Dining in Des Moines

Tumea & Sons - Des Moines, IA

2009-08-10T15:24:00.002-05:00

Last Dined 7/18

Tumea & Sons is a Des Moines institution. Hidden away south of Downtown, this non-descript building is well worth the trek. The interior is not any more inspiring than the outside. Vinyl booths & 1970's elementary school floor tile. Thankfully, this is the kind of place that none of that matters.

The menu is your typical Italian restaurant fare. Pasta dishes, parmesan dishes, etc. etc. However typical the menu may be, they do it right.

We started with the calamari. This is the only thing that I've tried that I cannot recommend. The calamari was pressed into a stick and fried (it looked like a fried mozzarella stick). It was served up along side honey mustard, which did not really go with the dish (and we couldn't find our waitress to get marinara). Next we tried the salad with homemade dressings. Typical iceberg lettuce, dressing was tasty enough but nothing spectacular. Next we tried the vegetable soup, which was actually quite tasty for such a plain dish. Better than the salad I dare say. As far as main dishes go, we sampled veal parmesan with a side of pasta, lasagna with a side of alfredo sauce, and pastacina. All of the dishes exceeded expectations. Even the side of pasta. The pasta wasn't homemade or anything, but the marinara sauce was deliciously spicy and flavorful. The same marinara sauce was used in all 3 main dishes. The lasagna was ordered with a side of alfredo sauce & the was absolutely decadent & better than mom's (don't tell her I said so). The pastacina (pasta with sausage, beef, boiled eggs, baked with cheese on top) was also great, although not the best I've had. The veal parmesan was tender, not unusually so for veal, very flavorful, and the marinara really put it over the top.

Everything we sampled at this eatery was very solid. This restaurant out shines Baratta's and Gino's for sure. Definitely worth the out of the way trip. Beware, they don't take reservations for parties smaller than 6.

http://tumeaandsons.com

Proof - Downtown Des Moines

2009-02-23T14:01:00.002-06:00

Last dined: 2/20/09

Proof is located at 13th & Locust, Des Moines, IA, former location of Beggar's Banquet. The restaurant itself is a sleek, modern, minimalist place. Concrete floors, Swedish looking furnishings & lighting, stunning view of the downtown skyline. It can be noisy due to the concrete floors, and the space is a little tight.

Proof is mainly a lunch spot. They do dinner on Fridays only & do a Prix-Fixe menu of 4 courses for $40. You can go for the whole menu, or you can pick & choose your courses. But be aware, they only have one selection from each course available, so make sure that you check out the menu for that week before you make your reservations.

This was my second visit to proof. The first time I attended the theme was Greek. I chose to have only 2 of the courses, the Moussaka which was delicious & a decent sized portion, if not totally filling; and the dessert.

On my last visit the theme of the evening was unclear. On the menu were phylo-wrapped brie with an apple & pine nut salad; house cured salmon with soba noodles; chicken roulade with quinoa & shitake mushroom vinaigrette; red velvet cake with beet ice cream. The appetizer of brie & apple salad was tasty but teeny tiny. There was maybe a one and a half inch square piece of phylo dough that had a bit of brie (not even a half inch tall) with a couple paper thin apple wedges & a few greens. I am not one for giant portions, but be aware, these are some of the smallest portions I've encountered in Des Moines. The main dish was smaller than most I've had at Trostel's Dish, supposedly small plates. The second course was delicious, but left me wanting more. The third dish was more flavorful than described by the menu or the waitress, but I am not fond of bell peppers, which were not mentioned in the description. The dessert was unbelievably disappointing, to everyone in my party of 5. It was like a medium sized bran muffin, topped with whipped shortening with a smidge of sugar added. The cake was not red, nor velvety & not a hint of cocoa powder. The beet ice cream didn't really taste like anything but cream, worse than Vanilla. And by the time it got to our table, there was about a tablespoon left unmelted. This was honestly the most disappointing dessert I have ever eaten. The rest of my party felt the same way. We followed our visit up with bacon wrapped tater tots and beer at the High Life Lounge.

Bottom line, the food here is good (with the exception of the red velvet cake), but small portions and over priced. I would try it again, but can't say that I can in good conscience recommend this without further study.

http://www.proofrestaurant.com/

Town Hall Tavern to open

2009-02-23T13:21:00.002-06:00

Jeremy Morrow, currently partner & chef at Azalea & Zen, previously found at Star Bar & Bistro 43. The restaurant is set to open by March 1. I am a fan of Azalea myself, but can't always put down $30 an entree every time I want to go out to dinner. This should be a great treat to have some of his creations at a more moderate price.

I have tried the posole, it is delicious and satisfying. The shrimp & cheese grits had been served at one time with a pork chop at Azalea & while I am not a pork fan, the grits were absolutely amazing. I am interested in checking out his rendition of a papusa (El Salvadorian fave from the farmer's market). And the piece de resistance, Banana bread pudding with bourbon caramel. My mouth is watering already.

Check out the menu: http://townhalldsm.com/

Django - Now no cork fee, ever!

2009-01-02T14:14:00.002-06:00

Last dined: 12/27/08
You may or may not have heard that Django now has no cork fee. Anytime. This is fantastic news for you fine dining/wine lovers looking to save a few dollars. Django was recently named best new restaurant, and I would say it is just Best Restaurant, flat out. The prices are very reasonable, the food is fantastic, not at all fussy, the setting is true to a real French brasserie. Now, you can even bring your own bottles of wine from home, no extra costs.

If you have not tried Django yet, I would urge you to try it. The Filet Rossini is one of the most amazing things I have tasted in Des Moines. It is a filet mignon topped with rich, creamy foie gras. Not a fan of foie gras? Try the decadent Macaroni & cheese, the delicious bouillabaisse, or even one of their burgers & fries (fried in duck fat of course).

http://www.djangodesmoines.com/

The Flying Mango

2009-01-02T13:48:00.001-06:00

Last dined: 12/30/08

I am a strange creature, especially in this corner of the world. I confess, I am not a barbeque fan. There! I've said it! I've never been one to get excited about big hunks of meat in general. I don't hate it, but let's say I avoid barbeque if given a choice. Hence...I have not visited one of Des Moines most renowned establishments, the Flying Mango.

I begrudgingly agreed to go for dinner recently. I was happy to find their website complete with menu online so that I could search out something on the menu that wasn't barbeque or Cajun. I was pleasantly surprised to find several selections to fit the bill. Including Latin Strip Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, Grilled Mahi Mahi, Lime and Garlic Chicken with Mango Salsa over Black Pepper Fettuccini.

The location is very odd for a hip restaurant, 4345 Hickman Road. The parking situation is deplorable. I arrived around 7:15 on the Wednesday night before New Years and the place was full, as was the small parking lot as well as the available street space surrounding the restaurant.
The inside of the restaurant is painted warm, vibrant tones. As you walk in the door, the kitchen area is to your left. If there's a wait, you wait right there where you can see & smell the cooking. That area is also not very large, so hopefully there aren't a lot of people waiting with you. In the dining area there is art hung that I understand is for sale, so the art changes frequently. The restaurant is cozy, and according to my dining partner does not belong in Des Moines. I'll disagree, I am increasingly impressed with the Des Moines dining scene and think that's an insult to Des Moines, but you decide for yourself.

We tried the chicken salad appetizer with tortilla chips. Not a lot of flavor there. Two of us at the table ordered the Latin strip steak with Chimichurri sauce, the other two the Louisiana platter which includes red beans & rice, Creole chicken & andouille sausage. I have previously tried steak with Chimichurri on a recent trip to Puerto Rico. I was hoping for a fairly authentic dish & I'm afraid they didn't really deliver. The Chimichurri sauce did not have as much flavor as I was hoping & it was a strip steak instead of flank steak or skirt steak. Chimichurri sauce is a mix of olive oil, lemon juice parsley, garlic, salt & pepper, sometimes also shallots, or other green herbs. The menu calls it Latin pesto, which is a pretty fair comparison, however in this case it wasn't very flavorful & the large cut of meat overpowered the drizzle of sauce. I will say that the steak was cooked just as I ordered & the waitress was quick to say if it was not as we wanted to let her know. The Louisiana platter was under whelming as well. The sausage was not hot, the red beans & rice didn't taste very authentic, although were better than say a box of Zataran's. The highlight was the Chicken Creole, very flavorful. The cornbread at the Flying Mango is very tasty. I am told they change varieties frequently. We had some mango in ours, as well as cinnamon butter on top. The Louisiana platter comes with cornbread, but the Latin steak did not so we ordered a side.

They had an above average selection of wines by the glass and had Templeton Rye stocked at the bar. The service was great, and many of the dishes on the menu sounded pretty imaginative. I would say that it did not live up to the hype of the recent title of Best Restaurant in Des Moines, but I would come back for a second visit if someone suggested it. I am sure that people who love barbeque would have a lot more affection for this place than I did, but I'm definitely glad I gave it a try.

http://www.flyingmango.com/
menu: http://www.flyingmango.com/restaurant-menu.html

Tandoor Restored to its Original Brilliance

2008-11-19T18:18:00.003-06:00

Last dined: 11/15/08

I have seen it with my own eyes. Tandoor is reopened & is as good as it ever was. According to our waitress, the original cook purchased the restaurant from the old owner. For a brief time when everything was being worked out, the cook did work at Namaste, the stay there was very brief. I had my old stand-by, Tikka Masala for comparison sake. It was just as good as ever. My dining companion had the lamb curry which was also delicous.

If you liked Tandoor before the change in ownership, I guarantee you that you will still love it. And if you like Indian food, this is the best I've tried in Des Moines.

Website: http://www.tandoorwdm.com/

Miyabi 9 (East Village, Des Moines, IA)

2008-10-02T16:04:00.002-05:00

Last Dined: September 2008

Miyabi 9 is a Japanese & sushi restaurant located in the East Village right between the Olympic Flame & the Grand Piano Bistro. It's a long narrow place with light wood on the walls, concrete floors, cool bathrooms.

There is usually a wait, but never fear, you can go over to the piano bistro and have a drink while you wait.

This is definitely the trendiest sushi place in Des Moines, the best is debatable. Don't get me wrong, Miyabi has great sushi (especially for Des Moines). I do not find it's variety or quality to be any better than the newly opened Samurai, the quality of fish at Waterfront is probably better, the variety at Appare is probably better.

Fair warning, if you order nigiri (piece of fish a top a portion of rice) there will be wasabi between the fish & rice, so make sure if you do not want that to request it without. Also, there is a pork dumpling they serve there on the appetizer menu that has a lot of wasabi & it goes straight to your sinuses.

There's a lot of standard fare, spicy tuna rolls, caterpillar, dynamite, etc. All very tasty. Their nigiri & sashimi also very good. I haven't had too much there that I didn't care for. The volcano appetizer was a little disappointing, it really needed to be served with some toasts or something. The mushroom appetizer, same thing. There isn't really an item on the menu that I "must have" unlike the other sushi restaurants in town, although all are good.

Aside from sushi they do have noodle & rice dishes, none of which I have tried. I'm sure they are lovely, but I've only ever witnessed people eating sushi there.

Bottom line: It's a must for sushi lovers
No website available.

Namaste Indian Restaurant (Clive, IA)

2008-10-02T14:28:00.001-05:00

last dined 9/28/08

Being a big fan of Tandoor when it last closed, I was anxious to try Namaste again after they stole away their executive chef.

Their restaurant has added a door between the grocery & the restaurant. They have also painted the walls a shade of beige & added new track lighting. The same kitschy pictures grace the wall. Over all the ambiance was not really much improved.

I decided to get carry out, ordered Palak Paneer & Lamb Briyani for comparison sake, as have tried both there and at Tandoor. I was told 20 minutes for pickup. We arrived 5 minutes early, but waited another 25 until our food was up. There was one waiter working, he seemed very overwhelmed with his 3 tables and confused at times.

The food was identical to food I've had in the past at Namaste. It was nothing like the food I've had at Tandoor. The Palak Paneer was very thin consistency, the cheese cubes were on the rubbery side. I had asked for a between mild & medium spiced dish & it was much hotter than the "medium" Lamb Briyani. The Lamb Briyani was dry & greasy at the same time & did not have a lot of lamb.

I was not at all impressed with the state of affairs at Namaste. I am excited to return to Tandoor since they have re-opened to see what it is like there.

Bottom line: skip it.
No website available

Tandoor Update

2008-08-26T20:31:00.003-05:00

As of last week when I drove by Tandoor, the location was open and the sign still read Tandoor. Although I heard the chef had gone over to Namaste. If anyone knows any details, please comment.

Torroco! Italian Grill - Urbandale, IA

2008-08-26T20:19:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, you know how summers get. More cookouts, less restaurants, less time to write reviews... Here goes!

I had not heard good things about Torroco, but decided to try it out myself.

Upon pulling into the parking lot I noticed that they had a good sized patio, always a plus in my book. When the weather gets warm, I LOVE to dine al fresco. So we opted for a seat on the patio. We did walk thru the restaurant though & I loved the interior. The walls were a nice warm and spicy red. (note that I also have a red room in my house) Still, we opted to go outside.

At first glance the menu was great, not run of the mill Italian. We started with Arincita (which I knew as Arancini, but oh well) a risotto ball breaded & fried. I first discovered this treat in Italy 10 years ago & fell in love. After much laboring & consulting with the staff my dining partner ordered the pasta Bolognese (Niman Ranch Pork, slow cooked with tomato broth over penne), the waiter said this was melt in your mouth and so flavorful. I settled on Linguine Tutto Mare (linguine in a sherry cream sauce with shrimp, crab meat & oysters) also on the recommendation of the waiter.

The Arincita arrived and the breading on the risotto balls was far to heavy & greasy. Not bad enough for me to not eat them, but really disappointing. There was a small salad served along side and it was drenched with an extremely tart lemon vinaigrette. Definite thumbs down on the dressing.

Unfortunately our main dishes weren't any better. The Bolognese was flavorless, believe it or not. How is a slow cooked meat sauce flavorless? That must have taken some effort. My dish was very fishy tasting, and the sauce didn't seem to have much flavor at all.

My dining partner & I both determined this place wasn't even worth a second visit. Definitely very disappointing.

Visit their website: http://torroco.com/

Azalea Restaurant (downtown Des Moines)

2008-06-29T20:05:00.004-05:00

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/

Namaste India

2008-06-17T16:50:00.003-05:00

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

Django

2008-06-10T21:03:00.003-05:00

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/

Lemongrass UPDATE

2008-06-10T21:01:00.001-05:00

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.

Frank's Pizza

2008-06-10T20:40:00.003-05:00

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/

Teriyaki Experience

2008-06-03T10:35:00.002-05:00

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

Red Rossa Pizza

2008-06-03T10:14:00.001-05:00

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/

Django

2008-06-02T17:44:00.001-05:00

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/

Principal Riverwalk Restaurant at Wells Fargo Arena

2008-05-01T13:39:00.004-05:00

Last dined: 4/25/08

I have dined at the Riverwalk (at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA) restaurant 3 times, all before shows at Wells Fargo (as that is the only time it is open, for events). The first time was not too long before it had opened. They were doing a prix-fixe menu at this time. I remember that the food was solid, if a little pricey.

The second time was not too long ago, before the John Mayer concert. They had a menu posted on the website, and we had all perused it & found items to try. When we arrived, we were told they were only serving the bar menu because there were not enough reservations to have a full menu. We were made to choose from your typical bar fare, nachos, chicken fingers, burgers & sandwiches. It was fine, $8-12 for everything.

The third time was 4/25. I called to see what they were doing with the menu (after the last experience...). They had about 3 apps, 3 entrees, 3 desserts, none of which sounded great. Two of us ended up having the fettuccini with shrimp, and a light alfredo sauce which tasted like it should cost $7, however the price was double that. The two others in our party opted for a salad & a dessert. Also over priced. The service was terrible, many tables that ordered after us got their food before us. It took about an hour from the time we ordered. The waitress was not terribly apologetic about it either.

Unfortunately there are not a lot of restaurants within a block of Wells Fargo, so if you are with someone who cannot walk very far you don't have a lot of options. But I will say there are hot dog & pizza vendors inside, and next time I will probably be opting for that.

I will not be going back to the Riverwalk Restaurant.

Black Cat Cafe (Des Moines) - Revisited

2008-04-03T10:28:00.004-05:00

Dined - 3/22/08

I returned to the Black Cat (on Ingersoll in Des Moines, near El Patio) one evening to meet a couple of friends in from out of town. I had already eaten dinner myself, but they went ahead & ordered a crepe to split because I explained they serve 2 large crepes per plate. They agreed one was enough & ordered one plate. When the plate arrived, it had only 1 crepe on it. Looks like they have scaled back. Unfortunately the price had not changed.

See original post: http://diningindesmoines.blogspot.com/2008/03/black-cat-cafe.html

Azalea Restaurant (Downtown Des Moines, IA)

2008-03-21T13:59:00.005-05:00

(last) Dined: March 17, 2008

Azalea (Located at 400 Walnut in Downtown Des Moines, in the former Kirkwood Hotel) is quickly becoming my go-to restaurant for special occasions. The food is classified as American, but there are obvious Asian & Mediterranean influences in the menu. The restaurant itself has a trendy feel, very high ceilings with exposed ducts, light woods, dark leathers.

This was my third visit to Azalea and I have never really been disappointed.

On my first visit we tried a variety of small plates. There were artichoke hearts wrapped in Prosciutto with fresh mozzarella which were tasty but a rather small portion ($10). The bacon wrapped quail with stuffing was ok, I've never been a fan of quail, and again, small portion ($12). The Zen roll is tasty (ok it isn't the healthy kind of sushi, it is the tempura kind) and on par with sushi roll prices around town ($10). I felt like the best small plate was the calamari ($8). It is a smaller portion than you're probably used to getting at other restaurants, but very tasty and not miniscule. We also had the Northern Prairie chevre wood oven pizza. It has a very generous helping of the goat cheese (so much I actually picked some off, and I LOVE goat cheese). I would try something different next time, but it was tasty.

On my second visit I just could not decide what to order. I was between the salmon & the lamb ($36). I know, not everyone enjoys lamb, but I do. The waitress said that she gets rave reviews of the salmon so I decided to order that ($26). When it arrived I was rather under whelmed and it seemed that the salmon was maybe a bit overcooked. The waitress noticed that I was picking around the fish & asked how it was. I played it off like it was ok, but she could tell it wasn't my thing. She insisted upon bringing me the lamb. The lamb was delicious, cooked to a perfect medium rare. I also tasted on that visit the house made noodles with chicken, parmesan & a white cream sauce ($15) which was so delicious, but not at all diet friendly.

On my third visit, we had the misfortune of coming in later in the evening after the Smart Talk Lecture crowd and they had run out of the chicken. While I wanted to order the lamb again, I decided I should try something new. I ended up ordering Soy Sake marinated black cod with shrimp dumplings in a Japanese broth ($30 ?). The fish was amazing, seared, crispy on the outside & not overcooked on the inside. The broth was under whelming though, carrots, celery, ginger, chicken broth, little flavor. The dumplings were good but small & there were only 3 of them. I was a little remorseful that I hadn't ordered the lamb. Three others I was with ordered the Iowa chop with shrimp grits ($28 ?) and they were all extremely pleased with that. I am not a fan of pork chops but I did try the grits and they were some of the most amazing things I have ever tasted.

I'm intrigued by their lounge menu that has sandwiches, fish & chips and other lighter fare. I may have to stop in sometime just to sample that.

It is a bit on the pricey side, but usually well worth it. The service is always to the highest of standards.

See Azalea's menu at (although a bit out of date): http://www.azaleadsm.com/
Prices range from $15 - $30 except on the steaks which are upwards of $30.

Alba - First impression (East Village, Des Moines, IA)

2008-03-12T17:25:00.004-05:00

One of my contributors shared a first impression with me of this new Des Moines spot.

Alba, located in an old car dealership in the East Village is very cool to look at, and a great place to meet for drinks.

Food wise the portions were ridiculously small, expensive, and not spectacular.

I have not visited Alba myself, but will do a full review if I do.

Black Cat Cafe (Des Moines, IA)

2008-03-12T17:20:00.003-05:00

Dined: 2/29/08

The Black Cat Cafe located at 3701 Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines is the sort of place that you probably have to set out to visit. It looks very non-descript from the outside, and with some sort of tinting on the windows, it is difficult to tell if it is open or what waits for you inside. I was fortunate to find an empty space in the small lot in back. The interior was a pleasant surprise, but then I hadn't expected a lot. The walls and ceiling were dark with charming paper lanterns dangling from above. The furniture was more like a living room than a kitchen or a bar (which is a plus in my book). There is smoking at the ventilated bar, which was fine as long as there was only one person smoking, but at one point there were several people smoking there & the ventilation didn't make a difference for the near by tables (there is a room close to the front door that would have been great, but was already taken). A jazz trio started playing around 8 which only added to the ambiance (although it made conversations difficult).

There is a fair wine list. There were many beers on display, but they seemed to be out of several varieties. We settled on a bottle of Zinfandel for a bargain price of $20, which actually was pretty fair, although the wine was very warm, much warmer than I like. Of course I drank it anyway.

The menu consists mainly of crepes (sweet & savory - around $8 per plate), pastries & frozen pizzas. If you order a crepe, each order comes with 2 crepes of the same variety. I went with a friend & we ordered a savory & a sweet crepe to share which worked well. The garden & then the simple chocolate with a raspberry sauce. The garden had feta & vegetables and was satisfactory but didn't taste like expected. The quatro fromaggio & the seafood crepes both looked markedly better. The chocolate crepe was obviously made with Nutella instead of chocolate sauce which I don't remember being specified on the menu (as I am not a huge fan of Nutella). But it was very tasty & served with a scoop of ice cream.

We had wanted to order the chocolate banana crepe but they were out of bananas and I overheard her telling a few people later in the evening that they had actually ran out of crepe batter. Seems like a big faux pas if that is pretty much your whole menu. And crepe batter is pretty much flour, egg & sugar, so that would be hard to do. I mentioned before that they had run out of several kinds of beer as well.

If you order a sweet & a savory crepe, you should maybe specify that you would like your savory crepe before you get your dessert crepe as everyone in our party got their dessert crepe first. I was disappointed with the small variety of savory crepes. The glaring exemptions of ham and cheese, and ham cheese & mushroom crepes which are standard fare on European creperie menus.

The cafe was very busy, so the service was a bit slow, but the waitress made up for that by being extremely friendly.

Bottom line is that it is an interesting addition to the Des Moines restaurant/bar scene and crepes are a crowd pleaser. Hopefully they will get better organized & will not continue to have some of the issues that I encountered on my first visit. But there will definitely be return visits.

Visit their website where you can view their menu: http://www.blackcatcafebar.com/

Joseph's Steakhouse (West Des Moines, IA)

2008-02-29T14:14:00.003-06:00

Dined: 2/15/08

Joseph's Steakhouse, located at 4001 Westown Parkway (former location of Mondo's, next to Carlos O'Kelly's) West Des Moines, is an upscale steakhouse offering organic Angus beef fed only vegetarian feed. The atmosphere is like nothing I've seen in Des Moines to date. Based on that (and the gift certificate I had) I decided that would be my Valentine's Day (ok, day after Valentine's Day) destination. I was assured by the person taking my reservation that they would find me a romantic table. Oooh la la.

Upon arriving at Joseph's, there was a definite difference between the current restaurant & what Mondo's had been. Ultra chic furniture adorned the area by the host stand. A peek in the bar revealed pictures of old-time hollywood stars projected onto the wall and a distant round table surrounded by white billowy sheer curtains. We were led to our table in an area of 4 tables, separated by glass & curtains. It was not nearly as cool as some of the others around us as the space was divided in half with the same billowy white sheers, but we shared that half with another table. The glass and wood walls made the area seem to echo a bit. I could hear every bit of each of the 3 tables' conversations. But it definitely was cool looking.

Our waiter arrived to describe the specials. Lobster seemed to be the theme of the night as there was lobster bisque, lobster spring rolls, and lobster to accompany the main dishes. He explained how the menu worked as well. Basically most of the entrees came with a choice of soup or salad, but no side dishes. The side dishes are served family style and seemed to feed about 3 people. He suggested ordering a vegetable & a starch, but no more than that for 2 people. We started with the lobster spring rolls, then I ordered lobster bisque for my starter and my companion ordered the chopped salad. We both ordered the filet, I with maytag blue cheese crust, my companion with the au poivre option. We both added on a South African Lobster tail for $15 and decided to share a side of the Boursin whipped potatoes.

The lobster spring rolls arrived. There were 2 of them, cut in half, with some sort of creamy drizzle on the plate for dipping. They were absolutely delicious. The spring rolls were followed by our starters. The lobster bisque was average, not enough flavor or bits of lobster for my taste. The chopped salad on the other hand was outstanding. Eggs, bacon, avacado and other delicious bits all chopped up and tossed with the ranch dressing. It was a stand out. When our main dishes arrived, my companion's filet didn't resemble the normal thick, round filet as mine did. His looked more like a New York Strip. The waiter assured us it was not. Both of our steaks were done to our specifications and were juicy and melt in your mouth. The lobster tails were TINY and maybe had 4 bites a piece and they seemed like they were just a little too done. The Boursin whipped potatoes were a disappointment. They seemed to be whipped potatoes just topped with a small dollup of the herbed cheese as there was not much extra flavor. Although for standard whipped potatoes they would be fine. Unfortunately we were unable to try dessert as we were completely stuffed.

The wine list seemed extensive & on par with other restaurants in the area as far as price. We had a decent bottle for around $36.

Overall, the food was solid and the ambiance was definitely a plus. The steaks and the chopped salad were as good as any I've had.

Here's the "but"... We are used to going out & splurging on dinner. It is not a rare or unheard of experience. That said, the bill here was a bit harder to swallow than the red wine. The special lobster spring rolls were a whopping $12, for 2 (which they do not tell you up front), and there was not THAT much lobster in them. We were charged for both the lobster bisque and the chopped salad because the waiter failed to mention when he was recommending those selections that they were not one of the options for the included accompaniments. Those three items alone cost around $25. The miniscule lobster tails cost a total $30, even in Des Moines, Iowa you don't expect to pay $15 for a couple ounces of lobster. The steaks were over $30 a piece & didn't even include any sides.

The bottom line is that you are definitely paying for the ambiance here. And while sometimes that is what you might be after, at least now you can make an informed decision. For this kind of meal I'd rather go to Azelea, where the food is at least that good & probably a better value. Neither one of us is planning on a return visit, for dinner anyway. My next visit will be for brunch.

To see Joseph's Steakhouse menu: http://www.josephssteak.com/WDM/index.html

http://www.josephssteak.com/WDM/index.html

Lemon Grass (Clive, IA)

2008-02-25T14:20:00.007-06:00

Dined - 2/23/08

Lemon Grass, at 12871 University in Clive (behind the Anglo International building) is on my short list of go-to restaurants in Des Moines. The restaurant is at the former location of the Belwood Cafe (French deli) which is no longer there & has no affiliation with the owner of the Belwood. Lemon Grass serves Lao & Thai cuisine. The first time I ate there I learned from the waitress that the owner or chef used to work at Cool Basil.

Lemon Grass' interior is warm (ok, it was chilly when I was there, but it looks warm & inviting). Warm tones of red & gold dominate. The dining area is small, probably around 12 tables, about the size of a larger Asian carry-out place. And while it seems they do a lot of take-out orders, the food is far from take-out quality.

Lemon Grass has a solid menu & the staff is nice, if not terribly formal with their customers. I have tried several things from the menu, including Larp, Ou Larm, Angry Fever (yes, the 5 chili version), Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, Curry Puffs, Seafood Asparagus, and Panang Curry.

The Ou Larm was really a soup, although they don't really specify that. It was very liquidy and not terribly flavorful. Seafood Asparagus was kind of run of the mill Asian flare, not a stand out.

The Angry Fever, and I just had a bite, was like eating a jalapeno pepper. There was some underlying flavor, but even with just one bite I could just feel & taste the heat. If you're a fan of that, by all means go for it. But the Angry Fever "Club" punch card is kind of a rip off: clean your plate of Angry Fever plate 5 times to earn a free beer, 11 times to earn a free entree.

Here's what does stand out: Crab Rangoon, yes you can get this anywhere, but rarely do you find this much cream cheese in the middle, also a little hint of peppercorn. The Panang Curry is a great curry with rich coconut milk and a hint of heat. Great flavor.

But in my opinion, the best dish on the menu is the Larp with ground chicken. It is the epitome of freshness with onions, scallions, cilantro, and bean sprouts. It is like eating spring. The sticky rice is not everyone's favorite, but it has grown on me. When I was there last, it was not warm enough temperature wise, and I asked them to heat it up. He said that it would hurt the flavor to cook the veggies all the way thru. I've had the dish many times & never had it this cool, but I didn't argue, but it wasn't as good. But that won't keep me from coming back.

http://lemongrassclive.com/

You can find a copy of the menu for Lemon Grass (Clive, IA) at: http://lemongrassclive.com/LemonGrassMenu.pdf

Welcome

2008-02-22T17:17:00.007-06:00

Welcome to my new blog. I am a foodie in my 30s & am frustrated when I am unable to find information on new restaurants in the Des Moines area. My friends & I like to dine out often and we'd like to share our experiences with you.

I am going to try to categorize them on the side bar so you can look at different cusines (Asian, Mexican, American), by price for an average entree (Under $15, Under $30, Upwards of $30), and by "best bets" or my personal favorites.

Check back soon (and often) for information on local establishments.