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.
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
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/
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Principal Riverwalk Restaurant at Wells Fargo Arena
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.
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.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Black Cat Cafe (Des Moines) - Revisited
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
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
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.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Alba - First impression (East Village, Des Moines, IA)
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.
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)
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/
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/
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