dinner for about 30 people, a very important event. I didn’t think of the fact that they only have ONE wood oven. Which is fine for cooking 5 pizzas at a time, but for cooking quantities like that, the pizzas were room temperature by the time they got to us & we started eating. They still tasted good, but just weren’t hot.
Visit their website: http://www.redrossa.com/
Red Rossa Napoli Pizza (located at 12695 University Ave in Clive, IA, behind ZMarik’s) is in a three way tie for my favorite Pizza in Des Moines (along with Frank’s & Pagliai’s). Red Rossa is the kind of pizza I grew to love when studying in Europe. The crust is thin & blistered by a wood oven and topped with things like fresh mozzarella, artichoke hearts & Kalamata olives (don’t worry, they have pepperoni). I have eaten at Red Rossa more times than I can count and this definitely falls into the “go-to” category of restaurants.
The interior of Red Rossa is un-intimidating. It is like an upscale fast food joint. Tile floors with red booths & chairs. You walk up to the counter to order & are given a number. You fetch your own drinks. There is gelato that is made by the staff with free tastes, so do save room for dessert. The prices aren’t intimidating either. A whole individual pizza (you’ll probably have 2 pieces left for lunch the next day) is under $10. They have wines by the glass & beers by the bottle, including Peroni, an Italian beer.
I have tried about every pizza on the menu & the only ones that I am not a fan of are the ones without sauce, but that is a matter of taste. They are all delicious. My most frequently ordered is the Capricciosa (Capree-cee-osa), topped with artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, mushrooms & Prosciutto. The Italian is also a favorite. But seriously you cannot go wrong here. You watch them create your pizza before your eyes & then pop it into a wood burning (800 degree) oven. It’s a thin but not really crispy crust with a light thin sauce. And to me, fresh mozzarella is far superior to the grated variety you find on most pizzas. I also hear raves about the salads, but let’s be honest, when faced with the delicious pizza and asked if I want to have a salad instead… A good compromise is their salad served like a sandwich inside a pizza crust. Mmmm.
One caveat. They do cater, and I used them to cater a dinner for about 30 people, a very important event. I didn’t think of the fact that they only have ONE wood oven. Which is fine for cooking 5 pizzas at a time, but for cooking quantities like that, the pizzas were room temperature by the time they got to us & we started eating. They still tasted good, but just weren’t hot.
Visit their website: http://www.redrossa.com/
Monday, June 2, 2008
Django
Visited 5/23/08 (first Friday open)
Django (located in the Hotel Ft. Des Moines at 210 10th Street in Des Moines, taking the place of Bistro 43) is a restaurant that claims to be All French – No Attitude. Do not let the fact that it is a French restaurant deter you. This is the type of French cooking you get at a home in France (I speak from experience). Despite the fancy sounding names of the dishes, I assure you that everyone should be able to find something inside their comfort zone (although well to the delicious side of your comfort zone). They do have onion rings & French fries after all.
The ambiance of the restaurant is very much a French brasserie. Dark woods, leathers & brass abound. It really transported me to France. The menu is also pretty authentic Brasserie fare. These are solid basic dishes, nothing over-thought or too experimental. These dishes have been gracing French tables for hundreds of years. The prices are not what one imagines when thinking of French food either. I found the prices to be very inline with the quality of the food & the portions. Even a bargain!
Let me start by saying, we visited Django in their first week open. Any restaurant will have issues during their first week as they work out the kinks. The kinks here were minimal. The only issue that we really encountered was with the Cassoulet. Cassoulet is a pretty simple dish that can be likened to French chili. It is a base of white beans with an assortment of meat (traditionally a good assortment) cooked for a long time. This version has sausage, bacon, and duck leg. The beans unfortunately were underdone. The meat was delicious, the seasoning was delicious, the beans, a bit on the crunchy side. When brought to the attention of the waiter, they graciously threw a free dessert our way. However in my opinion, when trying to build a reputation, and half of the dish is basically inedible (albeit the inexpensive portion of the dish), the dish really should have been comped.
We sampled the foie gras and lobster & crab cake appetizers. I am a big fan of foie gras, and I know it is not for everyone. If you are going to sample this for the first time, may I suggest you do so somewhere else. I have had better foie gras, and larger portions for this price than I did this evening (notably at Le Fou Frog in Kansas City and at a place called Ave in LA). It was ok, but I personally don’t like to spend $12 on a small portion of “OK”. The lobster & crab cakes were tasty, although standard restaurant fare from what I could tell. The next time I definitely plan to sample the frog legs.
For entreés we ordered the aforementioned Cassoulet, Moules Frites (sautéed mussels with a giant side of fresh fries) and the Bouillabaisse. The mussels & the fries were delicious, large portions of both. The mussels were served in a cast iron pot and you had a choice when ordering of 3 or 4 different sauces. I believe we tried one that involved white wine & cream & it was very tasty and very fresh. The Bouillabaisse also came in a cast iron pot. It was absolutely delicious, a big hit with everyone at the table. And as is tradition was a jumble of shrimp, fish, scallops, mussels & topped with a crusty baguette. Hearty fare.
Looking around at other tables I saw many other delicious looking dishes. I can’t wait to try the Tuna Niçoise and the Coquilles (scallops) St. Jacques.
Being a French restaurant there was a good selection of wines at average prices. We had a nice Cotes du Rhone, a light French red wine.
We sampled two desserts, a dark chocolate cake served with hazelnut ice cream and a custard with berries baked inside topped with vanilla. They were both good, but given the French penchant for dessert & pastries, I expected more. Hopefully they will be expanding their dessert menu to include many tarts.
Over all, very good for the first week out. I will definitely be going back & have high expectations for their future. This may just be my new go-to celebration restaurant.
See their menu: http://www.djangodesmoines.com/Django_Dinner.pdf
Visit their site: http://www.djangodesmoines.com/
Django (located in the Hotel Ft. Des Moines at 210 10th Street in Des Moines, taking the place of Bistro 43) is a restaurant that claims to be All French – No Attitude. Do not let the fact that it is a French restaurant deter you. This is the type of French cooking you get at a home in France (I speak from experience). Despite the fancy sounding names of the dishes, I assure you that everyone should be able to find something inside their comfort zone (although well to the delicious side of your comfort zone). They do have onion rings & French fries after all.
The ambiance of the restaurant is very much a French brasserie. Dark woods, leathers & brass abound. It really transported me to France. The menu is also pretty authentic Brasserie fare. These are solid basic dishes, nothing over-thought or too experimental. These dishes have been gracing French tables for hundreds of years. The prices are not what one imagines when thinking of French food either. I found the prices to be very inline with the quality of the food & the portions. Even a bargain!
Let me start by saying, we visited Django in their first week open. Any restaurant will have issues during their first week as they work out the kinks. The kinks here were minimal. The only issue that we really encountered was with the Cassoulet. Cassoulet is a pretty simple dish that can be likened to French chili. It is a base of white beans with an assortment of meat (traditionally a good assortment) cooked for a long time. This version has sausage, bacon, and duck leg. The beans unfortunately were underdone. The meat was delicious, the seasoning was delicious, the beans, a bit on the crunchy side. When brought to the attention of the waiter, they graciously threw a free dessert our way. However in my opinion, when trying to build a reputation, and half of the dish is basically inedible (albeit the inexpensive portion of the dish), the dish really should have been comped.
We sampled the foie gras and lobster & crab cake appetizers. I am a big fan of foie gras, and I know it is not for everyone. If you are going to sample this for the first time, may I suggest you do so somewhere else. I have had better foie gras, and larger portions for this price than I did this evening (notably at Le Fou Frog in Kansas City and at a place called Ave in LA). It was ok, but I personally don’t like to spend $12 on a small portion of “OK”. The lobster & crab cakes were tasty, although standard restaurant fare from what I could tell. The next time I definitely plan to sample the frog legs.
For entreés we ordered the aforementioned Cassoulet, Moules Frites (sautéed mussels with a giant side of fresh fries) and the Bouillabaisse. The mussels & the fries were delicious, large portions of both. The mussels were served in a cast iron pot and you had a choice when ordering of 3 or 4 different sauces. I believe we tried one that involved white wine & cream & it was very tasty and very fresh. The Bouillabaisse also came in a cast iron pot. It was absolutely delicious, a big hit with everyone at the table. And as is tradition was a jumble of shrimp, fish, scallops, mussels & topped with a crusty baguette. Hearty fare.
Looking around at other tables I saw many other delicious looking dishes. I can’t wait to try the Tuna Niçoise and the Coquilles (scallops) St. Jacques.
Being a French restaurant there was a good selection of wines at average prices. We had a nice Cotes du Rhone, a light French red wine.
We sampled two desserts, a dark chocolate cake served with hazelnut ice cream and a custard with berries baked inside topped with vanilla. They were both good, but given the French penchant for dessert & pastries, I expected more. Hopefully they will be expanding their dessert menu to include many tarts.
Over all, very good for the first week out. I will definitely be going back & have high expectations for their future. This may just be my new go-to celebration restaurant.
See their menu: http://www.djangodesmoines.com/Django_Dinner.pdf
Visit their site: http://www.djangodesmoines.com/
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