Category Archives: DINING

December 28, 2015 · 2:54 pm

Angry donuts at Table 128 in Clive (suburban Des Moines)

We had to order the “angry donuts” at Table 128 in West Des Moines — the name alone grabbed us, as did the menu description and they turned out to be about the best thing we had for dinner just before Christmas. They were sort of like fritters – a bit bigger than a golf ball, cakey and warm inside, crispy on the outside, with jalapeno bits and sweet corn in the batter and dusted with “parmesan snow.” A sriracha aoili offered an added kick. Delicious. I also had a very good and not too heavy or creamy potato leak soup while N and D had a cold brussel sprout salad with shaved manchego cheese and bits of La Quercia prosciutto (an Iowa favorite).

the main sources were inventive – I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten pheasant but if this was my first, it was very good. Very flavorful and moist meat (although very small portion) served with potatoes, a vegetable pancake made with shaved squash and a teensy sliver of foie grois . N had the trout which he liked but wasn’t bowled over by; D had a pork shoulder concoction – also liked. For dessert we shared a deconstructed (it arrived in a jar) citrus cheesecake.

Definitely worth another visit!

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December 14, 2015 · 3:07 pm

New restaurants to try in Iowa City…

We are kind of stuck in our ways when it comes to dining in Iowa City but here are some places that may be worth trying accouting to “Bread & Butter: 2015 Dining Guide”:

  • Leaf Kitchen (locally sourced food and freesh squeezed juice
  • Nodo (fresh baskery items and Brew City fries, sandwich board
  • Sushi Kitcchin
  • Oyama – Japanese, chirashi suschi
  • Clinton Street Social Club – pork belly
  • Donnelly’s
  • El Banditos – beef barbacoa taco, brunch

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December 8, 2015 · 4:26 am

My own mansion for the night in Kansas City

imageI am the only guest tonight (no surprise for a Monday night  in early December ) at the beautiful Oak Street Mansion, a lovely 1903 red brick mansion just north of the Nelson Atkins Museum.  The place is a great mix of old world furnishings and contemporary art. The owner has filled the place with his father’s art collection and it’s quite something. his dad was acame here from Cuba and spent his early years in foster care but somenhow managed to start collecting art, starting with African art and moving into I am not exactly sure what (there is at least on Thomas hart Benton according to a book about this place).

The famous PLaza lights!

The famous PLaza lights!

Anyway, beats the local Marriot and very close to where my work meeting is tomorrow morning and to a Gates BBQ outpost on Emmanuel Cleaver Rd. (I can’t return home without ribs wrapped to go!)

I had a nice dinner tonight with my lovely uncle-in-law Kenneth at Aixion, a nice little French place in the pretty Brookside area, another place I used to go during the brief stint I lived here in 1989/1990.image

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December 5, 2015 · 2:03 am

NYC — the ribbon, Russ and daughters (the restaurant!), grand central holiday market

imagetalk about a good day. On a sunny fall Monday, I got to spend the morning with my son, on his 24th birthday no less (we ate at the deli PJ bernsteins on 3rd avenue, near 69th, then I got to spend the rest of the day with my dear friend Myra (we had a terrific lunch at the new Russ and daughters restaurant on Orchard street, and rambled around the lower east side, NoLIta and outer soho into Greenwich village and bought ourselves “statement necklaces” at the holiday craft market in Grand Central) and at night I got to babysit my sweet 3-year-niece Lucy.

On Tuesday, more cherished Lucy time (and cherished time with her parents) then I schlepped to Chelsea to visit a friend temping at Martha Stewart Living (where I got a short tour.) Then I hopped onto a nearly deserted High Line (it was raining) and walked around Chelsea Market (where I was pleased to find a fat witch brownie store that had gift packages of brownies, perfect for a guest gift when I visited a friend for dinner a day later.) Tuesday night was dinner with a dear “fake” aunt at our usual spot Bella blu on the upper east side.( salad with grilled artichokes and parmesan; pasta with duck ragu and olives!)image

Sunday night after thanksgiving was a family outing to T he Ribbon, a welcoming place on west 72nd that is perfect for families. it was fried chicken night!

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November 19, 2015 · 3:35 pm

Where to eat in Oak Park, Illinois (after getting my sister’s okay)

This from a NYTimes article on Oak Park, Illinois (several years after my 36 Hours NYTimes article on Oak Park). Of course I will first run these dining options past my sister, a long time Oak Park resident.

 

Lake Street is the main commercial corridor in downtown Oak Park, brimming with restaurants and shops.

 

With gluten-free options and a homey feel, Delia’s Kitchen (1034 Lake Street, 708-358-1300; deliaskitchen.net) can send you to breakfast nirvana. Try the Mediterranean omelet ($9.50), with feta, baby spinach and green onions.

The Lake Street Kitchen and Bar (1101 Lake Street, 708-383-5253; lakestreetkitchenbar.com) is a solid destination for farm-to-table fare. For brunch, try the carrot cake French toast, served with candied pecans and a cream-cheese glaze ($11); and the smoked sockeye salmon and rye crepe ($11). Pair meals with drinks like the Boulevard Blue, with raspberry vodka, blueberries and lemonade ($10); and Smoak Park, with mezcal, ginger liqueur, orange juice and lime ($13).

Sugar Fixé Pâtisserie (119 North Marion Street; 708-948-7720; sugarfixe.com/opmenu) has a variety of French pastries. The gluten-free lemon macarons ($2), cupcakes ($3 to $3.75) and turkey and Gouda croissant ($4.25) are winners.

Close to the Oak Park Green Line train station, Maya Del Sol (144 South Oak Park Avenue; 708-358-9800), a Latin fusion restaurant, is popular with locals. Start with the taquitos de camaron, with shrimp, roasted tomato sauce and onions ($10). Then try the carne asada, with skirt steak, Brie and chimichurri ($26).

 

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October 19, 2015 · 4:05 pm

Trying out Lurra Cocina in downtown Des Moines

We tried out the new Spanish restaurant Lurra Cocina in downtown Des Moines last Saturday night with friends and it’s  off to a good start but could use some refinements. For starters, the “one-person” paella should be considerably bigger. Good flavor and seafood/meat in the dish but surprisingly skimpy portion.  Especially if you’re going to charge $18, there should be more rice at a minimum. I’ve never ordered or made paella that didn’t produce leftovers…But this time, I was almost hungry after I ate it. Others enjoyed their hanger steak and pork dishes.

The appetizers were good – especially the stuffed dates (and I don’t even like dates  much). And I was very impressed with the flan which wasn’t too sweet or too heavy. Crunchy churros with chocolate dipping sauce were delicious too.  Atmosphere was pleasant – a bit loud but not too and fun to have the big picture windows looking out on a suddenly hopping downtown restaurant scene!

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October 9, 2015 · 7:34 pm

Ceviche Bar restaurant in Des Moines – has potential…

Just back from first visit to the new little hole-in-the-wall restaurant Ceviche Bar, in Des Moines’ East Village, and sort of a mixed bag. The meal I had was good – but not what I ordered or even near. (I’ll explain later) The the service was confused at best (which actually is the main reason why I didn’t get the meal I ordered.)

The place just opened and got a good write up in the local paper so that is probably why they seemed completely overwhelmed. I ordered ceviche (which seemed a good bet given the name) but instead was served a plate with chicken and rice smothered in an orange-red sauce. The server explained that they’d run out of ceviche so they brought me the day’s special. Why they didn’t give me the option to order something else, I don’t know. But the chicken looked good – and was good. Delicious in fact – very tender chicken and the sauce’s defining flavor was salt, which might not be very complex but was tasty. I never received my cuban coffee. My companion got part of the meal she ordered (a cuban sandwich that was pretty ordinary – nothing like the amazing one Rick Bayless serves at Torta in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport or Xoco in Chicago), with missing rice that she reordered. Whatever. We shared a small disc of flan – good flavor and texture. Not too sweet and held together well. The place is cheerful and small and I’ll wait awhile before returning so they can iron out some of the kinks. Overall, a nice addition to the dining scene here.

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August 16, 2015 · 5:42 pm

Iowa State Fair (and fair food) here we come!

We are looking forward to some of our fair food favorites for dinner tonight ‘
  •  ice cream at the dairy barn (we love the peppermint squares from Bauders – in photo – but can get those during the year in Des Moines)
  • pork chop (not on a stick) at the pork producers’ spot or lamb (my preference) at the less popular lamb producers’ spot) or ribeye steak sandwich from the Cattleman’s stand (never tried but well-recommended, as is the “”Hot Beef Sundae” which doesn’t sound appetizing in 90-degree weather)
  •  hard-boiled egg on a stick (given out free in the ag hall, even with avian flu jacking up prices)
  • fresh squeezed lemonade.
  • and maybe a cinnamon roll to take home for breakfast tomorrow… at Buni’s.

Also may try out some new things recommended  this story from the DSM Register on Fair Food.

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June 14, 2015 · 2:49 pm

Juliet’s in Joliet

The downside (or among the downsides) of having a famous prison in your town is that this is what the town becomes synonymous with. When we heard our nephew and his star baseball team would be playing in the Illinois state high school championship in Joliet, the first thing that came to mind was “prison.” (The second thing was “Blues Brothers” — the movie that features The prison.)
turns out Joliet has a few other things including a casino (which we didn’t visit) and the silver cross ballpark, a pleasant minor league size stadium with real seats and cup holders, and Juliet’s, a warm and cozy bar that serves decent food in an old building with red brick walls, burnished wood and high stamped tin ceilings. The town (once you get in the old part, east of the nondescript sprawl near I 55) has some charming old buildings and looks like the typical struggling town that has hidden gems here and there, if you are willing to explore. Which we were.
For the record: the comfort inn in east moline was much better than the comfort inn in moline. Room didn’t smell. Mattress and pillows comfortable. Odd decor (wall art here and there, each time featuring two of the same image, hanging side by side or one atop the other. Huh?)

At Juliet's

At Juliet’s

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May 26, 2015 · 5:49 am

Catalina state Park- Vivace-wildflower-Magee trail- beyond bread- rosa’s: Tucson

LuLuWe got crazy lucky with the weather here. Rather than scorching hot temps, as expected, the highs were in the low 80’s, sunny with a breeze. pretty darn perfect. so we could easily do early morning hikes (our standard loop at Catalina and a trail Just off Magee.

We stayed in a condo we rented from VRBO/Homeaway about 7 minutes drive from my dad’s in Oro Valley, off La Canada, just north of Naranja. Good deal $135 per night for two bedroom two bath, plenty of room to spread out. Not my choice of decor (bachelor pad bad) but good bed, reasonably clean, good backyard with hot tub. My sister found an even nicer place for $100 a night near the el conquistador hotel.image
Also did some fine dining to mark my father’s 80th birthday– the reason my siblings and I came here – including Italian food at the new location of Vivace, up the road on Campbell from the previous location, with a stupendous view of the city from in high; excellent birthday brunch in Sunday at Wildflower. Today, we went to Beyond Bread after our hike and were grateful it was open (on Memorial Day). And excellent tuna melt. Tonight we went to Rosa’s Mexican restaurant on fort Lowell. The food wasn’t as good as we remembered but nice ambiance and good service. all good. Happy 80th to my dear dad!!! Xox

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