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/
Showing posts with label Best Bets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best Bets. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2009
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tandoor Restored to its Original Brilliance
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/
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/
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Azalea Restaurant (downtown Des Moines)
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/
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/
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
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
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/
Friday, March 21, 2008
Azalea Restaurant (Downtown Des Moines, IA)
(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.
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.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Lemon Grass (Clive, IA)
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
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
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