February 22, 2013 · 5:25 am

Windy city: cafe zinc, studio gang show at art institute

Blustery day in Chicago, with the winds especially fierce along Michigan avenue so after a pleasant lunch at cafe zinc ( cream of mushroom soup, egg salad sandwich) I got a bus pass and some ear muffs at Walgreens and hopped onto the 151 bus to the art institute where I caught what I believe is one of the last days of an exhibit about studio gang, the architecture firm of Jeanne Gang, which designed the fabulous Aqua building in downtown Chicago and lots of other buildings as I learned from the exhibit. Well worth a visit. I also popped to see the small collection of folk art at the institute. I didn’t have enough time or energy to go to the Picasso in Chicago show that just opened.

20130221-232530.jpg this is a cool building in Iowa, near grinnell.

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February 18, 2013 · 6:14 pm

Cool art show alert in Grinnell – art from the grocery aisles

Jonathan Seliger, Seasonal, 2010

September 20, 2013 – December 15, 2013 |

I like contemporary art that rifs off of contemporary life (isn’t that what it should do?) so I’m intrigued by an upcoming show at Grinnell College’s excellent Faulconer Gallery  “Stocked Contemporary Art from the Grocery Aisles” that features art inspired by “shopping carts, candy wrappers, grocery lists, paper bags, milk bottles and cereal boxes – ordinary often overlooked items” that emerge as “objects for artistic investigation. The show runs from Sept. 20 to Dec. 15, 2013 and will give me another excuse to dine at the excellent Prairie Canary restaurant on Main Street. The show also has connections to Wichita, where I lived long ago. It was organized by Wichita State University’s Ulrich Museum.

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February 17, 2013 · 5:09 pm

Clever ways to lure people to view art at Grinnell College’s gallery

polidori_lo_res.jpg

 Luring people to art galleries and museums can be challenging but Grinnell College has some cool ideas for coaxing people to see the compelling Robert Polidori photography exhibit (photo above) in its Faulconer Gallery including:

– Yoga in the Gallery on Mondays and Thursdays through March 14.

– A “Let Them Eat Cake” event this Saturday (Feb. 16) that presumably was inspired by Polidori’s dramatic Versailles photos currently on exhibit. You can make and wear a wig while eating your cake and touring the gallery. There’s another Versailles event on Feb. 26 – a presentation by several Grinnell College professors about the art, opera, and baroque music that Versailles gave birth to.

– The founders of “Team Rubicon” – military vets who provide disaster relief after catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina – will speak on Feb. 25 in the gallery, which also features Polidori’s photos of post-Katrina New Orleans. The founders, Jacob Wood and William McNulty, will also talk about their recent work helping people on the east coast after Hurricane Sandy. And they’ll pick up their 2012 Grinnell Prize metals.

– A lecture by a Grinnell Professor on March 12 on the political impact of Chernobyl – the exhibit also features photos, you guessed it, of the post-Chernobyl Ukrainian countryside.

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February 16, 2013 · 6:30 pm

Power dining in Des Moines – really? If Time – Lifers insist…..

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-15/where-to-power-lunch-in-des-moines#r=hpt-ls

I have friends who work at Time Life publications in NYC who are no doubt very excited at the prospect of moving to Des Moines if there is some sort of merger with Des Moines-based Meredith Corp. NOT. But should it come to that – and it’s not clear that it will – Business week has an amusing story about where to power dine in Des Moines. Frankly I think that’s an oxymoron. People don’t power dine here – that I’m aware of – which is one of the city’s many charms. I could add a few other places to their list…if people just want a good lunch rather than face time.

For what it’s worth – here’s the story below. I disagree on a few points: (although I don’t power dine, especially at lunch. I have been to most of these places, most often for dinner. And I’m not a power broker…)

– Zombie Burger is a fun Hipster burger joint – and almost anti-power dining. Unless you consider pink-haired tattooed boys and girls to be power brokers.

– Alba’s waitstaff is not surly – in my limited experience. Try the guiness shortribs (at dinner at least).

– The Centro and Embassy Club write-ups are the most dead-on

–  For power brokers, I’d add 801 Grand Steakhouse – has that stuffy clubby old white guys with cigars feel, not exactly the hip magazine crowd.

New York’s publishing industry has dined out on lavish expense accounts across Midtown Manhattan for decades. But for the legions of workers at Time Inc., the largest magazine publisher in America, the institution of the “power lunch” may soon experience a stark change of scenery, should Meredith Corp. (MDP) purchase most of Time Inc.’s magazines from Time Warner (TWX) and relocate the operations to Meredith’s headquarters in Des Moines.

For those new to Des Moines’s dining scene, here’s a handy guide.

1. Centro

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: Three dishes with “New York” in the name

Funky Decor: A former Masonic Temple

Liquid Lunch: $2 up-charge for hard liquor served “neat.” Where have we heard this before?

Sample Menu Item: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Salad, $15.50

Diner Online Review: “The waiter dude definitely showed some professionalism.”

Power Table: “Undoubtedly table 49,” says Centro co-founder and partner Paul Rottenberg. The corner four-top banquette “provides equal parts privacy and an ideal vantage point to scan the main dining room.” The table’s prime location makes it “enviable for any mover and shaker.”Courtesy Centro

2. Des Moines Embassy Club

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: Must be a member to dine here

Funky Decor: 101-year-old chandeliers

Liquid Lunch: Martinis made with fresh ingredients from herb gardens surrounding the restaurant

Sample Menu Item: Lobster Spaghetti, $17

Diner Online Review: The first rule of Embassy Club is that nobody talks (online) about Embassy Club

Power Table: Three “Say Yes” tables, which according to culinary director Michael LaValle are usually occupied by “the president of the bank downstairs, the lead counsel at a local law firm, and the retired head of an insurance company.”

3. Alba Restaurant

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: Notoriously slow and surly waitstaff

Funky Decor: Doors suspended from the ceiling

Sample Menu Item: Duck Terrine & Fried Egg sandwich, $7.50

Diner Online Review: “Salt is not a flavor like everywhere else we ate.”

Power Table: “Um … I guess you could sit near the window,” says owner Jason Simon. “You can see the Capitol Building. That’s kinda cool.”

4. Django Restaurant

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: iPad drink menu

Funky Decor: Midwestern French

Liquid Lunch: Absinthe cocktail

Sample Menu Item: “Le Cheeseburger,” $9.99

Diner Online Review: “OMG bacon syrup … you MUST try.”

Power Table: The “Wine Alcove” is a prominent spot, says general manager Mike Crownover. “You’ve got the wine shelving area on one side of your table, and windows on the other. It’s windows and wine. It’s very popular for business lunches.”

5. Zombie Burger

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: “Dead Moines” burger a punny reminder that you now live in the middle of nowhere.

Funky Decor: Zombie wall murals

Liquid Lunch: Milkshake spiked with booze

Sample Menu Item: “We’re Coming to Get You Barbara” grilled cheese, $11.79

Diner Online Review: “The staff is pretty hot” (not that it matters or anything).

Power Table: Chef and co-owner George Formaro recommends one of only two communal tables in the center of the dining room. “Their prominent location and bar height makes them the most visible and hard-to-get seats in the restaurant,” he says.

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February 15, 2013 · 3:27 pm

Direct flights Des Moines-NYC coming back. Thank you Delta!!

File:Delta plane and Atlanta skyline.jpg

It’s been tried before – and it’s being tried again: Direct flights between Des Moines and New York City. This is excellent news for those of us who travel to New York frequently – now we just have to wait and see if the flights will be affordable. Delta will start offering daily nonstop service to LaGuardia on June 10.

The times are okay – flights will leave Des Moines at 7 a.m. (at least it’s not 6 a.m.) and landing at 10:45 a.m.; The return is a little less okay – flights leaving NYC at 8:59 p.m. and getting to Des Moines at 11:16 p.m.  This gives people another full day in NYC but sometimes evening flights are vulnerable to delays or cancellation, in my experience. And 11:16 p.m. DSM time is 12:16 a.m. NYC time – so that will be a long day. Oh well. It’s a start!

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February 14, 2013 · 4:55 pm

Will the American U.S. Air Merger be good for us little folks?

I’m not sure what to make of the proposed American Airlines – U.S.Air merger – from what I gather it will further consolidate the airlines, leaving fewer options for travelers and the potential for higher prices. Then again, perhaps this is what both airlines needed in order to stay in business and I guess we consumers want that. Despite all the concerns about American of late, I’ve flown them recently and had no problems. (We’re flying American again next month from Des Moines to Phoenix.) I do have a bunch of free miles on American so will be looking to see if/how those are affected by the merger. And I do remember some initial operational glitches when United merged with Continental.

File:Aa.b777-200er.n781an.arp.jpg

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February 13, 2013 · 2:52 pm

Talented team to feed masses at DSM’s Riverwalk soon. walking tours too.

Good to hear that the talented Lisa and Michael LaValle will team up with talented George Formaro to run the food stand at the Hub Spot along Des Moines’ Principal Riverwalk , off Court Avenue west of the river, starting this April. The food sounds equally promising – with locally-sourced items like LaQuercia prosciutto, Maytag Cheese and Zanzibar coffee to be sold, not to mention a “Zombie Burger” cart – a spin off of Formaro’s popular East Village restaurant. Lisa has been the longtime chef at the Des Moines Art Center and is an all round nice person. (Our kids went to school together.) Here’s more info from the Des Moines Register! And here’s hoping the Riverwalk becomes as popular as Gray’s Lake with outdoor enthusiasts. We regularly ride our bikes on a trail through both – now we’ll have a new place to get a snack downtown.

The Hub Spot at the Principal Riverwalk, which is nearing completion, is on the west side of the river, near the Polk County office building.

The Hub Spot at the Principal Riverwalk, on the west side of the river, near the Polk County office building.

And what’s this about Carl Voss, another person we’ve known for decade, offering walking tours of downtown Des Moines in the spring? And kayaking on the Raccoon River?

The Des Moines Art Center

 

 

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February 12, 2013 · 2:03 am

What’s with the tree sweaters in Grinnell and Iowa City? Yarn bombing?

Some extra hands to help

During a recent visit to Grinnell, we were struck by the tree branches sporting colorfully hand-knitted sweaters on the campus’s “Peace Grove.”

A tree branch with sweater (or sock?) on the Grinnell College campusOn a cold winter day, the trees  looked bundled up and warm.

 

It took me a few minutes to remember where I’d last seen – and been intrigued by – trees wearing sweaters. It was in nearby Iowa City, of course. According to a recent story in Patch, the Iowa City sweaters are a public art project dating back to Nov. 2012 – the handiwork of dozens of volunteer knitters who hand knit “tree-huggers.”

Stitching a long sweater
Apparently this started downtown and spread to other parts of Iowa City – and maybe an hour west to Grinnell? Apparently it’s part of a new “yarn bombing” trend where people knit sweaters to decorate trees in public areas. (Seems like the wrong term for such a peaceful activity.) Here’s more from wikipedia: Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarnstorming, guerrilla knitting, urban knitting or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk.

History (from wikipedia)

Yarn bombing examples have been recorded as early as May 2004 in Den Helder, Netherlands. In the U.S., in 2005 Texas knitters used their leftover and unfinished knitting projects, but it has since spread worldwide with custom pieces being created by artists.[1][3][2]

The start of this movement has been attributed to Magda Sayeg, 37, from Houston, who says she first got the idea in 2005 when she covered the door handle of her boutique with a custom made cozy.[4] Though artist Shanon Schollian was knitting stump cozies in 2002 for clear cuts in Oregon[5]. The Knit Knot Tree by the Jafagirls in Yellow Springs, Ohio gained international attention in 2008.

Yarn bombing’s popularity has spread throughout the world. In Oklahoma City the Collected Thread store yarn bombed the Plaza District of the city on September 9, 2011 to celebrate their three-year anniversary as a functioning shop.[10] and in Australia a group called the Twilight Taggers refer to themselves as ‘fibre artists’.[11] Joann Matvichuk of Lethbridge, Alberta founded International Yarnbombing Day, which was first observed on June 11, 2011.[12]

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February 10, 2013 · 5:51 pm

Grinnell road trip : Robert Polidori photos,Prairie Canary cuisine!

Robert Polidori, Salles d'Afrique, Portrait of Louis XVI by Callet #2, Chateau d

Robert Polidori, Salles d’Afrique, Portrait of Louis XVI by Callet #2, Chateau de Versailles, 2007. Color photograph. Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College Art Collection.

Here’s a great way to beat the February blahs in Iowa – go to the fabulous Robert Polidori exhibit at Grinnell College’s Faulconer Gallery. We went yesterday and were bowled over by Polidori’s painting-like photographs of interiors of places as different as post-Chernobyl Ukraine, post-Katrina New Orleans and post-nothing Versailles. This is the second exhibit we’ve gone to at Faulconer Gallery and yet again, we walked away very impressed (and a little concerned that yet again we were the only people in the gallery on a very quiet Saturday afternoon on campus.)

We had an outstanding dinner at Prairie Canary, the new restaurant opened by Carly Groben (who made a name for herself in Des Moines with the restaurant Proof.)  The service was a little spotty but the food and ambiance was great. I only wish it was a little closer to Des Moines (it’s about an hour away.) We were glad to see the place was packed – at 6 p.m. on a Saturday night.

Located in a glass-fronted shop along Grinnell’s tidy Main Street, Prairie Canary looks distinctly contemporary with its plain exterior and tidy graphics, compared to the old brick facades of its neighbors (and the cool old movie theater The Strand, with its original arcade) but in a clean not garish way.

The interior is minimalist, with a long wood floor, pine wood tables, white designer chairs, neutral colored, bare walls – but it feels warmer, less spare than Proof, in part due to the huge old wood antique bar at the back with a big mirror that looks a bit Parisian. The pottery is by a local purveyor (among several listed on the menu) and is a nice off-white stoneware with a dark rim. Old fashioned glass jam jars are on each table, one with a little candle, another with a pretty well-chosen display of little green non-flowering plants and a narrow long cattail. All very tasteful but not too.

The food was very good – creative but not kooky, presented in an appealing, simple straightforward way. We started with an Asian sampler – a few crispy fried wontons/potstickers with “braised ginger pork and chives” inside, served with a sesame-soy dipping sauce; a very hearty spring roll stuffed with  shredded chicken and served with a chili-lime creamy sauce (I didn’t notice the advertised “mango-jalapeno” aspect);  two skewers with little chunks of perfectly seared and seasoned medium-rare beef. I had roasted pork tenderloin with tart cherries – which fortunately was not a huge slab of meat but small nice-cooked not-dry meat atop a thin slab of well-seasoned polenta (creamy on the inside, crisp on the outside) and a few pieces of also well-seasoned still-crunchy broccoli.  The sauce wasn’t creamy, as advertised, and I was glad. Instead, it was a light sauce – seemed to be made up mostly of the meat’s juices.  I’ve never been good at cooking pork (must be my Jewish heritage holding me back..) so I admire those who can – and many in Iowa can.

Carly Groben, owner of the Prairie Canary Restaurant

My husband had a fancier version of a Philly steak sandwich, deliciously salty tender meat with heaps of grilled peppers and onions, melted cheese in a perfect bun, crispy hand-cut fries served with the same chili-lime sauce as the potstickers  – again well-seasoned. For dessert, we shared a piece of the Canary Cake – a banana, pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting and candied pecans. We saw no sign of the actual banana or pineapple but  they may have been what contributed to the flavor and moistness of what appeared to be and tasted like a cross between spice cake and carrot cake. Delicious. The bar in the basement looked fun too. We will be back!

exterior of Prairie Canary in Grinnell (not the best shot, alas.)

exterior of Prairie Canary in Grinnell (not the best shot, alas.)

More on the Polidori exhibit:

Exhibition Date:

25 Jan 2013 – 17 Mar 2013

School Year:

2012 – 2013

Location:

Faulconer Gallery

For more than 25 years, Robert Polidori, the noted architectural and editorial photographer, has been photographing historic sites around the world as diverse as the Castro regime’s Havana, post-Katrina New Orleans, post-human Chernobyl, and the Palace of Versailles. This exhibition features 60 large-scale color photographs from these and other ongoing projects. A full-color, hardcover catalogue for the exhibition, co-published by the Faulconer Gallery and Steidl Publishers, Germany, is available.

 

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February 9, 2013 · 5:27 pm

gramercy tap at Kirkwood in Des Moines – so so

Wasabi Tao opened on January 24 in the Kirkwood Building in Downtown Des Moines.
Wasabi Tao opened on January 24 in the Kirkwood Building in Downtown Des Moines.

The Gramercy Tap opens in Downtown Des Moines

We’ve been trying some new restaurants with friends here in Des Moines – because WHAT else is there to do in Des Moines in February when the weather is cold and grey and gloomy – and last night’s visit to the Gramercy Tap – the latest effort to fill the drafty space of the Kirkwood Building’s  old ballroom (or I think that’s what it was) – was so-so. The service was fine. The ambiance is a little lacking – the room is just too stark and cold, especially when there’s not a big crowd. We think it would make a fine….ballroom. Which of course won’t work these days. The food was okay – nice varied menu with lots of inexpensive sides and appetizers and a handful of pricey entrees. The New England Clam Chowder with the alluring bacon bits – which we’d heard of – was gone by 7:15 when we tried to order it. Which seems like bad planning by the kitchen. We had an appetizer with pork belly that was icky – a big blob of fat, essentially, with a fried egg atop it and some good roasted vegetables and crunchy bits of guanciale (Italian bacon). My lamb burger was fine – served with some chopped tomatoes, cukes and feta which worked well. The creamed spinach was more cheesy than creamy and not interestingly spiced. My husband’s spaghetti carbonara, on the other hand, was swimming in cheesy sauce. Just looking at it made me feel some lactose intolerance coming on. Our friends liked their tomato bisque and fish dishes (i prefered the arctic char to the skate, from what I sampled.)

We’ve been to two other restaurants in this space and never returned to either. Just didn’t feel like somewhere we’d want to go again and I’m afraid I feel similarly about this latest effort. We did wander over to the new sushi bar across the hall in the Kirkwood (Wasabi Tao – owned by the same folks of another sushi place here we’ve heard good things about, Wasabi Chi)  and it looked much more inviting, a smaller, darker, much warmer space with lots of people in little pockets of the place and a large illuminated Buddha overseeing it all. We tried a previous sushi place there a few years ago and had the worst service ever – it took hours to get our food. But this new place looks worth a try! And the Kirkwood is such a great old building with a lobby full of terra cotta embellishments and painted murals and an old front desk….

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