The invigorated Hoyt Sherman continues to offer great performances, most recently one last Monday by one-of-a-kind singer/songwriter Regina Spektor who soldiered her way through 2.5 hours of performing almost completely solo on stage, sometimes accompanying herself on piano or guitar, even singing a Capella, while battling bronchitis. Pretty gutsy and very talented. So pleased that Hoyt Sherman is once again offering phenomenal shows (Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Ben Harper, Lucinda Williams, Regina…to name a few)!
Category Archives: Des Moines
Check out my story in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s magazine: the Raccoon River Valley Trail
Here it is! Click here! (This is the photo taken by my friend Denise…that was used below. And yes, that’s me riding….)
Filed under bike trails, biking, Des Moines, Iowa
Captain Roy’s – a new spot to stop while biking on the Neal Smith Trail in Des Moines
Good thing Dirck remembered that there is a new place to stop, as we were riding our bikes on the Neal Smith Trail near Birdland Marina on Des Moines’ East Side Sunday. We rode right past Captain Roy’s, without noticing it, but backtracked and found a pleasant little clearing with outdoor tables and a deck overlooking the Des Moines River, as well as a food truck serving burgers and chicken and waffles and a small building with a takeout window for beer and other drinks. We sat in the sunshine, watching the occasional boat go by on the Des Moines River, enjoying a late summer/early fall day.
Filed under bike trails, biking, Des Moines
Iowa State Fair 2017 – gorgeous weather brings lots of people but doesn’t feel crowded
The weather was so perfect (sunny and almost cool, not hot or humid) last Saturday that I feared the fairgrounds would be uncomfortably crowded. There were tons of people but the fair didn’t feel any more crowded than usual for a Saturday. There was a long line at the Dairy Barn, which is to be expected, and it remains the one place where I always feel sweaty, even in relatively cool temps, because there’s no shade.
But there was hardly any wait to get an egg-on-a-stick from the Iowa Egg Council inthe Ag Building or to get a ticket for the Sky Glider. We sailed right into the Pork Producer’s tent for dinner – maybe because it was relatively late? (about 7 p.m.)
The Midway did look cleaner, brighter and less seedy – as promised with the rebranding as Thrill Park. And I did overhear someone actually ordering a cheesy fried enchilada funnel cake – one of the “new foods” at the fair. No thank you. Other than that, just enjoyed the usual highlights, with the added bonus of having two of our grown kids and their significant others with us!
Filed under Agritourism, Des Moines, Iowa
Real onion bhajis in Des Moines…at a Nepalese Restaurant no less!
I fell in love with onion bhajis in the 1980s when I lived in London and started going to Indian restaurants. But I have rarely found them on menus in Indian restaurants in the U.S. so when I spotted them on the menu at Kathmandu, a new Nepalese restaurant on Des Moines south side, I had to violate my pledge not to eat Indian food at the restaurant (we wanted to stick with Nepalese entrees since we’ve rarely had Nepalese food) and glad I did.
They were the real deal. crispy clumps of cut onions, battered and fried, served with two sauces. THink Indian onion rings that look more like a sloppy latke. WE also had chicken moma, a Nepalese dumpling and a Nepalese version of saag (spinach) creamed with chunks of potatoes. the restaurant looks like a bodega from the outside, on an uncharming thoroughfare known for ragtag shops, cheap motels, pawn shops, rough bars, used cars and immigrant- owned businesses.
Filed under Des Moines, DINING
Finds at the Downtown Farmers Market – Des Moines
“There’s usually nothing new down there,” my husband muttered as I persisted in heading down a side street (near the new HyVee) in downtown Des Moines during the Saturday morning farmers market.
And he’s usually right. But this time of year, chances are he’s wrong – and he was. Spotting a crowd gathered around a vendor, we arrived at Coeur Bread which turns out to be new (or new to us and this particular market location) and makes noteworthy bread, which is hard to do in such a crowded field these days. The flavors are different – raspberry feta is delicious, “hot chocolate” a little odd but not too sweet, jalapeno corn has visible kernels and a kick. And the texture is perfect – dense, chewy, crusty and dusty on the outside, both the little rolls (sort of the size of charcoal brickets) and the loafs, sweetly wrapped in brown butcher paper with a little brown ribbon.
I was also pleased to see the return of Butcher Crick, which sells gorgeous heirloom tomatoes – all kinds of odd shapes, unusual colors and best of all, discernable flavor. And the sellers are so enthusiastic it’s hard not to suddenly drop $8 on a handful of beauties.
With fresh produce so bountiful and widely available this time of year, I’ve come to restrict my Saturday farmer’s market shopping to things I can’t find elsewhere and raspberry-feta bread and dusty red or tiger-striped tomatoes fit that bill.
Filed under Agritourism, Des Moines
Iowa State Fair tips – in a travel story I wrote for the Minneapolis Star Tribune
Here’s a travel story I wrote about the Iowa State Fair in this weekend’s Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Iowa State Fair has much in common with Minnesota’s
Iowa’s fair is a more “classic” counterpart to Minnesota’s get-together.
##
Filed under Des Moines, Iowa
Japan-like coffee arrives in Des Moines at the Horizon Line – I think
In Tokyo last year, we stumbled upon what seemed like a novel way to prepare and serve iced coffee — a pool of dark coffee in a wide deep bowl with a rectangular chunk of ice floating in the middle, slowly melting and making the coffee colder.
A new coffee place, the Horizon Line, in Des Moines seems to have the same idea – although I’ll probably ask the barista to hold the ginger beer (which sounds too weird) See the photo in this DSM Register story for more details:
Coffee connoisseurs should head to this new Des Moines spot New coffee spot in DSM
Filed under Des Moines, DINING
More good things in Des Moines – Akebono (sushi), new Farmers Market vendors, spiffed up Graziano Mkt, new East Village places
New improved Graziano’s meat counter, DSM
Good stuff keeps coming to Des Moines and this longtime resident remains thankful. Even Graziano’s, the old Italian specialty store on the south side has spiffed up with some major remodeling – and is now surrounded by new apartment complexes.
I didn’t think we’d have many people to watch as we ate on the patio at Akebono, a Japanese restaurant with good sushi, in downtown Des Moines last Saturday night but the streets were hopping. Part of it had to do with a food truck event nearby at the Des Moines Social Club, some Kentucky Derby partygoers, some Prom kids and a crowd at the restaurant Malo but it still amazes me to see so much happening in a once obscure corner of downtown. We enjoyed Akebono’s food and service too (although the poke didn’t resemble the kind I’ve enjoyed in places like Hawaii and LA.)
The farmers market opened to a huge crowd (the weather was gorgeous) and I was pleased to see new vendors such as 5 Borough Bagels from Clive and Scenic Route Bakery from the East Village. The new HyVee also fit right in, which is a relief. People on the HyVee patio were eating what looked like good brunch entrees including French Toast.
We stopped at Zombie Burger during a bike ride and were a bit disappointed by their new recipe for fries and the cranberry-Gorgonzola salad. We preferred the less crunchy fries and the salad with a less sweet dressing and bacon (although Zombie kindly added bacon to our salad anyway). Sitting on the patio, we took note of all the new buildings surrounding us, which makes the place feel more urban and busy, including the AC Hotel which has what we’ve been told is a great rooftop bar.
On the Great Western Trail, we were relieved to see that the changes in the trail to accommodate the Microsoft server plant and a highway near Orilla have not messed up our favorite trail. Also pleased to see that the pub Outskirtz looked more open for passing bikers on a Sunday than I’ve seen in the past.
Filed under bike trails, Des Moines, DINING
Jackson Street Bridge, Americana Restaurant – 70 degree temps in February in Des Moines!
Meant to post this a week ago…
There were near traffic jams on the bike trails in Des Moines yesterday – and not surprising considering that this is the first time I can ever remember riding my bike here in 70 degree weather on Feb. 19th. Something weird is happening with our climate, no doubt, but it was great to get outside and hit the trails during what is usually one of winter’s worst months. Also pleased to see that the Jackson Street Bridge near Principal Park has reopened, better than ever.
Also need to mention that Americana Restaurant‘s hamburger was amazingly good on Friday night (when I was in emotional distress and in need of a serious burger and an outing with old friends). I’m always impressed when a burger actually arrives medium rare – when I’ve ordered it medium rare – and the extra fixings made it even better.
Filed under bike trails, biking, Des Moines, DINING
TakeBetsywithyou 