What a perfect day for RAGBRAI! My friend Anne and I joined an estimated 30,000 riders (yes 30,000 riders) cycling from Perry, Iowa to Des Moines, a relatively easy 50 mile ride with suddenly perfect cool weather. It was glorious. Never had 50 miles go by so fast on a bike. Beautiful Iowa scenery – endless cornfields, bucolic farms, welcoming small towns. Saw lots of old friends and neighbors and even exchanged hellos with Iowa’s governor who was on the ride. Met people from all over the country/world. Ate with abandon – pancakes in Minburn, a hotdog, corn on the cob and Bauder’s peach ice cream in Van Meter, a fantastic Thai pork wrap by the great WDM restaurant Baru 66 at the party in Valley Junction. Now, after a shower at home, we’re off to downtown DSM for the festivities.
Tag Archives: baru 66
James Beard semi-finalists in Des Moines: from Baru 66, Gateway/Zombie, etc, Proof
The James Beard Foundation knowns how to pick’em based on the chefs chosen as Midwest semi-finalists in a contest some say is akin to the Oscars (not so sure about that…):
They are: David Baruthio of Baru 66 in Windsor Heights (which I consider our area’s best restaurant) for outstanding chef – along with Sean Wilson at Proof (which I haven’t visited since it changed owners); and George Formaro in the Best Restauranteur category for his groundbreaking (for Des Moines) restaurants/food – Centro, Gateway Market, Zombie Burger, Django.
George, in my view, deserves a medal for making Des Moines a place worth eating in – by bringing in a succession of crucial things that were sadly missing when I arrived here 23 years ago 1) outstanding bread (ciabatta! focaccia!) 2) one of the first good new happening restaurants in the new revived downtown, which paved the way for others 3) a world class cheese selection in the city’s first real gourmet market 4) a fun, affordable hipster burger joint 5) a lively french restaurant.
Filed under Des Moines, DINING
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